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If you have never been to Colorado during the holiday season, you must make arrangements to visit soon because there really is nothing like Christmas in Colorado. The snow-capped mountain peaks are breathtaking, but when you add in the beautiful lights that adorn Summit County’s quaint little ski villages like Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain and Silverthorne at the holidays, the scenes of this glorious time of year are mesmerizing.

You’ll see cozy log cabin lodges with beautifully decorated Christmas trees in the lobby surrounded by skiers, snowboarders and holiday visitors drinking hot chocolate by a crackling fire and sharing stories of their exciting day on the slopes. Great restaurants, Christmas gift shops, Christmas light displays and festivals and parades make Summit County a premier Christmas destination for people from all over the world in November, December and January.

Christmastime Activities for the Whole Family

Colorado becomes a magical place at Christmas with sleigh rides, skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating and snowman building taking place all around snowy ski villages. When you spend Christmas in Colorado, you forget about the commercial aspect of Christmas and remember what the season is really about—love, joy, sharing and spending time with those who mean the most. There are plenty of things to do if you don’t ski or if you want to take a break from the powder.

Here are just a few of our visitors’ favorite Colorado Christmas activities:

  1. Open-air Ice Skating at Evergreen Lake Park and Lake House in Evergreen, Colorado
  2. Cut your own wild Christmas tree in selected national forests, Colorado state forests and state parks. Permits go on sale in early November, and tree cutting continues until December 23 in most locations. Learn more about tree cutting permits on the National Forest website.
  3. The Parade of Lights in Denver is two magical nights of floating balloons, dancers, horse brigades, floats, marching bands and sweet treats for the kids. The parade takes place the first weekend in December (Friday at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday at 6:00 p.m.) and is free. To learn more about parking and the best way to get to the Parade of Lights in Denver, please check out the RTD website for transportation schedules.
  4. The Denver Botanic Gardens Blossoms of Lights is a winter wonderland all ages will enjoy. This festival of lights and greenery runs from the first weekend in December through the first weekend in January and is open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. For more information, please visit the Denver Botanic Gardens website for fees and hours.

This is just a sampling of the many activities to participate in when you spend Christmas in Colorado.  When you plan your holiday in Colorado, be sure to arrange for Peak 1 Express to be your DIA Christmas mountain shuttle transportation—reliable, efficient and friendly. Get to your holiday destination safely and quickly with Peak 1 so you can spend more time enjoying Christmas in Summit County and Denver, Colorado.