Beginning Thanksgiving weekend, downtown Denver will be twinkling like never before. Take an evening stroll through the heart of the city by following this self-guided tour. All of these attractions are free and can be experienced throughout the holiday season. 

You can start the tour at any point and easily get around using the free 16th Street MallRide. Along the way, there are tons of places to dine or warm up with a coffee, tea, cocoa or hot toddy. The complete tour, as described, is about two miles from one end to the other.

Map

Denver Union Station

During Thanksgiving weekend each year, the switch gets flipped on the holiday lights at Denver Union Station, providing the perfect backdrop for selfies. 

 

Dairy Block 

Just two blocks from Denver Union Station, Dairy Block created Denver's first fully activated alleyway and has become a year-round must-see in the city with access to the Denver Milk Market gourmet food hall and the Maven Hotel. For the holidays, the heated alley takes on some special magical cheer. 

 

Larimer Square Lights

Larimer Square is Denver’s urban shopping district where Victorian buildings house specialty boutiques and unique chef-driven restaurants. It's also a popular gathering spot during the holidays where Larimer Square Lights features — you guessed it — dazzling lights, festive decorations and live music.

 

Night Lights Denver at the Daniels & Fisher Tower

Along the 16th Street Mall, the Denver Theatre District launched Night Lights Denver in early November 2019. This year-round, cutting-edge projection mapping installation on the Arapahoe Street side of the Daniels & Fisher Tower (1601 Arapahoe St.) is on display every Thursday through Saturday evening. Don’t miss the chance to see ultra-creative minds utilize this iconic Denver landmark — once the tallest building in Denver and west of the Mississippi — as a cultural canvas for sharing their work. Night Lights Denver features works by Colorado-based artists.  

 

Mile High Drone Show

For 40 magical nights, 400 drones will soar into the sky, creating breathtaking holiday-themed animations. See these dazzling displays from across the city every night at 7 p.m. for free. From Santa and his reindeer to iconic Denver landmarks like the Mile High Tree and Denver Union Station, each night will bring a new visual experience to life. One of the best places to see the show is at Sculpture Park at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. You can take a break from your tour by also heading to Peaks Lounge at Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center or 54thirty Rooftop bar at the Le Méridien Denver Downtown where you'll find, in addition to the drone show, stunning views of the Rocky Mountains.

 

The Mile High Tree presented by Xcel Energy & Xfinity

Step inside this brilliantly lit, 110-foot-tall, 39-foot-wide immersive art installation. The Mile High Tree is the tallest digital tree in North America (and the tallest art installation in Denver’s history by the way) and features spectacular evening light shows using pixel LED technology choreographed to the classic holiday songs. The tree will be lit throughout the season for the public’s enjoyment and will be open for program viewings every night from 5–10 p.m., Nov. 22–Dec. 31, 2024. The tree is located near one of Denver's other major holiday attractions, the  Denver Christkindlmarket (Nov. 22–Dec. 23, 2024), in Civic Center Park. It's the city’s only authentic German holiday market and features lights, food, music and, of course, unique gifts. It's the perfect way to start or end your tour. 

 

Denver City & County Building

It doesn't get any more colorful than this. Denver’s annual lighting of the City & County Building on the day after Thanksgiving dates back almost 100 years. You can see the brilliant display nightly throughout the holiday season.

 

More Lights All Over Town

And there's more! Hundreds of thousands of lights also adorn the 16th Street Mall, Skyline Park, 14th Street, Larimer Square and more. Merry and magical moments are all over downtown just waiting to be unwrapped. Also, check out Zoo Lights at Denver Zoo, Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens and Luminova Holidays at Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park. See more lights extravaganzas. 

 

Private Tours 

This holiday season, embark on a fun-filled, 90-minute Denver holiday lights bus tour experience with Discover Denver Tours as you take in all of the magic and cheer of this festive time of year in The Mile High City. Enjoy the unique history, architecture and beauty of Denver’s holiday lights and top sights at night. The tours are limited to 14 guests and you'll get to see and experience Denver's holiday lights in the toasty warm comfort of the shuttles. They are also offering walking tours as well.