One of my favorite annual events at the Seattle Center every year is WinterFest, a celebration of the season that offers many an antidote to the gloom and damp that so often accompanies it.

The festival kicks off Friday, November 28 at 1 pm with opening ceremonies that include the Keith Highlanders Pipe Band, speeches by the Mayor and by Seattle Center Director Robert Nelliams and performances by a host of local dancers and musicians.

Over the course of the next few weeks the WinterFest will offer up such activities and events as ice sculpting, bonfires, a big band dance, piano playing in the Center House, concert bands, jazz bands, choir performances, dance, flute music, performance art, stage magic, a fire festival, visual art, and so much more that I couldn’t possibly list it all. Check out the Center’s website for specifics or just head on down (take the Monorail or one of the many buses that pass it) and you’re bound to find something fun. The whole of the Center is festively decorated and promises an atmosphere of excitement and magic. Don’t forget to head over to Fisher Pavillion for the Starbucks sponsored rink, lace up your skates and hit the ice.