Westminster has two free holiday kickoffs this year, on back-to-back Saturdays at opposite ends of the city. Orchard Town Center holds Winterfest this Saturday, November 14. Downtown Westminster holds its Holiday Lighting Ceremony & Market the following Saturday, November 21.
The two calendars look alike, with an afternoon start, a tree, Santa and a market. The schedules actually run in reverse order. Orchard counts down to its tree lighting just before the halfway mark and keeps going for more than two hours after. Downtown spends its afternoon on the market and saves the lighting for the last half hour. That difference decides when you should arrive, where you'll eat, and whether the kids will still be awake when the lights come on.
Orchard lights the tree early, then keeps the evening going
Winterfest runs from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. The tree-lighting countdown starts at 5:20, and free Santa visits begin at 5:30. That leaves two full hours of evening after the main moment.
The new feature this year is a Winter Wonderland built into the splash-pad area. Orchard Town Center describes it as a display of LED trees with selfie spots and Colorado-native critters for a local touch. It debuts at Winterfest, which makes this Saturday its first night.
Here's the schedule as posted:
- 3:30 p.m. Winterfest opens, along with crafts, activities and an artisan market of local vendors
- 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Stage performances at the Sunken Plaza stage near Windfall
- 5:20 p.m. Tree-lighting countdown
- 5:30 p.m. Free Santa visits begin
- 7:30 p.m. Event wraps
The performers include New Paradigm Dance Theater and the Broomfield Children's Chorus, along with a third local dance studio. Adults can join a Sip & Stroll with drinks from 3 Margaritas, Windfall, Lazy Dog and other Orchard Town Center regulars. Hot cocoa, cider, coffee and food will also be for sale. Admission is free and no RSVP is required.
Since the countdown starts at 5:20, families with small children can see the lighting and get in the Santa line before dinner. Everyone else gets a long evening with the lights already on. There's a new dinner option this year too. Texas de Brazil opened at 14644 Orchard Parkway, and Westword included it in its roundup of October openings. 9News reported that the restaurant is 6,205 square feet, took just over $5 million in renovations, and planned to grow from about 35 employees to at least 50. If you're planning a sit-down dinner after the lighting, book ahead. On a free event night, the Winterfest crowd will be looking for tables too.
Downtown makes the lighting the finale
A week later, the Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony & Market runs from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Central Square Plaza and Aerostat Park, 5845 W. 89th Ave. The lighting is at 6 p.m.
So the afternoon belongs to the market and the lights close out the day. The city's listing describes:
- A holiday market of local makers, artisans and small businesses
- Trackless train rides through Aerostat Park
- Live music, caroling and holiday performances through the afternoon
- Appearances by Santa around Downtown Westminster
- A countdown to the official lighting at Central Square Plaza at 6 p.m.
It's free, and the hosts differ from Orchard's. The Westminster Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Westminster Business Association put it on in partnership with the City of Westminster. The city's own listing suggests making an afternoon of it, with a meal at a downtown restaurant between the market and the countdown.
Because the lights come on at the end, the Downtown version rewards arriving early. At Orchard you fill the hours after the lighting. Downtown you fill the hours before it, and the businesses near Aerostat Park are what fill them.
Sweet Bloom Coffee is the obvious first stop on a cold afternoon. In April, Downtown Westminster announced that the café made The World's 100 Best Coffee Shops list, announced at the World of Coffee event in San Diego. Sweet Bloom was founded in 2013 and opened its Downtown Westminster location in 2021.
Kokopelli Social Bar sits at the corner of 90th Avenue and Fenton Street, next to the temporary dog park. It serves craft beer, cocktails, dirty sodas, pizza, pretzels and snacks, which works for adults who want a seat between train rides.
Alamo Drafthouse Westminster, at 8905 Westminster Blvd., has the Pandora's Box bar inside if you want a drink before the countdown. Tap & Burger also lists a Westminster location, with an Americana menu of burgers, nachos and salads.
At 5815 W. 89th Ave., a few doors from the lighting site, is Red Lotus Den. It's a food hall whose site lists seven concepts: Tendo Japanese Noodle House, Melt Dessert Bar, Brown Donkatsu, L'ombra Pizzeria, Pastasole Select, Nori Den Handroll Counter and Ka's Chinese Kitchen, with a Red Lotus Bar upstairs. Its site is where it posts preview events and opening dates.
The two Saturdays side by side
| Orchard Town Center Winterfest | Downtown Holiday Lighting & Market | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Nov. 14 | Saturday, Nov. 21 |
| Hours | 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. | 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. |
| Tree lighting | 5:20 p.m. countdown | 6 p.m. |
| Santa | Free visits begin 5:30 p.m. | Appearances through the afternoon |
| Hours after the lighting | Just over two | Half an hour |
| New this year | Winter Wonderland in the splash-pad area | Lighting site sits steps from the new food hall address |
| Hosted by | Orchard Town Center | Westminster Chamber, Downtown Westminster Business Association, City of Westminster |
| Cost | Free, no RSVP | Free |
Planning both, in the right order
Since the schedules run in reverse, the plans do too.
- On November 14, arrive between 4:30 and 5. You'll catch the stage performances near Windfall, then the countdown at 5:20. If your kids want Santa, get in line right after, because visits start at 5:30. Walk the Winter Wonderland once it's dark, then go to dinner.
- On November 21, arrive by 3. Shop the market while it's light, ride the trackless train through Aerostat Park, and stop at Sweet Bloom or Kokopelli around 4:30. Be back in Central Square Plaza a little before 6 for the countdown. The event ends at 6:30, so plan dinner around the lighting.
- Shop the two markets differently. Orchard's artisan market is part of a shopping-center evening. Downtown's is built around local makers and small businesses, with the business association co-hosting. If you're starting gift lists, the November 21 market comes a week closer to the holidays.
What follows on the calendar
The two lightings start the season, and a few dated events follow:
- Friday, November 27, noon to 4 p.m. The Grinch visits Orchard Town Center for a free, all-ages photo event on Black Friday.
- Sunday, November 29. Alamo Drafthouse Westminster shows an Elf Sing-Along Movie Party, which brings you back downtown the weekend after the lighting.
- Saturday, December 12. Butterfly Pavilion holds a Christmas Cobweb Workshop from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and a Beaded Spider Ornaments workshop from 1 to 3 p.m.
If you're only doing one Saturday, pick by bedtime. For an early lighting with the rest of the evening still ahead, go to Orchard on the 14th. For an afternoon at the market that ends with the lights, go Downtown on the 21st.
Between the two Saturdays, many Westminster homeowners are already thinking about the new year. If you want to know what your home is worth before then, Marie Jacobs is happy to walk you through the numbers for your part of town. Get your instant home valuation, then enjoy the lights.
