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Christmas with kids in Seward
Seward, Alaska lights up its long winter nights with neighbors competing to decorate the brightest home and shop. The best time to see the lights is after Christmas, and the season ends with fireworks over Resurrection Bay.
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Already confirmed in Seward
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Community Holiday Party at the Alaska SeaLife Center
When: Wed, Dec 2, 6 to 8 pm
Where: Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward
Cost: Free
The story of Christmas in Seward
How Seward celebrates
Seward's best-documented Christmas tradition is the Holiday Lights Contest, run by the Seward Chamber of Commerce. Homes and businesses compete in separate categories, the entries appear on an interactive map for touring, and the public votes for a winner in each category. The prize is a $250 gift card. The Chamber lists December 29 to January 1 as the best time to see the lights. The season closes with New Year's Eve fireworks over Resurrection Bay, with live music, community gatherings and local dining specials planned around them.
Christmas last year in Seward
The most recent Seward season we could confirm was December 2024. Lights contest entries were accepted through December 18, a map of the displays opened for touring, and voting continued through December 31. Winners were named on January 1, each receiving a $250 gift card. On December 31 at 8 p.m., the Chamber of Commerce launched fireworks from Seward Waterfront Park, with Resurrection Bay and the mountains as the backdrop. In the earlier 2023 contest there were 22 entries, 6 businesses and 16 homes, and voting ran from December 15 to January 1.
Fun facts about Christmas in Seward
The Alaska SeaLife Center and the American Legion Post 5 have both joined the lights contest, and a past winner in the business category was the American Legion Post 5. Seward Downtown and City Hall, the Seward Fire Department, the Small Boat Harbor and the Chamber of Commerce are also decorated stops on the map, though not entered in the contest. One tour route covered about 18 addresses, starting on Railway Avenue. And the winter tradition has sponsors like Providence Seward Medical Center, which paid for the 2023 prizes.
Trains and Christmas near Seward
Seward is the Gateway to Alaska, at the southern end of the Alaska Railroad. Its 1917 railroad depot survived the 1964 earthquake and is listed on the National Register. Summer trains from Anchorage still bring visitors, so winter is the time to look at the depot rather than ride. The Anchorage Museum, Alaska's largest, hosted the Alaska Railroad's centennial exhibition in 2023 and 2024, and is open year-round with a hands-on Discovery Center for kids.
- Seward Depot (Alaska Railroad): Seward's 1917 railroad depot, the Gateway to Alaska at the southern end of the Alaska Railroad, which survived the 1964 earthquake.
- Anchorage Museum (Alaska Railroad history): Alaska's largest museum hosted the Alaska Railroad centennial exhibition and has a hands-on Discovery Center and planetarium for kids.
Traditions today
- Holiday Lights Contest: Seward homes and businesses compete for the brightest display, with public voting and a $250 gift card for each category winner.
- Interactive lights map: Entries appear on a map so families can drive around town and see every display.
- Best viewing week: The Chamber lists December 29 to January 1 as the best time to see the lights.
- New Year's Eve fireworks: Fireworks at 8 p.m. from Seward Waterfront Park over Resurrection Bay.
- Decorated town landmarks: City Hall, the Fire Department and the Small Boat Harbor are decorated for the season.
- Community gatherings: Live music, community gatherings and local dining specials surround the fireworks.
A fact for kids
In Seward, Alaska, neighbors compete to light up their houses, and the whole town votes on a map to pick the brightest!
Questions about Christmas in Seward
What is the biggest Christmas tradition in Seward, Alaska?
The best documented one is the Holiday Lights Contest run by the Seward Chamber of Commerce. Homes and businesses compete, entries appear on a map for touring, and the public votes. Each category winner receives a $250 gift card. The season ends with New Year's Eve fireworks over Resurrection Bay.
How does the Seward Holiday Lights Contest work?
Residents and businesses submit their decorated properties in separate categories. Once submissions close, an interactive Google map shows the displays so people can tour them, and the public votes. In 2023 the voting window ran from December 15 to January 1, and winners were announced on January 2.
When is the best time to see Christmas lights in Seward?
The Chamber of Commerce lists December 29 to January 1 as the best time of year to see the lights. That window falls after Christmas Day and just before the voting closes, so families can tour the map during the holiday week. Check our Seward Christmas events guide on this page for this season's details.
How many homes and businesses enter the Seward lights contest?
It varies by year. The 2023 map had 22 entries, 6 businesses and 16 homes. Another year's contest page lists 19 entries, 5 businesses and 10 homes, plus four decorated town landmarks that were not in the contest. Businesses have included the Alaska SeaLife Center.
What do Seward lights contest winners receive?
Each of the two category winners, one residential and one business, receives a $250 gift card. In 2023 it was a Visa gift card sponsored by Providence Seward Medical Center. In one past contest a winner in the business category was the American Legion Post 5.
