West Seattle, Washington
04 Wednesday
Tonight’s Christmas lights spotlight shines on the roof of homes about a block east of Chief Sealth International High School, on the south side of Thistle [map]. The roof’s configuration is a perfect platform to line with inflatable Christmas characters.
Got a display to suggest? With or without photos? We’re planning a spotlight every night so we appreciate your tips as in years past, westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302.
We’re starting our nightly spotlights of West Seattle Christmas lights! First in, from Clint in Westwood:
Our display has gradually grown over the years and we’d like to share with WSB.
We are on 29th Ave SW between Elmgrove and Kenyon, just down from EC Hughes Park.
Do you have lights to suggest, yours or someone else’s, with or without photo? Email or text us – westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Christmas-light season is officially on. The Menashe Family’s home at 5605 Beach Drive SW is ablaze in lights – our video above is a minute-long look at most of it. One aspect that’ll catch your eye, the transportation features – train, plane, helicopter, among others.
Lots of Christmasy characters inhabit almost every square inch of the yard. And by the sidewalk, the traditional mailbox for letters to Santa Claus:
Santa himself will visit in two weeks, the night of December 14 (as noted in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide), with reindeer accompanying him. (He’s already represented on the north side of the display.)
We’ll be showcasing lights from around the community again this season, starting tomorrow (Monday) – if yours are extra-festive, or you see some that are, please let us know! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Four weeks until Christmas, so it’s time we started showcasing West Seattle’s holiday lights. Above is an in-progress photo we caught earlier this week as the Menashe Family and friends continued working on their legendary Beach Drive lights (due to “officially” launch this Sunday, December 1). But you don’t have to have THAT many for a memorable display. Out on a short drive this evening, we noticed more than a few locations that took advantage of today’s sunshine to get their displays in place. So as we do every year here on WSB, we’re welcoming photos of your lights – or lights that catch your attention – so we can show your neighbors around the peninsula. You don’t have to include the exact address – just the block is fine (xx00 block of xx SW, for example) – as long as that’s enough info for light-sightseers to find it. Please send photos/info to westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302 – thank you! (Scroll through this archive to see what we’ve featured in past years!)
That’s Ryan, creator of the music-synched lights at “The 4040 House,” handing out candy canes on Christmas Eve. The photo was sent to us by a reader who visited that night, and sent others too:
We have the occasion to publish them because Ryan asked us to let you knoe there’s just a few more nights to see the display (previously featured here two weeks ago):
The final nights of the 2023 sound and light show at 4040 House are coming up?
The show runs every night from 6-9 through New Year’s Day.
A very special thanks to those who have stoped by and a major shout-out to all of our neighbors on 47th AVE SW.
The display has a website, 4040house.com – full address is 4040 47th SW, between Dakota and Andover, and a reminder: “We ask if people drive down, please park on Dakota or Andover and walk over.”
Merry Christmas Eve to all! Thanks to Peter for the photo. These bright lights are on 34th Avenue SW between SW Kenyon and SW Elmgrove. Scroll through our archive to see everywhere we’ve showcased this season.
(8:42 PM: Commenter says this is on 32nd, not 34th.)
Two from Admiral tonight – first, the house at 45th/Stevens that’s known well for its Halloween spirit is also brightly lit for Christmas; we took the photo while out looking around one recent night. Below, a North Admiral home photographed by Brendan:
He found that one in the 4300 block of SW Atlantic. … Any last-minute tips? We’re headed out on one last scouting trip tonight – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you! (To see everywhere we’ve shown, click WEST SEATTLE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS beneath the story headline above, and scroll through that archive.)
Tonight’s photo is from Jeff Keller, who says, “Santas, Snoopys, and Snowmen at 5420 40th Ave. SW. For the young and the young at heart. Merry Christmas.” This joins all the other homes we’ve shown this season, in this WSB archive you can scroll through; thanks again to everyone who’s sent displays, theirs and others – not too late for more suggestions at westseattleblog@gmail.com!
Another double bill of Christmas lights tonight:
Above – head to the south end of Arbor Heights to see Jason‘s display – which he refers to as the “Gingerbread House.” It’s at 11233 35th Ave SW. … Below, Joni‘s photo of the colorful herd at 39th/Andover:
See all the lights we’ve shown by scrolling through this WSB archive; also check out this map Chloe from West Seattle Nursery made to connect many of the displays we’ve featured. And it’s not too late to send a suggestion, with or without photo/video – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Two displays to show you tonight:
First, Lacey just sent photos: “We have our Whoville/Grinch-themed display up again this year. Lots of lights to enjoy at night, but also fun to see during the day! We are at 9643 18th Ave SW, just off Roxbury.”
Next, Janet recommended 56th SW north of Spokane, so we went there for a look and found this star-topped, light-laden tree:
Some other nice lights on that street too. … Thanks again for all the tips and pics – scroll through this WSB archive to see everyplace we’ve already shown, and if you have a suggestion, westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
MONDAY: Thanks to Alice Kuder (of Winter Wander fame) for tonight’s photo, a house on SW Barton between 32nd and 34th. If you’re looking for areas to wander in search of lights, the streets around Westwood Village have multiple pockets of holiday-spirited neighbors … and this one is among them. … Got lights to suggest? Starting tomorrow we’ll be bumping up to two homes a night – we have some in queue but there’s room for more – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
ADDED WEDNESDAY: Jeremy, who created the display, sent this photo, and notes it is music-synched:
Here’s video:
Thanks to Brendan for the photo! The “Peanuts” display at 2128 47th SW [map] is up again this year – getting close to half a century of making people smile; last year the display’s creator Don Rice told us it was year 47, so this would be year 48! (Starting just a decade after the classic “A Charlie Brown Christmas” TV special that inspired it, which by the way is only showing on Apple TV this year.)
