Douglas County, Colorado
Douglas County Holiday Events: The Complete Guide
The whole holiday season in one place — the tree lightings, the markets, the carriage rides, and the one night the Star goes on above Castle Rock. Some dates are locked for 2026; the rest we know from last year and will confirm as the towns post them. Here's everything worth putting on the calendar.
By Connor Tien, DougCo Social · Updated July 2026
Locked for 2026
These dates are confirmed on the towns' official calendars. The rest of the season — the markets, Stumblin' Santa, the Sip & Stroll, New Year's Eve — is filled in further down, with last year's dates until 2026's are posted.
| Date | Event | Town |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, Nov 21 | Castle Rock Starlighting | Castle Rock |
| Fri, Nov 27 | Mayor's Holiday Lighting | Parker |
| Nov 28 – Dec 20 | Hometown Holiday Experience | Parker |
| Fri, Dec 4 | Winter Wonderland tree lighting | Castle Pines |
| Dec 4 – 6 | Merry Days (tree lighting Dec 4) | Lone Tree |
| Dec 4 – 5 | Festival Park Starlight Market | Castle Rock |
| Sat, Dec 5 | Reindeer Games | Castle Rock |
| Sat, Dec 5 | Christmas Market at Plum Creek Church | Castle Rock |
| Sat, Dec 12 | Storytellers & S'mores | Castle Rock |
🏔️ Castle Rock
Castle Rock Starlighting — Sat, Nov 21
The night that kicks off the whole season. Downtown fills up all afternoon, the ceremony is at 5 p.m., the Star on the bluff lights around 5:30 p.m., and fireworks follow. It's free — and it's the Saturday before Thanksgiving, not after. Full Starlighting guide →
Festival Park Starlight Market — Dec 4 & 5
Castle Rock's premier holiday craft-and-food market: 40-plus vendors, holiday music, food trucks, roasted chestnuts, hot cocoa, and a 40-foot decorated tree, all at Festival Park. Free. Friday, December 4, 3–8 p.m. and Saturday, December 5, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Reindeer Games — Sat, Dec 5
Free family afternoon, 1–4 p.m. at the Miller Park Amphitheater — holiday games and activities.
Storytellers & S'mores — Sat, Dec 12
Free, 5–7 p.m. at Festival Park — holiday stories and s'mores by the fire.
Sip & Stroll — Thursday, December 3
The free downtown passport crawl, holiday edition: shops open late, festive sips and snacks, horse and carriage rides, and gift cards to win. The 2026 edition is set for Thursday, December 3. Full Sip & Stroll guide →
Carriage rides & the free winter trolley — all season
Horse-drawn carriage rides run through downtown Wednesday through Sunday, roughly November 22 through January 3 (ticketed, reserve ahead). The free winter trolley runs Monday and Tuesday evenings on a figure-eight loop through the downtown lights.
The Christmas markets & Stumblin' Santa — mid-December (dates TBA)
Shopping the season? Our Craft Fairs & Holiday Markets guide rounds up every craft fair, Christmas market, and shop-local night from September through December in one place.
- Stumblin' Santa — a free, festive downtown bar crawl. 2025 was Saturday, December 13. See our full guide.
- 105 Christmas Market at 105 West Brewing — handmade crafts and seasonal goodies. 2025 ran the weekend of December 13–14.
- Christmas Market at Plum Creek Church — confirmed Saturday, December 5, 2026, 9 a.m.–noon. A free market with dozens of local artisans; 500-plus neighbors shopped last year.
- Holly Jolly Christmas Boutique — downtown holiday shopping. Runs in mid-December.
- Annual Tree Lighting at the Outlets — free concert, Santa, and fireworks. 2025 was Saturday, November 15.
Dates above are last year's — 2026 dates for these hadn't been posted at the time of writing. We update this page as they're announced.
🎄 Parker
Mayor's Holiday Lighting — Fri, Nov 27
Parker's tree lighting at O'Brien Park, 5–7 p.m. — the kickoff to the town's holiday season and one of its biggest nights, drawing thousands.
Hometown Holiday Experience — Nov 28 – Dec 20
Weeks of holiday programming across downtown Parker and O'Brien Park through the first three weekends of December.
