Merry and Bright at SEA Airport

It’s beginning to look a lot like the holidays at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). And if you’re traveling through SEA soon, there are many opportunities to celebrate the season. From December 16-25, SEA will pile on the holiday cheer to get you in the spirit for your long-awaited reunions and celebrations. Get ready for holiday-themed costumed characters, festive carolers, and music performances throughout the airport.

Festivities will kick off at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 16 in the Central Terminal with the Bernadette Bascom Music Project. The performance will feature youth from a variety of backgrounds and abilities and brings to life creative director Bernadette Bascom’s unique vision of the importance of inclusivity through music.

Learn about other performers that will make your holidays merry and bright at SEA.

The Great Surprisal

Amelia Wood, owner of Edmonds-based Singing Telegram and Entertainment Design company The Great Surprisal, will surprise and delight travelers as the Pink Elf, roaming the terminal with iconic holiday characters Santa and the Grinch. As a global traveler, Wood knows how stressful traveling can be. She hopes to bring some lighthearted seasonal fun to SEA passengers.

“Traveling can be really stressful; I love going all over the world and seeing other countries and cultures,” she said. “Seattle is a hub for travelers, and I want to help people enjoy their transit. And everyone has a different reason for travel. It can be happy or sad. You never really know why, but there is always an opportunity to lighten someone’s experience.”

Wood said her goal is to offer spontaneous moments of joy that brighten someone’s day or make their whole week. The Great Surprisal, which launched in 2014, transforms a “would-be average event into a mind-blowing, immersive, and timeless experience.” The company specializes in event hosts, team building, and roving character entertainment.

Wood works with different venues to develop and select custom characters to match the theme and goals of a particular event. “We’re very theatrical, colorful, and unique,” she said. “We don’t do scripted services and we curate our characters to the event.”

Santa, the Grinch, and Pink Elf have also appeared at other Seattle holiday events like the downtown Seattle tree lighting celebration. Airports are unique in that everything is a foreign environment to travelers. To avoid overwhelming travelers she takes her cues from the airport’s live music program and positions herself as background entertainment.

“We aren’t putting on a show; we’ll be ambient and rove the area. We’ll stick together as a trio. Santa is a friendly character, so he’ll get folks to take photos, and the Grinch is mischievous and received really well by passersby.”

Traveling through SEA for the holidays? Catch The Great Surprisal roaming throughout the airport during these dates and times:

• Saturday, December 16, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
• Monday, December 18, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 19, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., 12:00-2:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 20, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., 12:00-2:00 p.m.
• Thursday, December 21, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
• Friday, December 22,  10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., 12:00-2:00 p.m.
• Saturday, December 23, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
• Sunday, December 24, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., 12:00-2:00 p.m.

Northwest African American Museum's "African American Cultural Ensemble"

The Northwest African American Museum’s former President and CEO LaNesha DeBardelaben created the African American Cultural Ensemble (ACE) during the racial reckoning of 2020 and early 2021. The result – a traveling choral ensemble whose members serve as ambassadors of hope, peace, and unity in the community.

Choir director Jason Turner said the group has grown their following as they were invited to sing the National Black Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, at local professional sporting events including Mariners, Kraken, Seahawks, and Sounders games. Ten of the 15 members will be at SEA on Sunday, December 17 to perform holiday classics throughout the terminal. Turner said the group plans to sing holiday songs that most people know like “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells”.

“It’s a great opportunity; we’re glad it was presented to us,” Turner said. “It’s a chance for us to reach a diverse audience and connect with folks from all walks of life, ethnic backgrounds, and all representations in the greater Seattle community.”

Turner said he looks forward to sending a  message of peace and harmony and bringing good music to the masses.

“I love seeing the reactions of folks when they are enjoying and participating in music and dancing and singing along,” he said. “It’s a warm-hearted feeling when people recognize you, and the music really resonates with folks. I’m looking forward to singing in the airport, and bringing forward holiday cheer, warmth, happiness, and sounds of celebration.”

• Catch the African American Cultural Ensemble on December 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Central Terminal at SEA.

The Jewel Tones

Cheryse McLeod Lewis founded The Jewel Tones in 2019, an all-female group singing Motown hits. “I chose Motown because who doesn't love it? The music is so broadly appealing,” she said.

The group performs around the Seattle area as a trio. They are styled after 1960s girl groups like The Supremes and have eight members. They cover all Motown hits from groups like The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. The Jewel Tones will perform for the first time at SEA Airport as part of the holiday program and perform a mix of Motown holiday songs like The Ronettes' version of “Sleigh Ride” and The Jackson 5’s “Give Love on Christmas Day", and other classic Motown songs.

“I’m excited about it,” McLeod Lewis said. “It’s so cool to have live music for travelers not expecting it and adding holiday cheer. For me I want to make people smile; that’s our goal with every event.”

She said she hopes to make people happy and that the group’s music elevates the holiday season. “It will be fun because people won’t be expecting it. You don’t expect to hear a Motown vocal trio at the airport,” she said.

• Catch The Jewel Tones in the Central Terminal on December 20 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Check out the entire SEA holiday program calendar below:

• Fundraising gift wrapping will be offered by the USO on December 15 to 23 from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. You can find their wrapping station in the C Concourse!
   
• On December 21 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., enjoy a special evening in the Gina Marie Lindsey Arrivals Hall. You can expect a festive solstice celebration with music and twinkle lights.