Seattle, WA
Fairmont Olympic Hotel Is Giving Back With Seattle Festival Of Trees
Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle
Hannah Corbin
Fairmont Olympic Hotel, one of Seattle’s most renowned luxury hotels, is full of festive spirit thanks to a partnership with the Seattle Festival of Trees Guild and Seattle’s Children Hospital.
Displaying over 20 uniquely decorated Christmas trees, each one tells the story of a patient from Seattle Children’s Hospital. Guests and visitors can marvel at the beautiful designs, which range from classic to whimsical, with the trees on display throughout the lobby and mezzanine levels of the hotel.
The trees are available for purchase, starting from $4,200, and vary in size and width—most trees are between 7-foot and 8-foot in height. On display now until Dec. 2, proceeds from every sale will benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital Uncompensated Care and Autism Center.
“We are deeply honored to have shared a cherished partnership with the Seattle Festival of Trees Guild and Seattle Children’s Hospital for decades. At the heart of Fairmont is our commitment to turning moments into special memories, and this beloved holiday tradition transforms our hotel into a festive haven,” said Sunny Joseph, General Manager of Fairmont Olympic Hotel. “It warmly welcomes longtime Fairmont guests, members of the local community, visitors from near and far, and our colleagues, who eagerly anticipate this event each year.”
Discovering Narnia tree.
Hannah Corbin
The Seattle Festival of Trees program has been a key part of Washington’s festive season for 47 years, working with around a dozen designers to create eye-catching themed Christmas trees to celebrate the magic of Christmas in style.
“Many of us have family members who’ve been treated or cared for at Seattle Children’s so this is definitely a labor of love,” explained Daphne Darst, Chair, Designer and Member of Seattle Festival of Trees Guild. “Hospital patients are paired with each tree and we designers are always interested in reading about the child’s health struggles and inspired to do whatever we can to impact and support the hospital’s work.”
To officially kick off the 2024 Seattle Festival of Trees season, the hotel is hosting a gala on Nov. 23, an evening that includes wine, passed hor d’ oeuvres, silent and live auctions, a raffle, gourmet dinner and more.
Trees are on display until Dec. 2.
Hannah Corbin
In addition to the Festival of Trees, the hotel hosts an annual Teddy Bear Suite starting Thanksgiving day. The suite, which has been a part of Fairmont Olympic tradition for almost 25 years, is free to enter and features 100 teddy bears and plenty of cozy features to enchant kids and adults alike.
MORE FROM FORBES
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson answered pressing questions about the city’s most pressing issues, including the steps she’s taking to protect residents’ public safety and affordability, while also touching on activating CCTV cameras across the city.
Anyone waiting for the ferry, taking a stroll along the revamped Seattle waterfront or visiting the Seattle Aquarium just got a new option for finding a sweet treat: Ben & Jerry’s is coming to Pier 54.
A lease announcement last week shared that the new shop will be operated by local franchise owners Lance and Moria Blair, owners of the Green Lake and Gig Harbor Ben & Jerry’s locations. They pair is also opening another Seattle location in Northgate soon.
The permanent shop announcement comes after Ben & Jerry’s operated a pop-up at the waterfront location last simmer.
“As a Seattle native, the waterfront holds a special place in my heart,” Lance Blair said in a news release. “I could not be more excited to be a part of bringing Ben & Jerry’s to Pier 54 and continue building connections with the local community while serving visitors from around the world.”
The new location comes as local ice cream chains Molly Moon’s and Salt & Straw have also expanded into the downtown area in the past year.
Where is the new Ben & Jerry’s location?
The new Ben & Jerry’s is located at Pier 54 on the Seattle Waterfront: 1001 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98104.
The shop will be open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where are the other Ben & Jerry’s locations in Seattle?
The ice cream chain operates four other locations in the Seattle area:
- Alki Beach: 2742 Alki Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
- Bellevue: 166 Bellevue Way NE Bellevue, WA 98004
- Green Lake: 7900 E Green Lake Drive N Suite 104, Seattle, WA 98103
- Kirkland: 176 Lake Street South, Kirkland, WA 98033
How many locations does Ben & Jerry’s have in Washington?
Ben & Jerry’s has ten locations across Washington, including two in Issaquah and three in the Spokane area. See the full list of locations at benjerry.com/ice-cream-near-me.
Zachary Fletcher is a trending news reporter with USA TODAY Network’s Washington state team. Keep up with him on X (@zdfletch), BlueSky (@zfletcher.bsky.social) or reach him at zfletcher@usatodayco.com.
Seattle, WA
VIDEO: Mayor Wilson proposes renewing, expanding Seattle Transit Measure by doubling the sales-tax percentage that funds it.
Through the end of this year, 0.15% of the sales tax you pay funds the voter-approved Seattle Transit Measure. That would double to 0.30% if the City Council and Seattle voters approve the renewal/expansion that Mayor Katie Wilson officially introduced this afternoon. She said it’ll make living in Seattle more affordable by enabling more people to “live car-free or car-light.” She acknowledged that raising the sales tax isn’t ideal but noted that it’s one of the few revenue-raising tools available under state law. Besides paying for more transit – 280,000 additional Metro bus trips a year, 100,000 more than the current measure funds – it also would pay for 22,000 free ORCA transit passes, more than double what the city provides now, said acting SDOT director Angela Brady during the announcement event at City Hall. The passes are now available to Seattle Promise scholars, low-income Seattle Preschool Program families, and Seattle Housing Authority residents. The measure’s renewal/expansion would also make those passes available to Housing Choice Voucher participants.
The mayor’s announcement says the Transit Measure isn’t just about buses: It also would “support the design and delivery of Sound Transit’s West Seattle Link Extension, Ballard Link Extension, and Graham Street Station.” The 0.30% sales tax would generate an estimated $138 million average per year for the 10 years of this measure, which is proposed to go to voters in November. Council review starts this Thursday and will be led by District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, who chairs the council committee that oversees transportation. We’ll add the specific text of the proposal when we get it; the slide deck for Thursday’s council meeting is now available, and we’ll add some highlights from that soon.
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