Blog

Put a smile on your face with twinkling in the dark…

A familiar pastime during the holiday season is to drive or walk around neighborhoods in the evening to see the lights decorating homes and businesses. Holiday lights brighten Seattle’s big darkness before and after the holiday season, as lights often go up in late November and may stay lit well into the new year.

Electric holiday lighting was made available to everyday people in the 1920s and 30s, coinciding with a period of significant development in Wallingford. An example is shown here in Wallingford’s 45th Street business district in the 1940s or 50s, with Davison’s Appliance Center (now the location of our beloved Murphy’s Pub) in the foreground, with additional holiday lights lining both sides of the street. Note the trolley lines in the photo.

In keeping with this tradition, Wallingford’s Stone’s Throw Coffee & Market has nice outdoor decorations to enjoy while savoring their hot apple cider.

In taking the time to just walk around the neighborhood in between the raindrops, folks can appreciate the beautiful holiday lighting displays of our neighbors, graciously continuing this tradition.

I have included a few pictures of my favorite displays from my walks around the neighborhood, all within a few blocks north or south of 45th.

In addition, there’s a programmed light show at a house on Bagley Avenue N between N 35th and 36th Streets. Per the owner:

The lights are choreographed to music, which you can listen to from the sidewalk (there’s a button to make the music louder) or from the radio in your car, if you tune to FM 91.1 (there’s a sign). There are 18 different songs ranging from more traditional Christmas songs to pop and dance music. The lights are on daily from 4:30–9:30 pm (4:30–9:45 pm on Friday and Saturday) now through New Year’s Eve. Hope you enjoy the show—and Happy Holidays!!

So get out and enjoy our neighborhood, and Happy Holidays from all of us at Wallyhood! We look forward to providing continued coverage of our neighborhood goings-on in 2026, and welcome new voices too—please contact us at [email protected] to add your perspective.