Old Town's Lights Are On. Here's When the Rest of the Fort Collins Holiday Season Begins.

The trees in Old Town have been lit since the ceremony on Nov. 6, and they stay on through Feb. 14. That's a 100-day stretch. Most of the other holiday events in Fort Collins run for much shorter windows, and they start on different dates. The skate rink and Santa's Workshop open three weeks after the lights. Garden of Lights at The Gardens on Spring Creek opens two weeks after that. The rink stays open more than a month past Christmas.

If you plan your weekends from the lights alone, you'll arrive early for some events and late for others. The season really works as three overlapping calendars. They all run at the same time for only about two weeks in December.

Right Now, Old Town Has Lights but Not Much Else Yet

From now until Thanksgiving weekend, Old Town Square has its lights and live webcam but not the rink or Santa. The programming during these weeks is about eating and shopping.

• Old Town Spree runs Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026. Shoppers at participating downtown businesses enter weekly drawings for $100 gift cards, plus five $250 grand prizes. Purchases you make in November count toward entries, so early shopping has a payoff.
• The Foodie Walk is on Friday, Nov. 20, according to the Downtown Fort Collins 2026 Holiday Hub.
• Foothills Mall's Collective Market is on Sunday, Nov. 15, and returns on Dec. 6 and Dec. 13, according to the Foothills events calendar.

This is also when the square is at its quietest. The lights are fully on, but the lines for the rink and Santa haven't started.

November 27 Is When Old Town Square Gets Busy

The Friday after Thanksgiving starts the second calendar. At 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 27, Santa arrives in Old Town Square by firetruck, bringing Comet the reindeer from Jessen Reindeer Ranch. Santa's Workshop and the skate rink open that same day.

Rink admission, skate rentals and visits with Santa are all free. Families can take their own photos with Santa, and printed portraits are for sale on site. Santa's Workshop runs through Dec. 24.

The Downtown Development Authority says waits for Santa can stretch into hours and lines are usually shortest early in the season, so it suggests visiting earlier in December. It also points visitors to the Old Town Square live webcam to check the crowd before leaving home. In practice, the week after Thanksgiving is the best time for a Santa visit, before the Garden of Lights crowd arrives in mid-December.

The rink's hours change from day to day, so check the 2026–27 rink schedule instead of assuming fixed evening hours.

The Gardens on Spring Creek Opens on Its Own Schedule

The third calendar is a few miles south of the square. Garden of Lights runs on select nights from Dec. 11 through Dec. 27. It uses timed entry from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., the grounds close at 9 p.m., and it's closed Dec. 24 and 25.

Two things are new in 2026:

1. A "rivers of light" display joins the half-mile loop of lit grapevines, flowerbeds and the Ice Forest.
2. An adults-only opening night on Thursday, Dec. 10, the night before the public season begins. The Gardens has said more details are coming.

That Thursday date is unusual for The Gardens. Under winter daytime hours, which began Nov. 2, The Gardens is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except Thursday, when it's closed. So the adults-only opening falls on the one weekday the grounds are normally closed to visitors.

Tickets start at $12 for adults and $8 for children ages 3 to 17. Children 2 and under are free, and members get 20% off. Prices vary by entry time. Tickets for SNAP/EBT households cost $1 and can be bought by phone or at The Gardens. The Gardens recommends booking those early because some entry times sell out. General tickets went on sale Nov. 2 at noon, so by mid-November some weekend times may already be limited.

The nightly program at The Gardens is set by location:

There's also a full bar and hot cocoa on the grounds.

Dec. 11 to Dec. 23 Is the Only Stretch When Everything Is Open

When you put the three calendars side by side, the overlap is short. Garden of Lights opens Dec. 11. Santa at The Gardens ends Dec. 23, and Santa's Workshop in Old Town ends Dec. 24. So both Santas, the free rink, the downtown lights and the Garden of Lights loop are all running only during those 13 days.

The Visit Fort Collins Holiday Market, put on by Handmade Market NoCo, falls inside that window. It's free and runs Saturday, Dec. 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Visit Fort Collins Welcome Center, 7 Old Town Square. The same Saturday could hold the market at midday, an afternoon skate a few steps away and an evening entry time at Garden of Lights.

Here's the full season by week:

Two Places to Stop Between Events

A rink session or a timed garden entry usually leaves time for a snack or a coffee.

Tandem Squared Rolled Ice Cream & Coffee Cafe is at 401 Mason Court, a short walk from the square. It hires workers with disabilities to work alongside their peers, and BizWest reported in September that supporters raised money this summer to keep the shop running. Rolled ice cream in December sounds unlikely, but the coffee half of the menu suits an afternoon at the rink.

Trickster Bakery & Cafe at 1075 Pennock Place held its grand opening Aug. 10. As the Rocky Mountain Collegian reported, it serves baked goods, breakfast and cafe drinks from a playful menu. This is its first holiday season, which makes it a good morning stop before you shop at Old Town Spree businesses.

What's Left After the Holidays

Once Garden of Lights closes Dec. 27 and Old Town Spree ends Dec. 31, the free downtown events keep going. The Old Town Square rink stays open through Saturday, Jan. 30, 2027. The trees stay lit through Feb. 14. January gives you more than four weeks of free skating and rentals under the same lights, without the December crowds.

So two of the season's free events last longer than the ticketed one. Garden of Lights runs about two and a half weeks. The rink and the lights stay open well past New Year's.

Winter is also when many Fort Collins homeowners start thinking about next year, whether that's a spring listing or a move to a different part of town. If January feels like the right time to sort out your own timing, the team at Beth Bishop Real Estate is glad to talk it through. Schedule Your Complimentary Home Strategy Consultation, and we'll build a plan around your calendar.