Snowflake lane.... When you see the commercials and look at the marketing.. anyone would think . OMG how magical!! And I am sure, to some, it is quite, magical. There's a mini parade, fake foam snow, beautiful lights, winter personalities to take photos with.. and it is all FREE!! First of all..nothing in our money driven society is free. In my personal opinion.... This is a sham ... To get people there to shop... Yes. I said it... It's simply another way to get people to spend money. Don't get me wrong, what they have put together is a wonderful gesture, year after year, a lot of people get together to make this event happen, it is appreciated.. yet, it feels corporate driven, where the only thing that really matters is... The bottom line. So... Here is my take on this winter activity. If it we're just a few families and we were all there for the "magic of Christmas" it would have been great! But you see... It isn't that way.. there are hoards of entitled, rude parents and teens... The children ... Are not in the front to see the parade.. and instead of the parents working together for all the kids to see some glimpse of this thing.. it turned into a competition.. of entitlement.. it was sad.. then. You stand up on the cement sitting area and "security" shoos you off.. while she keeps walking on it. Lol. Sure, there were the sparce few that had common decency.. you know. People who say excuse me, please and thank you, the people who are not rude.. but, unfortunately, the rude and entitled outnumbered the rest .. read more

Really loves this. The floats, the music, the dancing. My grandkids eyes were wide open! Would give it a 5 but want more floats. It seemed like long period of time before one went by. Not the normal parade its more of a full production. If this was on GoFundme I would donate because its well worth it and there is nothing else close to it but having to go to Disney. I want to see more of it all! Last year they had a stage with entertainment and booths for photo ops. I can only imagine costs have led to cut backs but really with the distance people travel and what talent is available an hour show/parade would be optimal! I want more more more! This year in total was about 15 minutes. Thank you very much to those that provide this show. read more

You got to love snowflake lane! These guys are here every year! In the cold and rain and snow! Albeit foam fake snow but that is just semantics. The peeps on stilts hand out candy and get the crowd going. The dancers are all in perfect sync and everyone else is just in good spirits. I was shopping at the mall around 5:40 and decided to stick around till 7 to finally get a chance to see it this year. I'm glad I did! It wasn't too cold and thankfully dry. The music was loud and everyone was in good spirits! Next time I'll be on the sky bridge so I can see everything. Make sure to get some candy! And for people complaining that snowflake lane is too loud, I don't see the point considering you cannot hear it inside the mall. And it's not too loud if you're a few blocks down so obviously you're choosing to be at snowflake lane at that particular time just to complain. read more

Snowflake Lane - Festivals Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

See all

One of the best events I've taken my daughter to recently. It is a bit of a hassle to get to and from but the look on here face when it all got underway. She loved every second of it. A good portion of the actors who put on the show even walked through the audience afterward and either high fived or took time to greet the children. Nice of them to take the time to do so even though they may not know just how special it really is to kids of their age. Hats off to the event organizers and a huge thank you to all the actors involved. Great job folks. read more

Snowflake Lane - Just look how happy she is. - Festivals Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

See all

The reason I avoid Downtown Bellevue for a month. The traffic from this nightly event is redic for those of us who live nearby. Once you have seen it a few times I feel like it's kind of blown out. Kind of like that song on the radio they play and you like it at first and then they play it until it's worn out. That's this event for me. read more

Cute little winter show. Little kids will love the "snow", drummers and dancer. Not to mention the characters handing out candy. It's a short little show so don't be late or you might miss it. The place gets super packed by people who came to see the parade/show and people just at the mall. Finding park is hard, best bet don't park at the mall unless you come early. We parked by the ice skating rink and walked over but that was also packed. Also all the restaurants get packed after the show ends so make reservations or eat before,if planning to eat at the mall. Overall fun little entertainment to get you into the Christmas season!! read more

Wasn't happy with our experience here. Everyone crowded and short people like us couldn't see, you need to be at least an hour before the show to get a good spot. I felt like there were less people preforming compared to last visit. If I could I would have watch it from the Westin Bellevue but overall it was a great time! read more

I've seen this a bunch of times as an adult walking by while shopping but this year got to experience it through the eyes of a child and it is simply magical! I love that they close the streets and if you go on a weeknight it's not too busy so your child can be right up front. It can be fairly loud but my kiddo wasn't too disturbed by it. It's a good program (long enough to be worth watching but not too long where you're freezing at the end) filled with drummers, songs, and walking characters (snowmen, princesses, fairies, etc). My toddler loved dancing with the princesses and they were very nice to stop and take pictures and hand out treats! read more

Nice show.. plan to show up early, like an hour ealier and hang out because the traffic grinds to really slow as the showtime nears. You can take a high spot, but IMHO you'd miss the revelry on the ground. Awesome experience for kids read more

