A dazzling and ever-changing 360-degree immersive experience, with gardens and pathways lined with thousands of colorful lights and holiday displays.This family-friendly show has become the Gardens’ signature event – and a holiday tradition – for more than three decades. Holiday treats and warm drinks will be available for purchase at the Hive Garden Bistro. 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions and in an effort to ensure the safety of staff, volunteers and visitors, facial masks are required for ages three and up. 

Dates: Daily through January 16th (closed Dec. 25)

Hours: 4:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Address:
1007 York Street
Denver, CO 80206 (map)

Phone: (720) 865-3500

Ticket Information:

Timed tickets must be purchased in advance and visitors may enter in 30-minute slots.
– $18-21 Non-Members
– $16-19 Members
– Free for children two and under (no ticket required)

Buy tickets here

Website: botangicgardens.org

Denver’s stunning 110-foot-tall “immersive art installation,” better known as the Mile High Tree, is once again filling a very tall order for holiday cheer with its dazzling light and music shows. 

The largest installation of its kind in North America, the tree was created by ILMEX Illumination, a globally renowned decorative lighting production company in Spain. 

The five-minute programs will run every 15 minutes. 

See more info on parking tips and COVID-19 safety measures.

Date: See the complete list of viewing dates and times though January 2.

Hours: Program viewing with festive holiday songs timed to the tree’s light displays will be open from 5-9:30 p.m. most Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and from 5-8 p.m. on some Sundays. See the complete list of dates.

Address:
16th Street Mall at Welton Street
Denver, CO 80202 (map)

Tickets: Free to the Public

Website: Mile High Tree

Recommended TV broadcast on 9NEWS at 8 p.m. December 4

The pandemic has changed—but definitely not stopped—Denver’s iconic Parade of Lights for 2020. 

The Downtown Denver Partnership is presenting the 45-year-old community tradition this year as a multi-week, socially safe super-event of activities across downtown. The floats you know and love will be displayed throughout downtown for several weeks through December. 

The parade floats can be found spanning areas from Denver Pavilions to Union Station. 

If you won’t be able to catch the parade in its new downtown safe places, 9News will present a special broadcast at 8:00 p.m. Friday, December 4, that captures the spirit of the event. This hour-long special will include a glimpse into parades past, while celebrating a very different holiday season with music, special guests, and of course, Santa.

Follow the 9News Facebook page for more details about this year’s event! 

You may also follow the parade with the Parade of Lights app. 

Dates: November 27 – December 31

Address:
Skyline Block 1,
1515 Arapahoe St.
Denver, CO 80202 (map)

Website: downtowndenver.com

“The popular “Zoo Lights” event once again presents a delightfully “wild” winter wonderland to celebrate the season, in the midst of a million sparkling lights covering more than 80 acres! This illuminating annual event celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. 

Dates: December 4-31 (Closed Christmas Day)

Hours: 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Address:
2900 E. 23rd Avenue
Denver, CO 80205 (map)

Tickets:

Adults – $25
Children 3 and up – $15
Children under 3 – Free

Purchase tickets or upgrade. A five-ticket limit has been adopted in compliance with city and county safety mandates. For information, contact the guest service team at (720) 337-1400.

If tickets are sold out online, they will not be available at the door. For fastest entry, please print your ticket and present it at the entry gate.

Website: denverzoo.org

COVID-19 precautions will be in place. Learn more at cmzoo.org/open. Masks are required for all guests age 5 and older when in line and when visiting Santa.

Electric Safari shows off 85 light sculptures on 50-plus acres! warming fires throughout the zoo offer a break from the chill (tentative per current fire restrictions), and select indoor animal exhibits will remain open at limited capacity. End your adventure by gazing out at the city’s lights and watching all of Colorado Springs sparkle.

Dates: December 4-6, 11-23, 25 – Jan 1, 2021

Hours: Santa will see visitors in Safari Lodge from 4:20 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. each evening through Dec. 23.

Address:
4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80906 (map)

Phone: (719) 633-9925

Tickets: Tickets are timed, and are available online only. Choose Member or Non-Member. Note: Admission for children under age two is free, but you must still reserve a ticket for them.

