Two organizations run Highlands Ranch's December, and they work on separate Saturdays at separate addresses. The Highlands Ranch Metro District hosts the free Holiday Celebration at the Mansion on Saturday, Dec. 5. One week later, the Highlands Ranch Community Association lights the tree at Town Center on Saturday, Dec. 12. The Mansion weekend follows a format the Metro District has used for years, built around shuttle buses and a historic house. The Town Center weekend is the one that has changed. The playground at Civic Green Park is being rebuilt from the ground up, and the restaurants on the surrounding blocks are a different group than they were a year ago.
The Mansion Weekend Runs on a Shuttle
The Holiday Celebration at the Mansion runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 5 at 9950 E Gateway Drive. The Metro District's event listing includes horse-drawn hayrides, visits with Santa Claus, face painting, school choir performances, selections from the Nutcracker by local dancers, holiday story times and reindeer games on the lawn. Volunteer docents will be on hand for self-guided tours of the house, and food trucks will sell food and drinks.
Getting there takes the most planning. Shuttle buses leave from the west lot at Mountain Vista High School, the student parking lot, starting at 9:30 a.m. There's no parking at the Mansion that day except for vehicles with disability placards or plates. The Mansion's own holiday page, posted in January, listed the off-site shuttle location as still to be determined. The newer Metro District listing is the one that names Mountain Vista, so check it again the week of the event. Vendor spots are full, and the Metro District is keeping a waiting list.
You can get a preview of that setup on Halloween night. The Metro District's Last Stop Halloween runs Saturday, Oct. 31, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Mansion. It's free and entirely outdoors, no reservations are needed, and parking is limited. If you're decorating for Halloween, the HRCA's Halloween house map takes submissions through Friday, Oct. 30, which is the last day to add your address.
Town Center's Corner Is Being Rebuilt Before Its Big Night
The Mansion's December looks the way it usually does. The Town Center end of the season is the one in transition, and the clearest sign is at Civic Green Park, 9370 Ridgeline Blvd.
The park's 19-year-old playground closed for replacement on Sept. 8. The adjacent shelter is fenced off, and the upper fountains and wading stream were shut off early for the season to make room for construction. The rest of the park is still open. The Metro District expects work to continue through late November. Its Playground Replacement project page is where the reopening date will be posted, and so far it hasn't named a specific day.
The Metro District says community feedback shaped the new design. The closure announcement lists these features:
- A larger footprint than the old playground, with continuous rubber surfacing in place of wood chips
- A tall main structure with slides, tunnels and climbing elements for ages 5 to 12
- Separate play and slide structures for ages 2 to 5 and for toddlers 6 to 23 months
- Four swings under a shade awning
- A spinning rope tower
- A merry-go-round with at-grade entry, designed for inclusive play
Some things are staying the same. The fountains and wading stream aren't part of the renovation and will come back as they were, and the book sculptures remain in place. Until the fences come down, the Metro District suggests Northridge Park, Foothills Park and Kistler Park as nearby playgrounds. The Metro District aims to replace one or two playgrounds each year, depending on budget, so Civic Green is part of a regular schedule. It just happens to finish a few weeks before the biggest event held next to it.
If the late-November timeline holds, the new playground opens within roughly two weeks of the tree lighting. Here's how the two December Saturdays compare:
| Holiday Celebration at the Mansion | Hometown Holiday | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 5 | Saturday, Dec. 12 |
| Hours | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Noon to 5 p.m. |
| Host | Highlands Ranch Metro District | Highlands Ranch Community Association |
| Address | 9950 E Gateway Drive | 9315 Dorchester St. |
| Getting there | Shuttle from Mountain Vista High School's west lot, starting at 9:30 a.m. | Free parking nearby, plus Link on Demand |
| Cost | Free | Free |
| Food and drink | Food trucks | Food trucks and vendors, a cash bar with IDs checked, hot cocoa for kids |
November Fills the Weeks Between Them
The weeks between Halloween and the tree lighting are busiest near Town Center, starting with the Douglas County Libraries branch at 9292 S Ridgeline Blvd., just down the street from Civic Green.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: The Metro District's Veterans Day Celebration runs 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Douglas County Libraries at Highlands Ranch.
- Saturday, Nov. 14: Two events share the day. The HRCA Holiday Gift Fair runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and its vendor call emphasizes handmade and handcrafted goods. That afternoon, the library hosts a Local Author Showcase from 1 to 3:45 p.m. Registration is required.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: The Highlands Ranch branch hosts authors Bruce Borgos and Kathleen Donnelly from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
- Late November: This is the Metro District's expected end of construction at Civic Green.
- Thursday, Dec. 3: The HRCA holiday house map goes live. Submissions stay open through Dec. 21, so you can add your house after the Mansion weekend or after the tree lighting.
Town Center will also have new decorations this year. The HRCA's holiday banner contest runs through Oct. 31, and the winning children's artwork will hang around Town Center during the holiday season. By the time families arrive for the tree lighting, banners drawn by local kids will be up around the plaza.
The Tables Around Town Center Have Shifted
Eating out before or after the Dec. 12 lighting works differently than it did last winter. The Rock Bottom Brewery at 1505 Park Central Dr. closed in the weeks before Aug. 18, when BusinessDen's report in The Denver Post noted that the closures left the chain with one brewpub in Colorado.
Several other places nearby are still open. Postino Highlands Ranch is a short walk away at 1497 Park Central Drive. Old Blinking Light is at 9344 Dorchester Street, right on the block where the tree lighting happens. Town Center's current tenant directory also includes Lansdowne Arms, Highlands Indian Cuisine, Corner Bakery, Code Poke, Dave's Hot Chicken and Cold Stone Creamery. Taziki's operates at 1601 Mayberry Drive, Suite 101.
Two more are on the way. The center's August 2026 leasing brochure lists Bake Shop and Nicolo's Pizza as coming soon, with no opening dates. If either opens before mid-December, there will be a new place to eat on the same blocks as the tree.
There's also a new coffee option in town. Black Rock Coffee Bar announced a Highlands Ranch shop at 9401 S University Blvd. with a Sept. 14 opening, according to the company's release. The release called it the chain's 22nd Colorado location.
The Afternoon of Dec. 12
The HRCA's Hometown Holiday runs from noon to 5 p.m. at Highlands Ranch Town Center, 9315 Dorchester St. It's free and open to everyone. The schedule includes photos with Santa, a holiday gift market, live music, food trucks, holiday games and the lighting ceremony. The event is entirely outdoors and will be canceled only for severe weather. Free parking is nearby, and Link on Demand also serves the area. Vendor applications close Nov. 30, so the gift market's final lineup won't be set until just before the event.
On Dec. 5 you'll start at a school parking lot and ride a bus to the Mansion. On Dec. 12 you can park near Dorchester Street and walk over. If the Metro District stays on schedule, the walk will pass a new playground at Civic Green, with swings, a rope tower and a merry-go-round.
If friends or family are coming to town for either weekend and want suggestions for where to eat or how to spend the day, the team at J. Garland Thurman is happy to share what we know about both corners of Highlands Ranch. Let's Connect.
