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FREE Santa Pictures Near Me (Puget Sound area & Nationally)!

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Free Santa pictures near me

FREE Santa Pictures Near Me (Puget Sound area & Nationally)!

Updated for 2023

Santa photos are a tradition for many families but they can be so pricey. So if you are wondering “Are there free Santa pictures near me?”, the answer is YES! The great news is that there are some quality free Santa Photo options, and they often include other Christmas festivities too. I have compiled a list of Free Santa Photo opps I am aware of in the Puget Sound region. Please comment below with any additional ones you find. Some of the free photo opps are already going on!

My favorite thing about many of these free opportunities is that many offer experiences – rather than just a quick photo (ie: there are free beverages and treats too)! We have done a few of these personally (like the photo above) and it has become a new family tradition for us!

If you are also looking for festivals and events to enjoy this year, we have a big round up of Pacific Northwest Christmas Events here to checkout as well.

Free Santa Photos Nationally:

We recommend you call ahead to confirm dates etc. as things are often changing, depending on current mandates – so all of these dates are subject to change if those do.

Bass Pro – National  now through December 24th. – Open for reservations now. Check their website for times. You will need to sign up to get a Bass Pass with the time you want to go (visit the ticket booth in store for your Bass Pass). Time slots are available at various times throughout the week. Get a free 4×6 studio quality photos with Santa (he was sitting behind plexiglass last year – but not sure what the protocol for this year will be yet). Be sure to check their schedule for specific times.

Cabela’s  Lacey & Marysville in NW , now through December 24th. Open for reservations now. This will work the same way as Bass Pro this year for the Santa Wonderland. You will need to sign up to get a Bass Pass with the time you want to go (visit the ticket booth in store for your Bass Pass). Time slots are available at various times throughout the week. Get a free 4×6 studio quality photos with Santa in store. Be sure to check their schedule for specific times. We did this one last year for a birthday party and they turned out great!

Free Santa pictures in the Puget Sound area:

Most of these are completely free opportunities to get your photos with Santa. A couple request a toy donation (usually a toy or food) and we note that if that is the case. You can usually get a great donation for just a few dollars, making them great options to give and get a photo too.

Many of these are professional photos, and a couple are opportunities to take your own photos with Santa for free. We note that too when it is the case. We are so fortunate to have so many opportunities for great photos for the holidays in our area, and here are the ones that we have found happening this year!

Free Santa Photos near me (Puget Sound) – 

Free Photos with Santa at the Snohomish Harvest Market – November 11th from 12 to 4pm in Snohomish, Wa.

Christmas at The Old Cannery & Free Santa Photos – November 24th and runs through December 17th, Sumner, Wa. This popular event is back this year! FREE photos with Santa on weekends from 11am-4pm! There are sensory Santa appointments available for select dates too. But wait, there’s more! Help spread the holiday cheer by giving back to the community – we’re accepting donations for the Sumner Food Bank. Please note that Santa will need to return to the North Pole by 4pm, so we may need to cut the line off early to ensure all the kids get a chance to see him. Santa land is packed with fun activities to entertain children while they wait to see Santa.

Santa Claus is coming to B-Town (food donation requested) – November 25th, Burien, Wa. 10am to 4pm. Bring a monetary or physical donation for the food bank and receive a FREE Santa photo!

Pike Place Market Santa Visit and Photos – November 29 and December 9th. Find out more on their Facebook page here too. After getting your holiday pic, make it a Market Day and cross off everyone on your holiday list with one-of-a-kind shopping. Then rejuvenate with some holiday treats and drinks at any of our Market eateries.

Santa on Cole Street – Free Professional Santa Photos (with toy donation) – December 1 in Enumclaw, Wa. “Santa is coming to the Williams Ave. Real Estate office on Cole St! We are so excited to host Santa again this year, for FREE PHOTOS with donation to the Plateau Kids Network Holiday Helping Hands Toy Drive.”

(Note – you can follow our Thrifty NW Mom Deals page to find super deals on toys for the donation item too).

Free Santa Photos (toy donations requested) With Excel Real Estate – December 1st in Maple Valley, Wa., from 4-7pm (must be in line by 6:30 though). Come out for a great time with THE REAL Santa & Mrs. Claus and get your picture taken for FREE, with donation of a toy to Footprints of Fight! While you are here, write letters to Santa, and enjoy some refreshments. The photos will be professional quality and will be taken by a high quality professional photographer.

