Kickoff to Christmas

With 25 days until Christmas, NOW starts the busiest season of the year!  Kickoff off the holiday season with a fun event the the whole family can enjoy.  

Broomfield Tree Lighting Ceremony– Friday, December 7th, 6 pm

Welcome Santa Claus at the George DiCiero City & County Building while listening to carolers from local schools.  Watch the Mayor light the community holiday tree and enjoy a ride through the lights bundled up on a wagon!

Westminster Holiday Lighting Ceremony– Saturday, December 1st, 5:30- 8:30 pm

Experience the magical wonderland of lights at the annual Holiday Lighting Ceremony at Westminster City Hall, complete with live holiday music, food trucks, carnival games and a visit with Santa! The full-size sleigh and kid-size train are perfect settings for family photos. Dress warmly—the event is mostly outside! 

Home for the Holidays in Lafayette- Saturday, December 1st, 1:30- 5 pm

Visit with Santa and his elf, enjoy carolers and the tree lighting at dusk.

Holiday Open House in Arvada- Tuesday, December 4th, 5:30 pm

Celebrate the holiday season with the Arvada Library during the Olde Town Arvada Lagniappe celebration and holiday tree lightning. Swing by the Library and maybe even share your holiday wishes with Santa Claus!

Thornton Winterfest– Friday, December 7th thru Sunday, December 9th

From the turning on of the holiday lights in the miniature Santa’s Village to the ice skating pond; from the tree decorating contest to the Holiday Marketplace and a grand finale fireworks show, there will be lots for everyone to see and do.

Noel Northglenn– Friday, December 7th, 5:30- 8:30 pm

Join Rudolph, Charlie Brown, Frosty the Snowman and The Grinch at the Northglenn Rec Center to kick off the holiday season.  Eat s’mores fireside before taking a carriage ride around the Civic Center.  Inside enjoy an indoor snowball fight and face painting.  Kids can get a holiday book at Rudolph’s Reading Raffle and play the “Guess How Many” game to win a ride to school in a Northglenn Police squad car!  Purchase a photo with Santa for $5 or take it yourself on your phone or camera.  

Louisville Parade of Lights– Friday, December 7th, 5:30- 9 pm

Enjoy musical entertainment provided by local schools & churches, a living nativity, petting zoo and visits with Santa.  The Parade begins at 7:00 p.m. at the south end of Main Street and ends on South Street.

Denver Halloween Fun

There are still 2 weekends left to squeeze in every last drop of Halloween fun.  The Denver area is home to a lot of family-friendly Halloween events – here are some of our favorites!

Pumpkin Nights Denver @ Adams County Fair and Regional Park Complex- 9755 Henderson Rd., Brighton, CO 80601. Tickets are $20 for general adult admission and can be purchased here.  This Halloween attraction is new to Denver this year! More than 3,000 hand-carved pumpkins create eight different pumpkin lands, including Pumpkin Pirate Cove, Spider Alley, Monster Mash, Pumpkin Passage and more. Enjoy sipping some hot apple cider, watch a movie screening of Pixar’s “Coco,” visit the pumpkin patch, paint a pumpkin, and watch pumpkin artists as they carve giant pumpkins.  Open nightly, 5:30 pm- 10 pm, thru November 4th.

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 10th Annual Pumpkin Carving & Costume Competition @ Little Man Ice Cream- Sunday, October 21st, 1- 4 pm.  Bring your own pumpkin to carve or buy one from their patch.  Prizes will be given for: spookiest, most original, cutest, best-dressed family/group, most creative cats &/or dogs.  Carving begins at 1 pm, with judging starting at 3 pm!

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Westminster Halloween Harvest Festival held downtown @ 5453 W. 88th Ave, from noon to 8 pm on Saturday, October 20th.  This family-friendly event has been combined with the annual Westy Fest to create an even bigger and better event than before!  Entrance is free and includes carnival games, trick or treating, musical performances, a hot-air balloon glow, a beer garden, pumpkin patch, food trucks, jumping castles, BBQ competition and more.  Find parking info here.

Old Towne Arvada Trick or Treat Street on Friday October 26th, 5- 7 pm. Dress up your little one’s and trick or treat through local businesses in downtown Arvada.  This free event also has a costume contest held in Olde Town Square.

Glow at the Gardens @ The Denver Botanic Gardens, 5:30-9:30 pm, October 23rd, 24th and 25th.  Find tickets here.  The Gardens are lined with luminaria pathways, spooky lighting displays and hundreds of carved, glowing gourds.  Ornately detailed showpiece pumpkins are carved out of real pumpkins harvested from local farms. In addition to the pumpkin sculptures and creepy atmosphere, enjoy a wide array of activities, including:

  • LED performers from Mesmerie Entertainment
  • Spooky storytelling from Stories with Spirit
  • Strolling magic tricks from Chad Wonder
  • Pumpkin carving demos from world-class pumpkin carvers
  • Trick-or-treating
  • Glow-in-the-dark cornhole
  • Halloween carnival games
  • Hands-on crafts and coloring
  • Scavenger hunt
  • Halloween trivia wheel

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