Little Hiccups: Holiday Events Still Happening in Denver

Christmas has been and gone for another year, but the festive spirit is still alive and well in Denver with many popular holiday events still happening for a little while yet.

Not ready to say goodbye to the festive season just yet? Read on to find out which holiday events are still up and running around Denver.

I've shared all the information for each event below, but here's a quick run down in order of closing date of the events you'll find shared in this post.

Closing Date Event

12/31/25 Denver's Mile High Tree

01/02/26 Christmas at Gaylord Rockies

01/04/26 Elitch Holidays at Elitch Gardens

01/04/26 Denver Zoo Lights

01/04/26 Hudson Holidays at Hudson Gardens

01/11/26 Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens

01/11/26 Trail of Light at Chatfield Farms

01/26/26 Light the Lights at Denver City Council Building

All Winter Ice Castles

All Winter Mister Christmas Diorama at Museum of Outdoor Arts

Through December 31st
Denver's Mile High Tree

The Mile High Tree is back again and this year it has a new location at the Auraria Campus Tivoli Quad. Visitors can enjoy the ever changing lights on the 110ft "tree" as they twinkle in time to holiday classics. The light displays can be enjoyed from outside the tree as well as inside. Laying down inside the tree and looking up at the lights above as they swirl around and twinkle is my favorite. It's really is an experience not to miss.

Denver's Mile High Tree is on display through December 31st from 5pm to 10pm.

You can see our past visits to Mile High Tree here and here.

For more information and hours visit https://www.denver.org/milehighholidays/tree/

Denver's Mile High Tree is located at Auraria Campus Tivoli Quad, 1000 Larimer Street, Denver.

Through January 2nd

Christmas at Gaylord Rockies

The Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora sure knows how to make the holiday season as festive as possible. Visitors will find stunning light displays throughout the resort and grounds, holiday shops with tasty treats and gifts galore, scavenger hunts, indoor tubing, and all sorts of fun entertainment. The highlight of celebrating the holidays at Gaylord Rockies is the ever popular ICE! immersive exhibit. Visitors don giant blue parkas and enter a frozen wonderland of colorful ice sculptures, ice slides and so much more. This year's ICE! exhibit features scenes from Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. You can see our previous visits here and here.

Christmas activities at Gaylord Rockies run through January 2nd. Times vary depending on the activity.

Tickets prices vary depending on the activity and date.

Tickets can be purchased online at https://christmasatgaylordrockies.marriott.com/.

Gaylord Rockies is located at 6700 North Gaylord Rockies Boulevard, Aurora.

Through January 4th

Elitch Holidays at Elitch Gardens

Denver's favorite theme park, Elitch Gardens, amps up the festive spirit this holiday season with Elitch Holidays. Formerly Luminova, Elitch Holidays features millions of dazzling lights, a 65ft Christmas tree, a giant lighted snowman, a 200ft candy cane tunnel, interactive activities, Santa and his elves, strolling holiday entertainers, and rides on limited Elitch Gardens attractions including the carousel, Big Wheel, Meow Wolf's Kaleidoscope, Tea Cups and more. You can see our visits to Elitch Holidays here, here and here.

Elitch Holidays runs through January 4th from 5pm to 10pm.

Tickets are $24.99 per person. Children ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge.

Elitch Holidays is also included with 2025 and 2026 Elitch Gardens season passes.

Tickets can be purchased in advance online at https://elitchgardens.com/elitch-holidays/.

Elitch Gardens is located at 2000 Elitch Circle, Denver.

Denver Zoo Lights

Denver Zoo is a favorite with Colorado families at anytime of year, but during the holiday season is when it really shines. Literally! With over 2 million lights spread over 80 acres, Zoo Lights is a spectacle that the whole family will love. As well as beloved light displays, visitors will find s'mores stations, festive cocktails, hot drinks and animal viewing in the Tropical Discovery Building and El Pomar Village Hall (plus any other cold weather nocturnal animals that happen to be out and about).

You can see our previous visit to Zoo Lights here.

Zoo Lights runs on select nights through January 4th from 4:30pm - 9pm Sundays - Thursdays, and 4:30pm - 10pm Fridays and Saturdays.

Ticket prices vary depending on the day. Tickets start at $26 for adults, $19 for children (3 - 15), and children ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge.

Timed entry tickets must be purchased in advance online at https://denverzoo.org/events/zoolights/.

