Holiday HUB
Downtown Fort Collins is the place to be for the holidays! Dine, shop, and explore under the twinkling of the holiday lights. Enjoy a delicious meal at one of our many amazing restaurants with something everyone will love and check off that holiday shopping list at our local shops that are ready to help you find that perfect gift. Bonus, shop at Old Town Spree participating businesses for a chance to win a $100 Downtown Fort Collins Gift Card. Need some family activities? Visit with Santa, play at the skate rink in Old Town Square, or search for all the Santas in Santas Quest. Looking for a date night? Anything you do will be 100 times more magical under the twinkling holiday lights!
Free Parking
In an effort to help support downtown businesses during the holiday season, the City of Fort Collins, Parking Services, will again offer free parking in the public parking structures on Saturdays and City holidays.
Free Saturdays begin Saturday, November 29, 2025, and continues through January 3, 2026.
Firehouse Alley Parking Structure
Civic Center Parking Structure
As a reminder- parking in the parking structures is always free on Sundays and City holidays. On all other days, parking is free for the first hour and $1 each hour after; in all three parking structures. A parking session must be initiated regardless of duration of stay.
Downtown Fort Collins First Friday Art Walk™
First Friday Art Walk 6 - 9 pm
Winter Dates: November 7, December 5, January 2, and February 6
Downtown Fort Collins First Friday Art Walk™ is a monthly self-guided walking tour that celebrates creativity, culture, and community in Downtown Fort Collins every month! From fine to funky, Art Walk showcases a spectrum of artistic styles to entertain and engage amateurs and art aficionados of all ages, interests, and backgrounds.
Fort Collins Foodie Walk™
Foodie Walk, from 5 - 8 pm
Winter Dates: November 21, December 19, January 16, and February 20
Fort Collins Foodie Walk™ is a monthly self-guided walking tour from 5 – 8 pm on the third Friday of each month and celebrates the culinary culture and thriving foodie scene in Downtown Fort Collins. Join Downtown’s finest culinary shops each month for interactive showcases, seasonal flavors, and exciting taste experiences!
Skate Rink
Skate Rink open Wednesday, November 26 through Sunday, January 25
Enjoy free skating and skate rentals fun a fun winter activity in downtown!
Please note that hours of operation are subject to change due to weather.
Updates will be posted on the DDA website and on DDA’s Facebook page.
Santa's Workshop
From Friday, November 28 through December 24, Santa’s Workshop will be open to children of all ages to come visit and tell him their hopes and holiday wishes. Visits with Santa are always free! Families can take their own photos, but prints are also available on site for purchase. Click Here For Santa's Portrait Packages
For information please call the Downtown Development Authority at 970-484-2020 or oldtownsquare@fcdda.com
Holiday Events
Check out other festive holiday events happening in downtown on the event calendar.
Old Town Spree
Shop. Dine. Win! November 1 - December 31
This November and December, locally owned and operated businesses in Downtown Fort Collins invite shoppers and diners to enter to win one of four $100 Downtown Fort Collins Gift Card prizes drawn weekly! Plus, you could be one of five grand prize winners!
Downtown Fort Collins Holiday Lighting Ceremony
The City of Fort Collins' Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony is an annual community tradition that typically takes place on the first Friday of November in Old Town Square. For 2025, the event is scheduled for Friday, November 7, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. The ceremony features live music, a short countdown, and the illumination of thousands of LED lights throughout downtown.
Date: Friday, November 7, 2025
Time: 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: Old Town Square
Lighting Ceremony Activities:
Live music from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the Old Town Square stage. A short ceremony and countdown around 6:30 pm. The lighting of thousands of LED lights across 22 blocks of downtown Fort Collins!
Duration: The lights will remain on nightly through Valentine's Day
Small Business Saturday
Our hundreds of locally owned businesses bring such a unique flavor to downtown, and it wouldn’t be the same without them! Any time you can make a purchase at a small business, they notice. Small businesses create two-thirds of net new jobs (according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)) and they employ your family, friends, and neighbors.
Support your favorite small businesses on Small Business Saturday (day after Black Friday) - and all of the days throughout the year! Remember, supporting your favorite businesses can also mean leaving positive reviews, following and sharing their social media content, and signing up for newsletters. Shop small and tell your favorite small businesses how much you love them!
Downtown Holiday Lights
Every night from the first week in November through Valentine's Day, the lights will be turned on in Old Town Fort Collins. 22 block-faces of downtown will be illuminated with thousands of strands of lights in alleyways, along sidewalks, and within tree-tops. The impressive display of low-energy and sustainable LED lights can be enjoyed anywhere along College Avenue, the northern boundary of Laporte Avenue, and continuing south to Magnolia Street. Trees will be lit along Walnut Street, Linden Street, Pine Street, Old Town Square, Oak Street Plaza, and Mountain Avenue as well.
The Downtown Holiday Lights is a partnership between the City of Fort Collins and Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
Ice Carving
February 6 and 7, 2026
Winter fun isn’t over! Come see ice sculpting by Struckman Sculpture Ice starting at 5 pm on February 6 and 7 in Old Town Square in Downtown Fort Collins. Ice sculptures will be on display in Old Town Square until they melt, so come down and enjoy these temporary sculptures.
For more information, contact the Downtown Development Authority at oldtownsquare@fcdda.com or (970) 484-2020
Santas Quest is Taking a North Pole Vacation This Year
Santas Quest is taking a much-needed North Pole vacation this holiday season!
While this beloved tradition rests up for a future return, our team is focusing on delivering other festive downtown promotions to make this season merry and bright for all. We appreciate your understanding and support as we sprinkle extra holiday cheer across downtown this year. We hope you enjoy the many other celebrations this season and support your favorite local businesses!