At a Winter Solstice Market, Tiny Bonsai Draped in Lights Hold Off the Big Dark

Pacific Northwestern autumns and winters can feel bleak. 

The sky is often gray for weeks on end, dumping rain as night slowly eats away at the daytime. While it's easy to fall into a pit of despair during the Big Dark, the seasonal rhythms of the earth and nature around us can function as a reminder of our own resilience through this chilly season. 

There's no better time to celebrate that than the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. And on Dec. 13, the Pacific Bonsai Museum (PBM) will host its 11th annual winter solstice event, where it invites the public to come through the outdoor museum after hours to celebrate the beginning of winter and gradual brightening of days. (Note: The event isn't hosted on the actual solstice, as it's too close to the holidays.) The outdoor occasion is free and is a moment to explore the fluctuating nature around us. 

"Our museum is built around seasonality, naturally, because our collection lives and changes all year long," said Katherine Wimble Fox, the museum's communications director. "We like to mark each season with a special event. And this just seems like a great time to acknowledge that our earth goes through this transformation every year. We plunge into the real dark time, and we come together to honor and celebrate that. Then we move forward into each day getting longer after that."

Because it's so dark outside this time of year, visitors usually bring a flashlight — the one on your phone should suffice — to explore the outdoor museum. The bonsai are wrapped in or accented by colorful, artfully arranged lighting, highlighting the trees' distinctive silhouettes and twisty trunks. Not all bonsai are deciduous, but those that are lose their leaves in winter, making their branch structure much more visible. In a way, these delicate, ornate bonsai can serve as a reflection of ourselves during this winter season: a little more bare, but with different aspects of ourselves to focus on.

PBM Executive Director Pat Bako describes the museum as a cross between a zoo, a garden, and an art museum, because the collection consists of breathing, living flora that need watering and consistent care. In winter, the trees on display go into what the museum calls "winter enclosures," mini-greenhouses where staff can create microclimates with tiny heaters that prevent the bonsai from getting too cold. Because their root structures are so shallow in comparison with taller trees, the bonsai are very temperature sensitive. Another thing to worry about in Seattle is making sure the trees don't get too wet — thus the covers placed over each bonsai to protect them from the drippier elements of Seattle's cold seasons. 

"We carefully monitor [the trees] every single day, like, 'What are the trees doing?' We can see signs of autumn coming far earlier than the average person," Bako said. "The changing seasons are critical for the bonsai, and we like to celebrate those important dates."

In 1989, PBM opened and was maintained by the Weyerhaeuser Company, and it consisted of the company's then-president George Weyerhaeuser's personal bonsai collection. PBM's winter solstice tradition started in 2014, a year after the museum officially became a nonprofit. The solstice event marked a new era for the museum, and it wanted to invite the public to celebrate its bonsai collection on the summer and winter solstices of every year. The event eventually grew into what regular patrons know and love today: tons of lighting, a holiday market, food, music, and lots of hot chocolate.

For this year's edition, the holiday market consists of several South Sound artist makers: QueenCare, Courtney Branam's glassware, Japanese calligraphy from Sen Nen Design, plants from Jade & Co., and others. Classic Crepes and More will be on deck serving up crepes (and more), and, like every other year, the museum will have gallons of hot chocolate to give out to visitors. But be sure to get there in a timely manner: According to the museum, it served 700 glasses last year and tapped out before the event was over.

Regardless, the event is a communal moment to recognize our formal step into winter. "It's really just a lovely night and a great way to get outside and see the bonsai," said Bako.

Pacific Bonsai Museum's winter solstice event occurs Saturday, Dec. 13, 4 to 7 p.m. Parking and entry is free, with a $12 suggested donation. Be sure to dress warmly, as the event happens rain or (moon)shine. The first 100 visitors will receive a pair of snowflake glasses. Learn more about the winter solstice on the museum's website.