Two Fridays Start Littleton's Holiday Season: Planning Around the Candlelight Walk and Hudson Holidays

Two Fridays a week apart start Littleton's holiday season this year. The first is Nov. 20, when Town Hall Arts Center opens its holiday show and downtown merchants hold Pink Friday. The second is Nov. 27, when the Candlelight Walk fills Main Street and Hudson Holidays switches on its lights for the first time, on the same evening. The Candlelight Walk is one night only. Hudson Holidays runs into January.

November 20 is the real opening night

Downtown starts a week before Thanksgiving. The Historic Downtown Littleton Merchants list Pink Friday on Nov. 20, followed by Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28. Their calendar also notes that merchants stay open late during the Candlelight Walk.

Town Hall Arts Center also opens Big: The Musical, which it calls its holiday show, on Nov. 20. The run lasts through Dec. 27. Evening shows start at 7:30 p.m., matinees at 2 p.m., and the Dec. 6 performance starts at 6:30 p.m. A Pink Friday stop at the shops before a 7:30 curtain makes for an easy downtown evening a full week before the parade.

November 27: two openings, one evening

Thanksgiving weekend is when the calendar gets crowded. The City of Littleton's Candlelight Walk page gives this schedule for Friday, Nov. 27:

• 5:30 p.m. Event begins on Main Street, with carolers, dancing Christmas trees, hot cider and Santa's reindeer
• 6:30 p.m. Holiday parade begins
• After the parade Santa lights the big tree in Bowles Plaza
• Finale A drone show over the Melting Pot at the west end of Main Street

The posted end time depends on which page you read. The City lists 7:30 p.m. Visit Littleton lists 5 to 8 p.m. The Downtown Littleton calendar lists 5:30 to 7 p.m. All of them agree on a 6:30 parade, so plan around that and check the City page again that week. Visit Littleton's "Know Before You Go" section still asks visitors to check back, so expect parking and street details closer to the date.

Hudson Holidays at Hudson Gardens opens that same night and runs from Nov. 27 through Jan. 3, 2027. It offers a garden light walk and maze, themed displays and visits with Santa. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m., except Dec. 24, when it closes at 7 p.m.

Trying to do both on the 27th means leaving one before it's over. The parade, the tree lighting and the drone show only happen once, and Hudson Holidays will be there for weeks. Give Thanksgiving Friday to Main Street and save the gardens for a December evening. Hudson's themed nights, covered further down, give you good reasons to pick one.

Where to stop before the parade

Arriving early for the Candlelight Walk now gives you a few downtown stops that weren't open a year ago.

Leaves on Main opened Sept. 5 at 2699 Main Street. The Littleton Independent describes it as a plant shop that also carries books and gifts for plant lovers. It's an easy stop if you have a houseplant person on your gift list.

Tonic Zero Proof Bar at 5767 S. Rapp Street serves mocktails, kava drinks, coffee and other nonalcoholic drinks, according to the Independent. Downtown Littleton profiled it in August as a place that builds community. It works for a warm drink before the parade with anyone in your group who isn't drinking. Its hours have changed since it opened, so check before you go.

Lewis and Cluck, the chicken-feed and supply shop, has moved back downtown from South Broadway to 5827 S. Rapp Street. Backyard flock keepers have their supply shop just steps from where the season's shopping happens.

The Diamond Reserve Littleton on West Main Street is a full-service jewelry showroom focused on bridal and diamonds. Downtown Littleton described its 3,000-square-foot showroom when it opened earlier this year. It's also an option on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, the day after the parade.

Dinner off Main Street on a December night

Saving Hudson Holidays for December also means a separate dinner trip, and several of Littleton's recent openings are away from downtown.

Momma's Kitchen took over the former Littleton Cafe space at 1409 W. Littleton Blvd. and quietly opened July 18, the Independent reported. Anyone who misses the old cafe can try the new kitchen at the same address.

Summit Steak Bar at 5869 S. Alkire St., Suite B, cuts and dry-ages its steaks in house and runs a members-only High Steaks Club, according to the Denver Gazette. It's the newest sit-down option on this list and fits a dinner you plan in advance.

Fast as Pho opened March 19 at 10161 W. Bowles Ave. It serves pho, boba tea and soft-serve, and it has a drive-through, per the Independent. A hot bowl of soup before a cold walk through a garden maze is a good plan in December.

7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee is expected at 111 W. Mineral Ave. in November, with Nov. 16 given as the projected opening date, the Independent reported. Opening dates can move, so confirm before planning a coffee stop around it.

December's smaller nights

After Thanksgiving weekend, December's events are more specific, and many are aimed at particular ages or interests. These are the Hudson Holidays special nights posted so far, all from 5 to 9 p.m., along with Town Hall's holiday shows.

The Dec. 2 sensory-friendly night is a good choice for anyone who would find the Candlelight Walk crowd too much. In both of Town Hall's interactive shows, audience volunteers take roles in the story, and A Christmas Carol runs about an hour. Both start at 11 a.m., so they work as a daytime outing. Hudson Gardens hasn't posted themed nights after Dec. 12 yet, so check its calendar again before the second half of the month.

If you have a friend or relative thinking about Littleton and want them to see the town during Candlelight Walk weekend, or you're getting ready for your own move in the new year, The Rowley Group would be glad to help you plan the visit and answer questions along the way. Contact us and we'll help you get started.