On a Saturday morning in November 2011, volunteers met at 9 a.m. outside the Madrona Plaza building, across from the Hi Spot Cafe. They brought heavy-duty gardening gloves. The job was to hang "Madrona's Wintergreens," holiday lights and swags along the 34th Avenue commercial corridor from Spring to Pike. The October 2011 issue of Madrona News said the display would give the neighborhood "a warm glow through the dark fall and winter months, November to February."
Fifteen years later, the glow is still there and it still comes from volunteers. Seattle doesn't pay for the lights in the trees along 34th. The Madrona Neighborhood Association does, with money it raises from neighbors. Once you know that, the next six weeks on the avenue make more sense. The pie sale and the Winter Market are mostly ways of paying for the lights.
The Friday rhythm has already wrapped up. The Central District Farmers Market, which used to be the Madrona Farmers Market, set up in the Grocery Outlet lot at MLK Jr. Way and E Union Street. The neighborhood newsletter listed October 30 as its last Friday of the season. Trick-or-treat on 34th followed the next afternoon. The lights season starts where those leave off.
This year's lights have a new lead and a more careful plan
The October 2026 issue of Madrona News calls the tree lights "an annual neighborhood project" that has run "for years." This season, new MNA vice president Cindy Krebs is coordinating the work.
The 2026 plan has three parts:
- An arborist consult to make sure the lights aren't wrapped too tightly around the tree trunks.
- Repairs to existing strands where needed.
- Possible timers on sections where the lights shine into nearby homes. In the newsletter's words, the goal is "an enjoyable display while being considerate of our neighbors."
The timers show who the project answers to. People live above and beside the storefronts on 34th, and the lights are planned for them as well as for anyone walking to dinner. The same issue notes that the city and downtown partners added overhead lighting in other parts of Seattle in 2024 and extended it in 2025, to make streets feel more comfortable after dark. Madrona gets a similar result through volunteers and a donation page.
That page, on the MNA's donations page, sets a goal of $6,000 for the 2026 winter tree lights. That covers one season of upkeep for a whole business district. The MNA's pie sale page describes what the money pays for: "maintaining, powering, and repairing the lights so the neighborhood can keep enjoying them year after year."
"Madrona's tree lights return each winter because neighbors pitch in." — Madrona Neighborhood Association, Thanksgiving Pie Sale page
The season's calendar, and which dates pay for the lights
Most things on 34th between now and mid-December connect back to the lights. Some raise money for them directly. Others bring people out onto the stretch the lights cover.
| Date | What | Where | How it connects to the lights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Nov 5, 6–8 p.m. | Artist reception for Elizabeth Livingston's "Dark Matter" | Spectrum Fine Art, 1411 34th Ave | An evening reason to walk the avenue |
| Fri, Nov 6, 5–8 p.m. | Opening reception for Tess Michalik's "Rococo Puffs" | Dirkse/Prim Gallery, 1108 B 34th Ave | Same |
| Wed, Nov 25 | Thanksgiving pie and bake sale | In front of Madrona Arms, near 34th and Union | Proceeds go to the lights |
| Wed, Dec 2, 7 p.m. | MNA monthly meeting, held the first Wednesday of each month | Check madrona.us | Where neighbors can volunteer |
| Thu, Dec 10, 5 p.m. | Winter Market and raffle | In front of Madrona Arms | All proceeds go to the lights |
The gallery shows stay up after their receptions. Spectrum Fine Art has "Dark Matter" on view through December 19. Dirkse/Prim shows "Rococo Puffs" through November 28.
November 25 depends on neighbors' ovens
The pie sale is the first fundraiser of the season, and it only works if neighbors bake. Volunteer bakers drop off their pies and other baked goods on the morning of Wednesday, November 25, the day before Thanksgiving. If that's too tight, the pledge form has an earlier drop-off option, and a coordinator will follow up to arrange it. To bake, email [email protected] or use the pledge form on the pie sale page.
If you'd rather buy than bake, the MNA says Thanksgiving treats will be for sale. The pie sale page says to check back in mid-November for ordering details, and sale hours will be posted on madrona.us.
The October newsletter even printed a recipe to help: a lattice-top sour cherry pie with two tablespoons of balsamic glaze added alongside the lemon juice "for more of that sour cherry punch." If you didn't freeze cherries over the summer, the recipe suggests PCC's frozen pie cherries.
December 10 is when the businesses chip in
The Winter Market comes second, and this is where the businesses on 34th give the most. The MNA describes it as "a tree lights fundraiser," with festive lights, local vendors and a community raffle. All proceeds go to the winter tree lights. The October newsletter gives a 5 p.m. start. The event page still said "Time TBD" when it was last updated, so check it closer to the date.
Last year's raffle prizes were worth more than $6,500 in total. They included a $150 gift certificate from Arts Aloft, a cashmere printed bandana from Nido valued at $165, and a $150 gift certificate from Red Cow/ESR. Prizes are split into multiple gift bags so more people have a chance to win. The 2026 prizes will be posted closer to the event.
Compare those two numbers. The prizes donated last year were worth more than this year's entire $6,000 goal for the lights. Prize value isn't money raised, but it shows the arrangement. Businesses donate goods, neighbors buy raffle tickets, and the ticket money pays for the lights hanging over those same businesses' doors. Katybird, the consignment shop at 1426 34th Avenue, is one of the businesses signed up for the Winter Market.
The storefronts change, and the lights keep coming back
That 2011 newsletter is a useful point of comparison, because it's the same year Molly Moon's opened its walk-up window on 34th. The window closed on Sunday, September 13, after 15 years. Molly Moon's farewell post said the space "won't be empty for long." Harold Fields has signed a lease to bring Umami Kushi to the window. Fields makes okazu pan, which are savory filled buns. The October newsletter said the shop was expected to open after October 21 and pointed readers to @umamikushi on Instagram for updates. Other recent changes along the corridor:
- Casa Ella is preparing a café serving Colombian coffee at the northeast corner of 34th and Spring, across from Yoka Tea. Capitol Hill Seattle Blog reported in September that pop-ups would come first. No opening date has been announced.
- Dirkse/Prim Gallery moved into the new live/work spaces north of Spring.
- Squarehead West and Poppie, an expansion of Smallish Photo Studio, were featured in earlier issues as recent additions.
- Mr. West's Madrona café closed at the end of May.
Over those 15 years, an ice cream window opened and closed and cafés turned over, while the lights came back each November. The newsletter's own advice for the coming months is to "stop in, meet the new owners and support the shops and cafés that make Madrona our neighborhood." Under the lights, that's easier to do after 5 p.m. in December.
Down the hill, the lake will see some change too. Seattle Parks says the Madrona Park Beach Play Area project restarts this fall, with construction scheduled for 2027 to 2028. The plans include accessible natural play features and safety improvements at 853 Lake Washington Boulevard.
If you're baking for November 25, buying raffle tickets on December 10, or just curious how 34th Avenue keeps going through the winter, I'd love to hear what this season looks like on your block. You can find me at Real Estate With Sav. Let's Connect, maybe over a slice of that balsamic cherry pie.
