Kringle’s Filling Station brings holiday cheer to Seattle’s Aurora Avenue

The signature attraction at Kringle’s Filling Station is hot cocoa, served from a vintage gas pump, with all the fixings. A cheerful attendant asks, “Whipped cream? Sprinkles? Candy cane?” Yes, please!

Kringle’s Filling Station is a Santa Claus-themed gas station-turned-arcade on Aurora Avenue North, just north of Green Lake. You read that right, holiday magic on Aurora.

It’s an incredibly well-executed wonky idea, and a fun night out for anyone who loves Christmas. My kids have been talking about Kringle’s Filling Station for approximately 11.5 months, ever since we went to the inaugural event last year. It’s open for visitors this year through Dec. 31.

Where does the cocoa come from, and how does it get inside the gas pump? I pressed Gary Wichansky, owner of design firm Hotopp Creative Studio and the company behind the attraction, for an answer. He told me there’s an underground cocoa spring beneath Aurora; that’s why when it rains, the cocoa’s a little watery.

“That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it,” he said.

Uh-huh. We don’t want to spoil the magic, but it looked to me like he was able to get a regular beverage-dispensing system in the gas pump — and the cocoa was delicious. Last year the cocoa was an extra $4; this year it’s included in the cost of admission. Sold.

Storytime, kids. You know about Santa Claus, but do you know about the Kringles? According to Wichansky, they are a family of engineers and mechanics who have worked for Santa at the North Pole for generations. Eventually the Kringles decided to retire and now live quietly amongst us mortals. Once a year, they can’t help but share their Christmas spirit and welcome us into their garage.

Inside the open garage doors, you’ll find classic games dressed up for Christmas. Nothing is high-tech; nostalgia is a big part of the charm. There’s ski ball (pun intended), plinko and a karaoke stage for your best “Jingle Bells” rendition while faux snow falls softly.

Outside, there’s chimney cornhole and reindeer ring toss, which is much harder than it looks.

Admission to Kringle’s Filling Station runs $15 a person, plus a $3 ticketing fee, for everyone over the age of 4. That gets you a cup of cocoa and unlimited games. We easily got our money’s worth at ski ball alone. There’s free parking on the side streets in the neighborhood.

Two brand-new features this year are the slot car racetrack and the 1979 Lincoln Continental photo op, and both will cost you a little extra. Last year’s merchandise shop was replaced by a slot car racetrack ($3 a race, or four races for $10). And it’s $20 for a group picture and video download in the car, which Wichansky bought off Craigslist and tricked out. It even hops!

The attention to detail everywhere is incredible. Peek inside the Smeg fridge and you’ll see a darling vignette of penguins on ice. Explore Santa’s office, which is decked out with newspaper clips and quirky memorabilia. The big man himself is a busy guy, but pops by from time to time. “He comes to visit us for quality control,” Wichansky explained.

During our visit, we saw young families with babies, clusters of teenagers, even couples out on dates. Maybe you’ve outgrown sitting on Santa’s lap, but you’re never too cool to play nutcracker foosball. Kringle’s Filling Station is all-ages fun, with photo ops galore.

Worried about swapping germs in a crowd? Most of the games are indoors, but the garage doors stay open so there’s plenty of ventilation. And don’t let a rainy night get you down. This year, there’s a new roof over the gas pumps and tents in the parking lot for cover.

The other 10 months of the year when the Kringles aren’t spreading holiday cheer, the building serves as Hotopp’s headquarters, with design offices upstairs and a fabrication shop downstairs. The building was originally a filling and service station built in the 1920s.

Kringle’s Filling Station launched as a very last-minute project last year, and drew 5,200 visitors. Part of its inspiration was pandemic-driven, part of it was a desire to build a positive connection for the community.

“We started doing this last year when a lot of the work was on hold because of the pandemic,” Wichansky said. “We didn’t pull the trigger until September.”

Wichansky lives in the neighborhood (his commute is a 1-minute walk) and all three of his kids attend local public schools. As head of an entertainment and experiential design company, he’s built projects for clients nationwide, and wanted to do something creative with local impact.

“I thought it would be fun to open it up and share it,” Wichansky said. “People just loved it. They were so happy to have something on Aurora.”