Website: cmzoo.org

Climb aboard the Santa Express Train and prepare for enchantment on a journey to the North Pole in Colorado’s Royal Gorge—and meet Santa Claus himself!

Start by enjoying breakfast, lunch or dinner aboard the train—complete with child and adult beverages and plenty of hot cocoa and cookies—with your family. When the train arrives at the North Pole, Santa will greet each child and give him or her a special gift. While at the North Pole, visitors will be dazzled by a holiday display featuring more than 50,000 lights! On the return trip, festive laser lights can be seen dancing against the rock wall of Colorado’s largest canyon. 

There are many options you may want to explore to make this holiday journey even more memorable.

FAQs and COVID precautions.

Dates:
December 1-24 and 26-30

Hours: Up to 3 departures daily

Address:
330 Royal Gorge Boulevard
Canon City, Colorado 81212 (map)

Phone: (719) 275-2645

Tickets: Tickets range for children and adults $39.00 – $69.00

Website: royalgorgeroute.com

Visit one of Northern Colorado’s favorite holiday traditions! Walk through a whimsical, twinkling winter wonderland illuminated by hundreds of thousands of LED lights at the Gardens on Spring Creek.

Thanks to a recent expansion, Garden of Lights is bigger and more magical than ever before. The 2020 event will feature even more lights, more light sculptures, and music playing throughout the grounds.

Garden of Lights features nearly a half mile of perennial flower beds, huge sculptural flowers, butterflies, and a holiday village, all constructed entirely from holiday lights. The Color Blossom Show will feature 700 lighted blossoms.

Click here for info on COVID measures. 

Dates: December 9-27 (Closed Christmas Day)

Hours: Entrance times 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Address:
Gardens on Spring Creek
2145 Centre Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80526 (map)

Phone: (970) 416-2486

Tickets: Ticket prices vary by level and type. Click here for ticket info.

Website: fcgov.org

You can take in the sights and lights throughout downtown Boulder and Boulder’s Civic Area this season with a self-guided tour of the beautiful lighting displays throughout the district. Get the tour map and enjoy a spatially distanced walk-about as you take in the city’s best lighting productions. 

Take in the dazzle along the path at your own pace, discovering the lighting features at Boulder’s Civic Area lights, and at the vintage Pearl Street Mall lights. 

Dates: Now through January 10, 2021

Address:
Downtown Boulder Partnership
1942 Broadway, Suite 301
Boulder, Colorado 80302 (map)

Phone: (303) 449-3774

Tickets: Free

Website: boulderdowntown.com

Experience holiday magic at Winter Wonderlights, at Chapungu Sculpture Park at Centerra in Loveland.

Each night during Winter Wonderlights visitors can walk through the park and see more than 80,000 lights, including holiday string lights, twinkling bulbs, LED mappable snowflakes, illuminated African stone sculptures and 30-minute music and light shows every night. 

Tickets will only be required to attend the event on December 4, a Winter Wonderlights Live! celebration. No tickets will be needed any other evenings through the span of the event.

Visitors are encouraged to bring and donate canned food to benefit the Food Bank for Larimer County.

Dates: Open through Jan. 1, 2021—Free

Address:
5400 Stone Creek Circle
Loveland, CO 80538 (map)

Phone: (970) 667-3882

Website: visitlovelandco.org

Visitors will see thousands of lights covering the Pueblo Zoo during the holidays—plus more than 100 imaginative designs throughout the grounds. 

Nightly features include magical creations with 250,000 dancing lights, hot chocolate and treats at the Candy Cafe, and holiday browsing at the Pueblo Zoo’s Gift Shop. Warming Hut event rentals are also available. 

Dates: Through December 27

Hours: 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. each scheduled night 

Address:
3455 Nuckolls Avenue
Pueblo, CO 81005 (map)

Phone: (719) 561-1452

Tickets:
— Click here to find your ticket cost 
— Info on Member/Non-Member and Discount Nights

Website: pueblozoo.org