Bellevue's 2026 holiday season starts at Downtown Park on Nov. 13, two weeks before Snowflake Lane fills Bellevue Way. The best prices also come early. Both of Bellevue's big paid holiday events charge the least in their first weeks and the most from Dec. 18 to Jan. 3.
That makes late November and early December the cheapest time to do the whole season. The dates below are laid out in order.
The Rink Opens on November 13
The Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink returns to Downtown Park on Friday, Nov. 13, and stays open daily through Jan. 18, 2027. That includes Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Last season it opened Nov. 21 and closed Jan. 19, according to the Bellevue Downtown Association's 2025 holiday guide. That puts this year's opening eight days earlier.
The rink is in its 29th season. It's fully covered, with more than 9,000 square feet of real ice, and the BDA says it draws more than 45,000 skaters each season. In the BDA's announcement of the 2026 season, president and CEO Patrick Bannon said a rink visit is "part of what makes the holidays feel like the holidays," and that it "draws people into downtown to enjoy our local shops, restaurants and everything else the season offers."
The new thing this season is the price. The rink's ticket page lists four rates, and skate rental is included in all of them:
| When | Rate per skater | Exceptions |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, "Cheapskate Mondays" | $12 | Not offered Dec. 18 to Jan. 3 |
| Tuesday to Thursday | $16 | Nov. 25 and 26 charge the weekend rate; holiday period excluded |
| Friday to Sunday | $22 | Holiday period excluded |
| Holiday, Dec. 18 to Jan. 3 | $24 | Applies every day |
A Monday skate before Dec. 18 costs half the holiday rate. The BDA calls Cheapskate Mondays a new offer on "select Mondays." Going by the season dates and the holiday blackout, the possible Mondays are Nov. 16, 23 and 30, Dec. 7 and 14, and then Jan. 4, 11 and 18 after the holiday rate ends. Check the ticket page for a specific Monday before you plan around it.
Two other details matter. Walk-up admission is limited, and the BDA recommends buying tickets in advance. Hours also change from day to day, so check the rink's own site before going late in the evening. Free skating lessons and themed nights run all season.
Thanksgiving Weekend Brings Everything Else
For two weeks the rink is the only holiday event in town. Then nearly everything opens over two days.
Friday, Nov. 27. Snowflake Lane starts its nightly 7 p.m. run on Bellevue Way between NE 4th and NE 8th streets. It's free and continues through Dec. 24. Santa visits begin the same day in Bellevue Square Center Court, and the Bellevue Collection requires reservations. KidsQuest Children's Museum holds its first Classic Gingerbread Workshop from 1 to 3 p.m. That evening it adds a Nutcracker workshop with excerpts performed by Flight Feathers Ballet and a 21-and-over Gingerbread After Dark session. Both run from 5 to 7 p.m. and end just as the Snowflake Lane parade begins.
Saturday, Nov. 28. KidsQuest runs two more Classic Gingerbread sessions, from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 4 p.m. Garden d'Lights opens at Bellevue Botanical Garden, 12001 Main Street, in its 32nd year with more than half a million lights.
The Garden's season is longer this year. The BDA's 2025 guide listed Garden d'Lights from Nov. 29 to Dec. 31. The 2026 run starts Nov. 28 and ends Sunday, Jan. 3. It's open Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and closed on Christmas Day.
The Garden's $5 Weeknights Come Right After Opening
The Garden's discount follows the same pattern as the rink's. According to the Bellevue Botanical Garden, Monday through Thursday nights in the first two weeks are special $5 nights: Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 and Dec. 7 to 10. Every other night costs $10 for visitors 11 and older. Children 10 and under are always free.
So again, the early weeknights cost half. The $5 nights also close earlier, with last entry at 8 p.m. and lights out at 8:30 p.m. General admission nights allow entry until 9 p.m. and turn the lights off at 9:30 p.m. Every night opens at 4:30 p.m.
The sensory-friendly night falls in the same week, on Tuesday, Dec. 8. The lights stay on, but there's no live music, and attendance is capped at 200 guests per half-hour, half the usual capacity. Tickets are required.
Garden tickets work differently from rink tickets:
- Tickets are sold online only and cover a 30-minute entry window. A 6 p.m. ticket means arriving between 6 and 6:30 p.m.
- Tickets aren't refundable unless the Garden cancels the event. You can change your date yourself through the link in your confirmation email.
- Each transaction is limited to 10 adult tickets, and everyone on one QR code has to arrive together.
- The Garden plans to post its music schedule and Scavenger Hunt map in mid-November.
Because dates can be changed but not refunded, a $5 night is cheap to try. If the weather turns, you can move the ticket.
After December 18, Both Events Cost More
From Dec. 18 through Jan. 3, every rink session costs $24 and Cheapskate Mondays stop. Regular rates come back for the rink's last two weeks, after the Garden has closed for the season. Over the same stretch, every Garden d'Lights night is general admission at $10. Snowflake Lane is free all season but has its final night on Dec. 24.
December also has one more big paid event. International Ballet Theatre performs The Nutcracker at Meydenbauer Theatre from Dec. 11 to 23, 2026. Its opening night is the day after the last $5 Garden night.
Getting There Without Fighting for Parking
Snowflake Lane. Parking is free at Bellevue Square, Lincoln Square and Bellevue Place. The Bellevue Collection recommends the Bellevue Place garage under the Hyatt Regency, entered from NE 10th Street. It doesn't recommend bringing large wagons or strollers. The viewing rules on the Collection's Know Before You Go page depend on which side of Bellevue Way you're on:
- Everyone stays on the sidewalk until Bellevue Way officially closes.
- On the Lincoln Square side, the east side, crews set blue cones in the street. When the building lights turn blue, guests can step into the street up to the cone line, and the front row can sit on the ground.
- On the Bellevue Square side, the west side, the building lights turn red and guests stay on the sidewalk for the whole show.
The parade loops, so you can see all of it from either side.
The rink. The rink's directions page suggests taking the 2 Line to Bellevue Downtown Station. From there it's a 12-minute walk or a ride on the BellHop or Visit Bellevue shuttle.
Garden d'Lights. The on-site lot charges $5 for premium parking, cash or card, first come, first served. It's free for vehicles with a disability permit. Free overflow parking is at Wilburton Hill Park, a quarter-mile east of the Garden. BellHop, a free on-demand shuttle, also goes to the Garden. Large vehicles have to park at Wilburton Hill Park. If you park in the $5 lot on a $5 night, parking costs as much as one adult ticket. The free lot at Wilburton Hill Park avoids that.
Here are the best-value dates on one list. Rink skates cost $12 on the qualifying Mondays of Nov. 16, 23 and 30. Garden entry costs $5 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3. The second $5 week, Dec. 7 to 10, includes the sensory-friendly night on Dec. 8. One last Cheapskate Monday falls on Dec. 14, four days before holiday pricing starts.
If you're hosting family for the holidays and someone starts asking which part of Bellevue keeps Downtown Park and Bellevue Way within walking distance, Pacific Northwest Partners can help with that conversation. Request a complimentary home valuation or schedule a consultation with Carla Marsh and the team.