Denver Zoo is located at 2300 Steele Street, Denver.

Hudson Holidays at Hudson Gardens

The Hudson Gardens and Events Center in Littleton is home to Hudson Holidays. This sprawling outdoor event features over a million twinkling lights in trees and through out garden beds, inflatable snowmen, a holiday light tunnel and glowing reindeer. Visitors can warm up with hot drinks and snacks available on site. You can see our visit to Hudson Holidays here and here.

Hudson Holidays runs through January 4th from 5pm to 9:30pm.

Tickets for Hudson Holidays start at $20 for adults, $15 for children (3 - 12), and children ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge.

Tickets must be purchased online in advance at https://www.hudsongardens.org/enjoy/christmas-lights/.

Hudson Gardens is located at 6115 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton.

Through January 11th

Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens

Denver Botanic Gardens is a beautiful place to visit at any time of year, but during the holiday season it really comes to life thanks to the evening event Blossoms of Light. The actual blossoms may be gone for the Winter and the trees may be bare, but there is plenty of color to be seen thanks to thousands of twinkling lights that set the gardens aglow. Rug up in your Winter woolies, sip a hot chocolate and take a walk through the gardens where you'll be mesmerized by the sparking light displays, the glowing orbs that seem to float on the frozen ponds, the fascinating light sculptures and the fields of light that twinkle in time to music. You can see our visits here and here.

Blossoms of Light runs nightly through January 11th from 4:30pm to 9pm.

Tickets start at $27 for adults, $22 for children (ages 3 - 15), and children ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge.

Timed entry tickets must be purchased online in advance at https://www.botanicgardens.org/events/special-events/blossoms-light.

Denver Botanic Gardens is located at 1007 York Street, Denver.

Trail of Lights at Chatfield Farms

Denver Botanic Gardens offers two events over the festive season. Along with Blossoms of Light mentioned above, there's also Trail of Lights at the gardens' Littleton location, Chatfield Farms. This family friendly exhibition features a mile of dazzling light displays, a children's play area with synchronized music, antique tractors and farm machinery, an 1880s ranch homestead, and hot drinks and snacks to purchase. You can see our visit here.

Trail of Lights runs on various evenings through January 11th from 5pm to 8:30pm.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $12 for children (ages 3 - 15), and children ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge.

Tickets can be purchased online in advance at https://www.botanicgardens.org/events/special-events/trail-lights.

Chatfield Farms is located at 8500 West Deer Creek Canyon Road, Littleton.

Through January 26th

Light the Lights at Denver City Council Building

Denver's City Council Building is gorgeous any time of year, but during the holidays it comes to life with a colorful light display in the evenings. Through January 26th, the façade of the building will be lit up until 10:45pm most evenings. At 5:45pm and 6:45pm Tuesdays through Sundays there will be an 8 minute long light and music show for a little extra sparkle and magic.

For more information click here.

Through Winter

Ice Castles

Ice Castles return to Colorado this year with TWO locations! Like last year, Ice Castles will have a location in the tiny town of Cripple Creek. A new location in the town of Silverthorne joins the Ice Castles family.

Visitors will be amazed by the hand grown ice structures that glisten in the sun and glow at night thanks to colorful LED lights built into the ice. You can see our previous visits here, here and here.

Ice Castles at Silverthorne are already open while the Cripple Creek location will open January 10th. Both locations are open Thursdays through Mondays.

As the formation of the ice crystals that make up the structures are weather dependent, there’s no set end date yet, but generally Ice Castles run through late February.

Ice Castles are located at 339 Irene Avenue, Cripple Creek, and 125 Stephens Way, Silverthorne.

For more information and to book tickets visit https://icecastles.com/colorado/.

Mister Christmas Diorama at Museum of Outdoor Art

Like the Ice Castles, this one isn’t necessarily Christmas themed, but it IS Winter themed and quite festive, so I’m counting it!

It may be small, but this festive diorama housed in Museum of Outdoor Art’s “Victorian Diorama”outside Marjorie Park in Greenwood Village packs a mighty punch when it comes to Christmas cheer. Designed and created by diorama master, Mister Christmas, this fun display is full of wintry scenes made of recycled materials. The more you look, the more tiny details appear.

The best part? It’s free to visit!

For more information about Museum of Outdoor Arts visit https://moaonline.org/.

For more information about Mister Christmas visit https://www.clevermisterchristmas.com/.