Sammamish's 2026 holiday calendar is a run of trees that are given away, adopted and returned to the ground. It ends with a family night inside a city building whose future is still open.
The first big day is Saturday, Nov. 7. The last tree goes back to Lake Sammamish State Park in mid-January. In between, Frosty Fest returns to 120 228th Ave NE, the former Central Washington University building that the city now calls Building 120. Two years ago, Frosty Fest was held in that building. Last December it moved to City Hall. This December it returns while City Council is still deciding what the building should become.
Saturday, Nov. 7 is the busiest tree morning of the year
Three things happen on Nov. 7 within a few hours of each other, and two of them involve putting something in the ground.
- Joint tree giveaway, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cities of Sammamish and Issaquah are handing out trees at Historic Pickering Barn, 1730 10th Ave NW in Issaquah. The 2026 giveaway has already reached its goal of 650 trees, so new sign-ups go on a waitlist, and unclaimed trees go to waitlisted participants starting at 1:15 p.m.
- Native planting at Beaver Lake Preserve, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The city is running a free habitat restoration session to plant native species at the preserve. Parking is limited, so you have to sign up in advance, and the city's event listing states that volunteers who are not on the list will not be allowed to take part.
- Coffee with Council, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Councilmembers will be on the mezzanine above the cafe at Metropolitan Market.
If you are taking a giveaway tree home, the city suggests checking the 2026 tree catalog first. Its questions cover the soil the species prefers, how much sun it needs, whether it suits the space you have, and whether you can care for it over its lifetime. The giveaway and the Beaver Lake planting are both meant to add trees that last for decades. The next program applies the same idea to the holiday tree in your living room.
A holiday tree that goes back in January
The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust runs a program called Holiday Trees for Habitats. You adopt a living tree in a pot, keep it through the holidays, and return it so it can be planted in Lake Sammamish State Park. Proceeds support habitat restoration in the Issaquah area through the Greenway Trust and Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park. Each step has a date:
- Reserve by Nov. 23, while supplies last. A 2-foot tree has a $100 minimum donation and a 4-foot tree has a $200 minimum.
- Pick it up Saturday, Dec. 5, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., during the Lake Sammamish Holiday Market. Trees are handed out in the Tibbetts Beach parking area. If that day doesn't work, there is a second pickup on Sunday, Dec. 6 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Greenway Trust Native Plant Nursery inside the park.
- Keep it indoors for 7 to 10 days. The trust recommends no more than that for the best chance of survival, and says the tree does best outdoors.
- Return it Saturday, Jan. 9 or Saturday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park.
- Plant it in spring. Your tree goes in along a salmon-bearing stream in Lake Sammamish State Park, and you get an invitation to help plant it.
There are a few practical details. Trees come in plastic pots with soil, so they can't ride on a car roof. The trust says they can travel on their side, and a tarp or old sheet keeps the dirt and needles contained. The trust's care instructions also include ideas for decorating the tree outdoors in a way that is safe for wildlife.
December's first weekend, hour by hour
Dec. 5 brings the second Coffee with Council and the tree pickup on the same morning. With the times in front of you, it's easy to fit both into one trip.
| Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Dec. 5, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. | Coffee with Council | Metropolitan Market, mezzanine above the cafe |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Lake Sammamish Holiday Market | Meadow Shelter, Lake Sammamish State Park |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Living tree pickup | Tibbetts Beach parking area |
| Sun., Dec. 6, noon to 3 p.m. | Backup tree pickup | Greenway Trust Native Plant Nursery |
The market has local makers and artisans, handmade gifts, seasonal treats, and a wreath-making workshop. Local conservation groups will also be there with ways to get involved. A small lot sits next to the Meadow Shelter, and there is more parking a short walk away. Like any visit to the state park, you'll need a Discover Pass. The market is run by the Greenway Trust inside the state park, not by the City of Sammamish, but it is the closest holiday market to the lake's east shore.
Frosty Fest goes back to 120 228th Ave NE
The city's family holiday night is Friday, Dec. 11, at Building 120. The city calls it "a Sammamish tradition." This year's theme is a Magical Movie in a Winter Wonderland. Come in pajamas and expect popcorn, hot cocoa, ornament-making, a family movie, photos with characters from Frozen, and food trucks for dinner. Admission is free, and you can park on site.
Check the time before you go. The city's October 2026 newsletter lists 5 to 8 p.m., and so does the details section of the event page. The calendar header at the top of that same page says 4 to 7 p.m.
The venue has moved before. City Council minutes from Dec. 10, 2024 place that year's Frosty Fest at the Central Washington University building on Friday, Dec. 13, from 4 to 7 p.m. The edition after that moved to City Hall on Wednesday, Dec. 17. This year it is back in the CWU building, which now goes by its address.
The building hosting the party is between chapters
The return matters because Building 120 is in the middle of a public decision. According to a January 2026 City Council presentation, the city bought the property in 2015 for $6.1 million, hoping to attract a higher-education partner. CWU ran programs there under a lease. It chose not to renew and left in June 2025, and the city took back full control on July 1, 2025. Most of the subleases the city extended expired on July 1, 2026. The YMCA and Microsoft's parking lot lease are the exceptions. Meanwhile, a classroom became records storage and police and fire crews have used the building for training.
The city's Building 120 project page is direct about the building's current status:
"The building is not currently available for rentals."
That makes Frosty Fest one of the few chances for residents to spend an evening inside. The project page also lays out what has been decided. Council approved a three-phase study on Jan. 20, 2026. Phase 1, the building and site assessment, was presented on April 21, 2026. It found the building structurally sound and its major systems still working, though many are aging. After that review, Council asked for more options to be studied: selling the property, converting it to mixed use, ground leases, a city annex, and sustainability upgrades. Council also added Big Rock Park South to the market analysis. Phase 2, the community engagement phase, is listed as paused, and the site is going through a rezone process.
The latest update came in the October newsletter. The city has finished a professional appraisal and invited organizations that might want to run Building 120 as a community facility to share their qualifications and interest through an online form. Staff gave Council an update on the building's options on Sept. 15, 2026. You can watch that presentation and discussion online. The city points residents to the project page for current status, and the Dec. 5 Coffee with Council at Metropolitan Market falls six days before Frosty Fest.
Before the movie, up 228th
If the food trucks aren't enough, Eight Turn Crepe is at 470 228th Ave NE, on the same road as Building 120. It opened on May 2, 2026 as the brand's first Washington location, the Sammamish Independent reported, and it serves Japanese-style crepes. This will be its first December in Sammamish.
If you want a quieter start to the season, the city's free Fold Your Story By Hand book-arts and writing workshop runs Thursday, Nov. 5, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Lodge at Beaver Lake Park. Beaver Lake Preserve hosts the planting event two days later, and the season runs from there to the tree returns on Jan. 16.
Council's decision on Building 120 will settle what happens to a property on 228th Ave NE. If you want to talk through how decisions like that one affect the blocks around your own address, Mari Moline is glad to talk it through. Schedule your VIP consultation.
