Bellevue's holiday season opens in waves this year. The Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink opens Nov. 13. Snowflake Lane starts two weeks later, and Garden d'Lights lights up the next night. Each venue sets its prices and crowd advice separately. When you line the three up, the discounts overlap on two nights, Monday, Nov. 30, and Monday, Dec. 7.
On both of those Mondays, the rink is at its lowest rate, Garden d'Lights is at its $5 price, and Snowflake Lane is in the early-season weeknight stretch its organizers recommend. After Dec. 18, the rink switches to holiday pricing, and the reasons to go on a weeknight mostly disappear.
The Season, Venue by Venue
The full calendar is easiest to read in one place. Here is how each venue opens, closes and prices itself for 2026.
| Venue | Season | Standard price | Lowest price | When prices rise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink, Downtown Park | Nov. 13, 2026 to Jan. 18, 2027 | $16 Tue.–Thu., $22 Fri.–Sun., skates included | $12 on Mondays | $24 from Dec. 18 to Jan. 3 |
| Snowflake Lane, The Bellevue Collection | Nov. 27 to Dec. 24 | Free | Free | Weekend crowds, not price |
| Garden d'Lights, Bellevue Botanical Garden | Nov. 28, 2026 to Jan. 3, 2027 | $10 ages 11 and up | $5 on Nov. 30–Dec. 3 and Dec. 7–10 | General admission on every other night |
At the rink, the $12 Monday rate is new this season. The Bellevue Downtown Association calls it "Cheapskate Mondays," and it announced the rink's return on Oct. 9. According to the rink's posted admission rates, the $12 price applies on Mondays from opening day through the end of the season, except for Dec. 18 through Jan. 3, when every day costs $24. The rink is also open every day of the season, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
At Garden d'Lights, children 10 and under are always free. That means the $5 nights save the most for groups of adults and teenagers.
Where the Discounts Line Up
Garden d'Lights' two $5 stretches each start on a Monday. The rink's $12 Monday rate runs until Dec. 18. So Nov. 30 and Dec. 7 are the only two nights this season when both discounts apply.
Tuesdays and Thursdays inside those same stretches have their own advantage. The rink runs free group skating lessons from 6 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 1, 3, 8 and 10, all of which fall on $5 nights at the Garden. The lessons are free, but you still need admission to the rink, which is $16 on those weeknights.
Tuesday, Dec. 8 is the Garden's sensory-friendly night. The lights stay on, there is no live music, and entry is capped at 200 guests per half hour. Tickets are required.
The $5 nights end earlier than general admission nights. On $5 nights, the last entry is at 8 p.m. and the lights go out at 8:30. On general admission nights, the last entry is at 9 p.m. and the lights stay on until 9:30. On a discount night, plan to go to the Garden before you skate.
A Weeknight Route Through All Three
Since the 2 Line began crossing Lake Washington on March 28, 2026, this is the first holiday season with light rail running from Lynnwood City Center through Bellevue to Downtown Redmond. That gives guests coming from either side of the Eastside a way to reach the venues without driving. Here is one order that works on Nov. 30 or Dec. 7:
- Garden d'Lights first, at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are sold online for a specific date and half-hour entry window. They are nonrefundable, but you can reschedule through the link in your confirmation. The Garden lot costs $5 per vehicle and is first-come, first-served. Free overflow parking is at Wilburton Hill Park, about a quarter mile east on the south side of Main Street. Wilburton Station sits at NE 8th Street and 116th Avenue NE. For light rail riders, the Garden points to Sound Transit's trip planner, and it also lists the City's free on-demand BellHop shuttle, which you book through the Ride Circuit app.
- Snowflake Lane at 7 p.m. The free parade runs every night along Bellevue Way from NE 4th to NE 8th streets, between Bellevue Square and Lincoln Square. The Collection's garages at Bellevue Square, Lincoln Square and Bellevue Place are free. The venue recommends Bellevue Place, under the Hyatt Regency, which you enter from NE 10th Street. If you watch from the Lincoln Square side, you can step out to the blue-cone line once Bellevue Way closes and the building lights turn blue. On the Bellevue Square side, everyone stays on the sidewalk.
- The rink last. Downtown Park is a short walk from the parade route. For anyone arriving by train, the rink's directions put it about 12 minutes on foot from Bellevue Downtown Station. The rink is fully covered, with more than 9,000 square feet of real ice and views of the downtown skyline. Buy tickets ahead of time, because the rink says walk-up admission is limited. Check bellevueicerink.com for this season's hours before you go.
Opening Weekend Is the Busiest and Priciest
Thanksgiving is Nov. 26. The following two days pack in more openings than any other weekend of the season. Snowflake Lane starts Friday, Nov. 27, and Garden d'Lights opens Saturday, Nov. 28. KidsQuest Children's Museum runs its gingerbread workshops on the same two days:
- Classic Gingerbread Workshops, Nov. 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. and Nov. 28 from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m. Tickets are $42 per builder with one house, $12 per additional guest, and $365 for a VIP table for up to 10 guests with four houses.
- Nutcracker Gingerbread Workshop, Nov. 27 from 5 to 7 p.m., with ballet excerpts by Flight Feathers Ballet. Tickets are $52 per builder and $16 per additional guest.
- Gingerbread After Dark, an adults-only session, Nov. 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $60 per builder and $20 per companion, each with a glass of champagne.
- Gingerbread To-Go Kit for $47, picked up on Nov. 27 or 28.
Full details are on KidsQuest's gingerbread events page. The rink is at its weekend rate that weekend. It also charges the $22 weekend rate on Wednesday, Nov. 25, and Thanksgiving Day, even though those are weekdays. The Collection's know-before-you-go page suggests Monday through Thursday visits early in the season for better viewing. For Friday through Sunday, it advises arriving at least an hour early, leaving extra time to park, and leaving large wagons and strollers at home.
Opening weekend is still the right choice if you're hosting family over Thanksgiving. The Monday after, Nov. 30, offers the same three venues at their lowest prices.
After December 18, Plan Around Different Things
From Dec. 18 through Jan. 3, rink admission is $24 every day. Garden d'Lights is at its $10 general price on every remaining night. It stays open on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and closes only on Christmas Day. Snowflake Lane's last parade is Christmas Eve.
Late December also brings International Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker to Meydenbauer Center Theatre, Dec. 11 through 23. Weekday performances on Dec. 21, 22 and 23 start at 1 p.m. IBT lists all-inclusive prices of $70 for general admission, $55 for seniors 60 and up and for military, and $45 for youth through age 14. A 1 p.m. show leaves time for the Garden when it opens at 4:30 and the 7 p.m. parade afterward.
The rink's season continues after the holidays. Mondays return to $12 once the holiday stretch ends, and free lessons resume on Jan. 5, 7, 12 and 14, before the rink closes on Jan. 18. The rink says more themed nights for this season will be announced.
If family is visiting this season and you'd like help planning their Bellevue days, from the Garden on a $5 night to the right side of Bellevue Way for the parade, the team at Roy Towse knows these blocks well and is glad to share what we know. Book a Call Today.
