Denver Christmas events emphasize tradition, history

November 27, 6:54 PMDenver City Buzz ExaminerRichard Blake

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With no small amount of bombast the 9News Parade of Lights once again declares itself to be the "signature" event of the Christmas season in Denver.  Yet few could argue.   Scheduled for December 5th and 6th of this year, the Parade of Lights is a a two mile long, free to the public explosion of light and spectacle, beginning at Civic Center Park and ending at the City and County Building.  As always, following the Parade of Lights, the City and County Building will host a massive and beautiful display of Christmas lights (unless some pesky environmentalist reminds the City how "ungreen" the whole thing is) until Stock Show week in January.  The Friday night parade will begin at 8 p.m., while the Saturday night parade commences at 6. 

Other events will put an emphasis on Colorado traditions and history including a Governor's Residence Holiday Tour, December 10-13, sponsored by the Colorado Historical Society.  The Governor's residence is located at 400 E. 8th Avenue in Denver and, interestingly, this year's tour promises a "green" theme. 

Four Mile House in Four Mile Park at 715 S. Forest will host an old fashioned Christmas on December 7th, featuring horse-drawn rides and chances to roast chestnuts on an open fire and make your own gingerbread fantasy.  Admission is $7 for adults and $4 for Seniors and students.  Children under 5 are free. 

More expensive is the "Twas the Night Before Christmas Candelight Tour" of downtown Denver, put on by the Molly Brown House Museum at 1340 Pennsylvania on December 12th at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. and December 13th at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30.  A Teddy Roosevelt lookalike will read the famous poem while participants will learn how the famous Browns celebrated Christmas 100 years ago. 

In addition to co-sponsoring the Parade of Lights, the Downtown Denver Partnership is also hosting the Denver Christkindl Market from November 28th through December 28th in Skyline Park at 1825 Arapahoe.  The Market will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.  Vendors from throughout Europe but especially Germany will be displaying handmade wares, figurines, candles and ornaments as well as genuine traditional German foods and beers. 

From December 3rd through January 4th the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield will use more than one million lights to illuminate "a charming forest path" at 8500 Deer Creek Canyon Road in Littleton.  The traditional Blossoms of Light will not be available at the Denver Botanic Garden location this year due to construction.  The "Trail of Lights" at Chatfield will also illuminate an 1880s era homestead.  The trail will be open at 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays and costs $9 for adults, $7 for seniors and $6 for children. 

Among free events this Christmas season is the Denver's Road Home Gingerbread Home Tour in the Cherry Creek North Shopping District on December 1st from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.  Stores will host a number of homemade gingerbread homes which will also serve as 'piggy banks' benefitting Denver's Road Home, Mayor Hickenlooper's 10 year plan for ending homelessness in Denver. 

Of the all the free events I was able to discover, however, the one that sounded like the most fun was "An Evening with Oakhurst" on December 5th at 9 p.m.   The venue will be the Walnut Room at 3131 Walnut.  Oakhurst's style is described as a fusion of traditional bluegrass with indie-rock and a "city-billy" attitude, that is "less jazzy and jammed than typical bluegrass hybrids."