Every year, to celebrate the Christmas season, Snowflake Lane opens in Bellevue Square. The winter parade reopened on Nov. 29 and closes once again on Dec. 24. This event brings together people from all over Northwest Washington to see the short yet enchanting display of Christmas floats, performers, and decorations. Snowflakes are sure to fall while festive music is playing, turning the parade into a true holiday experience. “I go every year with my family. I’m always so excited to go because it’s such a cute winter activity to do and you can’t really see it anywhere else,” Abby Hilton said. 

The heart of Snowflake Lane stems from the performers who bring Christmas characters to life. Dressed up as sugarplum fairies, toy drummers, Santa himself, and many more, volunteers train to dance and create a magical scene for the audience. Waving and carrying out choreographed dances brings joy to many kids’ faces as they see their Christmas stories in the flesh. “I’m a Snowbelle this year so I dance to each song in the parade. I honestly think it’s one of the most fun jobs you can have because I get to dance to Christmas music for about 20 minutes and not only get a workout but get paid. We have routines for each song that took a while to learn, but now that I’ve got it down it’s just fun and smiles every night,” Audrey Fortune said. 

Bellevue wraps up the year with its annual Christmas parade, bringing joy and laughter to all visiting. Although it may be packed with eager visitors, it is worth the while to view holiday fairytales come to life. “I dress up as one of the characters that uses stilts, and I definitely learned a lot on my own. I’ve done it for so long because of the relationships I’ve made there and meeting new people. It’s a fun experience to be a part of and nice knowing that it’s making others happy,” Adriana Guerrero said.