Which Kirkland shoreline does the Christmas Ship reach first this year? Finn Hill's. On Saturday, November 28, Argosy's ship leaves Carillon Point at 2:00 p.m. with the choir Travelin' Lite aboard. It holds off O.O. Denny Park from 2:35 to 2:55 p.m. That is the first Lake Washington performance on the 2026 Christmas Ship Festival schedule, one day after opening night in Seattle.
The ship also arrives in daylight. Kirkland's other two bonfire stops this season happen after 5 p.m. The O.O. Denny stop happens in the middle of a Saturday afternoon. It falls on the same day as Small Business Saturday, WinterFest at Kirkland Urban, and the downtown tree lighting. On Finn Hill, the holiday season starts early enough in the day that the rest of the city's Saturday still fits after it.
Argosy's festival runs November 27 through December 23, 2026. Opening night on Friday, November 27 leaves from Pier 55 on the Seattle waterfront. The Dickens Carolers are aboard, with shoreline performances at Salty's at Alki Beach and Alki Beach.
The next day the ship moves to Kirkland. All three Saturday sailings on November 28 leave from Carillon Point with Travelin' Lite aboard. The 2:00 p.m. sailing is the only one that performs at O.O. Denny. The 5:00 p.m. sailing performs at Covenant Shores, and the 8:00 p.m. sailing ends at a private event in Beaux Arts. Argosy says each choir performance is broadcast from the ship for 20 minutes, and people on shore can listen from public gathering spots. Argosy's 2 p.m. sailings also include Cookies with Santa and a coloring surprise for kids on board. If you want to ride rather than wait on shore, book the November 28 departure from Carillon Point and the boat will pass your own beach.
Kirkland Parks and Community Services is hosting free bonfires at three Christmas Ship stops in waterfront parks this season. Each one lasts about 20 minutes while the ship is offshore.
| Date | Park | Bonfire start |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, November 28 | O.O. Denny Park | 2:35 p.m. |
| Saturday, December 12 | Juanita Beach Park, 9703 NE Juanita Dr | 5:35 p.m. |
| Friday, December 18 | Marina Park, 25 Lakeshore Plaza | 5:10 p.m. |
Finn Hill's is the only one that starts before 5 p.m. The ship does make another afternoon stop in December. Its 2:00 p.m. sailing from the Kirkland City Dock on December 12 performs at Medina Beach Park at 2:35 p.m. That evening's Juanita Beach Park performance is the one with the planned bonfire.
The Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance lists Christmas Ships at O.O. Denny among its annual community events: a City bonfire, hot chocolate served by FHNA, and the choir heard from shore. FHNA posts each year's gathering on its calendar, in its emails, and on social media.
A 2:35 p.m. start gives you daylight to find parking and walk to the beach, which helps this year because the park is set up a little differently than you may remember.
The City of Kirkland's park page says the pedestrian bridge connecting the parking lot and restroom to the park has been closed since it was damaged by trees in late 2025. City staff are planning a replacement, and the park itself is open. The park has two parking lots on opposite sides of Holmes Point Drive NE, plus limited street parking. The park's listed address is 12032 Holmes Point Drive NE.
Some other details for a late-November visit:
The park is owned by the City of Seattle and managed and maintained by the City of Kirkland. This is the same park where DennyFest brings in music, vendors, and a dog parade each year, which is why it already feels like a gathering place.
The ship leaves O.O. Denny at 2:55 p.m. That leaves time for the rest of November 28, which the City of Kirkland has also named its 2026 Small Business Saturday.
The O.O. Denny stop is the only one of Kirkland's three bonfires you can attend and still be downtown for WinterFest and the tree lighting. The Juanita Beach and Marina Park bonfires both take place after dark on their own evenings.
FHNA's Juanita Woodlands ivy-removal and native-planting work party also starts at 1 p.m. that Saturday, at Juanita Dr NE and 118th Ave NE. The November 7 session runs 1 to 3 p.m. If the November 28 session runs that long, it will overlap the ship's time slot. To do both, join the work party on one of the earlier Saturdays: November 7, 14, or 21. FHNA asks volunteers to wear clothes that can get dirty and suit the weather. Its work party listing points out that fall is the best time to plant natives, once the invasive plants are cleared.
O.O. Denny on November 28 isn't the only date on Finn Hill's November calendar. On Saturday, November 7, FHNA and CoSEE hold Tracking Basics: Learning by Looking from 10 a.m. to noon at the Environmental Education and Research Center in Saint Edward State Park, 14445 Juanita Dr NE in Kenmore. That same afternoon, the first Juanita Woodlands work party starts at 1 p.m. Together they make a full outdoor Saturday close to home.
If you're headed to Saint Edward that day, Washington State Parks posted on October 26, 2026 that construction around the Saint Edward Lodge and nearby building starts in November. The work is expected to last a year, and the building will be fenced off from public access.
After Thanksgiving weekend, the rest of the season shifts to evenings and moves south and downtown:
At Pavone Kinzler Team, Mike has lived on Finn Hill for eight years, and we keep track of the neighborhood's calendar the way we keep track of its market. If you'd like a local's view of Finn Hill this season, or a free home valuation and local market plan built around what's happening on your street, we'd be glad to talk.
3933 Lake Washington Blvd NE, Suite 100 Kirkland WA 98033
3933 Lake Washington Blvd NE, Suite 100 Kirkland WA 98033