Last year the Candlelight Walk had one spot where everything came together. The parade started at Main Street and Rio Grande Street, headed west, and finished in front of the Melting Pot. The Main Stage stood there, and the drone show lifted off over the same corner. Anyone who found a good spot near the west end of Main got the parade's finish, the stage, and the sky show without moving.
The 2026 walk on Friday, Nov. 27, splits that finale up. The City of Littleton's October/November 2026 Littleton Report calls the changes "new this year." The parade now starts at Alamo and Rapp Streets and ends at Main and Sycamore Streets. The performance stage moves to the front of Grande Station, and the report says Santa lights the holiday trees in Bega Park, though the City's online event page still names Bowles Plaza. The drone show still flies over the Melting Pot at the west end of Main Street. Same street, same night. The two big moments just happen in different places now.
The tree and the drones now sit at opposite ends of Main
Bega Park is a pocket park at West Main Street and South Rio Grande Street, at the east end of Downtown Littleton near the light-rail station, according to Visit Littleton. The Melting Pot marks the west end. So the order of the night runs the length of downtown. According to the report, the parade starts at 6:30 p.m., Santa lights the trees in Bega Park after it ends, and then the drones go up over the Melting Pot.
The east end also gets something it didn't have as the parade's starting point. Western Welcome Week, an event sponsor, is running its free hot chocolate and cider booth in Bega Park. That puts warm drinks right where people will be waiting for Santa to light the trees.
The stage moves too. Grande Station, a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating at 2299 W. Main St., will now have the performances out front. According to the City report, Main Street entertainment starts at 5 p.m. and includes performers, musical acts, small bites, and photos with Santa.
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Friday, Nov. 28 | Friday, Nov. 27 |
| Parade start | Main St. and Rio Grande St. | Alamo and Rapp Streets |
| Parade end | In front of the Melting Pot | Main and Sycamore Streets |
| Stage | Main Stage at the Melting Pot | In front of Grande Station |
| Tree lighting | "The tree at the end of Main Street" | Bega Park per the City report; Bowles Plaza per the City event page |
| Drone show | Over the Melting Pot | Over the Melting Pot |
The drone show is the one thing that stayed put. Last year it featured 200 lit drones, and the event map said they could be seen along Main Street from Rio Grande to Curtice. If this year's show is similar, you can see the drones from much of downtown, but the tree lighting in a small pocket park is something you have to be close to.
Choosing your end of the street
Since the finale now happens in two places, it helps to decide early which one matters more to your group. Here's how the evening plays out depending on where you stand.
- Near Bega Park at the east end. You'll be steps from the tree lighting and the free cocoa and cider booth, and close to the light-rail station. When the drones go up over the Melting Pot, you'll be watching from the far end of Main.
- Near Grande Station, mid-street. You'll be in front of the stage for the 5 p.m. entertainment. Then you can walk toward the trees or the drones, depending on which one your kids are more excited about.
- Near the Melting Pot at the west end. You'll be under the drone show, which used to be the whole finale and is now its last act. The tree lighting happens at the other end of downtown.
Two other things from past years have only been confirmed in general terms for 2026. The City report says holiday cocktails are back for guests 21 and older, sold to enjoy while you stroll. Last year, Rocker Spirits ran a warm cocktail truck at Main and Prince Streets, and free Santa photos were at Creative Littleton, 5730 S. Curtice St. Those were the 2025 setups. With the stage and the trees moving this year, don't count on either being in the same place.
Check the details again the week of the walk
A few published details still don't match. The City's own Candlelight Walk 2026 event page says Santa lights "the big tree in Bowles Plaza," which is how Visit Littleton described the 2024 event. The newer printed report puts the tree lighting in Bega Park. The hours vary too. The City event page lists 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the Downtown Littleton DDA calendar lists 5:30 to 7 p.m., and Western Welcome Week lists 5:30 to 8 p.m. Every source agrees the parade starts at 6:30 p.m.
Parking is still open too. Last year, Visit Littleton listed free parking at the Littleton Center, 2255 W. Berry Ave., and at Arapahoe Community College Lot B. The 2026 Visit Littleton Candlelight Walk page says its "Know Before You Go" details are still coming. That page will have the final word on parking, closures, and where Santa sets up, so check it before you head out.
The new layout sends people down the whole length of Main
Since the night now ends at both ends of downtown, more people will pass the shops in between, and the downtown merchant calendar seems built for that. The Littleton Downtown Development Authority's "Sparkle and Stroll" promotion begins the night of the walk and runs through Dec. 24. You pick up a Sparkle Card at participating businesses, get a stamp each time you shop or dine downtown, and turn the card in at the Town Hall Arts Center or upload a photo of it. That enters you for gift cards through the season and a $250 grand prize announced in January. Participating businesses also offer 5% cash back through the Open Rewards app.
Several businesses are also new to the area or changing locations this season. Leaves on Main, an indoor-plant shop, opened Sept. 5 at 2699 Main St., the Littleton Independent reported. Away from Main, Colorado Antique Gallery is moving. It closes its old location Nov. 2 and reopens Nov. 14 at 3615 W. Bowles Ave., according to the Littleton Independent. For a warm cup before the parade, 7Brew Drive Thru Coffee is projected to open Nov. 16 at 111 W. Mineral Ave., per the paper's Oct. 15 report.
The Littleton calendar from now to the walk
The Candlelight Walk falls in the middle of a busy month, and the night itself overlaps with the opening of Hudson Gardens' light show.
- Nov. 6–7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Aspen Grove's Rue de Noël Paris Street Christmas Market, inside Space 450 next to lululemon at 7301 S. Santa Fe Drive.
- Nov. 6–8: Presale for Hudson Holidays, opening at 10 a.m. Nov. 6 and running through 11:59 p.m. Nov. 8. Any-day tickets are $15 for adults and seniors, $10 for youth, and free for ages 0–2. Dated tickets go on sale Nov. 9 at 10 a.m.
- Nov. 20: Pink Friday in Downtown Littleton.
- Nov. 27: The Candlelight Walk, the start of Sparkle and Stroll, and opening night of Hudson Holidays, which runs through Jan. 3, 2027. Hudson Holidays is open 5 to 9 p.m. nightly, closing at 7 p.m. on Dec. 24. Dated tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $15 for youth ages 3–12, and nothing for ages 0–2.
- Nov. 28: Small Business Saturday downtown.
Hudson Holidays opening the same night as the walk adds up. Both start in the evening, and the light maze runs until 9 p.m. Presale tickets bought Nov. 6–8 at the lower any-day price leave you free to save the light maze for a quieter night and give Nov. 27 to Main Street.
If the Candlelight Walk is a family tradition, plan this year around the new layout. Pick your end of Main Street ahead of time, check Visit Littleton the week of Thanksgiving for the final logistics, and keep your Sparkle Card handy through Christmas Eve. If you'd like a tip from a team that keeps up with Littleton's calendar year-round, reach out to The Denver Trio. And if you're curious what your home on or near Main is worth this season, ask us for a free home valuation.
