2009 Christmas Ships at Gasworks

It was a dark and foggy night at Matthews Beach a few years ago, and there was a boat heading toward the shore where I stood. From the shadows of many tall, dark pine trees came scores of people wrapped in winter attire – slowly and silently walking toward the water, eyes blinking from the cold. 

Did I inadvertently come upon the filming of a “4400” episode?  I did not.  It was the Christmas Ships!  And after 60 years, this Northwest tradition is still going strong.

Every night from November 28 -December 23rd the Argosy Christmas Ship™ sails to different Puget Sound waterfront sites. Onboard choirs sing for about 20-minutes to those waterfront communities, with the music being broadcast onshore via a state-of-the-art speaker system. You can choose to sail aboard the Christmas ship, or to simply go to one of the choir stops and enjoy the caroling from dry land.  Kayaks and small boats are welcome to follow the flotilla as well, and are encouraged to display their own Christmas lights.

This year the Argosy Christmas Ship™ will stop just offshore at Gasworks Park on two separate occasions:

• Tuesday, December 1 the Snohomish County Windjammers will be serenading Lower Wallingford from the ship from 8:20-8:40pm.  Just grab a cocoa and head for the steps leading down to the water.  Someone usually builds a bonfire onshore, too, to warm your hands.
• Wednesday, December 23 is the Finale concert, sung by the Seattle Girls’ Choir – Prime Voci.

Everything you need to know about catching one of these lively, holiday-inspired performances can be found on the Argosi Cruises website here.  It’s family-friendly fun for all. Happy Holidays!