''Tis the season for terribly rude people shoving and elbowing others. It used to be a fun event until the massive population increase happened. We arrived early (6:10pm) and had a decent spot, but a few people near us were place holding for a large group so they had a bunch of adults crowd in front of our child. We left to find another spot beside a family, thinking that they may be more understanding and considerate of another family, only to have that group's grandma and grandpa crowd in front of our child when they arrived last minute. Growing up, parades were for children and a happy event. It's sad so many people these days are only out for themselves. read more

I am writing this review as someone who is not afraid of large crowds, waiting in lines or navigating congested city traffic. Attempting to visit this attraction took those things to a WHOLE new level. Fortunately we found a parking spot in the ramp as someone was leaving, but it could easily take 30 mins or more to locate parking. The mall area itself is a zoo, people everywhere, lines & chaos. We asked to get onto a wait list at the Cheesecake Factory & were quoted 3 hours for a table but told to check back in an hour and a half to confirm. The sidewalks were crowded & there was nowhere to stand less than 3 people deep. Others waiting for the event were rude & made comments to us when we tried to shelter under an overhang with our one year old son because we were blocking their view. I do not recommend this event unless you're prepared for a LOT of waiting, crowds & craziness. read more

It's actually not a parade and just a bunch of street performers on a block. Not worth the shoving of my children from grown adults.

So i never leave bad reviews...and it was probably a great show, but the insane crowds and rude ass people were too much to the point where we left as soon as it started. I think it had the potential to be amazing, if there was just more organization of where people could/could not stand, maybe even signs explaining where it started or ended? We had no idea where to stand, as soon as we found somewhere (crowded as hell) we were told by people in the show to move somewhere else. We moved somewhere else, and people kept pushing and crowding, grown ass adults pushing little kids out of the way. It was way too much to handle. Sad because our little one was super excited and left unhappy. read more

Sometimes I will be in the Bellevue area shopping for trinkets and suddenly get a shocking reminder that it is the holiday season in the form of loud banging and synthetic white goo falling in from the sky. I run for a cover but the Goo gets everywhere as my ears overload from the intentional ruckus caused by this event. It's pure chaos and I usually have a nervous breakdown and drop all my trinkets. I really wish I could enjoy this event but sadly I must only give it three stars. I feel like snowflake lane needs to cater more to the stressed-out category of people by quieting down a lot. Thank u. read more

It's our family tradition to go here at least once in December. I love snowflake lane! We always get a spot up high so we can see everything and stay dry if it's raining. This is a great place to take kids! Get there before 640 if you're going to go up on the walkway bridge, it gets packed quick! read more

This was a really cute show! I loved the "bubble" snow! So much fun! The performers were so energetic and seemed really excited to be there! The dancing snowman was so cute! My one major complaint is It is really crowded! Then after the show, everyone is trying to leave the area, the characters and the cast on stilts plow through the extremely crowded sidewalk. They were banging there symbols right next to everyone's head to move. Also a girl on stilts tripped because there were so many people and fell on the crowd. There's baby's in strollers, little kids getting pushed and it's scary that they're running through... they really need a different system. So beware of the terrible rush after the parade. It's really cute to see if you are up in the area. read more

Snowflake Lane - Festivals Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Every year I bring my kid to the snowflake lane show. The music is great, the holiday characters are in great spirits, and the family just have a great festive time there! read more

Snowflake Lane - Let it snow! - Festivals Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

I'm told it's better before Christmas but don't bother after Christmas. A bunch of red, white and blue clad performers worming their way through the crowd while music plays and lights are projected on buildings while cars whiz by hardly constitutes a parade. read more

We bring the kids here every year. Show up early and grab a bite to eat at any of the great restaurants around Bellevue Square. They really do a great job of putting on a fun Christmas show, complete with snow! read more

I was absolutely impressed with the entertainment and organization at Snowflake Lane. Fabulous show for kids AND adults. My nephew (3) was in heaven! It is so sweet how the "characters" engage with the kids. We all loved the fake snow! Foam in my hair, don't care! Great tip: show up hours early and park several blocks away. *You will not regret that decision when you watch the cars going nowhere as you walk past them when you leave. *Grab a drink or an early dinner with your fam or friends. We arrived at The Cheesecake Factory at about 4:30 and enjoyed some fabulous family time. So many great memories created tonight, because of Snowflake Lane! I can't wait for next year! read more

I was not impressed with this. I have heard a ton of hype about how great it is. I was a little let down by it. It too use 45 minutes to just find parking. Got there and didn't get to see much. Dont know if i would ever go back. read more

Definitely would not recommend. Terribly crowded. I had my 80 year old grandma with me and she nearly got pushed down from all the jerks shoving to get a better view. Took 30 minutes to find parking, then the crowds were ridiculous. We couldn't find anyplace within 15 feet of the street - barely saw anything. I ended up watching from some guy's phone he was holding up. SUPER pushy parents barging forward with their kids on their shoulders - blocking everyone's views behind. This was NOT family friendly, unless your idea of family fun is parking stress and huge crowds. I was there on Thursday, Dec 21. Not even a weekend. The parade itself was lame - if you've seen any Disney parade definitely skip this. You've seen something infinitely better. I'm a crowd tolerant easy going person and this seemed like a total cluster. I'm telling everyone I know this to stay away - worst holiday experience I've had this season. read more

