Holidays in Seattle - Gingerbread Village and Teddy Bear Suite

When winter hits the Pacific Northwest, we tend to scatter out to the mountains of Leavenworth to get that real Christmas feel. However, winter in Seattle is also an enchanting time thanks to two annual traditions that take place downtown: Sheraton Seattle's Gingerbread Village, and the Teddy Bear Suite at the Fairmont Olympic. Both hotels have been carrying on these traditions for over two decades. Even if you've seen them once before, a return visit is due as the designs vary by the year. But first, let's go into detail about each of these holiday spectacles.

Gingerbread Village

Every year, the Sheraton Seattle invites some of the top architects, master builders, and culinary teams to create the most inventive gingerbread houses they can imagine. The theme changes each year. One year it was Star Wars, and yet another was Harry Potter. This year, the 25th anniversary, the theme encourages a celebration of Seattle. The results have been jaw-dropping. Some gingerbread houses pay homage to historic Seattle, while others imagine a sci-fi version that probably isn't far from reality.

Gingerbread Village typically takes place in the Sheraton's main lobby. This year it temporarily relocated across the street at City Centre. Entry is free, but donations are encouraged as proceeds benefit JDRF Northwest.

Location: City Centre (new location) 1420 Fifth Ave. Ste 450 Seattle, WA 98101

Dates: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 - Monday, January 1, 2018

Viewing Hours:

Monday through Thursday from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Teddy Bear Suite

A few blocks away, another grand Seattle hotel encourages you to swing by for holiday cheer. Every winter, the Fairmont Olympic takes one of its corner suites and fills it with teddy bears. The exact configuration changes every few years; the current iteration is a warm, cozy suite that's perfect for any teddy bear lover. Donations are encouraged as they benefit Seattle Children's Hospital.

After visiting the Teddy Bear Suite, head down to The Georgian restaurant and enjoy Holiday Tea. Or go down to the main lobby and enjoy the Fairmont's grand Christmas tree displays. Meanwhile, the ground floor has a new addition: a huge life-sized gingerbread house that you can actually walk through!