(Note – you can follow our Thrifty NW Mom Deals page to find super deals on toys for the donation item too).

Photos with Santa in Everett – December 2, from 10am to 12pm. FREE Santa photos! Christmas cookies, Cider & Santa!

Free Photos in Tacoma – December 2 at 32 Pearls Dentistry. Join them on Dec.2nd for free Bumble and Santa photos along with Hot chocolate, cookies, music, Stanley cups, a drawing for a pair of Nike Dunks and much more.

Free photos with Santa in Renton on Dec 2, 9th & 16th (pets welcome too) at the Renton Civic Center. You find more ideas of what to do in the area from Jens visit last year here.

Here is another opportunity on December 9th in Renton too. Holiday Celebration on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at 1:00 PM! Get ready for a jolly time filled with Free Santa Photos, a Coat Drive, delicious Treats, and tons of Winter Fun! Let us know if you can join us by December 1st!

Evergreen Beauty College K-12 Event – (I have seen flyers for the Everett and Mt. Vernon locations, but you might want to call ahead to confirm location participation) – Join them December 9, from 11am to 3pm where kids K-12 can get free haircuts, free mini-facials and free manicures! Kids of ALL AGES can get a free selfie with Santa!

Sambica Christmas CarnivalDecember 9, 5-8pm in Bellevue – Gather on the field for festive fun for the whole family, as well as enjoy holiday desserts in our first ever Christmas Yurt Village. This FREE event includes free photos with Santa, carnival games, coffee cart, light displays, and more!

Trinity Tree Farms Holiday Market & Santa Photos – December 10, 9am to 3pm, Issaquah, Wa. Join us for a festive local maker’s holiday market on Sunday, December 10 from 9am-3pm! This is a FREE event, and Santa will be available for you to take your own free photos with as well! I love this tree farm personally, its a beautiful setting with fire pits to sit around and more. I love to make a trip up here yearly, so this is the perfect time to do that!

Free Santa Photos in Snohomish – These guys have done an event each year for the past few years around the second week in December. There is nothing announced for this year yet, but we will update here if/when they do.

Santa Clause will be there with a professional photographer and treats for everyone. All digital photos from the professional photographer are free and will be sent to you in a high resolution format online to post and print! Dogs are welcome but we ask that they be leashed during their time here.

Photos with Santa and the Reindeer – December 7, 2-7 pm at the Weatherly Inn (Tacoma) . Meet Santa’s live Reindeer and get a photo with Santa Photos. Santa photos are complimentary!

Free Fun Holiday Photos at Sunrise VillageDecember 16, 11-2pm in Puyallup, (note – these used to be photos with Santa but has changed up the past couple of years to be holiday photos. Create family memories and traditions this holiday season! Free photos when you step inside the whimsical snow globe for a family photo-op and strike a pose at our holiday-themed photo booth. These are photo opps you can take yourself. Enjoy the sounds of wandering carolers, a one-man band, and a toy soldier on stilts, and more. Stroll around Sunrise Village to look at the gingerbread houses, enjoy hot cocoa and more. 

Free Professional Photos with Santa at J Baun Piano Studio – December 19, 5:30 to 6:30pm. Kent, Wa. “For one night only Santa and photographer Markie Jones from Markie Jones Photography will be visiting Bramlee Wood during our winter holiday display. Get a free photo with Santa, explore the display, and try out our scavenger hunt. We’ll also be collecting pet supply donations for RASKC (Regional Animal Services of King County) so you can also help out a great cause.”

Free Photos with Santa & a special guest – Red Barn Market, Puyallup – Every Friday, Saturday & Sunday  from 10am – 6pm. You can bring your pets to get photos too! (Special guests include Mrs Clause, Rudolph & more). These are not professional photos – but a chance to take your own photos.

FREE Photo with Santa, Kids Activities, Giveaways & Holiday Cheer!! Sun 12/3 from 2-5pm at Modern Furniture store in Everett. Complimentary photos with the Family! Plus, there will be Gifts, treats, games, Balloons, Face-painting, giveaway & Holiday Cheer!!

More Options::

free picture with santa

Here is a free photo we got with Santa and Mrs. Claus while we stayed at Great Wolf Lodge a couple of years ago. Get a great frame and the photos you take with your kids and Santa can be just as fun as the professional ones!

