Interior View on a Rainy Evening

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This is the rotunda entrance of the City Centre building at 5th and Pike with a view of the rainy streets and sidewalks outside. The street trees are alight and festive decorations already adorn much of downtown as Seattle readies itself for the holidays. Festivities kick off in a hometown sort of way the day after Thanksgiving with the Macy's parade in the morning, and that evening the 51st lighting of the Bon Marche/Macy's Star and the lighting of the Westlake Center Christmas tree at 5 PM, followed by a grand fireworks display. All that will take place about a block away from this building in the core of downtown's shopping district next Friday. Seattlites turn out in very large numbers to enjoy the long-held Thanksgiving weekend traditions together. Lights, festivals, feasting and holiday activites will flow on from there throughout the city and at Seattle Center's month long Winterfest, complete with ice skating, Nutcracker performances, and free Saturday night bonfires. The fun keeps on rolling right through Advent, Las Posadas, Hanuka, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Yuletide, Christmas, Shogatsu, and ending with the New Year's fireworks display at the Space Needle.