What’s there to do in Seattle this weekend? ‘The Nutcracker,’ Lumaze and more

Now, I don’t want to alarm you, but if you haven’t realized it yet, it’s the last weekend before Christmas … Still with me? This can be an overwhelming and busy time, but it’s important to take a moment to breathe in the midst of the holiday rush. Luckily, in between last-minute planning, picking up relatives from the airport and other potentially stressful preholiday activities, there are plenty of ways for you to relax and do something fun this weekend!

Remember, many situations can cancel or cause schedule changes for events and outings, so always check before you go.

Get out

• If you still need to shop, try the Winter Solstice Holiday Market where you can also make a pit stop at the Winter Solstice Beer Festival for a seasonal brew. Or, head to the United Indians Holiday Art Market for authentic Native American crafts and food.
• If you’re done with shopping, or avoiding it, visit a fun event like the Grand Menorah Lighting in Kirkland, Holiday Fun Run at Magnuson Park or the Reindeer Festival in Issaquah. For more events, see our community calendar.
• Say thanks to the active system that brought snow to the mountains this week and hit the slopes. Crystal Mountain and Stevens Pass are just two of your options.
• Canadian DJ Rezz and local singer-songwriter Sera Cahoone both have shows this Saturday. Check our nightlife listings to see who else is in Seattle this weekend.
• See 17th- and 21st-century technologies come together and explore the “Mont-Saint-Michel” exhibit at  MOHAI.
• Relive the story of “Mrs. Doubtfire” and see the stage version at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
• Visit the “Iconic Black Women: Ain’t I a Woman” exhibit by Hiawatha D. at the Northwest African American Museum.

Movies

• I’m not freaking out, you’re freaking out! “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is here so go see it!
• Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” isn’t out just yet, but you could prepare for it by watching the three adaptations that came before it. Or, you could just read about what movie critic Moira Macdonald thought of them instead.
• You could see “Cats” if you dare …
• Watch the “beautifully cinematic” story of Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian peasant farmer who was imprisoned for refusing to pledge loyalty to Hitler in “A Hidden Life.”
• “Bombshell,” the based-on-fact story about a scandal at conservative media empire Fox News starring Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie and Nicole Kidman, is also out now.
• For quick snapshots of these reviews, consult our movie roundup.

Food and drink

• Let food critic Tan Vinh and sommelier Owen Bargreen take the guesswork out of picking the best wines for your holiday party. Read their reviews of a dozen budget-friendly Costco wines.
• Find comforting, homestyle Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese food made with love at Saya in Kent.
• Go on a food tour and taste the five best things Tan tried in the Seattle area this month, including deviled prawns and margherita pizza.
• Don’t want to bother making a Christmas/Eve dinner? These Seattle-area restaurants will take care of that for you. And these bars will also be open for all your boozy holiday drink needs.

Stay in

• Blast the best Seattle albums of 2019.
• Perfect your eggnog with this recipe from Aaron Goldfarb, author of “Gather Around Cocktails.”
• Stream it up with titles like “The Two Popes” and the “Downton Abbey” movie.
• Whether you love cheesy holiday movies, or just love to hate them, we have a list of six new Netflix films, complete with a very official snowflake rating system, for you to consider.
• Dive into an unlikely top seller from these local bookstores. Or, pick up more likely titles from this list of top local fiction bestsellers.
• Get inspired by Naomi Klein’s “On Fire,” a book detailing the case for a Green New Deal.

Family event of the week

• Watch your kiddos jump around on a LED hopscotch, meet Disney princesses and take a train ride at Lumaze.

Recommended date night

• There’s still time to see Pacific Northwest Ballet’s “The Nutcracker.” Enjoy dinner at Prelude in McCaw Hall while you’re at it like our critics did.

We want this to be a one-stop spot for you to come every week to help figure out your weekend plans. What would you like us to include in this experimental weekly feature? Do you have any other suggestions on how we could make this more useful? Tell us here.