“Snowflake Lane” will kick off at 7pm Friday, Nov. 26, with music and nightly light shows along the sidewalks of Bellevue Way and NE 8th Street at The Bellevue Collection.

Live toy soldiers and winter characters will entertain downtown residents and visitors during the free show every night through Dec. 24. Santa will arrive at his workshop in Bellevue Square for photos at 7pm Friday, Nov. 26.

The Bellevue Collection will also present “Celebration Lane” on Dec. 26-31 at Bellevue Way and NE 8th Street. The free shows will run at 7pm nightly.

The Eastside’s 14th annual assortment of holiday attractions, Bellevue Magic Season, returns on Nov. 26 and runs through Jan. 9.

Magic Season includes ice skating at Bellevue Downtown Park, and light shows featuring winter characters on The Bellevue Collection’s sidewalks. Children will build gingerbread houses for display at Hilton Hotel Bellevue. Adults can enjoy live music, a nightly light show, and drinks by The Bravern’s heated fireplace.

Holiday productions, including “The Nutcracker” and “Miracle on 34th Street,” aim to entertain people of all ages at The Theater at Meydenbauer Center. The Garden d’Lights festival will transform Bellevue Botanical Garden into a sparkling winter wonderland.

Visit www.magicseason.com for details.

Group Health Ice Arena brought to you by Bank of America: November 26 – January 9
The Group Health Ice Arena brought to you by Bank of America presents the region’s only open–air holiday ice skating experience. The festive ice arena offers shelter for all-weather skating and stunning views of the park’s waterfall. For more information call (425) 453–1223, or visit magicseason.com.

• New! Larger ice skating rink
• Bellevue Downtown Park – NE 1st Street and 102nd Avenue NE
• $10 admission (includes $3 skate rental fee)
• Advance Discount Admission Pass – Purchase 10 skating passes for $75 (a $25 savings)
• Free Skate Mondays – Compliments of Bank of America (Show your Bank of America debit or credit card to receive two free skate admissions on Mondays, or pick up Free Skate Monday passes at a Downtown Bellevue banking center. For participating branches and promotion details, visit magicseason.com)
• Produced by the Bellevue Downtown Association

Snowflake Lane: November 26 – December 24
Produced by The Bellevue Collection

Experience the grandeur and tradition of Snowflake Lane along the sidewalks of Bellevue Way and NE 8th Street at The Bellevue Collection. Snow falls nightly as live toy soldiers and winter characters, music and a dazzling light show brighten the night. On November 26th, Santa arrives at 9 a.m. to his Workshop in Bellevue Square for photos, and Snowflake Lane premieres at 7 p.m.

• Bellevue Way and NE 8th Street
• Shows nightly at 7 p.m.
• Free
• Celebration Lane: December 26 – December 31
• Produced by The Bellevue Collection

Ring in the New Year with evening performances of Celebration Lane.

• Bellevue Way and NE 8th Street
• Shows nightly at 7 p.m.
• Free

For more information call (425) 454–8096, or visit bellevuecollection.com.

Garden d’Lights at the Bellevue Botanical Garden: November 27 – January 1
Supported by 98.1 Classical KING FM

This popular festival features over half a million lights which transform the Bellevue Botanical Garden into a blossoming winter wonderland. Over 150,000 people enjoy this dazzling display each year. Charlotte the spider remains a favorite and will be back in her web near the Ground Cover Garden. For tickets and more information call (425) 452–6844, or visit gardendlights.org.

• Bellevue Botanical Garden – 12001 Main Street
• Open nightly, 5–10 p.m. (last entry at 9:30 p.m.)
• New! Advance tickets and reservations are required and can be purchased at gardendlights.org
• $5 per person; children 10 and under free
• Free parking at Wilburton Hill Park

The Theatre at Meydenbauer Center: November 26 – December 31

Presented by 98.1 Classical KING FM

The Theatre at Meydenbauer Center hosts a magical holiday series of musical and dramatic productions by regional and local performance groups. For tickets contact Brown Paper Tickets at 800–838–3006 or visit brownpapertickets.com. For complete information on holiday performances call (425) 450–3810, or visit theatreatmeydenbauer.com. The Theatre is located at NE 6th Street and 112th Avenue NE.

