Snoqualmie’s Railway Community Park was, with few exceptions, a standing-room-only venue Saturday, as an unprecedented crowd filled the park. They formed long, snaking lines for wagon rides and refreshments, and packed into the gazebo or stood on picnic tables and picnic benches for a glimpse of the Timber Ridge Elementary School choir performance, and, for those lucky enough to be near the path Santa cut to the tree-lighting platform, they exchanged greetings and high-fives with the jolly old elf himself.
“Best Santa sighting ever,” several parents announced after he had been whisked into the gazebo to pose for photos. “He walked right past us!”
Santa wasn’t the only star of the evening, though. Families also crowded around the shelter to hear the Sno-Valley Winds band and met the return of each wagon with pats for the horses. And the thousands of lights, installed by city staff starting in early November, were an attraction themselves. There were also wagon rides, plus a visit from Father Christmas, over at Carmichael’s Hardware and Variety, the sponsor of the horses’ appearance.
Organizers estimated the crowd at more than 1,200 people.
Next week, Snoqualmie will add more winter magic, with the opening of its skating rink, Dec. 10 on King Street.
Snoqualmie’s Railway Community Park, across from the historic depot, was lit up for the holidays on Saturday, Nov. 26.
A young festival-goer takes a closer look at some of the 60,000 holiday lights in Snoqualmie’s Railway Community Park Saturday.
Sno Valley Winds musicians Erik Dickerson, center, and Erik Thurston performed for Saturday’s tree lighting in Snoqualmie in holiday themed hats, the Grinch and Santa, respectively.
Sno Valley Winds musicians Erik Dickerson, center, and Erik Thurston performed for Saturday’s tree lighting in Snoqualmie in holiday themed hats, the Grinch and Santa, respectively.
Timber Ridge Elementary School choir students, directed by Rebecca Rice, perform for a huge audience at Saturday’s tree lighting event in downtown Snoqualmie.
Father Christmas greets one of the hard-working draft horses who pulled wagonloads of visitors through downtown Snoqualmie for hours Saturday during the city’s holiday festivities.
Father Christmas greets one of the hard-working draft horses who pulled wagonloads of visitors through downtown Snoqualmie for hours Saturday during the city’s holiday festivities.
Katie Bardaro, with son Zach, 2 and Bella, 6, befriend the draft horses at work offering holiday wagon rides during Snoqualmie’s tree-lighting festival Saturday.
Mirko and Diana Mugglie, and daughter River, winking at the camera, enjoy their first time at a Snoqualmie tree-lighting event.
Mirko and Diana Mugglie, and daughter River, winking at the camera, enjoy their first time at a Snoqualmie tree-lighting event.
With his tree-lighting duties complete, Santa invites two of his first visitors, Braedon and Adilyn Peterson, to have a seat in the Railway Park gazebo Saturday, while many of his fans watch.
Santa arrived at the Snoqualmie tree lighting festivities on a fire engine, to officially light the city’s holiday tree Saturday.