Got lights? Seen lights? Tell us about them via westseattleblog@gmail.com – and scroll through this archive to see everywhere we’ve shown so far!
Tonight’s lights are at 18th/Trenton, shown on video sent by AC. If you don’t recognize what’s on the fence, it’s this Marvel character. But AC says the theme changes often – it’s programmable; here are some examples:
Going out to look at lights? Let us know if you have recommendations – westseattleblog@gmail.com; scroll through this archive to see what we’ve shown already!
The photo is from Ryan, whose much-awaited mega-display (130,000+ LEDs!) makes its return tomorrow night:
After months of preparation, the winter holiday show at the 4040 House will start this Friday at 6 pm! We have even more lights and more music this year!
The show runs nightly until January 1 from 6 pm-9 pm.
This year we have over 30 songs and the jukebox returns so people can request their favorite tunes! The show is located at 4040 47th Ave SW between Dakota and Andover. We ask if people drive down, please park on Dakota or Andover and walk over.
(You might remember Ryan’s Halloween show.) Lots more info, including FAQ, at 4040house.com. … Go here to see all the displays we’ve featured already, and if you have a suggestion, please send the info – with or without photo/video – to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Time for tonight’s lights! Thanks to Valerie for the photo – she describes this as the “Winter Wonderland house,” at 3431 48th SW. We’ll continue showing West Seattle (and vicinity) displays nightly through Christmas. See what we’ve already shown by clicking the tag “West Seattle Christmas Lights” beneath the headline above and scrolling through the archive that’ll take you to; send a suggestion, with or without photo/video, to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Thanks to Theresa Arbow-O’Connor for sending photos with the news that the Gai Family’s Christmas display is ready for viewing – with a new setting for the Madonna that the family patriarch, the late Phil Gai, built in the ’50s. For this year, his son Ron Gai has created a new crown setting for the Madonna – “a 3-D computer project and labor of love that took 45 days,” reports Theresa.
You can look at last year’s photos for a before/after comparison. To see the display in person, go to the 3200 block of 36th SW [vicinity map].
We’re showing light displays nightly through Christmas – if you have a suggestion, with or without photos/video, please email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Tonight’s lights are from Eric, who describes the biggest feature in his Gatewood display as a “candy castle.” You can see the twinkling lights near 41st/Austin. (And if you have a display to suggest – whether yours, or one you’ve admired – please email us, westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!)
There’s light at the end of the calendar tunnel … we are now at the earliest sunset point (rounded, 4:17 pm) and next Friday (December 15), it starts getting later (rounded, 4:18 pm). The sunrise, though, doesn’t start getting earlier until January 7th. Meantime, we have holiday lights to keep things bright. The photo above is from Stacey: “We are in White Center and have lots of Christmas lights. I’m not sure if we are too far from WS. 11343 4th Pl SW.” Yes, we do feature lights just outside the city limits a couple times per season! Keep the West Seattle and vicinity tips coming – with or without photos/video – at westseattleblog@gmail.com; scroll through this archive to see what we’ve already shown (and previous years, too).
That’s the official West Seattle Junction Christmas tree, on the south edge of Junction Plaza Park, officially lit during tonight’s GLOWS (Glorious Lights of West Seattle) festival, after a countdown led by Junction entrepreneur (and Christmas-lights enthusiast) Jack Menashe, six of his grandchildren, and Santa Claus:
Once the tree was on …
… it was time to start the projected community-contributed art display on the side of Alaska House on the north side of the park – we recorded some of this first-ever display on video, but you really had to be there to appreciate it:
One more report to come from tonight’s festival – some of the performances from Jay Cates’ All-Star Ensemble of West Seattle musicians! (Here’s our first report, with photos and video from the first two hours.)
While out looking for a light display for which we’d received a tip, we happened onto this house instead, on 40th south of Hanford. In general, so far in our holiday-season wandering, we’ve seen the most lights in general in this area southeast of Admiral – and that’s where most of our tips have come from so far this season – so that’s one area we’d recommend for lots of lights. But we’re still looking all over the peninsula, so keep the tips – with or without photos/video – coming to westseattleblog@gmail.com – and click the tag “West Seattle Christmas Lights” under the headline above to see what we’ve shown already!
Thanks to Lindsey for sending tonight’s photo, noting, “Beautiful lights on the corner of 51st and Stevens in the Admiral District.” We appreciate all the email – with or without photos/video – sent by people with suggestions of lights to showcase; westseattleblog@gmail.com is the address if you have, or see, a display to suggest! (Scroll through this WSB archive to see what we’ve already shown!)
Tonight’s featured lights are in a yard that has drawn crowds at Halloween – the home of Skeleton Theater (whose creators told us this year was its last). The yard at 36th/Hanford has two tall trees of lights; the north one is decked with dozens and dozens of Christmas characters you might otherwise see as standalone yard decor:
Thanks to everyone who has suggested lights to check out – whether your tip is with or without photos/videos, email ud at westseattleblog@gmail.com – we’re featuring local lights nightly (go here to see what we’ve featured alreay, including previous years(
Tonight’s featured lights are at 9425 25th Avenue SW. Watch as Oren, who sent the video, takes you on a walkabout around the house and yard! Thanks to everybody who’s sending word of lights to feature – whether you’re sending a tip, or photos/video too – westseattleblog@gmail.com. We’re highlighting West Seattle displays nightly through Christmas. You can see past highlights (including previous years!) via this WSB archive.
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