Sheraton Grand Seattle Gingerbread Village

The Sheraton Grand Seattle Gingerbread Village returns to the Sheraton Grand Seattle on November 19, 2026, and stays through January 1, 2027. This is the 32nd year the display has come to the hotel, and it's a fundraising tradition that benefits Breakthrough T1D and type 1 diabetes research.

If you've never seen it, the scale is what sticks with you: the houses are six feet tall. They don't just appear overnight, either. The process starts with architects submitting detailed schematics, and from there, the hotel's chefs bake the gingerbread foundations that hold everything up. The Breakthrough T1D Elves then bring their own perspectives to the designs—some use AI tools, others draw from their own cultures and identities. It's a mix of professional planning and personal touch that goes into every piece.

The cause behind it is just as central as the gingerbread. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the pancreas stops producing insulin, and the village raises money for research into a cure. There's a donation box on-site for anyone who wants to contribute while they're taking in the display.

It's a free event, so you can drop in whenever you're downtown. The village is at the Sheraton Grand Seattle, 1400 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, and runs from November 19, 2026, through January 1, 2027.