At 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27, both of Littleton's big holiday traditions start at the same time. The Candlelight Walk fills Main Street downtown, and Hudson Holidays opens its first night at Hudson Gardens. They overlap by three hours.
The two events run on very different calendars, and the best ticket decision comes three weeks before the 27th.
One Night Only, and One That Runs Into January
Visit Littleton's Candlelight Walk page lists the event for Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Main Street. The program has the holiday parade, performers and music, grab-and-go bites from local restaurants, and boutiques open for browsing. It finishes with the lighting of the holiday trees with Santa and then a drone show. The Downtown Littleton events page says Main Street merchants stay open late that evening.
Hudson Holidays opens the same night and runs through Jan. 3, 2027. It's presented by AdventHealth and includes a lighted maze, larger-than-life themed exhibits, and Santa.
| Candlelight Walk | Hudson Holidays | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | Friday, Nov. 27 only | Nov. 27, 2026 to Jan. 3, 2027 |
| Hours | 5 to 8 p.m. | 5 to 9 p.m.; closes at 7 p.m. on Dec. 24 |
| Where | Main Street, downtown | Hudson Gardens |
| Food and drink | Cocktails for 21+, hot cocoa, cider, grab-and-go bites along Main Street | Nixon's Coffee House, pop-up bars, s'mores kits for courtyard firepits |
| Santa | Tree lighting with Santa | Free photos in the Pavilion through Dec. 23, 5 to 9 p.m. |
| Finale | Drone show | Route of about 0.65 miles; plan 45 minutes to 2 hours |
The table shows why the 27th doesn't have to be a choice. The Candlelight Walk happens once, and Hudson Holidays has more than five weeks of evenings. Hudson Gardens suggests 45 minutes to 2 hours for its route. If you tried both on opening night, you'd leave Main Street at 8 p.m. and reach the gardens with less than an hour before the 9 p.m. close.
The Ticket Window Opens Three Weeks Before the Lights Come On
Choosing the night also decides the price. Hudson Gardens sells two kinds of tickets. Dated tickets are good only on the night you pick. Any Day tickets can be used on any one night of the run. Tickets are not timed, so you can arrive any time during show hours, but there's no re-entry.
The Any Day presale opens Friday, Nov. 6, at 10 a.m. and runs through 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 8, or until it sells out. Dated tickets go on sale Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. Here are the published prices:
- Presale Any Day: $15 adult, $15 senior 65+, $10 youth ages 3 to 12, free for ages 0 to 2
- Dated: $20 adult, $18 senior, $15 youth
- Any Day after the presale: $25 adult, $20 senior, $20 youth
For two adults and two children ages 3 to 12, that's $50 in the presale, $70 for dated tickets, and $90 for Any Day tickets bought later. The cheapest option is also the most flexible one, which is unusual. Presale tickets aren't tied to a night, so they cost less than tickets that are.
Flexibility counts for more here than at most December events. Hudson Gardens says tickets are final and can't be refunded because of weather unless the event is canceled. Moving a dated ticket to another night costs $10 per order. If a date is canceled, guests get an Any Day ticket for a later night. With an Any Day ticket you can wait for a calm, clear evening.
Hudson Gardens also runs ticket alerts by email. They cover ticket drops, presale discounts and a Cyber Monday flash sale, which this year falls on Nov. 30, with savings of up to 50%.
Picking Your Hudson Night on Purpose
Once the 27th goes to Main Street, a few Hudson nights are worth a look. The gardens are adding theme programming this year: gourmet s'mores, stories from holiday characters, holiday bingo and Christmas movie trivia.
- Wednesday, Dec. 2: Sensory-Friendly Night, with lower music volume and capped attendance. Hudson Gardens says the night is calmer but not a low-sensory event, and suggests bringing items like noise-canceling headphones or sunglasses.
- Thursday, Dec. 3: Gourmet s'mores and storytellers, listed on the Hudson Holidays events calendar.
- Through Dec. 23: Free Santa photos in the Pavilion, 5 to 9 p.m.
- Dec. 24: Mrs. Claus and Jingle the Elf fill in while Santa is out, and the show closes at 7 p.m.
- Dec. 26 and 27: Santa comes back in what the gardens call "Vacation Mode."
Parking at Hudson Gardens is free, and the overflow lot is at Arapahoe Community College. ADA parking and drop-off use the Denver Seminary entrance on W. Weaver Ave. Pets other than documented service animals aren't allowed, and neither is outside food or drink.
Main Street's Season Starts Before the Parade
The Candlelight Walk is the biggest night on Main Street, but several downtown shops have been working on their own fall calendars for weeks.
The newest is Leaves on Main at 2699 Main St., at the end of the street just before The Melting Pot. It opened Sept. 5 and sells indoor plants, books and goods for plant lovers. The Littleton Independent reported that founder Nancy Szilagyi is a Colorado Master Gardener who once managed O'Toole's Garden Center in Lakewood, and that opening day drew a line down the block. She told the paper why she picked a small shop:
"I know that plants can really create a calming, healthy vibe for people, and I wanted to provide that. And I knew that Littleton didn't really have anything like that."
A few doors west, iN-TEA at 2440 W. Main St. and Spell Books at 2376 W. Main St. are finishing a three-month "Cozy Season" partnership. According to the Littleton Independent's coverage of the collaboration, September's theme was Mythology, October's was Goosebumps, and November's is Local Authors, with author signings planned. Show a Spell Books receipt at iN-TEA for $1 off tea, or an iN-TEA receipt at Spell Books for 10% off one book. A Cozy Season punch card gives you a free tenth featured tea plus 25% off one book.
The partnership's last Poetry Night lands exactly one week before the Candlelight Walk. iN-TEA's Poetry Nights page lists Friday, Nov. 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with sign-ups starting at 5:30. Spell Books owner Corey Dahl told the Independent that November is the month she's most looking forward to, because it gives her more chances to engage local authors.
Just off Main, Lewis and Cluck has moved back downtown under new ownership. It's now at 5827 S. Rapp St., selling chicken feed and supplies, after a stretch on South Broadway, the Littleton Independent reported.
Visit Littleton says the Candlelight Walk food and drink map is coming soon. Until it's out, the event page suggests making a night of it with dinner downtown before or after.
The Main Street You'll Walk This Year Has a Construction Date
The street under this year's Candlelight Walk is scheduled for a rebuild. The city's Main Street Improvements Project is the first phase of Project Downtown, the city's adopted plan. It's meant to modernize aging infrastructure, restore trees and landscaping, and improve safety and walkability. The city's September 2026 business newsletter said funding is secured and the work has entered preliminary design.
The Let's Talk Littleton project page, last updated Oct. 5, 2026, lists design from May 2026 to mid-2028 and construction from mid-2028 to late 2029. On that schedule, construction doesn't start until after the 2027 holiday season, and the 2028 and 2029 holiday seasons fall inside the construction window. The city says its construction plan will aim to keep impacts on businesses to a minimum.
Here's how November lines up on one calendar. The Hudson presale opens Friday, Nov. 6. Dated tickets go on sale Monday, Nov. 9. Poetry Night at iN-TEA is Friday, Nov. 20. The Candlelight Walk and opening night at Hudson Holidays are both Friday, Nov. 27, starting at 5 p.m.
I've spent a lot of Novembers watching these first holiday evenings set the tone downtown. If you're thinking about how your own home might look to buyers this season, or you just want to compare notes on your favorite Main Street stops, John Chrisbens would be glad to hear from you. Let's Connect.
