"Gather around Central Square Plaza as we count down to the official lighting of Downtown Westminster and welcome the holiday season together!" That's how the City of Westminster's event listing describes the 6 p.m. moment on Saturday, November 21, 2026.
Downtown now has two things it didn't have for the 2025 lighting. Aerostat Park held its grand opening on May 30, 2026, and the City added four hours of free on-street parking downtown. Next Saturday's schedule lines up with both.
What Moved Since Last November
The event is free and family friendly. The Westminster Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Westminster Business Association are putting it on, in partnership with the City. Here is how the city's two listings compare.
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, November 22 | Saturday, November 21 |
| Hours | 4 to 8 p.m. | 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. |
| Listed location | Central Plaza Park, 5845 W. 89th Ave. | Central Square Plaza and Aerostat Park, 5845 W. 89th Ave. |
| Train rides | Not listed | Trackless train rides through Aerostat Park |
| Lighting | During the evening | 6 p.m. |
The whole event starts 90 minutes earlier, and the city's 2026 flyer adds a second venue. The 2025 listing put everything at Central Plaza Park. This year the market and lighting share the address with Aerostat Park, and the train rides run through the park.
Last year's listing promised free hot cocoa for the first 100 people, and this year's listing doesn't mention it, so plan to buy your own.
The Same Four Hours, Twice
The event runs exactly four hours, from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. The free street parking also lasts four hours. In May 2026, Downtown Westminster announced that the City is now offering four hours of free on-street parking throughout downtown, "in response to resident feedback."
Downtown's general visitor page also says the first four hours are free. If you park on the street when the market opens, your free time ends right when the event does, half an hour after the lights come on.
If you're staying for dinner after the lighting, count the hours from when you park and plan your arrival time around that. The City's parking page covers the citywide rules beyond downtown.
How the Afternoon Runs
The city's listing describes a program that fills the hours before the countdown. If you're arriving at 2:30, the day looks roughly like this.
- 2:30 p.m. The holiday market opens with local makers, artisans and small businesses selling gifts and seasonal treats.
- Through the afternoon: Trackless train rides loop through Aerostat Park. Live music, caroling and holiday performances run throughout, and Santa moves around downtown during the event.
- 6 p.m. The crowd gathers at Central Square Plaza to count down to the lighting.
- 6:30 p.m. The event ends.
The train rides are the newest part of the program and the easiest to fit in early, because the countdown at 6 pulls everyone back to the plaza.
Before 6 and After
The organizers suggest making an afternoon of it, and downtown has more places to fill one than it used to. The businesses below appear in the Downtown Westminster Business Association's business locator, sorted by when they fit into the day.
A warm drink or quick bite while you shop the market
- Sweet Bloom Coffee, 8850 Westminster Blvd.
- Superfruit Republic, 8940 Westminster Blvd.
- Salady, 8815 Eaton St.
- Vatos Tacos, 5815 W. 89th Ave., on the same stretch of 89th as the event address
Sit-down meals after the lighting
- Famille, 8875 Westminster Blvd.
- Tap & Burger, 8810 Westminster Blvd.
- Bonchon, 8805 Eaton St.
- Olive Garden, 5551 W. 88th Ave.
Things to do after 6:30
- Alamo Drafthouse, 8905 Westminster Blvd.
- Akihabara Arcade and Bar, 8901 N. Harlan St.
- Kokopelli Beer Company, 8931 N. Harlan St.
- Bowlero Westminster and Lucky Strike Westminster, 9150 Harlan St.
- Grid City VR, 5700 W. 89th Ave.
- Luceros Tavern IV, 9031 Harlan St.
Kokopelli Social Bar is newer than most of that list. Downtown Westminster announced its soft opening for June 19 through 21, 2026, next to the Temporary Dog Park at 90th Avenue and Fenton Street. It serves beer, cocktails, dirty sodas, pizza, pretzels and snacks.
Downtown's May parking update also named Red Lotus Den Eatery, along with Aerostat Park, among the businesses and amenities arriving this summer.
If you want a bigger dinner farther north, Westword's October 2026 openings roundup lists Texas de Brazil at 14644 Orchard Pkwy., in Orchard Town Center.
For gifts beyond the market tables, the locator also lists Inks & Drinks at 8920 Westminster Blvd., U Name It at 8941 N. Harlan St., and the Fuxe Box Container Art Gallery at 8898 Westminster Blvd.
Getting Downtown Without the Car
The Downtown Westminster visitor page says RTD bus routes connect downtown to the rest of the region, so check RTD's trip planner for a route from your stop.
If you usually bike in on the US-36 Bikeway, the segment between Westminster Boulevard and Jay Street is closed. The City's water supply line project page says that closure started October 5 and is expected to last through December, with a detour along Jay Street and Westcliff Parkway. The City notes that construction schedules can shift with weather, materials and field conditions.
Back on the Plaza December 31
The plaza that hosts the lighting is also on the city calendar for the last day of the year. The City lists a Noon Years Eve Celebration at 5845 W. 89th Ave. on Thursday, December 31, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with more details to come.
It's another midday countdown that fits inside the free four-hour parking window, with a 10 a.m. start that suits families with young kids.
If you're thinking about how far a home sits from downtown's walkable blocks, or what Aerostat Park and the newer businesses mean for nearby streets, call or email Audrey Michel to talk it through.
