This year's Ballard holiday lights include a lit archway leading to the National Nordic Museum. The 2026 calendar also leads to that building. Between today and Thanksgiving week, each major holiday event in the neighborhood is held at 2655 NW Market St. The season moves outdoors on Saturday, Dec. 5. That day, Ballard HolidayFest adds a market along Ballard Avenue NW for the first time.
Here are the dates in order:
- Thursday, Nov. 5: Free First Thursday at the National Nordic Museum, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 7–8: Seattle Sauna Festival at the museum, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. both days.
- Friday through Sunday, Nov. 20–22: Julefest at the museum.
- Saturday, Dec. 5: Ballard HolidayFest & Market at Marvin's Garden and along Ballard Avenue NW, 2 to 8 p.m.
Today's free museum night includes a new exhibit about Salmon Bay
Adult general admission at the museum normally costs $20 in advance or $24 the same day. Tonight it costs nothing. On Free First Thursday, general admission is free from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The one charge is $5, paid in person, for the special exhibition. Regular hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays run until 8 p.m., and the museum is closed Mondays.
The $5 exhibit is about Ballard itself. A Ballard Story: Pacific Fishermen tells the history of the shipyard at 5351 24th Ave NW. My Ballard reports that 400 fishermen of Norwegian heritage founded Pacific Fishermen in 1946 as a co-op-style shipyard. They built it on the site of the Ballard Marine Railway Co., a shipyard that dated to the 1890s. Pacific Fishermen still operates there as a full-service yard, with haul-outs, maintenance and a supply store. The exhibit uses historic photography, oral histories, interactive pieces and artifacts. It also covers the role of Doug Dixon, the yard's former general manager, in preserving Ballard's history. The exhibit text that My Ballard quoted sums it up:
"Ballard's maritime history is not simply a story of the past, it's a story still being written."
The exhibit runs through Feb. 28. That means it stays up all season, so there is time to return after the November events.
Two days later, the museum hosts the Sauna Festival
The Seattle Sauna Festival first came to the museum last November, and it returns Nov. 7 and 8. Ryan M. Davis and Ana Hernandez started the festival in 2025. Hernandez owns PNW Mobile Spa, a family-run business that brings mobile wood-fired saunas, hot tubs and cold plunges to homes and public events around the region. This year's sauna operators include PNW Mobile Spa, North Shore Sauna, Sauna Moon, Evergreen Sauna, Tempo Sauna, Alma Saunas and Willamette Sauna Haüs.
The ticket you choose decides how long you stay:
- General admission, $79: a timed 90-minute session with the saunas, cold plunges, live music and festival programming.
- VIP, $189: all-day access on your chosen Saturday or Sunday, plus a festival robe, sauna hat, Nordic snack box and a drink.
Both prices include ticketing fees and taxes. Both tickets also include admission to the museum's exhibits and galleries during the festival. Tickets were still on sale through the festival's site in late October. Sauna sessions run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. both days, alongside timed activities, and the organizers say they are still adding to the schedule.
The festival is open to adults, and to teens ages 13 to 17 with a parent. Tickets are nonrefundable, but you can transfer one to someone else by emailing [email protected]. Before you go, note the rules. Swimwear is required, and you must sit on a towel inside the saunas. Inside the museum, wear a robe and footwear. Bring a bathing suit, towel, robe, easy-to-remove shoes, a water bottle, and your own lock for the small lockers.
At Julefest, the Friday ticket covers the whole weekend
Two weeks later, the museum hosts Julefest, which it calls Ballard's favorite holiday tradition. The three days carry two different ticket prices:
| Day | Hours | Advance price | Onsite price | Members |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Nov. 20, 21+ Night Market | 5 to 9 p.m. | $20 | $25 | $15 advance, $20 onsite |
| Saturday–Sunday, Nov. 21–22 | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | $12 adult, $5 youth | $16 adult | Free |
Children under 12 get in free on Saturday and Sunday. The museum also says the 21+ Friday ticket includes full weekend access. For an adult planning to come on Friday and again on Saturday or Sunday, one $20 Friday ticket covers all three days. Buying the weekend days separately would add $12 or more.
Inside, the 21+ beer garden is open all day and serves glögg, mead and beer. Local Nordic performers from around the state play in Valhalla Beer Hall throughout the day. My Ballard notes that the Friday market is returning, not new. One thing has moved this year. The Goodies2Go cookie sale is now in the museum's East Garden, near an outdoor market of more than 40 vendors.
New places to eat between museum dates
Two recent openings give the Leary and Ballard Avenue blocks new options before or after a museum visit.
Cairo opened at 5465 Leary Ave NW in early October. Seattle Met reported that with Cairo open and Seattle Koshari planning a move to Ballard, the neighborhood will soon have about half of the city's Egyptian restaurants. Koshari's new address is 5604 17th Ave NW, the former Kahlo & Loyal space. It had no opening date as of late September. Cairo's posted hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed Mondays. Those hours run past the museum's regular 5 p.m. close on most days.
GoodMart, at 5130 Ballard Ave NW, is a seafood spot with an oyster bar. It is the second restaurant from Victor Steinbrueck, who founded Local Tide. As of Seattle Met's Oct. 9 report, it was in soft opening and serving lunch Thursday through Sunday. Check its current hours before planning a weekday visit.
On Dec. 5, HolidayFest adds a market on Ballard Avenue
The 2026 HolidayFest is centered at Marvin's Garden, with free photos with Santa from 2 to 5 p.m. Get in line by 4:30 p.m., because Santa leaves at 5. The day also includes cider, a fire pit with a s'mores station, a tree lighting and live music.
What's new for 2026 is the street market. The north end of Ballard Avenue NW will host vendors, a second s'mores fire pit, a Ballard Tomte Toss, and food and drink specials from restaurants inside the event area. The event is free. Support comes from the Seattle Office of Economic Development, the Ballard Alliance, and volunteers from Ballard businesses.
The lights also run past the holidays. The 2026–2027 display wraps 273 trees along NW Market St, Leary Ave NW and Ballard Ave NW. It also adds snowflakes in Bergen Place, lights the Centennial Bell Tower, and puts colorful bulbs in the large trees at Marvin's Garden. New this year are sphere ornaments on every other tree along Ballard Ave NW. According to Visit Ballard, the display stays up until shortly after Valentine's Day weekend. That's about two weeks before A Ballard Story closes on Feb. 28. Both are available through most of the winter.
If you own a Ballard home or rental and want to know how the neighborhood's busier winter calendar affects a rental, a listing or a move, Sound Real Estate Services can walk you through the timing. Schedule a Consultation with our team.
