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Christmas lights at night in Denver
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Christmas lights · Denver, CO

Christmas lights in Denver

Denver's biggest lights event, Blossoms of Light at the Botanic Gardens, has published its 2026 dates and expects to sell out most nights. Downtown has free shows at the City & County Building and on the Auraria campus.

5 displays · 2 free · 3 with 2026 dates announced

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Where to see them

Where to go: with kids, on a date, with friends

With kids

Short walks, Santa, rides and something to do besides looking.

For a date

Somewhere to walk slowly, a drink in hand, and look good in the photos.

With friends

Cheap by the carload, or a long evening with food and music.

Walk-through: gardens, zoo, parks

Mostly ticketed per person, and on foot. Check the hours before you set out.

Blossoms of LightPhoto: Raymond Johnson · CC BY-SA 2.0
Blossoms of Light

Photos: Raymond Johnson · CC BY-SA 2.0

Garden·Denver Botanic Gardens, York Street

Blossoms of Light

Denver Botanic Gardens on York Street lit entirely with LEDs — tunnels, glowing trees in purple and pink, and a walk that's even prettier after snow.

✨ Date night🧒 With kids

What's there

  • Light tunnels
  • Glowing trees
  • Free parking structure
  • Free shuttle program

What visitors sayGoogle 4.8 ★ · 18,839 reviews

The gardens are one of Denver's best-rated places. For Blossoms of Light, the gardens themselves warn that most nights sell out days or weeks ahead.

Denver's prettiest Christmas walk — buy tickets as soon as they go on sale.

2026 season
Nov 20, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027 (closed Nov 26, Dec 25)
4:30 – 9 pm
Cost
Prices to be announced; advance tickets only, from the Gardens' own site.
Where
1007 York Street, Denver, CO 80206

Getting in and parking

  • Parking in the Gardens' structure is free but fills quickly. Nearby streets need residential permits on some dates.
  • RTD routes 24 and 10 stop nearby, and there's a free shuttle program.

On the map

Worth knowing

  • The Gardens expects most nights to sell out days or weeks ahead.

Checked 2026-09-23 · botanicgardens.org

Full 2026 guideOfficial site
Hudson Holidays — illustrationIllustration
Garden·Hudson Gardens, Littleton

Hudson Holidays

Hudson Gardens in Littleton dressed for Christmas with trees that dance to music, lit paths along the gardens and s'mores.

🧒 With kids✨ Date night

What's there

  • Trees that dance to music
  • Free parking across the street
  • S'mores

What visitors sayGoogle 4.6 ★ · 3,741 reviews

Visitors called the Christmas display absolutely wonderful, with easy free parking across the street and a simple entrance.

A smaller, easier alternative to Blossoms of Light.

2026 season
Nov 27, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027

Getting in and parking

  • Hudson Gardens on South Santa Fe Drive in Littleton. Parking is on site.

On the map

Worth knowing

  • Buy online; weekend nights fill up first.
  • Dress warm — it's an outdoor walk.

Checked 2026-09-23 · Visit Denver

Denver Zoo LightsPhoto: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo · CC BY 2.0
Denver Zoo LightsDenver Zoo Lights

Photos: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo · CC BY 2.0 · Photos: Kari · CC BY 2.0

Zoo·Denver Zoo, City Park

Zoo Lights

More than three million lights across 80 acres of the Denver Zoo, with some animals like the elephants and mountain goats still out in the evening.

🧒 With kids

What's there

  • 3 million+ lights across the zoo
  • Some animals out in the evening
  • Sensory-friendly night

What visitors sayGoogle 4.6 ★ · 32,195 reviews

A visitor called Zoo Lights eye-catching all round the zoo, with cranes, elephants and mountain goats still out. The zoo is loved generally for being flat and easy to walk.

The easy family pick in Denver.

2026 season
Select nights Nov 23, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
4:30 – 9 pm Sun–Thu, 4:30 – 10 pm Fri–Sat

Getting in and parking

  • Denver Zoo in City Park. Free parking in the zoo lots; they fill on weekends.

On the map

Worth knowing

  • Sensory-friendly nights offer reduced crowds, low-volume music and quiet rooms.

Checked 2026-09-23 · Visit Denver

Full 2026 guide
Denver Civic Center @ ChristmasPhoto: emarschn · CC BY 2.0
Park·Civic Center, downtownFree

Light the Lights

The City & County Building in Civic Center lit in color with nightly choreographed shows, right next to the Christkindlmarket and the Parade of Lights route.

✨ Date night🎉 With friends🧒 With kids

What's there

  • Nightly light and music shows
  • Free
  • Near the Christkindlmarket
  • Parade of Lights nearby

What visitors sayGoogle 4.4 ★ · 8,958 reviews

Visitors enjoyed the lit buildings and giant tree, and parking nearby was cheap or free for many. Several came mainly for the German Christmas market, which gets very crowded.

A free downtown evening — combine it with the Christkindlmarket.

Season
Returns in 2026; shows nightly at 5:45 and 6:45 pm.
Cost
Free

Getting in and parking

  • Civic Center Park is downtown, between the Capitol and the City and County Building. Use RTD light rail or a downtown garage.

On the map

Worth knowing

  • The City and County Building stays lit through the season, so any evening works.

Checked 2026-09-23 · Visit Denver

Mile High Tree and drone shows — illustrationIllustration
Park·Tivoli Quad, Auraria CampusFree

Mile High Tree and drone shows

A 110-foot 'tree' of lights you can walk inside, with a 600-drone show over the Auraria campus and — since it moved here — Denver's Christkindlmarket with German food and crafts.

🧒 With kids🎉 With friends✨ Date night

What's there

  • 110-foot walk-in light tree
  • 600-drone show
  • Christkindlmarket
  • Free

What visitors sayGoogle 4.4 ★ · 254 reviews

Visitors call the tree spectacular and the drone show a fun family moment; parking is limited, so come early. The market got mixed reviews — bigger in its new home, but crowded and expensive for food.

Worth it for the tree and drones; eat before you come.

Season
Listed by Visit Denver for Nov 20 – Dec 31.
Cost
Free

Getting in and parking

  • On the Tivoli Quad of the Auraria Campus, next to light rail stops.

On the map

Worth knowing

  • The tree's lights play a short show — stay a few minutes.

Checked 2026-09-23 · Visit Denver

Before you go

Why some dates say 2025

Most displays announce the season in October or November. Until they do, we show last year's dates and say so, rather than guess this year's. Every card shows the day we last checked it and where the facts came from.

Santa services in the USChristmas markets in Denver

Christmas lights in other cities

Questions

Which Christmas lights in Denver are free?
Light the Lights (Civic Center, downtown), Mile High Tree and drone shows (Tivoli Quad, Auraria Campus). None of them sell tickets, but some charge for parking and the busiest neighborhoods have long lines, so check each card and go on a weeknight.
When do the Denver light displays open this year?
So far Blossoms of Light (Nov 20, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027 (closed Nov 26, Dec 25)) and Hudson Holidays (Nov 27, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027) and Zoo Lights (Select nights Nov 23, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas) have announced their 2026 dates. The rest publish in October and November; until then this page shows last year's dates, marked as such.