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Harbor Happenings | Santa to visit Holiday Village at Donkey Creek Park

Posted on December 10th, 2024 By: Charlee Glock-Jackson

The Holiday Village in Donkey Creek Park features six holiday scenes, each a great site for taking photos. The scenes include:

Gingerbread Dreams, a whimsical gingerbread house with cutouts for kid-sized posing
A playful Gift Surprise, with wrapped presents for popping up behind
Snow Globe Magic, a life-sized snow globe
Cozy Holiday Truck, a vintage truck with a lighted wreath and bench
Poinsettia Wonderland, a bright red backdrop filled with poinsettias
Harbor Holidays, a nod to Gig Harbor’s maritime heritage with a boat, tree and gift-filled fishing net

The scenes are open from dawn to dusk. Santa will be on hand for free photos from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14 and 15 and Dec. 21 and 22. The Gig Harbor Downtown Waterfront Alliance will serve hot cocoa and treats during Santa’s visits.

The Holiday Village at Donkey Creek Park. Photo by Vince Dice

Holiday markets

Harbor History Museum hosts a Holiday Market from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, and and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15. Vendors will sell jewelry, artworks, children’s books, candles, pottery, home décor, garden art, baked goods and vintage treasures.

Saturday features a demonstration of old-fashioned rug braiding at the museum. A Roadshow Review is planned for Sunday – a local version of the TV show “Antiques Roadshow.” Santa will be there for photos both days in the museum galleries.

Admission to the Holiday Market is free for Harbor History Museum members or $5 for nonmembers. Tickets for Sunday’s Roadshow Review are $10 and are available at the museum’s front desk. Proceeds support the museum’s programs and exhibits.

Also on Saturday, Dec. 14, the Beer Vault at 14004 Purdy Dr. will have a Be Merry Market with local vendors, delicious treats and a Christmas sweater party.

Lighted Boat Parade

Find a spot along the waterfront and watch as dozens of boats, festooned with colored lights, cruise around the harbor on Saturday, Dec. 14. The city’s police boat will lead the parade, starting around 5 p.m. The BoatShop’s Veteran will also participate. The parade is sponsored by the Gig Harbor Yacht Club.

The Gig Harbor Yacht Club’s Lighted Boat Parade starts at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14.

Wreaths Across America

The annual placing of remembrance wreaths on the graves of fallen soldiers takes place starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 at Cromwell Cemetery, 2500 62^nd Ave. NW. The ceremony features the American Legion, Pierce County Councilmember Robyn Denson, Boy Scout Troop 217, the Tacoma Yacht Club Color Guard, NJROTC, the Knights of Columbus and the Simply Brass quintet.

Cookies and cocoa with Santa

Stop by Swiftwater Elementary School between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 for cookies and cocoa with the jolly old elf and Mrs. Santa. Suggested donation is $10. Presented by Gig Harbor Kiwanis. Register here to join the fun.

Santa’s BoatShop

The Eddon BoatShop will be transformed into Santa’s BoatShop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, when children can build and paint model boats. Suitable for kids age 3 and up who are accompanied by an adult. The fee is $20 per child for BoatShop members or $25 per child for non-members. Make reservations here.

Santa around Olalla

Santa makes his annual rounds of Olalla on his bright green tractor on Saturday, Dec. 14. He’ll start at 10 a.m. on Starr Road and wind his way through the area, ending around 3 p.m. at Olalla Bay Market.

Stops include:

Starr Road: 10 a.m.
Alpine Road: 10:20 a.m.
Fire station: 10:40 a.m.
Pine Lake: 11 a.m.
Bandix and Stevens: 11:15 a.m.
Cedar Hill: 11:30 a.m.
Olympic Drive: 11:45 a.m.
Fagerud Road: 12:15 p.m.
Olalla Elementary: 12:30 p.m.
South Kitsap Little League field: 1:15 p.m.
Mullenix Road: 1:30 p.m.
Black Road: 2:30 p.m.
Prospect Point: 2:45 p.m.
Olalla Bay Market: 3 p.m.

