On Friday, Nov. 27, the Candlelight Walk parade will line up at Alamo and Rapp Streets and finish at Main and Sycamore. Performers will play in front of Grande Station. Santa will light the holiday trees in Bega Park, and then a drone show will light the sky above the Melting Pot at the west end of Main Street. The City of Littleton's October/November Littleton Report lists the parade route, stage location and tree-lighting site under the heading "New this year."

Visit Littleton places Bega Park at West Main and South Rio Grande Streets, at the east end of downtown. The drone show happens at the west end. Under this year's plan, the two moments that close the evening happen at opposite ends of Main Street, one after the other. On the south side of downtown, the City's Prince Street Link project has crews working on South Prince Street up to West Alamo Avenue, the same street where the parade lines up. That means two decisions this year: where to stand on Main, and how to get downtown.

The Evening, in Order

The City's report gives the schedule below.

The posted hours don't all match. Visit Littleton's Candlelight Walk page lists the event as 5 to 8 p.m. The Littleton Downtown Development Authority's event listing shows 5:30 to 7 p.m. The City's schedule, with entertainment at 5 p.m. and the parade at 6:30, is the more detailed of the three. Arriving by 5 p.m. covers any of them. Grande Station describes itself as a locally owned restaurant on historic Main Street, which puts the stage in front of one of the street's own businesses.

One thing is back from last year: guests 21 and older can buy a holiday cocktail to carry while they walk the event.

The Last Two Moments Happen at Opposite Ends of Main

The order in the table matters once you look at a map. The parade ends at Main and Sycamore. Santa lights the trees in Bega Park at the east end. The drone show follows over the Melting Pot at the west end. If you want to be close to both, you'll be walking the length of Main Street in a holiday crowd right after the parade.

For most families, the easier plan is to pick one end and stay there.

1. East end, near Bega Park. You'll see the tree lighting up close. Visit Littleton describes the park as having benches, shade trees, public art and a tribute to Bega, Australia, Littleton's sister city.
2. West end, near the Melting Pot. The drone show is directly overhead. That's also the end closest to the 5 p.m. entertainment if you arrived early for the stage and Santa photos.
3. Along the parade route. The parade comes up from Alamo and Rapp to Main and Sycamore. You'll get the 6:30 parade and can then decide which way to walk.

The Parade Starts on Alamo, and So Does the Street Work

The City's Prince Street Link project covers South Prince Street between West Lake Avenue and West Alamo Avenue. It includes a major reconstruction of the Prince and Church intersection. The City's Oct. 2 Littleton Links newsletter confirmed that construction had begun and said traffic impacts on that stretch would last through spring 2027. The project is set to add wider, more accessible sidewalks where possible, ADA-compliant curb ramps, bike lanes and new signal equipment with longer crossing times. The goal is to connect downtown with Arapahoe Community College, the Colorado Center for the Blind and the RTD Littleton/Downtown Station.

The City expected the timing to collide with the holidays. The Sept. 18 Littleton Links newsletter said "some impacts will occur during the busy fall and holiday season and continue into the winter." It told drivers to expect lane and intersection impacts and possible delays on South Prince, and asked people heading downtown to plan ahead. The City's two notices give different end dates. The September notice says work runs through February 2027, and the October update says traffic impacts last through spring 2027. Either way, the project will still be underway on Nov. 27.

The City hasn't published closure dates or detours for individual work phases. Littleton's Cone Zone page has an interactive road-work map that the City updates weekly. Check it in the days before the 27th, not now.

Getting Downtown When the Parking Plan Isn't Posted Yet

As of late October, the City hasn't published a 2026 parking plan, street-closure hours or a shuttle for the Candlelight Walk. Visit Littleton's Know Before You Go page is still dated for the 2025 event. Last year it listed free parking at the Littleton Center, 2255 W. Berry Ave., and at Arapahoe Community College Lot B on Church Avenue between Nevada and Sumner Streets. Those lots worked in 2025. Church Avenue now sits in the Prince Street Link project area, so check for updated guidance before counting on Lot B.

Light rail is another option. The Downtown Development Authority's Getting Around page says light rail serves downtown. It also points to a park-and-ride lot near the Littleton/Downtown Station and more parking north of Main along Rio Grande Street. Rio Grande is also where Bega Park sits, at the east end. If the trees are your priority, that end of downtown is the natural place to arrive.

The Same Friday Starts the Rest of the Season

The 27th is also the opening date for most of Littleton's holiday season.

• Sparkle and Stroll starts that night and runs through Dec. 24. The program comes from the Littleton Downtown Development Authority. Pick up a Sparkle Card at a participating business and collect stamps when you shop or dine downtown. Drop the card off at the Town Hall Arts Center, or upload a photo of it, to enter drawings for gift cards and a $250 grand prize announced in January.
• Hudson Holidays at Hudson Gardens also opens Nov. 27 and runs through Jan. 3, 2027. It includes lighted garden paths, a lighted maze, large themed displays and Santa.
• Small Business Saturday follows on Nov. 28, per the Downtown Littleton events calendar.

With Hudson Holidays and the Candlelight Walk opening the same night, plenty of households will pick one for Friday and save the other for later. Hudson Gardens' ticketing makes that easy. Any-day presale tickets are $15 for adults and seniors and $10 for youth ages 3 to 12, from Nov. 6 at 10 a.m. through Nov. 8 at 11:59 p.m., or until they sell out. Dated tickets go on sale Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. at $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $15 for youth. Children 2 and under are free. Buy an any-day ticket during presale and you can keep Nov. 27 for Main Street and visit the gardens on a quieter night. The garden's Hudson Holidays page also lists a sensory-friendly night on Dec. 2.

The Weeks Around It

Here are the other dates to know before and after the 27th:

The Colorado Antique Gallery is leaving its South Broadway location. The Littleton Independent reported that it plans to reopen Nov. 14 on West Bowles Avenue and expects about 90% of its vendors to move with it. On Main Street, Leaves on Main opened Sept. 5 at 2699 Main St. It sells houseplants, books and gifts, and it's open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the Littleton Independent. It's one of the newer shops on Main to visit before the parade starts at 6:30.

If you're hosting family over Thanksgiving weekend and want help planning a Friday night downtown or a weekend that covers both Main Street and Hudson Gardens, Anne Dresser Kocur and her team are glad to share what they know about Littleton's holiday calendar. Book an appointment any time this season.