31st Annual Magic in the Market

Magic in the Market returns to Pike Place Market on Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 11 AM to 6 PM. This year marks the 31st annual running of the holiday kickoff, and it spreads across all nine acres of the Market, so you'll want to give yourself plenty of time to wander through. It's one of those Seattle traditions that's become a fixture of the season, and it's run by the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority.

The day is built around a handful of activities you can drop into whenever you like. There are free photos with Santa, a scavenger hunt to find the Market Elves on the Shelves, and light-up photo ops scattered throughout the Market. You'll also find holiday choir performances and cookie decorating with Chef Traci of Atrium Kitchen. The whole thing builds toward the evening's main event: the famous Market lighting ceremony, which comes with a lively performance to go along with it.

Because the activities are spread across the Market's nine acres, it's less of a single show and more of a day you piece together. You can spend the morning hunting for elves and the afternoon decorating cookies, then stick around for the lighting ceremony once the sun goes down. It's the kind of day that works whether you're bringing the kids or just coming by for a few hours.

Magic in the Market runs from 11 AM to 6 PM on Saturday, November 28, at Pike Place Market, 85 Pike Street, Seattle. The lighting ceremony happens toward the end of the day.