Lakewood has two holiday lightings this year, and both carry the Belmar name. On Friday, November 20, the shopping district lights its tree in the Plaza at Belmar and opens its ice rink. On Thursday, December 3, the city holds Lakewood Lights at Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park, its history museum campus at 801 S. Yarrow St.
The two nights are 13 days apart, and they work in opposite ways. At the Plaza, opening night is the start of a skating season that runs into the new year. At Heritage Lakewood, you get one evening, and the line that matters most starts two hours before the event begins.
| Plaza at Belmar | Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Friday, November 20 | Thursday, December 3 |
| Lighting | Tree lighting at 6 p.m. | Gazebo ceremony with carols, 5 to 8 p.m. event |
| Santa | Photo opportunity | Visits from 3 to 8 p.m., sensory-friendly from 3 to 5 p.m. |
| What lasts beyond the night | The Rink at Belmar, through January 31, 2027 | Decorated Colfax Hub section, open for the event |
| Cost | Free event; skating is ticketed | Free; cocoa and cookies with a suggested $1 donation |
November 20 Kicks Off Ten Weeks of Skating
Belmar's Holiday Tree Lighting is free. It centers on the 6 p.m. ceremony in the Plaza and also has holiday craft stations, horse-and-wagon rides, a Santa photo opportunity, and tables for writing letters to Santa and notes to service members who are away from home for the holidays. Participating Belmar restaurants will run food and drink specials.
The Holiday Shopping Stroll runs alongside it from 4 to 8 p.m., with participating businesses offering holiday deals, treats and giveaways before and during the lighting.
The same night, The Rink at Belmar, presented by GFiber, opens for its 2026–27 season. Opening night is set up differently from the rest of the season. On every other Friday the ice opens at 4 p.m., but on November 20 public skating starts at 6 p.m., the same minute the tree lights up.
That means the evening with the biggest crowd also has the shortest skating window. If skating is the main reason you're going, the rink stays open well past opening night.
How the Rink's Schedule Changes Over the Season
The rink's season page lists four different schedules between November 20 and January 31.
- Regular hours, November 20 to January 3: Monday through Thursday 4 to 9 p.m., Friday 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday noon to 10 p.m., Sunday noon to 9 p.m.
- Thanksgiving week, November 23 to 26: noon to 9 p.m.
- Winter break, December 22 to January 2: noon to 9 p.m. The exceptions are Christmas Eve, noon to 4 p.m., and Christmas Day, when the rink is closed.
- Off-season, January 4 to 31: closed Monday through Thursday. Friday 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday noon to 10 p.m., Sunday noon to 7 p.m.
That last change is the one to plan around. After January 3, weeknight skating ends, so a Tuesday skate after school or a Wednesday date night on the ice has to happen in the first six weeks of the season. Thanksgiving week and winter break are the only stretches when the ice opens at noon on weekdays.
Here's the pricing, with skate rental included in the first two:
- Adult: $12
- Child, 12 and under: $10
- Admission with your own skates: $8
- Military with ID: $8
- Seniors 65 and older: free
Tickets cover one hour of skating, any time during operating hours on the date you choose. Buying online does not get you priority entry or let you skip the line. Everyone checks in at the rental hut and goes through the skate rental line, and Belmar says waits are longest during peak holiday hours.
To rent skates you need a driver's license, passport or other government-issued ID, and student IDs are not accepted. Every skater needs a liability waiver, and minors skating without a parent need one signed by a parent or guardian. The ice also closes for 30 minutes at scheduled times for resurfacing, so check the posted schedule before you go, or call the rink hotline at (720) 463-4686.
December 3 Is One Evening, and the Santa Line Starts at 3
Lakewood Lights runs on a different rhythm. The city's event page sets it for 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, December 3. The Colfax Hub section of Heritage Lakewood will be open and decorated, a lighting ceremony with carols takes place at the gazebo, and the diner will serve free hot cocoa and cookies, with a suggested $1 donation.
Santa's workshop opens in the Heritage Lakewood Visitor Center at 3 p.m., two hours before the event starts. Visits from 3 to 5 p.m. are sensory-friendly. Visits are free and first come, first served. Staff take your name and cell number and text you when it's your turn, so you don't have to stand in line the whole time.
The city is direct about the timing:
"Please arrive at the beginning of the evening to reserve your place in the queue."
The page adds that Santa can only see so many kids in one night, and names are taken only while space and time allow.
The rink's tightest window falls on its first night. Lakewood Lights works the other way around, with its loosest hours at the start of the afternoon. Get your name on the Santa list around 3, then spend the wait in the lights and at the diner once the event opens at 5.
Heritage Lakewood Has Its Own Deadline Before the Lights
If you want to see Heritage Lakewood in daylight, plan for November. The 50 Years of Heritage in Lakewood exhibition in the Visitor Center's temporary gallery runs through November 28, five days before Lakewood Lights.
The campus has more going on in December:
- December 8: Holiday Scents and Soapmaking class
- December 19: Holiday Craft Tea
- December 28 to 31: Winter break camps for kids, also held at the Lakewood Cultural Center
- Year-round: The Museum Store, which sells retro toys, souvenirs and gifts tied to the 20th century
The Cultural Center Fills the Weeks Between
The two lightings are almost two weeks apart, and the city's December calendar fills most of that gap.
This season the city added a second shop to the Museum Store. The Holiday Pop Up Market opened November 6 in the Corner Gallery of the Lakewood Cultural Center at 470 S. Allison Pkwy. It focuses on artisan pieces, while the Museum Store leans retro, and the market's page lists it through November 23. In the same building, the Winter Salon Exhibition of works priced under $500 and the Lakewood Arts Council Members Art Show both run from November into January.
Here's the rest of the city's holiday events list, in date order:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| November 15 | Holiday Woodcarving Workshop | Washington Heights Art Center |
| November 23 | Turkey Talk presentation | Bear Creek Lake Park |
| December 4 | Snow Ball | Clements Community Center |
| December 5 to 6 | Rocky Mountain Stocking Stuffers | Lakewood Cultural Center |
| December 12 | Holiday Pottery Sale | Washington Heights Art Center |
| December 16 | Canadian Brass | Lakewood Cultural Center |
| December 21 | Winter Solstice guided night hike | Bear Creek Lake Park |
Bear Creek Lake Park is on winter hours from November through February, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and its campground is closed for the season.
What's Coming Next to the Plaza Side
The Plaza at Belmar keeps changing after the holidays too. BusinessDen reported on October 6 that Texas de Brazil bought 7111 W. Alaska Dr., the former Bar Louie space, for $3 million for a new Belmar restaurant.
The Denver Post reported in June that the arcade bar 1up plans a 13,000-square-foot Belmar location in the former Lucky Strike space at 415 Teller St.
If you're mapping out the season for your household or for guests coming to town, I'm happy to help. I'm Brandon Kass, and I follow what's opening around Belmar the same way I follow the market. If a new Plaza tenant or a busier holiday season has you wondering what your home near Belmar is worth, get your instant home valuation.