Yuletide Bazaar & Downtown Parker Holiday Market — dates TBA
Parker's big holiday craft fairs — the 19th Annual Yuletide Bazaar and the Downtown Parker Holiday Market both ran in past Decembers. 2026 dates not yet posted.
🎁 Lone Tree, Castle Pines & Highlands Ranch
Lone Tree Merry Days — Dec 4–6
Lone Tree's holiday weekend, with the tree lighting on Friday, December 4, hosted around the Lone Tree Arts Center.
Castle Pines Winter Wonderland — Fri, Dec 4
Castle Pines' tree lighting, 5–7 p.m. — with a drone show and a visit from Santa.
HRCA Holiday Gift Fair — Sat, Nov 14
Highlands Ranch's big indoor holiday craft-and-gift fair, hosted by the HRCA.
🎆 New Year's Eve
No 2026 dates are posted yet, but Douglas County has options on December 31. In past years that's meant a Parker New Year's Eve drone show, a Lone Tree NYE Bash, and a New Year's Eve dance party at Sinners & Saints in Castle Rock. We'll build out the full New Year's Eve lineup here as the dates land — subscribe to catch them.
Holiday events on our calendar
Live from our events calendar — updates automatically as dates are posted.
Frequently Asked Questions
The anchor is the Castle Rock Starlighting on Saturday, November 21 — the night the Star on the bluff above town is lit, with fireworks after. From there the season fills in: the Festival Park Starlight Market (December 4–5), Reindeer Games (December 5), Storytellers & S’mores (December 12), tree lightings in Parker, Lone Tree, and Castle Pines the first week of December, Christmas markets across Castle Rock, the Sip & Stroll downtown (December 3), Stumblin’ Santa, and New Year’s Eve. Most are free.
Saturday, November 21, 2026, 2–6 p.m. in downtown Castle Rock. The ceremony is at 5 p.m. and the Star lights around 5:30 p.m., with fireworks after. Note that it is the Saturday BEFORE Thanksgiving, not after. It kicks off the Season of the Star, which runs into late January.
The Castle Rock Chamber sells a commemorative Starlighting ornament every year — a gold-plated collector’s piece featuring a different historic Castle Rock landmark each season. They sell at the Starlighting celebration and the Chamber office, and past-year designs are sometimes still available at the office. See our Starlighting guide for details.
Friday, December 4 (3–8 p.m.) and Saturday, December 5, 2026 (11 a.m.–7 p.m.) at Festival Park in downtown Castle Rock. It is a free craft-and-food market — 40-plus vendors, holiday music, food trucks, hot cocoa, and a 40-foot decorated tree.
Several. The big one is the Festival Park Starlight Market (December 4–5). The Christmas Market at Plum Creek Church is confirmed for Saturday, December 5, 2026 (9 a.m.–noon) — a free market with dozens of local artisans that drew 500-plus shoppers last year. The 105 Christmas Market at 105 West Brewing and the Holly Jolly Christmas Boutique have also run in past Decembers; 2026 dates for those have not been posted yet. We update this page as they are announced.
Thursday, December 3, 2026. It is a free downtown Castle Rock passport crawl with festive sips, carriage rides, and gift cards to win; past editions have run 5 to 8 p.m., and the shop lineup gets posted closer to the date. See our full Sip & Stroll guide.
Not announced for 2026. The 2025 edition was Saturday, December 13 — a free, festive downtown Castle Rock bar crawl running from the evening into the early morning. It has landed in mid-December, so expect something similar; we will post the date when Downtown Castle Rock does. See our full Stumblin’ Santa guide.
Yes. Holiday carriage rides run through downtown Castle Rock across the season — Wednesday through Sunday, roughly November 22 through January 3 (ticketed, reserve ahead). The free winter trolley runs Monday and Tuesday evenings on a figure-eight loop through the downtown holiday lights.
No 2026 date has been announced on any town calendar yet. In past years Douglas County has had a Parker New Year’s Eve drone show, a Lone Tree NYE Bash, and a New Year’s Eve dance party at Sinners & Saints in Castle Rock, among others. We will build out the New Year’s Eve lineup here as dates are posted.
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Sources: Confirmed 2026 dates verified on the Town of Castle Rock, Parker, Lone Tree, and Castle Pines official calendars. Events marked “date TBA” are described from their most recent editions and will be updated when 2026 dates are posted. Last updated July 2026 — always confirm times and details with the organizer before you go.
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