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Westlake holiday tree lighting to be downsized

By Natasha Chen
By Natasha Chen

The Downtown Seattle Association will downsize the production elements of this year’s tree lighting ceremony, which takes place Friday, Nov. 25.

There will be no live performances this year. Instead, visitors will be able to enjoy attractions at Westlake Park and hear music piped in from speakers. People will still hear a countdown, see the tree light up and watch fireworks, if weather permits.

Officials said the DSA will instead dedicate resources into more festive elements at Occidental Square and Westlake Park throughout the holiday season.

In 2014, the performance on the balcony of Westlake Mall was disrupted by Black Lives Matter protesters. In 2015, the performance was moved to a stage in the middle of the intersection on the street level, with fences barricading the area.

James Sido of the Downtown Seattle Association said the decision to scale down the tree lighting ceremony has nothing to do with a potential demonstration. He said the association wanted people to feel more welcome in an open setting rather than having a large stage and barricades block off portions of streets. He said the 2015 format made it difficult for people to gather and easily get in and out of stores.

“That’s sad,” said Tarin Boone. “It definitely wouldn’t be the same.”

Boone said she has been coming to tree lighting ceremonies at Westlake Park since she was a child and has fond memories of sharing the tradition with her father.

While DSA officials said the change is unrelated to protests, some said they feel demonstrations have changed the nature of the event.

“They’ve won. The protesters have kind of stolen this whole experience from the rest of us,” said Bryant Small. “They’ve taken away the joy and happiness that, you know, it brought to so many people for so many years.”

Because the DSA decided not to put on a large-scale live performance, Seafair was not needed to handle this celebration. Seafair executed the 2015 holiday tree lighting show when the plan was for a much bigger production.

"We really wanted to take all the resources that were focused on that one night, which is what it used to be – and take those and spread it out through the holiday season. So – we now are in Westlake and Occidental for a longer term arrangement. So now we've got the opportunity to be in both of those parks to do a little more during the holiday season. So why not spread that out during the holidays and put more in the parks, rather than focusing solely on one night?" said James Sido, of the Downtown Seattle Association.

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>> Related: See photos from Ferguson protests that interrupted Seattle tree lighting

Here are the activities the association is adding:

  • A holiday market at Westlake Park from Nov. 25 to Dec. 23: Urban Craft Uprising and DSA will provide 12 huts housing 24 local artisans offering hand-crafted gifts.
  • Fisher Scone truck at Westlake Park from Nov. 25 to Dec. 24.
  • Hot Revolution Donut truck at Westlake Park from Nov. 28 –to Dec. 22.
  • An art installation called "History, Contained" at Occidental Square from Dec. 1 to Jan. 3: A 15-foot shipping container will be transformed for visitors to step into history. The inside will feature displays and lighting offering a trolley-eye's view of 1st Avenue from the 1920s.
  • Pioneer Square Howlidays at Occidental Square on Dec. 10: dog costume contest and a "Barket Market" for pet gifts.
  • IKEA Day at Westlake Park on Dec. 10: Explore a pop-up demonstration of model living and dining rooms. The first 500 children to ride the carousel will receive an IKEA plush toy.
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