15 Magical (and Cheap) Holiday Outings Around the South Sound

Maple Valley Hometown Holidays: Enjoy the annual tree lighting, photo ops with beloved holiday characters, a horse-drawn trolley and train rides, real reindeer and more at Maple Valley Hometown Holidays on Thursday, Dec. 5, 6–8:30 p.m.

Downtown Auburn Santa parade and tree lighting: On Saturday, Dec. 7, decorate cookies, drink hot cocoa and read a story with Mrs. Claus (2:30–4 p.m.) before a Santa parade and tree lighting (4:30–5:30 p.m.) in downtown Auburn.

Puyallup Santa Parade and Holiday Market: Come to Puyallup on Saturday, Dec. 7 for a Santa Parade (5–6 p.m.) and indoor Holiday Market (noon–7 p.m.).

Enumclaw's 54th annual Christmas parade: Immerse yourself in Christmas magic at this annual parade down Cole Street on Saturday, Dec. 7, 6–8 p.m.

Residential Christmas light displays: If your family likes to see what do-it-yourself lights aficionados can dream up, check out this awesome website developed by a local Christmas lights enthusiast to find all the best homemade displays. While it’s obviously free to drive yourself around, you may want to bring some canned food, as some houses take donations on behalf of the food bank.

If you have a favorite South Sound-area event we missed, or a seasonal deal we should know about, let us know in the comments. Happy holidays!

Editor's note: This article was originally published a few years ago and was just updated for 2019.