Santa’s mailbox

Santa’s mailbox is set up in front of Olalla Bay Market, and every kiddo who puts a letter to Santa in the mailbox will receive a personal, handwritten response from Santa (or from Mrs. Claus and her elves if Santa is busy). No postage is needed, but make sure to include a return address.The deadline is Dec. 19.

Santa’s mailbox in Olalla

Guided beach walks

Volunteers from Harbor WildWatch will collect data from local beaches to track how the beaches change. This time of year, the lowest low tides are after dark, which adds to the adventure. Don your outdoor gear and meet at the following locations:

Dec. 12, 7 p.m.: meet in the upper parking lot of the Fox Island Sand Spit
Dec 14, 8 p.m.: meet in parking area of Penrose Point State Park
Dec 15, 8:15 p.m.: meet at the entrance gate of Maple Hollow Park
Dec 16, 9:30 p.m.: meet towards the middle of Purdy Sand Spit
Dec 17, 10 p.m.: meet at the lookout near the old Gig Harbor ferry landing

Check the Harbor WildWatch Facebook Events or Website Events pages for more details about each monitoring location.

Live music

The Goodman Middle School bands will present Jingle & Mingle, an evening of music and holiday cheer featuring performances by the school’s bands and choir, on Wednesday, Dec. 11. Cocoa and cookies will be available at 6 p.m.; the music starts 6:30 p.m. Goodman is located at 3701 38th Ave. NW.

The Joel Astley Band plays at Kimball Coffeehouse Friday, Dec. 13. Doors open at 6 p.m.; music starts at 7 p.m. Free and family friendly.

Also on Friday, Octopus Ballet will play a holiday show of acoustic rock, blues, jazz and folk at 6 p.m. in the loft at the Olalla winery. Reserve tickets here.

The Gig Harbor Eagles Hall hosts The Fabs at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 for “A Hard Day’s Night of Classic Beatles” tunes. The Eagles Club is located at 4425 Burnham Dr.

The Peninsula Community Chorus presents “It’s the Holiday Season,” a concert of seasonal music Saturday, Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. at the Peninsula High School auditorium. The afternoon also includes a holiday raffle, cookies and a visit from Father Christmas. Buy tix here.

The Gig Harbor Peninsula Civic Orchestra’s Harbor Holiday Concert starts at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. The orchestra will perform Elgar’s “Three Bavarian Dances,” The Drinking Song from Verdi’s “La Traviata,” Delibes’ “Sylvia Suite,” Vejoda’s “Beer Barrel Polka” and other holiday tunes. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. The concert takes place at 7 p.m. at Peninsula High School, 14105 Purdy Dr. NW.

Harbor Winds’ “Reminiscence” concert on Sunday, Dec. 15 will feature music by Cait Nisimura, Percy Grainger, Katahj Copley, Nubia Donjuan and more. Free, but there’s a suggested donation of $10 per person. The concert takes place in Peninsula High School’s auditorium, 14105 Purdy Dr. NW.

On Tuesday, Dec. 17, the Kopachuck Middle School Band will perform its annual holiday concert at Uptown shopping center at 3:30 p.m.

At the movies

The Gig Harbor Library will show “Smallfoot” on Dec. 17 for Teen Tuesday Movie Night. It’s geared to ages 13-18. Free. Showtime is at 4 p.m. Teen Tuesdays also include snacks and games. The library is at 4424 Point Fosdick Drive.

The Flashback Cinema movie on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at the Galaxy Theatres in Uptown is “Love Actually,” showing at 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday’s Flashback movie is “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” starring Jim Carrey. Showtimes are noon and 6 p.m.

Civic engagement

The Gig Harbor City Council meets for a study session at 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, to discuss tenant protections and a homeless response plan. At 4 p.m. Thursday, the council will interview applicants for the council position previously held by Mayor Mary Barber.