• November 26–28: Bellevue Youth Theatre presents Miracle on 34th Street
• December 3–4: Attic Theatre presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
• December 5: Bellevue Youth Symphony presents Magic of Mistletoe
• December 10–12, 17–19 & 22–23: International Ballet Theatre’s classical production of The Nutcracker
• December 20: Magical Strings presents A Celtic Yuletide
• December 31: Seattle Choral Company presents Carmina Burana

Enchanted Holidays at The Bravern: November 19 – December 31
Presented by The Shops at The Bravern

Enchanted Holidays kicks off November 19th at 6 p.m. Enjoy a holiday tree lighting, the arrival of Santa, a spectacular light show and live entertainment. For complete special event information and additional Enchanted Holidays activities, visit thebravern.com/holiday. The Shops at The Bravern – NE 8th Street and 112th Avenue NEPhotos with Santa – November 26–December 23. Visit thebravern.com/holiday for hours.

• Nightly Light Show – Shows at 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30 p.m. in the NE 8th Arrival Court.
• Cool Winter Nights – Every Thursday in December from 5:30–7:30 p.m. Live music, drinks and bites near the covered and heated 110th fireplace. $5 entry benefits Childhaven. 21 and over.
• Breakfast with Mr. & Mrs. Claus at Mariposa in Neiman Marcus – December 4 and 11 from 9–10:30 a.m. Call (425) 452-3333 for reservations.

KidsQuest Children’s Museum’s Gingerbread Lane: December 3 – 9
Hosted by Hilton Hotel Bellevue
Build your own unique gingerbread structure and put it on display. Visit kidsquestmuseum.org for more information and to register for the gingerbread house workshops. Hilton Hotel Bellevue – 300 112th Avenue SE

• December 3–9: Gingerbread Lane Houses on Display at Hilton Hotel Bellevue
• December 4: Build your own unique gingerbread structure and put it on display. Activities include gingerbread house building workshops, photos with Santa, awards presentation, and a holiday children’s choir performance.

The Bellevue Magic Season is supported by the following sponsors and partners: Group Health, Bank of America, City of Bellevue, The Theatre at Meydenbauer Center, The Bellevue Collection, Bellevue Botanical Garden, The Shops at The Bravern, The Seattle Times, KOMO 4 TV, KOMO Newsradio, STAR 101.5, 570 KVI, 98.1 Classical KING FM and Gravity Design.

The Bellevue Downtown Association announced Tuesday the winners of its 2010 Haute Picks. The Haute Picks are in their 8th annual year and are awards are given to people, places, and experiences that community members vote on from February 27th to April 2nd, to recognize businesses that are the best of Downtown Bellevue.

2010 Bellevue Downtown Association Haute Picks Award Winners:

Best Casual Business Meeting Spot
520 Bar & Grill
Old Bellevue – 10146 Main Street
520barandgrill.com

Best Cocktail (Drink and Place)
Shiso Wild Drop at Pearl Bar & Dining
Lincoln Square – 700 Bellevue Way NE
pearlbellevue.com

Best Coffee House
Starbucks Coffee Company
10 Downtown Bellevue Locations
starbucks.com

Best Happy Hour
Palomino
Lincoln Square – 610 Bellevue Way NE
palomino.com

Best Place for Sushi
Blue C Sushi
The Lodge at Bellevue Square - 503 Bellevue Square
bluecsushi.com

Best Power Lunch
El Gaucho
City Center Plaza – 450 108th Avenue NE
elgaucho.com

Best Retail Boutique
Gotta Have Shoes!
Old Bellevue – 10047 Main Street
gottahaveshoes.com

Best Romantic Dinner
Daniel’s Broiler
Bellevue Place – 10500 NE 8th Street
schwartzbros.com

Best Lunch Under $10
Chipotle
10503 NE 4th Street
chipotle.com

Best Place for a First Date
The Parlor Collection
Lincoln Square – 700 Bellevue Way NE
parlorlive.com

