Westminster Mall came down in 2011 and left a 105-acre site for the city to build a downtown on. On Saturday, Nov. 21, that downtown hosts its holiday lighting with a park to spend the afternoon in, four hours of free street parking and sit-down restaurants within walking distance of the plaza. It's the first year all three are in place at once.
The Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony & Market runs from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. The official lighting is at 6 p.m. in Central Square Plaza. It's free. The Westminster Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Westminster Business Association present it in partnership with the City of Westminster. On paper it looks a lot like last year's. On the ground, the space around it has changed a lot since then.
Year three, and the first with the park
Downtown Westminster held its second annual lighting ceremony on Nov. 22, 2025. Afterward, the district's own recap described twinkling trees, festive décor and an ornament selfie station. That makes this year's ceremony the third, and it's the first since the City opened Aerostat Park on May 30, 2026.
The park is the biggest change. The City's opening announcement calls the three-acre site at 5750 W. Central Ave. the centerpiece of Downtown Westminster. It includes:
- picnic shelters
- walking paths
- a fire pit
- a playground
- an off-leash dog area
- a lighted spray pad
- games and open lawn
The City says the open spaces are meant to support events all year.
The name goes back to the hot-air balloons that used to hang inside Westminster Mall, and several parts of the park are designed around that image. So the holiday train will run through a park named for the old mall's balloons, on the 105-acre site the mall left behind.
This year's program uses the park directly. The event flyer lists trackless train rides through Aerostat Park along with the holiday market, live music, caroling and a visit from Santa. Everyone then gathers in Central Square Plaza for the 6 p.m. countdown. In 2025 there was no park. In 2026 it gives the afternoon a second space to fill.
The park spent the fall hosting events
Aerostat Park didn't open on Nov. 21 untested. Since it opened, Downtown's signature events calendar has spread across several downtown spaces:
| Date | Event | Where it happened |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 19 | Summer Sounds finale with Shakedown Street | Aerostat Park |
| Sept. 26 | Drone Show & Battle of the Bands with School of Rock Broomfield | Aerostat Park |
| Oct. 10 | Harvest & Handmade | South Park Lawn, in front of Tap & Burger |
| Oct. 24 | Trunk or Treat | Eaton Street Parking Lot |
| Nov. 21 | Holiday Lighting Ceremony & Market | Central Square Plaza and Aerostat Park |
| Dec. 31 | Noon Year's Eve | Central Square Plaza |
The September drone show shows how these days are built. It started at 4:30 p.m. with live music, local vendors, food trucks and beer, and the drones went up around 7:45 p.m. over Downtown Westminster. The holiday ceremony works the same way, with hours of activity before one moment at dark. In both cases the park gives people room to spread out before it.
Four hours of free parking for a four-hour event
In May 2026 the City began offering four free hours of on-street parking throughout Downtown Westminster, in response to resident feedback. The holiday event runs from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., so it fits exactly inside that free window.
| On-street parking rule | What it means on Nov. 21 |
|---|---|
| First four hours free | Arriving at 2:30 p.m. covers the whole event |
| $1.50 per hour after that, up from $1.00 | Only applies if you stay past four hours |
| Enforced 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Enforcement ends at 7 p.m. |
| Not enforced Sundays or holidays | A Saturday event is enforced as usual |
If you park at 2:30 and stay through the lighting, you'll be close to the end of the free four hours when the market closes. If dinner keeps you on the street past 6:30, enforcement ends at 7 p.m.
The Eaton Street Parking Garage at 8855 Eaton St. has also added something new this year. Since August, the City and Colorado Carshare have offered an electric car-share vehicle from the garage's first floor. Maintenance, insurance and charging are included. For a household with one car and two plans that Saturday, that's an easy fix one block over.
Plan the evening around dinner reservations
The district's own invitation tells families to "grab a bite to eat at one of our fantastic local restaurants," and by now there are enough sit-down options to do that. The event ends at 6:30 p.m., about 30 minutes after the lights come on, so your dinner reservation sets how the evening goes.
Here's one way to plan the afternoon:
- 2:30 p.m. The holiday market opens with local makers, artisans and small businesses selling gifts and holiday treats. Shopping early gives you the best selection.
- Mid-afternoon. Ride the trackless train through Aerostat Park, and watch for Santa while live music and caroling continue through the afternoon. The park's playground and picnic shelters are open between rides.
- Before 6 p.m. Head to Central Square Plaza for the countdown.
- After the lights. Walk to dinner.
For that last step, three restaurants close to the plaza all list current addresses and daily hours on their own sites:
- Tap & Burger, 8810 Westminster Blvd., takes reservations online, which helps on a busy Saturday. Its front lawn hosted Harvest & Handmade in October.
- Famille, 8875 Westminster Blvd., serves breakfast and brunch plus dinner every day. That makes it a good spot for brunch before the event or dinner after.
- Vatos Tacos & Tequila, 5815 W. 89th Ave., is open daily.
Downtown Westminster's business directory also lists Sweet Bloom Coffee and Superfruit Republic for something warm or quick, plus Bowlero and Alamo Drafthouse if the kids still have energy after dark. Two newer names are part of the district's 2026 story. Kokopelli Social Bar is the open-air spot run by the locally owned Kokopelli Beer Company, next to the Temporary Dog Park at 90th Avenue and Fenton Street. It soft-opened in June with craft beer, cocktails, dirty sodas, pizza and pretzels. Red Lotus Den is the food hall planned for West 89th Avenue, with seven kitchens, bars and karaoke, and its own site says a Central Square patio will be part of it once it opens.
The next date on the plaza
After the lighting, the next Downtown Westminster event is Noon Year's Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Central Square Plaza. It's a family-friendly countdown to a midday "new year," with activities and entertainment for kids. It happens on a weekday, so check whether your block of street parking is enforced that day. The four free hours still apply.
For Nov. 21, add a reservation to your calendar for shortly after 6:30 p.m. and plan to arrive close to 2:30 p.m.
Hosting family for the lighting this year, or getting your own home ready for a houseful of holiday guests? Jennifer Stuckey is happy to help with the prep so you have more time for the market, the train and the countdown. Let's Connect.
