The most wonderful time of the year in Fort Collins nears as the Northern Colorado city lights up the holiday season with the annual Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony.

This annual tradition happens on Friday, Nov. 1, with festivities beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Old Town Square.

Live music plays until 7 p.m., and the grand lighting ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m. when city officials set the city aglow.

The First Friday Art Walk is happening at the same time.

Street closures and pedestrian zones. To enhance the event experience, Walnut Street and parts of Linden Street will be closed to vehicle and bicycle traffic from 3-8:30 p.m., transforming these areas into pedestrian-only zones.

Businesses along these streets will be open, with some having special activities and retail displays. The city and DDA encourage people attending the event to arrive early, shop and dine before the lighting ceremony.

Mountain Avenue will also see partial closures starting at 4:30 p.m., though the Old Town Parking Garage will be accessible.

holiday lighting event closure map
City of Fort Collins/Canva
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Parking and transportation. Parking garages are available at

  • 209 E. Mountain Ave.
  • 120 N. Mason St.
  • 165 Chestnut St.

This year, the city of Fort Collins is encouraging attendees to use public transportation, with the MAX bus running until 10 p.m.

For bikers, the city will put extra bike racks along the north side of Walnut Street.

The Fort Collins Holiday Lights Tradition

The Fort Collins holiday lights span more than 334 trees, alleyways and sidewalks across Old Town and 22 block faces of downtown, a collaborative project between the city’s Parks Department, the Downtown Development Authority, and SavATree.

Preparation begins in September to brighten Fort Collins’ festive spirit with more than 65,000 individual lights. The lights will remain on each evening from Nov. 1 through Feb. 14, 2025.

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