Denver doesn't do one big Christmas event. It spreads the season across a German market on a college campus, a lit-up City Hall, a zoo, two botanic gardens and a parade, with an old mining town in the mountains and two ski towns adding their own nights. Most of it is free. The paid events sell timed tickets that go fast.
This guide covers what is confirmed for 2026 as of mid-October. Where an organiser hasn't published 2026 details yet, you'll see the 2025 details, labelled as 2025. Check the official site before you plan a trip around a date.
Denver Christkindlmarket: Now at Auraria Campus
The Denver Christkindlmarket has moved. For years it filled Civic Center Park, but construction there sent it to the Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus (1000 Larimer Street) in 2025, and it stays there for 2026. The 2026 market runs from November 20 to December 23, 2026. Entry is free.
The German American Chamber of Commerce – Colorado Chapter runs the market. It started small in December 1998 at the Denver Pavilions, moved to Skyline Park, then went to Civic Center Park in 2020, and marked its 25th anniversary in 2025. Expect wooden huts selling German and European crafts and ornaments, plus Glühwein (mulled wine), roasted nuts, bratwurst, pretzels and a hot chocolate hut. The drinks come in collectible mugs, which a lot of people take home. A Festival Hall stays open later than the stalls.
The market's published hours are Monday to Thursday 1–9 pm, Friday to Sunday 11 am–9 pm, and 11 am–9 pm every day in the final week before closing. On Thanksgiving Day it opens 11 am–4 pm. These are the hours on the official site in October 2026; check them again closer to your visit.
Glühwein in souvenir mugs at a Berlin Christmas market. Denver's Christkindlmarket serves its mulled wine the same way. Image: BKP, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Getting there: the light rail is easier than driving. In 2025 RTD pointed visitors to the Ball Arena–Elitch Gardens station on the D, E and W lines, about a 10-minute walk away. Union Station is about a 25-minute walk. If you drive, Auraria's event parking is paid through ParkMobile. The 2026 rates are $10 in surface lots and $15 in the 5th Street and 7th Street garages.
The Mile High Tree, a 110-foot cone of 60,000 LEDs, stands on the same campus. In 2025 it ran free light shows every night from 5 to 10 pm, November 21 to December 31. Auraria lists a November 20 to December 31 season for 2026.
City and County Building Lights and Civic Center
The City and County Building faces the State Capitol across Civic Center Park, and every holiday season its front is covered in coloured lights. The display is older than the building. Denver Public Library records trace a city Christmas display back to at least 1922, and the current City Hall opened in 1932. Sources disagree on exactly how it started. The lights traditionally stay up into January, through the National Western Stock Show.
In 2025 the city switched them on at a short ceremony on Friday, November 21. The 2026 date hasn't been announced. You can see the lights from the street at any hour, so you don't need a ticket. Go after dark and walk the length of Civic Center Park to the Capitol steps.
The City and County Building's Christmas display, seen across Civic Center Park in 2015. Image: Jolly2bjolly, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
9NEWS Parade of Lights: Saturday, December 5, 2026
The 52nd 9NEWS Parade of Lights is set for Saturday, December 5, 2026. It's free to watch. The Downtown Denver Partnership produces it. In 2025 it started at 6 pm with more than 40 units, including lit floats, marching bands and giant balloons. Organisers estimated the crowd at over 200,000. The 2026 start time and route haven't been published. Arrive early for a curb spot and dress for a night that can drop below 20°F.
A lit-up marching band passes downtown during the 2009 Parade of Lights. Image: Brian Papantonio from Denver, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Union Station, Larimer Square and Downtown Lights
Denver Union Station opens its season with a Grand Illumination. In 2025 it was on Friday, November 28, from 4 to 8 pm. It was free, with Santa and Mrs. Claus and the lighting of a 40-foot tree with more than 7,000 lights at about 6 pm. The 2026 date hasn't been announced. Inside, the Great Hall gets its own tall tree.
Union Station in its red and green holiday lighting, December 2014. Image: Isaac Kim, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Christmas tree inside Union Station's Great Hall. Image: Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A few blocks away, Larimer Lights hangs a canopy of lights over Larimer Square. In 2025 it ran November 28 to December 31 with a 65-foot tree and projection shows, all free. 2026 details are still to come. Cherry Creek North wrapped more than 600 trees in nearly a million lights in 2025 and held a holiday market on Fillmore Plaza from November 20 to December 24.
One thing has changed: the Downtown Denver Rink at Skyline Park is closed for the 2025 and 2026 winters while the park is rebuilt. In 2025 the nearest outdoor skating was McGregor Skate at McGregor Square, next to Coors Field. It opened November 28 and ran daily until January 4. The 2026 dates haven't been announced.
