Here are five upcoming holiday happenings in Auburn

Auburn has a host of activities and events to do this holiday season.

By Henry Stewart-Wood • November 26, 2021 5:30 am
Unwilling to let its traditional Santa parade go away without a fight, the Auburn community dazzled young and old alike instead with Jolly Holiday Lane, which took place Dec. 5, 2020, at Les Gove Park. Photo courtesy of City of Auburn
Unwilling to let its traditional Santa parade go away without a fight, the Auburn community dazzled young and old alike instead with Jolly Holiday Lane, which took place Dec. 5, 2020, at Les Gove Park. Photo courtesy of City of Auburn

Looking to get in the holiday spirit? If so, there’s a variety of holiday festivities in Auburn scheduled for the next few weeks.

Gingerbread house contest: Fifteen gingerbread houses will be on display from Dec. 1 to Dec. 18 at the Auburn Community and Events Center. Admission to the display is free and visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorite gingerbread house. There will be two displays, one for gingerbread houses made by adults and one for houses built by youth.

Santa parade and tree lighting: From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, a parade of lighted floats, cars and other vehicles will travel from Auburn High School to Auburn City Hall. Everyone is welcome to register to join the parade, but the deadline to register isDec. 1, according to the City of Auburn. There will be live music before and after the parade. Once the parade ends, the annual tree lighting ceremony will begin and Santa will make an appearance, according to the city.

Photos with Santa: On Dec. 11, Santa will be available for photos at the Auburn Community and Events Center, 910 9th St. SE. To ensure social distancing, families should register for time slots ahead of time. For parties with one to six people, it will cost $20 for residents and $25 for non-residents. For parties with more than seven, it will cost $30 for residents and $38 for non-residents. You can reserve a time slot for photos with Santa on the Auburn Parks, Arts and Recreation website at auburnwa.gov. Participants under 16 years old will also get a goodie bag with treats and a craft, according to the city.

Ugly Sweater Christmas Pub Crawl: The Downtown Auburn Cooperative is hosting an ugly sweater Christmas pub crawl on Friday, Dec. 17. Put on your favorite ugly Christmas sweater and head down to the Rail Hop’n Brewing at 4 p.m. to get punch cards and locations. There will be first, second and third place prizes for best ugly sweater as well as a prize for best holiday attire. The pub crawl will start at Rail Hop’n Brewing (122 W. Main St.) and visit several local bars before ending around 10 p.m., according to the Downtown Auburn Cooperative. You can RSVP to the event through the Downtown Auburn Cooperative Facebook page at facebook.com/auburndowntown.

Holiday take and make craft kits: The Auburn MakerSpace offers several “take and make” craft kits for the holidays. The kits come with everything you need to make the project. All you have to do is pick it up from the MakerSpace at the Auburn Community and Event Center. There are four take and make kits available for purchase, including a cookie tray for Santa, a vintage sled door hanger, a wooden gingerbread house and a geometric animal puzzle. These kits are recommended for people ages 6 and older. You can purchase a kit online on the Auburn MakerSpace website at auburnwa.gov.