Happy Friday, Seattle. In today’s edition: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, holiday tea, a Christmas holiday market, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Commercial market in flux: Seattle leads the nation in falling office rents as vacancies hit record highs, with downtown, Belltown, and Queen Anne hardest hit. Analysts see vacancies peaking in 2026 before slowly improving — read the full story.

A quiet culinary farewell: Kabul, one of Seattle’s only Afghan restaurants, will close December 31 after 33 years, with owner Wali Khairzada citing high costs and his age, ending a quietly cherished institution — read the full story.

From scrap to street safety: Seattle is piloting Pretred’s recycled tire Paceline barriers for bike lanes, aiming for mid-level protection with lighter, easier-to-repair segments after concrete shortages, touting lower environmental impact despite early strike damage — read the full story.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Identity theft is up 25%: Last year, Americans lost $12.5 billion to ID theft & fraud, and the stories behind those numbers are brutal. My friend just told me his dad’s on his fourth replacement credit card. Other folks have woken up to empty bank accounts or their personal info dumped online after a breach. Aura catches these kinds of attacks early by monitoring for new accounts, weird money movements, leaked data, and other red flags so you’re alerted before things blow up — learn more about it here.

Highlights this week

• Experience Winterfest’s lights and festivities
• Shop Pike Place Market’s Holiday Night Market
• Benefit concert for Seattle Children’s Hospital
• Jingle Bell Run fights arthritis
• Enjoy free soul concert, bring a coat
• See why December’s the best time to try new hearing aids
• This pet insurance plan reimburses up to 90%

🫶 We got your back

Quiet standouts take spotlight: Eater Seattle just revealed its 2025 award winners, spotlighting low-key gems over hype. Little Beast, Kevin Smith’s pub spin-off of Beast and Cleaver, took Restaurant of the Year. Other standouts: The Wayland Mill’s yoshoku-inspired all-day menu, Hushy’s craveable focaccia sandwiches, and Pizza By Ruffin’s Roman-style pies with African diaspora flavors. See the 2025 winners.

Power, play, and protest: At King Street Station, “Welcome to Paradise: ¡Viva Puerto Rico Libre!” spotlights 31 Puerto Rican artists challenging tourist fantasies and U.S. colonialism. Curated by Seattle-based Jo Cosme, it spans UV-revealed slogans to a rigged domino table built from Maria relief materials. The free exhibit runs through Jan. 10, 2026, with tours, screenings, and domino tournaments. Get all the details.

Ballard pints, anyone: Family- and dog-friendly with a full menu and 28 taps, Reuben’s Brews Ballard Taproom keeps choices easy. Slide into a booth or the patio, ping the group, and let the tap list do the deciding.

Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I decided to take Hers’ online quiz. They recommended a Biotin + Minoxidil green-apple gummy that targets regrowth and overall hair health. The whole thing was surprisingly easy: just verify your identity and a licensed provider signs off. Here’s the quiz if you want to check it out.

Makeup that actually works: My sister and I were talking the other day about how the makeup we used in our 20s… just doesn’t work now that we’re in our 30s and 40s. Laura Geller’s entire makeup line addresses this shift, with formulas that smooth, brighten, and actually stay put. If you’re in the same boat, their curated kits are worth a look.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

🎭 Annie @ Magnuson Park Theater | Friday (12/5) at 7:30pm – If you need an excuse to belt Tomorrow, consider this it. Annie delivers scrappy optimism, familiar tunes, and a booable Miss Hannigan, plus a billionaire who helps, a scene-stealing dog, and enough heart to keep even our grouchiest locals smiling.

🩰 George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker @ McCaw Hall | Friday (12/5) at 7:30pm – Holiday season calls for The Nutcracker at McCaw Hall, complete with snowflakes, toy soldiers, and Tchaikovsky that never gets old. It’s the Northwest tradition for when you want magic with your cocoa, photos for the mantle, and zero assembly required.

This weekend

🧹 2nd Saturday Work Party @ Volunteer Park | Saturday (12/6) at 10:00am – Second Saturday in Volunteer Park means rolling up sleeves with the neighbors, weeding and tidying the garden beds, rain or shine. It’s the free workout your gym can’t offer, plus smug satisfaction, fresh air, and the joy of making our favorite green space look loved.

