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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 · 2 with 2026 dates announced

Where to see them

Walk-through: gardens, zoo, parks

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

Garden·Denver Botanic Gardens, York Street

Blossoms of Light

The York Street gardens lit entirely with LEDs along a path through the grounds.

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

Official site
Garden·Hudson Gardens, Littleton

Hudson Holidays

A garden display with trees that dance to music.

2026 season
Nov 27, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027

On the map

Checked 2026-09-23 · Visit Denver

Zoo·Denver Zoo, City Park

Zoo Lights

Over a million lights across 80 acres of the zoo, with a sensory-friendly night.

Season
2026 dates not announced yet.

On the map

Checked 2026-09-23 · Visit Denver

Park·Civic Center, downtownFree

Light the Lights

Choreographed light and music shows on the City & County Building.

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

On the map

Checked 2026-09-23 · Visit Denver

Park·Tivoli Quad, Auraria CampusFree

Mile High Tree and drone shows

A 110-foot digital-art tree and a 600-drone show on the Auraria campus.

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

On the map

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.

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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) have announced their 2026 dates. The rest publish in October and November; until then this page shows last year's dates, marked as such.