What a fun and lively holiday event that has something for the whole family! It's my first year watching the parade and festivities and I thoroughly enjoyed it --- from the characters that mix with the crowds to the performance stages. The parade, although short, was well-orchestrated and the snow making machines were a great touch! Way to go, Bellevue! You know how to kick off the holiday season in style. read more

We loved it! Was super crowded and finding parking was s little difficult. But otherwise a great experience. My almost four year old was so excited that nothing else mattered. We will be back next year read more

One word... AWESOME! The performers were fantastic; interacting with the crowd, posing for pictures, and appearing to have a great time themselves. In my opinion the event was a very close second to a Disney parade. Kudos to the organizers, host and performers. read more

We have gone every year for 12 years and loved it. This year was terribly disappointing - not nearly as many performers and where were the drummers??? Not to mention the entire show was a mere 15 minutes, barely worth the trip to town and braving crowds and crazy Bellevue traffic. So disappointed in the changes they made this year. read more

Totally loved the show, so went for a second time just to be disappointed by a stilt walker. When the show ended I walked up to a Skywalker and asked for a pop (which they were distributing freely and lavishly) for a kid who had accompanied us as he didn't get one. . And to my shock the Skywalker simply refused to give one citing that my kid was already holding one. When I told him this was for her friend who hadn't got one...he walked away saying "that one is just fine" !!!?? What the hell? He was acting as if he is paying for it out of his pocket...it was after all just a pop for a kid? Though i enjoyed the show, am highly disappointed by this rude and racist behaviour of that performer. It just took away from the show!! read more

Great parade and lots of energy. Only giving it 3 stars because of the large crowds. To enhance your experience go early and get as close as you can to curb! Don't stand behind fence like you are supposed to because you will stand there for an hour in the cold like we did obeying the rules to secure a great spot only to have inconsiderate people swoop in 10 min before parade and stand in front of fences blocking your view. read more

We have been coming to Snowflake Lane for years. We always come the Saturday after Thanksgiving and my son is always VERY excited to see the parade and Santa Claus. This year, they got smart and started letting people stand on the sides of the streets instead of just on the sidewalks. There is always way too many people for just the sidewalks. But, this year, the parade was different. It wasn't a parade. It was the drummer boys marching through and stopping in the middle and playing a few songs and then Santa's girl helpers came afterwards and set up their little stands and danced to a few songs. No Santa Claus, no characters, just drummer boys and girls! My son was so sad, we had to go inside the mall and find Santa so he could see him. I don't think we'll be coming anymore if this is how it's going to be from now on. Way too cold to sit outside for an hour or more just to see that. read more

Wow - such nasty comments. I came from California (Los Angeles County) and they do NOTHING like this here. It's worth a plane trip for me to come to Seattle (I stay in Bellevue) and enjoy this great FREE show. I got there about an hour early on Thursday 12/4 and had a bite to eat at Cheesecake Factory. Friday, I just walked over from Pier One, and on Tuesday, 12/9, I got there 45 minutes early and filmed the entire show from the Sky Bridge. This is a wonderful festive little show and it's FREE. Stop complaining! Try not going on a weekend if a small crowd is more than you can handle. And try being grateful that you live in such a nice place that even does this for (worth repeating) FREE every single night! Happy Holidays! Yay SNOWFLAKE LANE!!! read more

We arrived with our two little ones early so that we could be right at the curb to watch the festivities. Cold, long wait, finally the parade comes. But wait... a couple with their children came and stood right in front of us the entire parade time. People were spilling onto the streets and the cops couldn't keep everyone onto the curb. Very disappointed as it's tough to hold a child up for 30 minutes. Boo to the family who chose to park their hinnies in front of us. And no, they did not speak English so we couldn't ask them to move along. read more

Only those in the front row will see anything, and the rest are left to jostle each other in 6 deep crowds. They cut off the road and now perform in the middle of the road, which means anyone not in the front row will only experience the music. Traffic is crazy with new regulations and directions that hinder rather than help traffic. First time we went a few years back it was wonderful. Now it's just painful and unrewarding. They need to open that road and put the performers back in the crowds. read more

Great, cheeky Christmas fun. Keep in mind, it is right outside of Bellevue Square during the Christmas shopping season so it is very crowded. Grab a latte, bundle up and get there about an hour before it starts. read more

Had a great time with my parents, it was a cold night so the it was extra nice!!

I've lived around this area for 10 years so I have seen this parade very often. It's fun to see and take pictures once in a while. It gets extremely crowded and it gets very difficult to navigate around when there are so many people. However, it's really cute and is very festive, which I like. :-) read more