The city's center glowed Saturday evening as 9NEWS' annual Parade of Lights took over downtown streets and thousands crowded in to watch.
It was the event's 50th anniversary.
The evening was warm, compared to some past years.
In 2000, the Rocky Mountain News reported temperatures dropped to 21 degrees.
"The cold didn't matter," the story read. "People 20 deep jammed Denver sidewalks to marvel at the sights and sounds."
Back then, it was the AT&T Parade of Lights.
In 1995, the Rocky published an op-ed that called for the event to be delayed. December had "become the most perilous period" for Denver's air quality, the authors wrote.
"The crush of a popular parade, evening rush hour and events in lower downtown and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts simply put too many vehicles on the streets in and around downtown," the editorial reads.
Still, the paper reported kids among the 150,000-plus people had fun.
"Youngsters' eyes wide," their headline said.
The Colorado State University marching band fills downtown with sound.
The Masterpiece Lowriders cruise 15th Street. Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Even back in 1989, some 15 years after the event began as a small, informal gathering, the Denver Post called the parade one of Denver's "oldest holiday traditions."
That year, Mickey Mouse joined Mayor Federico Peña for a ceremony to light the City and County Building.
"More than 300,000 people attended last year's parades," the paper reported.
The Colorado Fire Tribe illuminates the night. Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
