The Seattle Sheraton is one of the best places to stay in the city. There’s ample, affordable parking a few blocks away at Pacific Place, tons of shopping, and a hop/skip/jump to Pike Place Market.

If you’re still in need of convincing, look no further! It’s also home to the Sheraton Grand Seattle’s 29^th Annual Gingerbread Village celebration, returning this holiday season with ‘The Chocolate Factory’. No golden tickets are required to experience the beloved Seattle holiday event, as Gingerbread Village is a free public event and will be open from Nov. 21, 2023 – Jan. 1, 2024. Viewing hours for Gingerbread Village are Sunday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

All donations collected at the event, which annually attracts over 200,000 visitors and has amassed over $1 million dollars in donations since its inception, directly benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Northwest Chapter.

Over the past 29 years, visiting Gingerbread Village has become a local holiday family tradition, and at the heart of the event is a sense of fostering community while giving back. The Chocolate Factory theme celebrates ingenuity and is a captivating reminder to dream big.

“We’ve proudly played an active role in the downtown community for nearly thirty years and we’re grateful for the opportunity to provide the community a place to gather, reunite, and have some fun this holiday season.” said Callette Nielsen, General Manager of the Sheraton Grand Seattle. Producing ‘The Chocolate Factory’ wouldn’t be possible without the support of our passionate partners, dedicated volunteers, and talented culinary staff. We’re extremely excited to welcome the community to our hotel to stroll through The Chocolate Factory and join us in our goal to raise funds for JDRF’s Northwest Chapter.”

To create the larger-than-life gingerbread structures, the culinary team from the Sheraton Grand Seattle partners with local architecture firms 4D Architects, Master Builders Association, MG2 and CallisonRTKL, as well as special elves from JDRF. The structures, which use thousands of pounds of dough, hundreds of pounds of fondant, dozens of gallons of eggs, and over 150,000 pieces of candy, and over 10,000 hours to plan and build.

Throughout the duration of the Gingerbread Village event, the Sheraton Grand Seattle will also host Jingle Bar, a holiday themed bar featuring a unique seasonal menu, festive cocktails, and live music performances every Friday and Saturday night throughout