Denver Holiday Lights and Markets 2026: Dates, Prices and Which Are Worth It

Denver's holiday season kicks off Friday, November 20, when the Christkindlmarket, the Mile High Tree and Blossoms of Light all open on the same night. Here's every major light show and market for 2026, what each one costs, and which are worth your money.

The short version

• Best overall: Blossoms of Light at the Denver Botanic Gardens.
• Best free night: Tivoli Quad at Auraria, where the Mile High Tree, a nightly drone show and the Christkindlmarket share one spot.
• Best with kids: Zoo Lights.
• Cheapest ticketed show: Trail of Lights at Chatfield Farms.
• Biggest crowd: the 9NEWS Parade of Lights on Saturday, December 5.

The ticketed light shows

Blossoms of Light, Denver Botanic Gardens

The best one, and it has been a Denver tradition for about four decades. It's a mile-long LED path through the York Street gardens that takes 60 to 75 minutes to walk, with holiday food and drinks at Offshoots Café and the Hive Garden Bistro along the way. It's one of the best winter dates in the city, and we have more in our date ideas guide.

• Dates: November 20, 2026 to January 10, 2027. Closed November 26 and December 25.
• Hours: 4:30 to 9 p.m.
• Tickets: 2026 prices haven't been posted yet. Last season ran $18 to $33. Tickets are timed, there are no sales at the door, and the public sale opens Monday, November 9 at 10 a.m. (members get presale access November 4 to 6).
• Good to know: A sensory-friendly night runs Tuesday, December 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. Tripods and drones aren't allowed, and it runs rain, snow or shine.

Zoo Lights, Denver Zoo

More than three million lights across 80 acres, and the easiest win if you have kids. The bundle ticket adds a souvenir hot cocoa and two ride vouchers for the carousel or the zoo railroad.

• Dates: select nights from November 23 to January 3. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
• Hours: 4:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
• Tickets: $29.95 for adults and $22.95 for youth on peak nights, or $25.95 and $18.95 on value nights. Kids 2 and under are free. Tickets go on sale November 5, with member presale November 2.
• Save a few bucks: value nights are November 29 to December 2, December 6, December 8 and 9, December 13 to 16, and January 2 and 3.

Trail of Lights, Chatfield Farms

The Botanic Gardens' other light show, out in the foothills near Littleton. It's just under a mile of all-LED trail, shorter and cheaper than Blossoms, and a better fit if you live in the south metro.

• Dates: November 21, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Closed November 26 and 30, December 1, 7, 8 and 25.
• Tickets: timed. Last season's non-member prices were $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $12 for kids 3 to 15.

The rest of the ticketed lineup

• Magical Winter Nights at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science runs November 25 to January 2. It's an indoor light-and-sound experience, which makes it the move on a freezing night.
• Elitch Holidays runs November 27 to January 3 with a 65-foot tree, a 300-foot candy cane tunnel and rides.
• Hudson Holidays at Hudson Gardens in Littleton runs November 27 to January 3, with a light tunnel, dancing trees, giant snowmen and a free family photo with Santa.
• ICE! at Gaylord Rockies in Aurora goes Nightmare Before Christmas for 2026. Dates aren't posted yet. Tickets are timed through SoMuchChristmas.com, and November and December weekends can sell out.

The free stuff

Tivoli Quad: tree, drones and the market

The best free night of the season happens in one place on the Auraria Campus. The Mile High Tree is a 110-foot digital tree with a lights-and-music show. Every night at 7 p.m., 600 drones put on a holiday show overhead. Both run November 20 through December 31.

The Denver Christkindlmarket sits right next to them from November 20 to December 23. It's free to get in, it's the market's 25th year, and it moved here from Civic Center Park last year. Get there around 6, eat and drink your way through the market, then catch the drones at 7. The market closes December 23, so don't wait for Christmas week. For more ways to spend nothing, see free things to do in Denver.

9NEWS Parade of Lights

The 52nd annual parade rolls through downtown on Saturday, December 5. It's free and family-friendly, and more than 200,000 people showed up last year. Take light rail if you can, because parking and rideshare prices spike that night.

Downtown displays

Two more free downtown stops have 2026 dates still to be announced. Light the Lights at the City and County Building runs short light-and-music shows in the evenings. Larimer Lights on Larimer Square brings projection mapping, carolers and Santa visits. Pair either one with a parade-weekend dinner downtown.

Holiday markets

• Denver Christkindlmarket (Tivoli Quad, November 20 to December 23). The big German-style market, with food, mulled wine and gifts. Free entry.
• Horseshoe Winter Craft Market (Highlands Masonic Temple, November 28 and 29). The local-maker market, and the best place in town for gifts that didn't come from a big-box store.
• Horseshoe Holiday Market (Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton, December 5 and 6). Same idea, with a brewery attached.

Tips that actually help

• Buy Blossoms tickets on November 9. December weekends go first, and there are no tickets at the door.
• Use Zoo Lights value nights. Same lights, about $4 less per adult.
• Go on a weeknight when you can. December weekends are the busiest nights almost everywhere on this list.
• Dress for it. Blossoms is over an hour outside, and Denver in December can drop fast after dark. New to the cold? Read your first Denver winter.

Planning the rest of the month? See things to do in Denver in December and November. For the last night of the year, here's New Year's Eve in Denver.

Keep Exploring

• New Year's Eve in Denver 2026: Fireworks, Decadence and the Best Parties
• Things to Do in Denver in December 2026
• Free Things to Do in Denver (2026)
• 16 Romantic Date Ideas in Denver That Aren’t Going to a Restaurant

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Blossoms of Light open in 2026?

November 20, 2026, running through January 10, 2027, from 4:30 to 9 p.m., closed November 26 and December 25. Public ticket sales open Monday, November 9, at 10 a.m.

How much is Zoo Lights in 2026?

$29.95 for adults and $22.95 for youth on peak nights, or $25.95 and $18.95 on value nights. Kids 2 and under are free.

What are the best free holiday lights in Denver?

The Mile High Tree and the nightly 7 p.m. drone show on the Tivoli Quad at Auraria are free from November 20 to December 31, right next to the free Denver Christkindlmarket.

When is the Denver Christkindlmarket in 2026?

November 20 to December 23, 2026, on the Tivoli Quad at the Auraria Campus. Entry is free.

When is the Parade of Lights in 2026?

Saturday, December 5, 2026, in downtown Denver. It's free.