Kirkland Has Its Tree Lighting Date. The Rink and the Lights Are Still Unannounced.

Kirkland's holiday season now has a confirmed opening day. WinterFest at Kirkland Urban and the Kirkland Downtown Association's tree lighting at Peter Kirk Park both fall on Saturday, November 28, and both start earlier in the day than they did last year. The attractions that used to fill the weeks afterward are less settled. The outdoor ice rink at Lee Johnson Field and the Google Lights display at Feriton Spur Park, both of which ran into January last season, have no 2026 dates on any organizer or city page as of late October.

That gives this season an unusual shape. One afternoon is fully planned. The nightly attractions after it depend on decisions that haven't been announced yet, and in the rink's case, part of that decision runs through the city's tourism grant process.

November 28 starts an hour earlier

Kirkland Urban's WinterFest 2026 runs from 3 to 7 p.m. at 425 Urban Plaza. It's free, and this year's listing describes it as presented in partnership with the Kirkland Downtown Association. The tree lighting follows the same page's lead. It's hosted by KDA "just steps away" at Peter Kirk Park, and the lights go on at 6:15 p.m.

Here's how that compares with last year:

The lighting moved up by an hour and fifteen minutes, slightly more than WinterFest's one-hour shift. That leaves a bit more time after the tree is lit to get back to the plaza before the Santa sleigh photos, the live ice sculpting, the snowfall on the promenade, and the Enchanted Farms alpacas wrap up. The lineup also includes carolers from Premier Vocal Entertainment, line dancing lessons with the Boot Boogie Babes, and balloon art by Hoopla. Kirkland Urban's listing adds one house rule. Minors must be with an adult at all times on the property.

For a family with young kids, the earlier schedule changes the evening. A 6:15 lighting means dinner can come after the main event.

The season has been moving toward Peter Kirk Park

This consolidation is fairly new. In 2024, the City of Kirkland announced the KDA-hosted Winterfest Tree Lighting at Marina Park on Saturday, December 7, from 3 to 8 p.m. By 2025 it had moved to Peter Kirk Park and the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and the 2026 listing keeps it there.

The move put the tree next to the other two pieces of the downtown holiday season. Kirkland Urban's plaza sits beside the park, and last season's rink stood on Lee Johnson Field at 202 Third Street, which the city's Tourism Development Committee listed as part of Peter Kirk Park. So last year, the plaza, the tree and the ice were all in one place.

That's why the rink's status matters more than any one event. The tree is lit once. Last season, the rink stayed open nearly every day from November into January.

What's confirmed, and what's still blank

As of late October, here's how the season stands:

A few notes on the confirmed items.

Totem Lake goes first. The Village at Totem Lake's event page lists Santa's arrival at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 21, on the Village Green near Cinemark, with photos starting at 11 a.m. The page doesn't print a year. November 21 does fall on a Saturday in 2026, and last year's Santa arrival was on Saturday, November 22, in the same spot from 10:30 a.m. to noon, so the format appears unchanged. Check the page again the week of the event.

The art market covers most of the season. Kirkland Arts Center's gallery schedule lists the Holiday Art Market from November 23 to December 21, right after the October 15 to November 20 exhibition. The center's vendor application calls it the 2026 Holiday Art Market and lists 75 vendor slots. It opens five days before WinterFest and closes four days before Christmas, so it's the confirmed downtown option that lasts longest.

The 12Ks of Christmas falls on the second Sunday in December. Race Roster's 2026 event page lists Sunday, December 13, at 9 a.m., starting from Marina Park.

The rink's future is in a public grant process

Last season, KDA presented the Kirkland Ice Rink on Lee Johnson Field with real ice, one-hour sessions, skates included with admission, and advance online tickets. Admission was $20. Hours ran from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 to 10:30 p.m. on Fridays, noon to 10:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays.

Last year's published dates didn't agree with each other. One family events listing gave the opening as November 6, while the Tourism Development Committee's November 2025 minutes listed November 26. A December 1, 2025 city bulletin said skating ran through January 31, 2026. The city's January 2 notice gave January 11 instead. This season, there's nothing to compare yet. KDA's holiday-season event category currently shows no events.

Part of the reason sits in Kirkland's tourism grant program. The City of Kirkland's Tourism Events Grant Funding page explains that the program is funded by lodging tax collected from Kirkland hotels, motels and short-term rentals. It backs events that can draw visitors from more than 50 miles away. The 2026 funded list includes $15,000 to the Kirkland Downtown Association for a "Seasonal Ice Rink," out of $110,000 in total awards. The table doesn't list dates or a location for that award.

The next round has more than one bidder. At a July 2, 2026 special meeting, the Tourism Development Committee interviewed applicants for 2027 grants. The minutes list two ice rink applications, one from KDA for its Downtown Ice Rink and one from Blue Line Sports & Entertainment. The committee's August 6 agenda included a 2027 grant funding recommendation, but the published agenda doesn't list the recommended amounts. No outcome for either rink application has been posted.

So the earliest official sign of whether the rink returns, and who runs it, is likely to come from KDA's events page or the city's weekly "This Week in Kirkland" bulletin. Last season, the bulletin is where the rink's dates and ticket link appeared.

Google Lights usually comes later

The lights at Feriton Spur Park, 509 6th Street South, run on a different schedule. In 2025, Eastrail's event listing said Google and SRM Development were bringing the display back, with an opening celebration on December 5 and public viewing from 4 to 9 p.m. for the rest of December. The city later listed nightly viewing from 4 to 9 p.m. through January 9.

Because last year's display didn't open until December, the lack of an announcement in late October is less surprising than it is for the rink. Last season, the rink was already open before the lights went on.

How to plan November and December

• Week of November 16: Check The Village at Totem Lake's Santa page for a 2026 date before planning around Saturday, November 21.
• Monday, November 23 onward: The Kirkland Arts Center Holiday Art Market opens at 620 Market Street.
• Saturday, November 28: Go to WinterFest at 3 p.m. and walk to Peter Kirk Park by 6:15 for the tree lighting. The plaza activities continue until 7.
• Late November into early December: Watch KDA's events page and the city bulletin for rink dates, prices and the operator.
• Early December: Check Eastrail and the city bulletin for the Google Lights opening at Feriton Spur Park.
• Sunday, December 13: The 12Ks of Christmas starts at Marina Park at 9 a.m.
• Monday, December 21: Last day of the Holiday Art Market.

If you're weighing a holiday-season move or a winter listing and want to know which parts of downtown Kirkland stay busy through December, Tarek Moghrabi can walk you through how the Peter Kirk Park area runs during the holidays and what that means for showings and timing. Let's find a time to chat.