Where to find Christmas, holiday lights near Denver in 2025

Mile High Tree, Mile High Drone Show, Zoo lights, Christmas in Color, Blossoms of Light , Trail of Lights at DBG Chatfield Farms , Luminova Holidays, More lights

DENVER (KDVR) — The snow is not falling, but ski areas are still opening, festive bars are popping up, holiday lights are going up and the halls are being decked.

It’s no surprise that the twinkling lights can be seen all across Colorado — legend has it, the popular Christmas tradition got its start in Denver in the early 1900s.

Tickets are on sale now for some light displays that have become tradition for Coloradans to visit during the holiday season, and some are open now or opening soon. Some displays are also free to the public. Some displays offer sensory and accessibility friendly options.

Here are some festive light displays to put on your calendars this holiday season:

Mile High Tree

Tivoli Quad at the Auraria Campus Nov. 21-Dec. 31

The Mile High Tree draws both locals and visitors to downtown Denver each year to be immersed in the lights, for free. This year it will be at the Tivoli Quad at the Auraria Campus with the Christkindlmarkt.

The conical tree stands seven stories at 110 feet tall, which is taller than the tallest Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in history according to Visit Denver, and has a hollow center where up to 140 visitors can look up at the light show from inside the tree.

  • Mile High Tree, Mile High Drone Show, Zoo lights, Christmas in Color, Blossoms of Light , Trail of Lights at DBG Chatfield Farms , Luminova Holidays, More lights

    The Mile High Tree is illuminated in Civic Center Park, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in downtown Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

  • Mile High Tree, Mile High Drone Show, Zoo lights, Christmas in Color, Blossoms of Light , Trail of Lights at DBG Chatfield Farms , Luminova Holidays, More lights

    Visitors look at the Mile High Tree, America’s tallest digital tree, late Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Denver. The tree, which is on display in Civic Center Park, is 110-feet tall and combines music with lights to entertain visitors during the holiday season. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

  • Mile High Tree, Mile High Drone Show, Zoo lights, Christmas in Color, Blossoms of Light , Trail of Lights at DBG Chatfield Farms , Luminova Holidays, More lights

    A youth looks upward at the center of the Mile High tree. (Credit: VISIT DENVER and Evan Semón Photography)

Last year, USA Today named the Mile High Tree the fifth-best public light display in the entire country, and it was nominated again this year.

Mile High Drone Show

West of downtown Nov. 21 to Dec. 31

Each night at 7 p.m., the city will host free 10-15 minute drone shows featuring some 600 drones performing festive animations in the sky just west of downtown.

The city said people can get good views from around the Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus or Sculpture Park at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, or at some nearby rooftop bars.

Zoo lights

Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance Nov. 24-Jan. 4

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Dec. 5 – Dec. 23, Dec. 25 – Jan. 1

The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance has been putting on a holiday light show for over three decades. Today, the zoo uses more than 3 million lights in the display across 80 acres. The zoo said it attracts some 300,000 spectators over the season.

DZCA’s Zoo Lights were nominated among the best in the nation and are in the vote for USA Today’s 10 Best again this year.

There is also the Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, which USA Today named as the second best zoo light display in the nation last year and is also up for the honor this year. Tickets to both are available online.

Christmas in Color

Red Rocks, Water World Nov. 28-Dec. 28

Christmas In Color, a drive-through, immersive holiday light experience, will have displays at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre and Water World Water Park this season.

This display allows visitors to gaze at the dazzling lights from the comfort of their vehicle and is about a mile long. The lights are synchronized with holiday music that visitors can tune into on their car radio.

  • Mile High Tree, Mile High Drone Show, Zoo lights, Christmas in Color, Blossoms of Light , Trail of Lights at DBG Chatfield Farms , Luminova Holidays, More lights

    Christmas In Color is an immersive, drive-through holiday light experience where groups can enjoy lights while listening to synchronized holiday music. (Photo courtesy: Christmas in Color)

  • Mile High Tree, Mile High Drone Show, Zoo lights, Christmas in Color, Blossoms of Light , Trail of Lights at DBG Chatfield Farms , Luminova Holidays, More lights

    Christmas In Color is an immersive, drive-through holiday light experience where groups can enjoy lights while listening to synchronized holiday music. (Photo courtesy: Christmas in Color)

  • Mile High Tree, Mile High Drone Show, Zoo lights, Christmas in Color, Blossoms of Light , Trail of Lights at DBG Chatfield Farms , Luminova Holidays, More lights

    Christmas In Color is an immersive, drive-through holiday light experience where groups can enjoy lights while listening to synchronized holiday music. (Photo courtesy: Christmas in Color)

  • Mile High Tree, Mile High Drone Show, Zoo lights, Christmas in Color, Blossoms of Light , Trail of Lights at DBG Chatfield Farms , Luminova Holidays, More lights

    Christmas In Color is an immersive, drive-through holiday light experience where groups can enjoy lights while listening to synchronized holiday music. (Photo courtesy: Christmas in Color)

  • Mile High Tree, Mile High Drone Show, Zoo lights, Christmas in Color, Blossoms of Light , Trail of Lights at DBG Chatfield Farms , Luminova Holidays, More lights

    Christmas In Color is an immersive, drive-through holiday light experience where groups can enjoy lights while listening to synchronized holiday music. (Photo courtesy: Christmas in Color)

Each vehicle needs one ticket, which can be purchased online.

Blossoms of Light

Denver Botanic Gardens Nov. 21-Jan. 11

Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens  is in its 40th year of transforming the winter gardens into an “illuminated wonderland filled with vibrant displays, immersive installation and the warm glow of cherished memories–old and new,” the website states.

The event is on from Nov. 21 to Jan. 11. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online. The gardens will also have holiday treats and warm drinks available through the season.

Blossoms of Light has been named among the 10BEST each year since 2018, and it is up for the award again this year.

Trail of Lights at DBG Chatfield Farms

Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms Nov. 21-Jan. 11

The Denver Botanic Gardens’ Chatfield Farms location in Littleton will also have a festive display of lights that people can walk through, Trail of Lights.

The trail will have warming stations, light tunnels, lights synchronized to music, hot beverages and snack stations and more. Tickets are available online.

Luminova Holidays

Elitch Gardens Nov. 28-Jan. 4

The amusement park will be decorated with more than four million lights for the holidays, and will also offer festive rides, and a new holiday show in the theatre.

More lights

There are plenty of other holiday light displays to see, from local towns stringing lights on trees and pay-to-see displays to neighborhood spectacles.

Here are some areas where people may find festive lights to walk through this season:

  • Cherry Creek North neighborhood
  • Downtown Englewood
  • South Broadway
  • Larimer Square
  • Union Station
  • Denver City and County Building

There are also some limited-time events like the Candlelight Walk in downtown Littleton on Nov. 28.

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