On Saturday, December 19, the Christmas Ship reaches Madison Park's beach at 2:35 p.m. Sunset in Seattle that day is 4:19 p.m. The ship comes and goes in full daylight, and the choir finishes 84 minutes before sunset.
The neighborhood's other big holiday event runs the other way. Two Saturdays earlier, the tree lighting in the park begins at 5 p.m., about 40 minutes after the sun goes down. The 2026 season comes down to three Saturdays in a row at the east end of E Madison St, with smaller shop events on the days between. Each Saturday puts its main event at a different hour, so the time of day matters more than the date.
December 19: The Matinee Stop
Argosy's 2026 Christmas Ship Festival schedule runs from November 27 to December 23. The ship sails to dozens of waterfront communities, with a live choir on board that people on shore can hear. Madison Park's stop comes on the 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. sailing out of Kirkland City Dock. The Emerald City Voices sing that day, and the shoreline performance runs from 2:35 to 2:55 p.m. On every 2 p.m. sailing, Argosy serves young passengers Cookies with Santa and adds a coloring surprise, which sets the tone for the whole afternoon.
Nearby stops on the lake happen in the dark. Seward Park's shoreline performance is at 5:35 p.m., the private Laurelhurst Beach Club stop is at 5:35 p.m., and Madrona Beach Park's is at 8:40 p.m. Later that same December 19, the ship sings at Warren G. Magnuson Park at 5:35 p.m. and at the Sheridan Beach Club at 8:40 p.m. Madison Park gets the early slot of the day.
That changes the plan. A 2:35 arrival works with a nap schedule, a grandparent who would rather not drive at night, and lunch somewhere on the strip first. On Argosy's schedule, an asterisk marks stops with a planned public bonfire, lighting or onshore event, and Madison Park has one. Friends of Madison Park's holiday page puts it simply: "Come for the ships, stay for the bonfire and neighborly fun!" The neighborhood's own event listing for that afternoon adds cookies with Santa on shore. The ship's performance ends at 2:55, well before the 4:19 sunset.
December 5: Morning Greens, Evening Lights
The first of the three Saturdays covers the most hours. It opens with a wreath-making class at 4015 E Madison St from 10 a.m. to noon. Students start from a grapevine base and add cedar, fir, eucalyptus and their choice of ribbon. The $60 fee covers supplies, plus complimentary pastries, cocoa and tea. Each adult may bring one child. Friends of Madison Park notes that the foliage is harvested the day before, so refunds are not offered, and spaces are limited.
The tree lighting and singalong start at 5 p.m. in the park by the playground, with McGilvra Elementary students singing. Sunset on December 5 is 4:18 p.m. By five o'clock the park is dark enough for the lights to show, which explains the timing. It is the only one of the three Saturdays whose main event happens after dark.
December 5 is also the last day of Domicile's Holiday Art Market, which opens November 27. The market sells illustrated cards, handmade ornaments, ceramics, textiles and small original paintings by local artists. The gallery, at 4116 E Madison St, is a short walk up the strip from the playground. If you make a wreath in the morning and finish your gift shopping at Domicile in the afternoon, you will still be on time for the singing.
December 12: Two Markets, Indoors and Out
The middle Saturday is for shopping, and it is split across two venues. The indoor holiday artisan market runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 4015 E Madison St. The outdoor market runs an hour longer, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Bank of America lot at Madison and 41st Ave. Plan for the outdoor stalls to be open after the indoor room closes, which suits a late-morning start.
The Madison and 41st corner may look different in coming years. In late October, Capitol Hill Seattle Blog reported on a budget amendment from Council President Joy Hollingsworth. The amendment would set aside $400,000 from the 2024 Transportation Levy for two District 3 safety projects. One of them is crosswalk and intersection daylighting, plus updated parking signs, along E Madison St between E Blaine St and E Howe St, including 41st and 42nd Ave E. The amendment is still a proposal in the 2027–2028 budget debate, so this December's market crowd will cross the street as it stands now.
The Days Between the Saturdays
The weekday events are smaller, and most belong to individual shops. They are worth knowing because they are spread out across the season. Starting today:
- Thursday, November 5: Martha E. Harris Flowers & Gifts holds its Holiday Open House starting at 1 p.m.
- Wednesday, November 25: The Mad Book Club, run with Madison Books, meets at 6:30 p.m. at Parlour Wines to discuss Italo Calvino's If On a Winter's Night a Traveler. You don't need to sign up, and the store tries to keep copies of each month's pick on hand.
- Saturday, November 28: Domicile holds a Small Business Saturday Holiday Art Party with live music from Faith from Sugar.
- Sunday, November 29: Live music at Bamboo Thai, 5 to 8 p.m.
- Tuesday, December 1: The Junior League Holiday Gift Wrapping Fundraiser, 3 to 8 p.m.
- Friday, December 11: Domicile's artists' reception, 6 to 8 p.m., opens its winter show. The show features oil paintings by Juliette Aristides and Dion Pickering-Zwirner and monotype prints by Madison Park artist Rebecca Strabo, and it runs through January 30, 2027.
- Wednesday, December 30: The book club meets again at Parlour Wines to discuss Haruki Murakami's A Wild Sheep Chase.
Madison Books, at 4118 E Madison St, lists hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. On a weekday, it can easily be the last stop on a gift run.
The Domicile reception on December 11 falls the night before the markets. Put together, the second weekend of December runs from Friday night into Saturday afternoon and stays within a few blocks of 41st Ave.
The Season on One Page
| Date | Event | Time | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Dec 5 | Wreath class, 4015 E Madison St | 10 a.m. to noon | 4:18 p.m. |
| Sat, Dec 5 | Tree lighting and singalong, park by the playground | 5 p.m. | 4:18 p.m. |
| Sat, Dec 12 | Indoor artisan market, 4015 E Madison St | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | |
| Sat, Dec 12 | Outdoor artisan market, Bank of America lot at Madison and 41st | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | |
| Sat, Dec 19 | Christmas Ship shoreline performance, the beach, with a bonfire on shore | Ship at 2:35 to 2:55 p.m. | 4:19 p.m. |
If you are coming from elsewhere on the Hill, you can skip parking entirely. King County Metro's Route 11 ends at E McGilvra St and 42nd Ave E, on the Madison Park strip. Its current schedule is in effect from August 29, 2026, through March 26, 2027.
Kara and Kyle are founding members of The Agency Seattle's Madison Park office, so these three Saturdays are on our own calendar too. If you would like to talk over coffee before the wreath class or near the bonfire after the ship passes, Mumma Homes would be glad to see you. Let's Connect.
