It is once again time for one of our favorite holiday traditions in Seattle!
Julefest is back for 2025 holiday season this weekend at the National Nordic Museum in Ballard! The 21+ night market is on Friday, November 21 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. The rest of Julefest is family-friendly and runs from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 22 and Sunday, November 23. Kids under 12 and museum members get free entry on Saturday and Sunday.
Read on for all the festivities you can expect to find at Julefest this year!
Julefest Night Market (Friday only)
The Julefest Night Market this Friday is for ages 21+ only. Adult tickets are $20 in advance and $25 onsite; museum members pay $15 online or $20 onsite. Your ticket to the night market also grants you free access to the Nordic Museum on Friday and admission to the rest of Julefest on Saturday and Sunday.
Nordic Christmas Market
You can shop for gifts from over 40 local vendors at this traditional Scandinavian Christmas market. Note that the market is outdoors, so bundle up! See all the vendors here.
Beer Garden with live music
The indoor beer garden at Julefest will be open on Friday night and all day on Saturday and Sunday for ages 21+ to warm up with glögg, mead, beer, and lively performances. The Valhalla Beer Hall will have live music from local Nordic performers from across Washington. See the performance times here.
Valhalla Mug Club
If you’re planning to imbibe at Julefest, you can drink your glögg and mead out of a limited-edition Valhalla mug. Purchase of a Valhalla Mug Club ticket ($25) gets you the mug to take home plus two free drinks at Julefest.
Nordic Treats
One of the best parts of Julefest is the traditional Nordic food and drinks. The glögg (Swedish mulled wine) from Sjoeblom Winery goes fast, so don’t miss out! Also be sure to check out the Goodies2Go section for traditional home-baked Christmas cookies such as krumkake, rosettes, and princess gems. These usually sell out each day. Finally, you must try the æbleskiver (also called ebelskivers): fluffy Danish pancake balls served with lingonberry sauce, powdered sugar, and whipped cream.
Note that the cookies and æbleskiver are only available on Saturday and Sunday.
Santa Photos
Get your family photos with Santa at Julefest! Santa photos will be available from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Youth & Family Activities
In addition to photos with Santa, there will be a youth and family activities area at Julefest that includes a DIY holiday ornaments station. There will also be a Holiday Scavenger Hunt inside the museum: “Five Christmas tomtes are hidden throughout the Museum! Pick up a scavenger hunt worksheet at the Membership & Information Desk and find where these little house elves are hiding.”
A Nordic Museum exhibition
You can get free or reduced entry to the National Nordic Museum during Julefest. Museum entry is free for members all weekend and just $5 for everyone else on Saturday and Sunday! Be sure to check out their newest exhibition, New Nordic: Cuisine, Aesthetics and Place.
Julefest After Dark
The fun doesn’t stop after 5:00 p.m. There’s an after-party of sorts for ages 21+ at nearby Skål Beer Hall (5429 Ballard Avenue). You can warm up by the fireplace with gløgg and mingle with other Julefest attendees. It might get crowded, so you can make a reservation on the beer hall website. Plus, if you show your Julefest ticket you’ll get a free basket of fries with a $15 purchase (good all weekend; limit one per table).
You can get all the info you need to attend Julefest on the Nordic Museum website. See you there!