Best Place for a Haircut
Bach’s Barbershop
10676 NE 8th Street

Best Place for a Mani/Pedi
Gene Juarez Salons & Spas
Bellevue Galleria – 550 106th Avenue NE
genejuarez.com

Best Place for a Massage
Matheny Chiropractic Center
555 108th Avenue NE
mathenychiropracticcenter.com

Best Place to See and Be Seen
Lucky Strike Lanes
Lincoln Square – 700 Bellevue Way NE
bowlluckystrike.com

Best Seafood Restaurant
Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar
Civica Office Commons - 205 108th Avenue NE
seastarrestaurant.com

Best Steakhouse
John Howie Steak
The Bravern – 11111 NE 8th Street
johnhowiesteak.com

Best Sweet Tooth Fix
Trophy Cupcakes
The Bravern - 700 110th Avenue NE
trophycupcakes.com

Best Uniquely Downtown Bellevue Experience
“Snowflake Lane”
The Bellevue Collection – Bellevue Way NE & NE 8th Street
bellevuecollection.com

Best Wine List
Purple Café and Wine Bar
Bellevue Towers – 430 106th Avenue NE
thepurplecafe.com

Best Workout Spot
Elite Fitness
Old Bellevue – 136 102nd Avenue SE
elitefitnessbellevue.com

The poles outside of the Bellevue Collection will be decorated with 180 animated snowflake lights, it will take more than 5,000 feet of cable to illuminate all of the drums, and 36 snow machines will produce faux snow. More than 10,000 people visit Downtown Bellevue each year to enjoy this event. Grab your hot chocolate, and get there early because I suspect this year to draw an even bigger crowd!

This is one of the many events taking place as a part of Bellevue Magic Season.

The following is a complete list of events for this year’s Bellevue Magic Season:

Group Health Ice Arena: November 27 – January 10
(Presented by STAR 101.5 and KOMO Newsradio)
Location: Bellevue Downtown Park – NE 1st Street and 102nd Avenue NE
Hours: See here
Price: $10 admission (includes $3 skate rental fee); Purchase 10 skating passes for $75; FREE Skate Mondays: Compliments of Bank of America
- The region’s only open-air holiday ice skating rink

Snowflake Lane: November 27 – December 24
(Produced by The Bellevue Collection)
Location: Bellevue Way and NE 8th Street
Hours: Nightly, 7pm
Price: FREE
- Snow falls as live toy soldiers and winter characters sing and play music to a dazzling light show

Celebration Lane: December 26 – December 31
(Produced by The Bellevue Collection)
Location: Bellevue Way and NE 8th Street
Hours: Nightly, 7pm
Price: FREE
- Ring in the New Year with evening performances of music and a dazzling light show

Garden d’Lights at the Bellevue Botanical Garden: November 28 – January 2
(Supported by 98.1 Classical KING FM)
Location: 12001 Main Street
Hours: Nightly, 5pm – 10pm
Price: FREE (donations are encouraged to support the light display); Parking is $5 at the Botanical Garden and FREE at Wilburton Hill Park
- Stroll through more than 500,000 lights illuminating the Bellevue Botanical Garden in a nationally-recognized holiday display

The Theatre at Meydenbauer Center
(Presented by 98.1 Classical KING FM)
Location: NE 6th Street and 112th Avenue NE
Hours: See here
Price: $10 and up
November 27–29: Bellevue Youth Theatre presents Once Upon a Mattress
December 3-6: Attic Theatre presents It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
December 6: Bellevue Youth Symphony presents Winter Wonderland
December 11-13 & 18-23: International Ballet Theatre’s classical production of The Nutcracker
December 14: Magical Strings presents A Celtic Yuletide

Season of Wonder at The Bravern: November 27 – December 31
(Presented by The Shops at The Bravern)
Location: NE 8th Street and 112th Avenue NE
Hours: See here
Price: FREE
- Thousands of sparkling lights and fresh garland will transform this European-inspired village into an elegant winter wonderland, featuring over 50 live music performances. Also be on the lookout for The Bravern’s winter faeries!

Images Courtesy Bellevue Magic Season