Great Wolf Lodge is still advertising visits with Santa this year, starting on November 26, and you will have the opportunity to take pictures with him that way. There is a deal with rooms starting as low as $139 on Groupon right now, if this sounds like fun.

Pacific Place – downtown Seattle – They will have a Noel Themed Floral Event this year, that makes for fun Holiday Themed Selfie spots for photos this year.

Hometown HolidaysDecember 1st in downtown Camas (technically Wa. but near Portland area). They will be offering Santa photo opps this year.

 

Carpinito Reindeer

This Santa Sleigh is at Carpinitos in Kent and there are live reindeer for viewing behind the fence you see in the picture above. Viewing and photos with your own camera are FREE!

Free Reindeer Photo Opps & More:

In the past these spots have offered Reindeer photo opps. Be sure to call ahead to confirm for this year before visiting.

Carpinito Bros in Kent

FREE Pet Photos with Santa at PetSmart! (They have offered these in years past, but have not confirmed if it will be happening this year or not. Will update here once we do.)  Get photos with Santa & your pet.

25 Comments

      1. Hi Wendy, I believe that is an older comment. I did not find any Walmarts doing the photos around the NW this year. Let us know if you find out differently!

    1. Hi Catherine – there are the national offers (Walmart, Walgreens, Bass Pro and Cabelas). A reader also left this tip on the TNWM Facebook page “Tomorrow, Santa will arrive by train in Independence, OR outside the library and free photos will be taken from 1-3”. I will look around first thing next week too, and see if we can start to build a better list for those of you in the Portland area too!

    1. Thanks Robyn! Looks like the free santa photo event was tonight, and I did not get it added in time…but I have marked it down to be sure and add to next years list. Thanks for the tip!

  1. We go to Molbaks Nursery every year. Not only is it festive and gorgeous, but you can take your OWN pictures with Santa for free!

    1. Oh yes, I grew up going to Molbaks (and Whites) Raelyn – they are my moms 2 favorite nurseries. We love it there too!

  2. https://www.centralpiercefire.org/Calendar.aspx?Range=30&Type=ALL

    In the Puyallup, Tacoma, Spanaway, Frederickson area – the local fire department – Central Pierce Fire & Rescue does free Santa photos every year. Just go to the Events and Activities in their website to find the times and locations. Centralpiercefire.org I tried to copy the link but I don’t know if it will work. There are cookies, juice, coffee and meeting with Santa.

    1. Thanks Rori – do you have a link to their event (I dont see it on the Happenings page of their website)? Are they taking the photo and giving it to you, or do they have a santa on site you can use your own camera to take pictures with. If we can get these details we will add it to the list. Thanks so much!

  3. Another free Santa photo oppertunity (same crew that does Motif Hotels event ) Will be doing one at Crowne Plaza Hotel Seattle Airport from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM. Saturday December 16th

    This event is also supporting Toys for Tots

    1. Jim – Thank you for letting us know about the Santa pictures at Crowne Plaza. I didn’t read this post until it was too late. We have attended the Motif Hotel Santa pictures for the last 7 years in a row. My daughter was devastated last night when I told her we probably weren’t going to get Santa pictures this year (since Motif is taking a year off). Do you know how we can find out Santa’s schedule? We are really hoping for the Motif Santa. Any tips you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

      1. Hi Jen – Jim’s comment was from last year, so not sure he will see your reply this year and wanted to send you a couple of more options we found in case they work for you guys this year (not the Motif Santa, but other free options besides Cabelas and Bass Pro)

        https://www.facebook.com/events/209141113323199/ (free digital copy in Bothel area, tomorrow 12/19)
        https://www.facebook.com/events/195243228095659/ (free printed and digital photo at Kona Kai Coffee in Tukwila Thursday, 12/20)
        https://www.facebook.com/events/1058742157643333/ (free photos in Snohomish area with canned good food donation)

        Hope that helps you guys get your picture this year. If we learn any more about the Motif santa we will let you know. Thanks!

  4. Does anyone know a place that’ll do 1st christmas photos with santa on christmas day in either king,snohomish,or pierce counties??

  5. We love the Santa in your photo. I think we ran into him at Motif in downtown Seattle. Do you know if we’ll be able to see him again this year?

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