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A Very Merry Downtown: DSA/MID Holiday Season Highlights
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Downtown Seattle truly sparkled this holiday season, thanks to the support of downtown property owners. From beloved traditions to brand-new activations, DSA/MID’s 2025 holiday programming brought thousands of people together and delivered festive energy across the center city.
Around 16,000 people gathered for the annual Tree Lighting Celebration, filling the area around Westlake Center with music, lights and holiday cheer. The event once again proved to be a cornerstone moment of the season, welcoming families, workers, residents and visitors alike to kick off the holidays together. The tree lighting and fireworks show, presented by Amazon, was emceed by Rick Rizzs, the voice of the Seattle Mariners, and fan-favorite salmon mascot Humpy.
Ice skating returned to Occidental Square — and welcomed 2,800 skaters between Dec. 13-21 — and carolers and letters-to-Santa mailboxes filled Pioneer Park and Bell Street Park.
This year also marked several exciting firsts. The debut of the Pines on Pike Christmas Tree Lot at First & Pike was a standout success with 123 firs sold, drawing strong foot traffic and enthusiasm throughout the season. Other new programming, including Candlelight Concerts and a Frosty Fun kids’ zone at Pacific Place, expanded the holiday experience and gave visitors even more reasons to linger downtown.
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“These activations were all about creating warm, welcoming experiences that invite people to spend time downtown,” DSA Director of Public Realm Operations Owen Harrang said. “Seeing so many people enjoying the space, supporting local businesses and making memories together was incredibly rewarding.”
The holiday season also provided a boost for downtown businesses, with increased visitation supporting restaurants, retailers and cultural venues. By layering events and experiences throughout November and December, DSA/MID helped create sustained momentum — not just single-day spikes — during a critical time of year.
From twinkling lights and festive music to family-friendly programming and new traditions in the making, the 2025 holiday season demonstrated what’s possible when downtown comes together. We’re grateful to MID ratepayers and our sponsors and partners for helping make it all happen — and we’re already looking ahead to building on this success next year.