Where do the Seward New Year's Eve fireworks happen?
The fireworks are launched from Seward Waterfront Park over Resurrection Bay, with the surrounding mountains as a backdrop. In 2024 the show began at 8 p.m. on December 31. The Chamber of Commerce hosts it, supported by sponsors and Seward Parks & Recreation.
What else happens around the Seward fireworks?
Live music, community gatherings and local dining specials were planned around the 2024 New Year's Eve fireworks. Local businesses and Seward Parks & Recreation supported the event as sponsors. Our Seward Christmas events guide on this page lists the current season's confirmed schedule.
What happened in Seward at Christmas last year?
Tell your child that Seward's neighbors decorate their houses and shops, and then everyone drives around the town with a map to look at the displays. At the end, people vote for the brightest one. Your child can pick a favorite along the way and see if it wins.
How can I explain the lights contest to my child?
Tell your child that Seward's neighbors decorate their houses and shops, and then everyone drives around the town with a map to look at the displays. At the end, people vote for the brightest one. Kids can pick a favorite and cast their own vote.
Which Seward places are decorated but not in the contest?
Seward Downtown and City Hall, the Seward Fire Department, the Seward Small Boat Harbor and the Chamber of Commerce are decorated stops on the holiday lights map that were not part of the contest. They give visitors a way to see the town's festive side without voting.
Can kids drive the Seward holiday lights route?
Yes, families can drive the whole route with the Chamber's map. One edition of the tour covered about 18 addresses, starting at Railway Avenue and ending on Blying Sound Drive. Check the current map each year, since entries change from season to season.
Is there a Christmas parade in Seward, Alaska?
We could not confirm a Christmas parade in Seward, Alaska from the sources we checked. The town's documented holiday traditions are the lights contest and New Year's Eve fireworks. For this season's confirmed events, see our Seward Christmas events guide on this page.
Where can kids see a Christmas tree in Seward?
We did not find a documented big public tree tradition in Seward in the sources we checked. The decorated City Hall, Fire Department and Small Boat Harbor on the lights map are good places to start. See our Seward Christmas events guide on this page for this season's confirmed lightings.
Where can kids see Christmas lights in Seward?
Use the Chamber of Commerce's interactive map of the Holiday Lights Contest, which lists decorated homes and businesses around town. Stops have included the Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward Adventure Lodge and the Small Boat Harbor. Our Seward Christmas events guide on this page lists this season's dates.
Who sponsors Seward's holiday traditions?
Local businesses and Seward Parks & Recreation support the New Year's Eve fireworks. Sponsors named in 2024 included Forests, Tides & Treasures, Providence Seward Medical Center, Harbor 360 Hotel, Northern Latitude Adventures, Tirebrand and Firebrand BBQ. Providence Seward Medical Center also sponsored the 2023 lights contest prizes.
What is the Seward Depot?
The Seward Depot is the town's 1917 railroad depot, known as the Gateway to Alaska at the southern end of the Alaska Railroad. It survived the 1964 earthquake and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is worth a look when families visit Seward in any season.
Can kids ride the train to Seward at Christmas?
The Seward Depot sits at the southern end of the Alaska Railroad, and summer trains from Anchorage still bring visitors. We did not find a confirmed winter holiday train to Seward, so plan on seeing the depot rather than riding. Check Alaska Railroad schedules before travel.
Is there a railroad museum near Seward for kids?
The Anchorage Museum, Alaska's largest, hosted the Alaska Railroad's centennial exhibition in 2023 and 2024. That show has closed, but the museum is open year-round with a hands-on Discovery Center and planetarium for kids. It is in downtown Anchorage, a drive from Seward.
What makes Christmas in Seward different?
Seward's season stretches past Christmas Day. The best light viewing is December 29 to January 1, the fireworks fly over Resurrection Bay on New Year's Eve, and neighbors vote on a map for their favorite display. The bay and the mountains make the backdrop for the fireworks.
Who organizes Seward's holiday events?
The Seward Chamber of Commerce organizes the Holiday Lights Contest and the New Year's Eve fireworks, with support from local sponsors and Seward Parks & Recreation. Check the Chamber's website for dates. Our Seward Christmas events guide on this page also lists this season's confirmed details for families.
Sources
- Seward Chamber of Commerce holds New Year's Eve fireworks and Holiday Lights Contest (Dec. 12, 2024), Peninsula Clarion
- Seward Chamber of Commerce Announces Spectacular New Year's Eve Fireworks Display, Seward Chamber of Commerce
- Holiday Decoration Contest, Seward Chamber of Commerce
- 2023 Holiday Lights Contest, Seward Chamber of Commerce
- Seward Depot (Alaska Railroad), Rally Takes the Train
- Anchorage Museum (Alaska Railroad history), Rally Takes the Train