Seattle Center Winterfest

Seattle Center Winterfest, presented by Symetra, fills the campus with seasonal decor, entertainment and amusements for five weeks. The best-loved piece is the Winter Train & Village, a late-19th-century model train and village display inside the Armory Food & Event Hall that has been a holiday tradition for 50 years; visitors can take a turn running the train or try the scavenger hunt. Acclaimed carvers create ice sculptures on Saturdays at the Mural Amphitheatre, performers take the Armory Stage on weekends, and holiday films screen on Friday nights. It wraps up with a New Year's Eve celebration beneath the Space Needle.

Our take: The Seattle Christmas Market runs on the Fisher Pavilion lawn for most of Winterfest, so pair the train display with a mug of mulled wine there.