🎶 The Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition @ Pike Place Market | Saturday (12/6) at 12:00pm – Kick off the holidays at Pike Place Market with the 40th anniversary Figgy Pudding caroling throwdown. Over 20 teams will harmonize, costume, and ham it up while you vote with a dollar that funds the Pike Market Senior Center & Food Bank. Chaotic, charming, Seattle.

🍵 Holiday Tea @ Hotel Sorrento | Saturday (12/6) at 2:30pm – Skip the tinsel tantrums and slip into Holiday Tea at The Sorrento, all tiered trays, twinkly nostalgia, and proper china. It’s cozy, elegant, and delightfully over-the-top. Bring the in-laws, your best gossip, or just a sweet tooth, and call it tradition.

🛍️ Christmas Holiday Market @ Alki Beach Bathhouse | Sunday (12/7) at 12:00pm – If your stocking still looks suspiciously flat, swing by Alki Beach Bathhouse for a cozy market of 20+ PNW makers, handmade gifts, and zero mall chaos. Grab a coffee, dodge a seagull, support small businesses, and call it quality family time, Seattle-style.

🧝 Elf @ SIFF Cinema Uptown | Sunday (12/7) at 12:00pm – SIFF and Stitch Cafe are letting you knit through Elf, with the lights on, social vibes, and zero judgment. Bring small, portable crafts, skip the glitter and plug-ins, and enjoy Buddy saving Christmas while you finally finish that scarf.

🎼 Thalia Symphony Holiday Concert @ Town Hall | Sunday (12/7) at 2:00pm – Trade the holiday shopping chaos for real goosebumps at Thalia Symphony’s seasonal concert featuring Rutter’s Gloria, plus more to be announced. Big sound, zero sleigh bells required. Bring your patient holiday spirit, leave with a grin, and maybe a new favorite carol.

Next week

♻️ December Clean up @ Duwamish River | Monday (12/8) at 12:00pm – Swap your errands for a Duwamish paddle, then hop out at a shoreline you can only reach by boat and give the river a little TLC. No experience needed, all equipment provided, just bring sturdy shoes, warm layers, and your best trash-hauling attitude.

🧵 Sewing Basics @ Made Space | Tuesday (12/9) at 6:00pm – This Sewing Basics workshop with Aryn Davis covers threading, simple stitches, and how a bobbin works, so you can fix hems, not just complain about them. Low pressure, high payoff, and a hobby that beats doomscrolling, duct tape, or begging the tailor.

✂️ Cut From Away @ Bagley Wright Theater | Tuesday (12/9) at 7:30pm – Come From Away started here, took a world tour, and now it’s back for the homecoming we want. On December 9, Seattle Rep serves a one-night benefit of songs, stories, and characters that got cut, with Brandon Ivie steering. Donate, get access, feel smug.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/5 Dining Dead @ Clock-Out Lounge – 7 pm
• 12/6 Zack Static and more @ Georgetown Records – 5 pm
• 12/7 Mercedes Nicole @ Micheline’s Place – 2 pm
• 12/8 Waterparks @ Showbox SoDo -7 pm
• 12/9 Doublecamp @ Barboza – 7 pm
• 12/10 Family Mystic and more @ Hidden Hall – 8 pm
• 12/11 Takuya Nakamura @ Barboza – 7 pm
• 12/12 Glare @ Barboza – 6 pm
• 12/13 Kayzo Unleashed XL ’25 @ Lumen Field – 10 am
• 12/14 Megan Diana and more @ Conor Byrne – 5 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Seattle edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Jan M. Selvar (Windermere Real Estate Co.)

Top-floor penthouse perfection crowning a distinguished Queen Anne boutique building, serving sweeping Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, and Olympic views. Hollywood Regency through and through, with mirrored surfaces, refined detailing, glossy finishes, and just enough cinematic drama to make every corridor feel like a red carpet. Three private terraces expand the footprint and frame the city from sunrise to neon.

Pet friendly and concierge served, with a highly walkable perch in Queen Anne. Luxury with timeless star quality, equal parts privacy, skyline theater, and everyday ease.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →