This won’t be an ordinary holiday season. But in Lynnwood and its immediate surrounding areas, the holidays can still be extraordinary — with health and safety always in mind. Lynnwood’s array of holiday shopping offers an easy and fun way to check everyone off the list. But shopping is just one way to celebrate the season.
Lynnwood, just 16 miles north of Seattle, and the surrounding communities have made all kinds of changes — all to ensure everyone stays safe while still savoring this most special time of year
Save a spot at Alderwood Mall
With nearly 200 shops, department and electronic stores, specialty boutiques, and more, Alderwood Mall is the center of the Lynnwood shopping experience. This year, Alderwood is making it particularly easy to avoid the holiday rush with the new Alderwood Spot Holder program.
The program allows shoppers to avoid waiting in line by reserving a time at their favorite stores. It’s as easy as scanning a code at the front of a participating store, choosing a time to shop, and meeting at the front door of the store. In the meantime, relax and enjoy a hot chocolate or coffee. There may be no easier way to shop.
Visit with Santa, virtually
No Christmas would be complete without a visit with Santa. This year, the Alderwood Mall is making it easy with several ways to have a virtual visit with Santa.
Santa’s helpers have been hard at work decking the halls for a North Pole Virtual Visit, which features an array of experiences to choose from. Visit with Santa live from the North Pole, enjoy the reading of your favorite Christmas tale by Santa and Mrs. Claus, or have Santa send a special message to your child with a pre-recorded, personalized video.
Drive-thru The Lights of Christmas
Stanwood, a charming hamlet north of Lynnwood, is celebrating the holidays like few others with The Lights of Christmas. This year, the cherished tradition continues. Held all season long, this year will feature the same dazzling light displays that wow kids and kids at heart. But it will be a drive-thru experience to ensure the safety of all revelers.
See spectacular lights, wave to Santa and Mrs. Claus, all while listening to Christmas music from the comfort of the car.
Edmonds Holiday Market
Give the gift of something truly meaningful at the annual Edmonds Holiday Market, a traditional outdoor market filled with the products of local crafters and farmers. Held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturdays from Dec. 5 through Dec. 19, the Holiday Market invites all to shop local wares while staying safe by remaining socially distanced, masked and outdoors.
Set on Fifth Avenue, between City Hall and the Edmonds Historical Museum, the market is home to more than 50 vendors. From wine, jewelry, pottery, and many specialty gift items to cured meats, preserved foods and cheeses, and baked goods and sweets, just about everything you’ll want for the holidays is here.
In Lynnwood, shopping can still be among the highlights of this holiday season, rather than a cause for worry. In fact, in this most unusual year this charming town just 16 miles north of Seattle may just be the ideal place to cross everyone you love off your list – safely.
What’s to love about shopping this season in Lynnwood? Well, with shopping experiences that range from the eclectic to the traditional, a town-wide devotion to keeping everyone safe, and with Santa very much still coming to town, just about everything.
Alderwood Mall
The hub of Lynnwood’s shopping scene, the Alderwood Mall is a place to find everything on your list, all while keeping shoppers safe with strict adherence to the latest health and safety guidelines. With nearly 200 shops, department and electronic stores, specialty boutiques, and more, Alderwood Mall is the largest indoor/outdoor shopping center in the region.
We all want to celebrate our time-honored holiday traditions, and no holiday season is complete without a visit from Santa. This year, Santa will be making socially distant visits with the kids in addition to offering a virtual experience. And with the AMC Loews Cineplex open at 40% capacity, the family can still share in a holiday film.
Use our handy shopping tool to make the most of your day of shopping. And Alderwood Mall has devised additional plans to limit lines and avoid crowds, keeping everyone safe and healthy this holiday season.
A holiday market tradition
Find something creative and local – while getting your shopping done early and outdoors – with a beloved holiday shopping tradition. The Snohomish Harvested Holiday Market is set for Saturday, Nov. 14 at Stocker Farms. Presented by the Snohomish Farmers Market, the Holiday Market will again feature wares from more than 60 local businesses, crafters, artisans, purveyors of fine foods and more, so finding the perfect gift shouldn’t be hard. And it will all happen in a safe environment where social distancing and masks will be required.
Staying in Lynnwood
With so many shops to choose from and the largest indoor/outdoor shopping center in the region, consider extending the trip for a night or the whole weekend. Home to more than 1,000 rooms and suites with an average rate 40% less than Seattle, the hotels of Lynnwood make for an ideal launching point to take in all the holiday sights — not just in Lynnwood but for the entire region.
Nearby shopping at Alderwood mall, phenomenal dining, and exciting activities are all in short proximity to Lynnwood’s hotels, and each hotel is strictly following health and safety guidelines to keep guests safe.
The weather is getting warmer, trees and plants are starting to bud and bloom. That has many of us thinking about outdoor recreation in Lynnwood! Lynnwood residents and visitors are fortunate in having many available trails, hikes and parks and other outdoor recreation possibilities. These options are close at hand and convenient to the community.
Trails in Lynnwood
After a long commute, being at home or just needing to get outside there is nothing better than visiting a nearby trail. It’s good exercise and a change of scenery. But are you ready for a hike, but do not feel like a long trip sitting in traffic to get there? You do not have to leave the area to enjoy a fun and challenging hike. Lynnwood has much to offer for both of these outdoor activities.
Interurban Trail
The Interurban Trail runs through much of Lynnwood, meandering southwest to northeast. Lynnwood has just a part of the Interurban Trail, which is a large, regional trail beginning in Seattle and ending in Everett. The trail is largely grade-separated with some on-street bike lines connecting it. This makes for a wonderful and often green experience for bicyclists, walkers, joggers, rollerbladers, and children and adults alike. The trail is paved and has several guide posts to help alert. There are various overpasses and underpasses, all to keep the trail as separate from local area traffic as possible. You can view a full map of the current trail, including the portion running through Lynnwood here.
You might ask why such a right-of-way was available, especially in an urban environment that has gone through as much decades of development? The Interurban Trail has a fascinating history that starts over 100 years ago in 1910. In that year, the Interurban Trolley opened service, running the 29 miles and 30 stations between Seattle and Everett. Automobiles remained a novelty during that time and road connections down to Seattle were limited. The trolley operated for nearly 30 years, but soon faced new operating pressures. Maintenance costs and the rise of the automobile meant rising costs amid declining ridership. Highway 99 opened in Lynnwood, providing a new north-south route. The Interurban Trolley closed in 1939. Much of the line was then converted to a power line corridor, which kept much of the right-of-way intact for decades. Starting in the mid 1990’s Snohomish County and local cities began opening segments of the right-of-way as a local trail. Efforts continued to expand until today much of the original right-of-way has reopened as a regional trail with continuing improvements and enhancements.
One such enhancement was work done in Lynnwood’s Heritage Park. The Interurban Trail runs through this City park, which has several structures preserved to denote the area’s history. That includes completely refurbished Trolley Car 55, a 1909 Intuerban single-ended wooden electric rail car. This car saw service from Seattle to Everett during the entire duration of the Interurban Trolley. In addition to the station and trolley, the first general store and post office in Alderwood Manor and related living quarters are located nearby.
Meadowdale Beach Park
Lund’s Gulch is located just north of Lynnwood. This area is a local watershed basin. The trees are mature, the undergrowth dense and the slopes steep. Lund’s Gulch Creek flows down to the Puget Sound from this area and is a highway for local salmon. Since the late 19th century the has seen varied use from homesteading to a private clubhouse and fish hatchery to conservation efforts. The City of Lynnwood has been proactive in purchasing additional land to aid conservation efforts.
Meadowdale Beach Park is located within Lund’s Gulch. There is a parking and a playground near the entrance, as well as the start of a trail. The trailhead is approximately 500 feet above sea level, but by the time you are done with the 2+ mile hike you are all the way down to the Puget Sound. You reach the Sound by going through a short underpass tunnel with railroad tracks overhead. This tunnel also serves as the exit to the Puget Sound for Lund’s Gulch Creek. When you come out from the tunnel the beach is there to greet you and it is beautiful! Driftwood is all around, as are lovely views of Whidbey Island, the Olympics and even Mt. Baker on clearer days. But make sure you have energy left for the hike back, which will be going uphill to regain that 500+ feet in elevation!