A Tuesday at Blossoms of Light and a Saturday before Christmas can now carry very different prices. The Denver Botanic Gardens has switched to what it calls plan-ahead pricing for the season that opens Friday, November 20. Under the new system, "prices vary by date and time and are based on anticipated demand."
The Gardens says outright which nights will cost more: "Saturdays and dates around the holidays are typically in high demand." For someone who has to drive in, park and plan a whole evening around the lights, a busy night is often the only night that works. For a household a few blocks from York Street, any evening works. This season that flexibility shows up on the ticket price.
| Season | Public ticket range | Member ticket range |
|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | $22–$31 | $18–$27 |
| 2025–26 | $24–$29 | $20–$25 |
| 2026–27 | $19–$45 | $16–$38 |
The 2024–25 and 2025–26 ranges come from event listings for those seasons. The 2026 range is from the Gardens' Blossoms of Light page.
The bottom of the range moved $5 and the top moved $16. The Gardens' November 3 press release says adult tickets start at $24 for nonmembers and $20.50 for members, with more discounts for seniors and children. So an adult on a low-demand night pays about what an adult paid at the bottom of last season's range. The new pricing mostly changes what the busiest nights cost, and last season's public ceiling was $29.
Once you buy, the date is set
The ticket is for one date and one entry time. The Gardens asks visitors to arrive within 30 minutes after the time printed on the ticket, though you don't need to change your ticket if you're running late. Its FAQ also says "the further ahead you plan, the more you save."
The exchange policy makes the choice of date more important. You can move to another date at least 72 hours before your entry time if the new slot isn't sold out, and there's a $5 fee, which members don't pay. Moving to a higher-priced date costs the fee plus the difference in price. Moving to a lower-priced date costs the fee, and the Gardens issues no refund or credit for the difference. So booking a busy Saturday to be safe and switching to a Tuesday later doesn't save anything. Booking the Tuesday first keeps the lower price. If a weeknight falls through, you can still move to a weekend by paying the difference.
The calendar for this season, from the Gardens' winter events page and event listing:
- Thursday, Nov. 19: press night, the evening before opening
- Friday, Nov. 20 to Sunday, Jan. 10: open 4:30 to 9 p.m., with grounds cleared at 9:45 p.m.
- Closed: Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Dec. 25
- Tuesday, Dec. 1: Sensory-Friendly Night, 5 to 8 p.m., with light and sound turned down and reduced capacity
- Dec. 20 to Jan. 4, except Dec. 25: holiday bars along the path on select evenings, with drinks supplied by partner Alliance Française
The route is the same mile-long path. The release highlights a 200-foot light tunnel, a choreographed light show in the UMB Amphitheater, glowing orbs in Monet Pool and projections on the Science Pyramid. The Science Pyramid is also new this year as a space that groups can rent for private holiday parties during Blossoms. For the best night, the Gardens recommends going under a fresh layer of snow. Buying ahead for a weeknight and then hoping for snow is a reasonable plan.
From 5 to 9 p.m., posted blocks are permit-only
A neighbor who walks over doesn't have to think about parking. Neighbors who live near the Gardens still have to deal with what happens on their street on Blossoms nights.
The Gardens' parking structure is free, but it's limited and fills quickly. In the surrounding neighborhood, every car parked on a street with posted restrictions needs a current residential parking permit on the dates listed. The 2026 Blossoms parking map shows those blocks marked "NO 5PM - 9PM" and "TOW AWAY ZONE." The same map lists the blocks whose residents can get the BG district permit:
- 2100–2299 East 12th Avenue
- 2100–2599 East 11th Avenue
- 2200–2399 East 9th Avenue
- 1000–1199 Columbine Street
- 1100–1199 Vine Street
- 1100–1199 Gaylord Street
- 1100–1199 Elizabeth Street
Holiday guests are the problem these rules create, since a visiting relative's car parked on a posted block from 5 to 9 p.m. can be towed. Denver's residential parking permit page describes two annual virtual permits. A Vehicle Specific Parking Permit covers one household vehicle for a $20 administrative fee. A Flex Parking Permit covers guests, service providers or additional household vehicles for a $25 administrative fee. The city takes applications only online or by mail, and the online version goes through the CMRpay portal. The Gardens says it isn't responsible for parking tickets or towing fees. This section is general information and not legal advice, so check your block's signs and your own permit eligibility with the city before guests arrive.
For people coming from farther than an easy walk, the Gardens recommends RTD routes 24 on York and Josephine and 10 on 12th Avenue, and there are bike racks at the York Street main entrance. This is also the first Blossoms season with the Colfax bus-only lanes running. Since September 27, the two center lanes of East Colfax from Broadway to Colorado Boulevard have been reserved for buses, and 15 and 15L riders board at center platforms. The 15L schedule includes a Colfax–Josephine station. The Gardens doesn't list that route, so expect to walk south from Colfax to the entrance.
The dinner half of the evening is on Colfax and Sixth
Entry times start at 4:30, so dinner comes either before or after the lights. Inside the Gardens, Offshoots Café and the Hive Garden Bistro sell holiday treats and warm drinks during Blossoms. For a sit-down meal, the neighborhood's options this season are along the Colfax edge and on Sixth Avenue. All three below are businesses that arrived or changed hands in 2026, and their hours fit different parts of the evening.
Chicken Riot, 2906 E. 6th Ave. The smoked chicken spot from the Riot BBQ owners opened in the spring in the former Truffle Cheese Shop space. Its site lists hours as daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. That makes it an early-dinner stop before a later entry time, and it will be closed by the time a 7 p.m. ticket holder finishes the path.
FiNO, 3015 E. Colfax Ave. The Denver Post reported that the Mediterranean bar and restaurant opened in March with the All Inn hotel on Colfax. Its own site lists hours as 5 to 10 p.m. every day. That covers either side of an early entry time.
Enzo's Brick Oven Pizza, 3424 E. Colfax Ave. Westword reported in August that Simon Campari had reopened the pizzeria under new ownership. It's open 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. It's the only one of the three still serving after 10 p.m. on any night of the week.
Some familiar dinner spots are gone. Machete Tequila + Tacos at 3570 E. Colfax served for the last time on January 24, and the Denver Post reported that its lease was ending and that Colfax construction had cut into business. Under the Umbrella Cafe and Bakery at 3507 E. 12th Ave. closed in the spring. Briar Patch at 1222 Madison St. ended service in September after 14 months. Its chef, Amanda Singh, described the corner to the Denver Post this way: "They're really tucked in there. If you knew about the area, you knew about the area." As of Westword's October 29 roundup, the building was vacant.
Pricing by demand isn't unique to holiday lights. A home's sale price depends on demand and timing in much the same way. If you want to see how demand in your part of Congress Park looks this winter, book a Free Market Strategy Call with Nick Crothers and we'll go over the current numbers for your block.
