Christmas in Denver blends Rocky Mountain scenery with big city sparkle, from a record-breaking illuminated tree on the Auraria Campus to a German-style market that turns downtown into old Bavaria for the season. If you're looking for things to do in Denver for Christmas, the Mile High City delivers concerts, markets, festivals, parades, and attractions well into the new year, with plenty of longtime traditions mixed in alongside newer favorites.
The Top 10 Christmas Events in Denver 2026
Here's our full lineup of Christmas in Denver events for 2026 to help make your holiday season merry and bright!
1. The Mile High Tree — Denver
Standing 110 feet tall on the Tivoli Quad at the Auraria Campus, the Mile High Tree is a feat of scale, ten feet taller than the highest Rockefeller Center Christmas tree ever recorded, wrapped in 60,000 programmed LED lights. Every evening from late November through New Year's Eve, the structure runs free nightly light and music shows that are genuinely unlike anything else in Colorado. Up to 140 visitors at a time can step inside the base of the tree and look straight up into the display, turning a light show into an immersive installation.
- Dates: November 20th, 2026 - December 31st, 2026
- Admission: Free
- Street Address: 1000 Larimer St., Denver, CO 80204
- Kid Friendly: Yes
- Pet Friendly: No
- Parking: Street parking and paid parking structures available nearby
- Website: https://visitdenver.com/milehighholidays/mile-high-tree/
Insider Tip: Step inside the tree's base during a show rather than watching from outside, the upward view through 60,000 lights is what makes this worth the trip.
2. Denver Christkindlmarket — Denver
Every November, downtown Denver's Auraria Campus transforms into an Old World Christmas market when the Denver Christkindlmarket returns for its 26th year. Wooden vendor huts sell handcrafted ornaments, wool goods, and European gifts, while food stalls serve bratwurst, strudel, and steaming mugs of Glühwein. Live entertainment, a Grand Opening Ceremony featuring the Christkindl herself, and free admission make this one of the most visited Christmas markets in Colorado. The market runs daily from late November through Christmas Eve's Eve, giving locals and visitors weeks to soak in the Bavarian atmosphere against a Rocky Mountain backdrop.
- Dates: November 20th, 2026 – December 23rd, 2026
- Admission: Free
- Street Address: Auraria Campus, Tivoli Quad, 1000 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80204
- Kid Friendly: Yes
- Pet Friendly: Varies; dogs commonly seen outside the market tent
- Parking: Paid; Auraria Campus lots
- Website: christkindlmarketdenver.com
Insider Tip: Visit on a weekday afternoon before 5 PM to avoid the evening crowds, and grab a commemorative Glühwein mug early since designs sell out some years.
3. 9NEWS Parade of Lights — Denver
For more than 50 years, the 9NEWS Parade of Lights has kicked off the holiday season in downtown Denver, and it remains Colorado's largest holiday parade. More than 40 illuminated floats, giant character balloons, marching bands, and equestrian units wind their way through a two mile route, with Major Waddles the Penguin and Santa Claus closing out the show. It's free, family friendly, and draws hundreds of thousands of spectators every year, making it one of the most searched Christmas parades in Denver.
- Dates: December 5th, 2026
- Admission: Free
- Street Address: Parade route begins at 14th & Bannock St, Downtown Denver, CO 80202
- Kid Friendly: Yes
- Pet Friendly: No
- Parking: Paid; downtown garages and lots
- Website: https://www.downtowndenver.com/parade-of-lights
Insider Tip: Grandstand seating in front of the City and County Building sells out early, but the two mile route along Tremont and 17th Street offers plenty of free viewing space if you arrive an hour ahead.
4. Colorado Symphony's A Colorado Christmas — Denver
No Christmas concert in Denver has the staying power of A Colorado Christmas, the Colorado Symphony's flagship holiday tradition dating back to 1985. The Colorado Symphony Chorus and Colorado Children's Chorale join the full orchestra at Boettcher Concert Hall for an evening of festive seasonal favorites and traditional carols, hosted by longtime Denver vocalist Devin DeSantis, with a sing along built right into the show. Santa and Mrs. Claus typically make an appearance too, checking who's naughty and nice before the big night. It's the most consistently sold out holiday concert in the city and the one locals build their December plans around.
- Dates: December 11th – December 13th, 2026
- Admission: Ticketed
- Street Address: Boettcher Concert Hall, 950 13th St, Denver, CO 80204
- Kid Friendly: Yes
- Pet Friendly: No
- Parking: Paid; Denver Performing Arts Complex garages nearby
- Website: coloradosymphony.org/productions/colorado-christmas
Insider Tip: This is the Colorado Symphony's best selling holiday show, so single tickets go fast. Buy well before Thanksgiving if you want a specific performance time.
5. Colorado Ballet's The Nutcracker — Denver
Colorado Ballet's production of The Nutcracker has been a Denver holiday tradition for more than 65 years, and it returns to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House with live music from the Colorado Ballet Orchestra. Tchaikovsky's score accompanies Clara's journey through the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of the Sugar Plum Fairy, complete with an on-stage blizzard, elaborate costumes, and full sets. It's one of the most reliable Christmas concerts and performances in Denver for anyone who wants a classic, dressed-up night out.
- Dates: November 28th – December 27th, 2026
- Admission: Ticketed
- Street Address: Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 950 13th St, Denver, CO 80204
- Kid Friendly: Yes
- Pet Friendly: No
- Parking: Paid; Denver Performing Arts Complex garages nearby
- Website: https://coloradoballet.org/The-Nutcracker
Insider Tip: The sensory friendly and audio described performance on November 29th offers a quieter setting for guests who find typical performances overwhelming.
