Parade of Lights will close a big chunk of downtown Denver this Saturday

Oh traffic jams, oh traffic jams, how crowded are your parking lots.
3 min. read
The Cherry Creek High School marching band processes downtown in Denver’s annual Parade of Lights, Dec. 1, 2018.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Missed the action? Check out our photos here.

Thousands of holiday revelers are expected to descend on downtown Denver Saturday night to watch the city's annual Parade of Lights.

That means a whole stocking full of street closures is in store.

According to the parade's website, the following areas will be closed with street parking unavailable during most of the afternoon and evening.

Saturday, Dec. 3

Starting at 3 p.m., everything two blocks southeast of Civic Center Park will shut down for parade staging. Broadway and 12th Ave. will remain open.

Then, at 4 p.m., all streets within one block of the parade route will close.

The parade starts at 6 p.m. and lasts about an hour. The route begins along Bannock Street in front of City Hall. It will wind along 14th, then turn right on Tremont before heading northwest on 17th Street.

Then, the parade will circle back to the staging area along Arapahoe, 15th and Glenarm.

Street closures shouldend around 8 p.m., according to organizers. Then, at 10 p.m., closures near Civic Center will lift.

Parking

Downtown parking can bring out the holiday blues as thousands of cars make their way into the city. Organizers say to arrive 45 to 90 minutes early to make sure you can find a spot.

Grandstand ticket holders will have access to the nearby Cultural Garage at 12th Ave. and Broadway.

The organizers encourage everyone else to take public transportation if possible. Those who do drive should consider parking outside the core downtown area and walking to the parade route.

Viewing

The parade is free to attend and has over 2 miles of first-come-first-served viewing from sidewalks. Blankets, chairs and strollers are allowed.

The least crowded spots along the route are generally near the final stretch. That means you may see smaller crowds along 15th Street from California to Glenarm.

9News will also broadcast the parade and stream it on its website.

Security and other things worth knowing

The Denver Police Department says it will have more than 150 officers stationed around the parade route this year.

While general attendees along the route are not screened, entry to the ticketed Grandstand area in front of City Hall will require going through a metal detector. Weapons and firearms are not allowed.

This year, the parade will have more than 40 floats, giant balloons and multiple marching bands.

On top of the parade, the city has also opened its free, pop-up ice skating rink at 1601 Arapahoe St. It plans to hold two fireworks displays for New Year's Eve.

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