The 16th Street Mall lit for Christmas, looking toward the State Capitol. Image: Pcharles at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Blossoms of Light and Trail of Lights
Denver Botanic Gardens runs two lights events. Blossoms of Light is at the main York Street gardens. Visit Denver describes a mile-long path, and the event has run for nearly four decades. The Gardens' event page lists November 20 to January 10, 4:30–9 pm, closed November 26 and December 25. Public tickets go on sale Monday, November 9 at 10 am. They are timed and online only. Nothing is sold at the door, and everyone over age 2 needs a ticket. 2026 prices are listed as "TBA". In 2025 tickets cost $18 to $33 depending on the night.
Trail of Lights is at Chatfield Farms in Littleton (8500 W. Deer Creek Canyon Road), southwest of the city. The trail is just under a mile and lit entirely with LEDs. Its page lists November 21 to January 3, last entry 5–8:30 pm. It is closed November 26 and 30, December 1, 7, 8 and 25. Tickets are timed, and prices hadn't been posted in October.
Both pages give dates without a year. The weekdays match the 2026–27 season, but confirm on botanicgardens.org before you book.
Zoo Lights at Denver Zoo
Zoo Lights spreads, in the zoo's words, "over three million lights" across its 80 acres in City Park. The zoo's page lists select nights from November 23 to January 3. Hours are 4:30–9 pm Sunday to Thursday and until 10 pm on Friday and Saturday, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Tickets go on sale November 5, with member access from November 2, and are sold online only. The event usually sells out.
The page in October 2026 listed adult tickets at $29.95 on standard nights and $25.95 on "value nights". Youth tickets were $22.95 and $18.95, and children 2 and under go free. The value nights are marked on the zoo's ticket calendar, and the page also sells a bundle with hot cocoa and two carousel or train rides.
Georgetown Christmas Market: Two Weekends in December
Georgetown, a Victorian silver-mining town off I-70 about 45 minutes west of Denver, holds the oldest market on this list. The 66th Georgetown Christmas Market runs December 5–6 and December 12–13, 2026, the first two weekends of December. Admission is free. Historic Georgetown, Inc. and the Town of Georgetown organise it.
The market spreads along 6th Street in three outdoor European-style marketplaces with more than 30 artisans. The Alpine Biergarten is at the corner of 6th and Taos, and hot chestnuts are roasted in Strousse Park. Every market day at noon the Santa Lucia Children's Procession walks through town, escorted by Saint Nicholas, and the outdoor stage at Rose and 6th has entertainment from 11 am to 4 pm. Organisers haven't posted full 2026 market hours yet. Street parking fills early, so use the free parking and shuttle the organisers run.
Sixth Street in Georgetown, where the Christmas Market stalls set up each December. Image: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The drive goes up I-70 into the mountains, so check the road and tyre rules before you go. Our winter driving and road conditions guide covers the traction law and how to read CDOT alerts.
Mountain Town Lightings: Estes Park and Breckenridge
Estes Park starts its season with the Catch the Glow Parade on Elkhorn Avenue the day after Thanksgiving. The 2025 parade had more than 40 lit units and drew up to 20,000 people. For 2026 the Estes Park News gives Friday, November 27, but one town calendar listing says November 28. Check visitestespark.com before you drive up. The parade pairs well with a day in Rocky Mountain National Park; see our Estes Park guide.
West Elkhorn Avenue, the route of Estes Park's Catch the Glow Parade. Image: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Breckenridge holds the Lighting of Breckenridge and Race of the Santas on Saturday, December 5, 2026. The full 2026 schedule is "coming soon". In 2025 the afternoon went like this: a holiday dog parade at 3:30 pm, the Moose March at 4 pm, and the Race of the Santas at 4:20 pm, a fun run in Santa suits. At 5 pm more than 250,000 LED lights were switched on at Blue River Plaza. Watching is free, and race entry in 2025 was $30 for adults. Combine it with opening-season skiing; our guide to Colorado ski resorts has this season's opening dates.
North Main Street in Breckenridge after a December snowfall. Image: Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0 au, via Wikimedia Commons.
Planning Your Colorado Christmas Trip
Weather: Denver's normal December high is about 43–45°F, with lows around 17–19°F. Sunny afternoons can feel mild, but evening events get cold fast. Bring a hat and gloves for the parade and the lights walks. The mountain towns are colder still.
Free: Christkindlmarket entry, the City and County Building lights, the Parade of Lights, the Mile High Tree shows (in 2025), Union Station's Grand Illumination (in 2025), Larimer Lights (in 2025), the Georgetown Christmas Market and the Breckenridge lighting.
Book ahead: Blossoms of Light, Trail of Lights and Zoo Lights all sell timed tickets online only. Put the sale dates in your calendar: November 5 for the zoo, November 9 for the Botanic Gardens.
A sample weekend: a Friday night at the Christkindlmarket and the Mile High Tree, Saturday at the Georgetown market and back for the Parade of Lights (both on December 5, 2026), and Sunday night at Zoo Lights or Blossoms of Light. For more on the city, see our Denver guide. For winter beyond the lights, see Colorado winter sports.
-104A4568.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}