6. Blossoms of Light — Denver
Denver Botanic Gardens' Blossoms of Light has been a beloved Colorado holiday tradition for nearly four decades, transforming 24 acres at the Gardens' York Street location into a mile long path of immersive, luminous displays. A 200-foot animated light tunnel greets visitors at the entrance, and the entire installation now runs on sustainable LED lighting. Between the illuminated plant collections and the warm drinks at Offshoots Café, it consistently ranks among the top holiday light shows in the country.
- Dates: November 20th, 2026 – January 10th, 2027 (closed November 26th & December 25th)
- Admission: Ticketed; date and time specific
- Street Address: Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St, Denver, CO 80206
- Kid Friendly: Yes
- Pet Friendly: No
- Parking: Paid; on-site lot
- Website: https://www.botanicgardens.org/events/public-events/blossoms-light
Insider Tip: Tickets are date and time specific with no walk-up sales, so book online well in advance, especially for weekend evenings close to Christmas.
7. Trail of Lights at Chatfield Farms — Littleton
About a half hour south of downtown, Denver Botanic Gardens' Chatfield Farms location offers a quieter, more rustic alternative to Blossoms of Light. Trail of Lights winds visitors along a nearly mile long path through cottonwoods, boxelders, and pines lit entirely with LED lights, passing the Deer Creek Discovery Children's Play Area and the historic 1880s Hildebrand Ranch homestead along the way. Tucked into the foothills under dark Colorado skies, it's a peaceful, countryside spin on the season's usual light displays.
- Dates: November 21st, 2026 – January 3rd, 2027 (closed select dates; see website)
- Admission: Ticketed; date and time specific
- Street Address: Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Farms, 8500 Deer Creek Canyon Road, Littleton, CO 80128
- Kid Friendly: Yes
- Pet Friendly: No
- Parking: Free, on-site
- Website: https://www.botanicgardens.org/events/public-events/trail-lights
Insider Tip: A shorter walking path is available for visitors who want the lights without the full mile long trek. If you're interested, ask at the entrance when you arrive.
8. Cherry Creek Holiday Market — Denver
Every winter, Fillmore Plaza in Cherry Creek North transforms into a luminous holiday village strung with red and green lanterns and a canopy of a million lights. Colorado makers, chefs, and artisans set up shop for four straight weeks, giving shoppers a rotating lineup of local vendors alongside the award-winning Mistletoe Lounge pop-up bar and a full concert series. It's a free, outdoor holiday market with a more upscale, neighborhood feel than downtown's bigger events, and a good stop for anyone doing serious Christmas shopping in Denver.
- Dates: November 19th, 2026 – December 24th, 2026
- Admission: Free
- Street Address: Fillmore Plaza, Fillmore St between 1st & 2nd Ave, Denver, CO 80206
- Kid Friendly: Yes
- Pet Friendly: Yes, on leash
- Parking: Paid; reduced-fee parking available after 5 PM in the district
- Website: cherrycreekholidaymarket.com
Insider Tip: Go on a weekday afternoon for a quieter shopping experience, and check the concert series schedule ahead of time if you want to catch live music with your visit.
9. Elitch Holidays — Denver
Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park closes out the year with a holiday takeover, wrapping the park in millions of lights, a 65-foot Christmas tree, and a 300-foot candy cane tunnel. Twinkling snowmen, oversized ornaments and presents, and a light-up hopscotch add extra photo stops, while select rides stay open and Old Saint Nick makes regular appearances. It's a bigger, more theme park take on the season compared to the city's markets and light walks, and a solid pick for families who want rides mixed in with their holiday lights.
- Dates: November 27th, 2026 – January 3rd, 2027
- Admission: Ticketed
- Street Address: Elitch Gardens, 2000 Elitch Circle, Denver, CO 80204
- Kid Friendly: Yes
- Pet Friendly: No
- Parking: Paid; on-site
- Website: https://elitchgardens.com/elitch-holidays/
Insider Tip: Go on a weeknight for shorter lines at both the rides and the candy cane tunnel. Weekends get considerably busier as Christmas approaches.
10. A Christmas Carol — Denver
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts' production of A Christmas Carol has been a holiday fixture for decades, and it returns to the Wolf Theatre for another season. Adapted from Charles Dickens' novel with original music and lyrics, the show follows Ebenezer Scrooge's overnight transformation from money hoarding curmudgeon to a man who finally understands the meaning of the season. It's a joyous, family friendly musical adaptation and one of the most dependable Christmas concerts and performances in Denver for anyone who wants a proper night at the theater.
- Dates: November 25th – December 27th, 2026
- Admission: Ticketed
- Street Address: Wolf Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1101 13th St, Denver, CO 80204
- Kid Friendly: Yes
- Pet Friendly: No
- Parking: Paid; Denver Performing Arts Complex garages nearby
- Website: https://www.denvercenter.org/tickets-events/a-christmas-carol/
Insider Tip: The December 2nd performance runs a buy-one-get-one-free ticket deal most years, worth watching for if you're planning as a family.
Explore More Christmas Events Near You
Christmas in Denver is just one stop on the season's biggest map. If you're looking for more Christmas events near you or planning a holiday trip elsewhere in the country, check out our Christmas City Guides to find the best festivals, markets, concerts, and parades happening closest to you.
