Santa Lane moves indoors at downtown Seattle Nordstrom
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Photo: Courtesy of Nordstrom
Visitors to downtown Seattle may have noticed something missing from this year's holiday displays: the sidewalk North Pole setup at Nordstrom, where Santa has held court for years at Sixth Avenue and Pine Street, is no more.
- Instead, those looking to visit Santa are invited to the store's fourth floor, where Saint Nick is stationed next to the Nordstrom Grill and a toy display.
The good: If you're a family trying to visit Santa, this is less chaotic — there's less crowding on the sidewalk, no outdoor waiting and an online reservation system.
Yes, but: If you just wanted to see Santa through a window while strolling by — something possible with the old sidewalk setup — you'll be out of luck.
- You'll have to walk a little farther for your Christmas cheer this year.
What to expect: To find Santa's new digs, head to the fourth-floor sky bridge that connects Nordstrom and Pacific Place.
- While there's a separate line there for walk-ups, a photo with Santa is not guaranteed without an online reservation.
- Photo sessions are $40, which you pay on site (although it's free for Nordstrom cardholders). You'll get two digital photos emailed to you, plus a print to take home.
The vibe: The sky bridge and nearby area are decked out with holiday decorations, and the store has several new interactive activities this year (including a free gumball dispenser) that add to the festivities.
- Workers give out free cookies, as per tradition — although they no longer serve complimentary cocoa to those in line. (You instead get a card to get a free cocoa at the Nordstrom coffee bar.)
If you go: Be prepared for your kid to get sucked in by the shelves of toys that sit next to Santa Lane. I barely managed to escape.
- That said, I appreciated that several of the toy options were less than $10 — I let my kid pick out something for $6.50.
- The toy selection was thoughtful enough that I plan to go back and pick up a few items I saw there (particularly stocking stuffers and stuffed animals).
Also good to know: Each Saturday and Sunday leading up to Christmas, there's a free Santa parade at 2pm, where people can interact with Santa even if they're not paying for photos.
- The store also offers free crafts, face painting and story time with Mrs. Claus on weekends.
The bottom line: Visiting Santa at Nordstrom's flagship store remains a fun experience — even if I do miss the chance to wave at him from the street.
Stop by: Santa photo sessions are available daily through Dec. 24.