Aurora lights its official holiday tree on Tuesday, Dec. 8, on the Great Lawn at the Aurora Municipal Center on East Alameda Parkway. Copperleaf doesn't have to wait that long. The mayor lights a tree on the southeast side 17 days earlier, and that same Saturday starts with one of the season's biggest holiday craft fairs. Both events have the same 80016 ZIP code as Copperleaf.
That Saturday is Nov. 21. From there, a full holiday calendar runs through New Year's Eve without ever needing the drive north to Alameda.
Saturday, November 21, hour by hour
On a map, the day runs from Quincy Avenue to Southlands Town Square, and the times fit together almost as if they were planned that way:
- 8:30 a.m. Doors open for the 11th Annual Winter Frenzy & Holiday Craft Fair at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, 25690 E. Quincy Ave.
- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fair's shopping hours, with more than 150 vendors and Santa on site.
- Starting Nov. 21 Reservation-only Santa photo sessions open at Southlands and run through Dec. 24.
- 5:30 p.m. Aurora TV starts its live broadcast of the Southlands parade.
- 6 p.m. The Holiday Hometown Parade and Tree Lighting is listed to begin at Southlands Town Square, 6155 S. Main St.
The fair closes three hours before the parade starts. That leaves time to get home, drop off the bags and head back out once the sun goes down.
The morning belongs to the fairgrounds
The Arapahoe County Fairgrounds' own directions put the grounds "3 miles east of E-470 on Quincy Ave." When KB Home announced homes in Copperleaf, it pointed out the community's access to both E-470 and Quincy Avenue. So this is the same corridor that brings Copperleaf traffic home every evening. Most of the year, the fairgrounds are known for the county fair in July. In late November they host a holiday market.
Elevate Vendor Events runs Winter Frenzy, which is now in its 11th year. The vendor list covers handmade gifts, boutique clothing, jewelry, holiday décor, specialty foods, bath and body products, artwork, candles and pet products. The event is open to all ages, parking is free and doors open at 8:30 a.m. Ticket details are on Elevate Vendor Events' website, and the full listing is on Visit Denver's event page.
Because the fair brings in more than 150 sellers, it's a good place to get much of a gift list done before Thanksgiving week.
The evening belongs to Southlands
The day's second event is the Holiday Hometown Parade and Tree Lighting, an annual Southlands tradition. Visit Aurora's 2026 holiday guide describes floats, marching bands, local community groups and holiday carolers. Santa rides on Big John, an antique fire engine. Aurora TV anchors Wendy Brockman and Matthew Peterson join the event, and Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman lights the Southlands Christmas tree with Santa.
That puts the tree Mayor Coffman lights in Copperleaf's own ZIP code. If staying home sounds better that night, Aurora TV's broadcast starts at 5:30 p.m.
Why Southlands stays on the calendar after the parade
One night at Southlands starts several weeks of events there.
- The Pond. The outdoor ice rink in Town Square has been open daily since Nov. 7, and skate rentals are available. Hours and pricing are on the Southlands events page.
- Santa at The Southlands Pole. Santa sits inside Guest Services at the Clock Tower. Photo sessions run Nov. 21 through Dec. 24 and require a reservation.
- Southlands Holiday Market. It runs Friday, Nov. 27, and Saturday, Nov. 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local vendors sell crafts, art, specialty goods and treats, with music playing beside a 30-foot holiday tree. The Saturday is also Small Business Saturday.
- Noon Year's Eve. On Thursday, Dec. 31, Southlands holds a daytime countdown to noon with kids' activities, and skating is open on The Pond.
The Main Street dining lineup is also growing. WhatNow reported on Sept. 30, 2026, that Sourdough & Co., a sandwich, soup and salad shop, is expanding to Southlands at 6295 S. Main St.
Seventeen days later, the city's tree
The rest of Aurora's holiday calendar moves north and west, and most of it comes later. Christmas at Gaylord Rockies opens Friday, Nov. 20, and runs through Jan. 3, 2027. Its ice! attraction this year is built around Disney's Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and uses more than 2 million pounds of hand-carved ice. That same Friday, Town Center at Aurora holds a free Santa's Grand Arrival from 5 to 7 p.m. at 14200 E. Alameda Ave. It includes carolers, kids' crafts and a reindeer petting zoo.
The city's own events wait until Tuesday, Dec. 8. The free Merry Makers Market runs from 4 to 8 p.m. at Aurora Central Library, 14949 E. Alameda Parkway. The Holiday Tree Lighting follows from 5 to 7 p.m. on the Great Lawn at the Aurora Municipal Center, with performances by Aurora Dance Hearts and a visit from Santa. By then, the Southlands tree will have been lit for more than two weeks.
The rest of the season, by weekend
Between those two tree lightings, the first weekend of December has more going on than any other weekend of the season.
| Date | Event | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Grandview Holiday Market, 160+ vendors, free admission and parking | Grandview High School | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Aurora Symphony Orchestra, A Trans-Siberian Christmas | Gateway High School Auditorium | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Aurora Symphony Orchestra, A Trans-Siberian Christmas | Gateway High School Auditorium | 4 p.m. |
| Tue., Dec. 8 | Merry Makers Market and city Holiday Tree Lighting | Aurora Central Library and Municipal Center | 4 to 8 p.m. market, 5 to 7 p.m. lighting |
| Thu., Dec. 31 | Noon Year's Eve | Southlands Town Square | Countdown at noon |
The Grandview Holiday Market works a lot like Winter Frenzy, with handmade gifts, jewelry, artwork, décor and specialty foods. Proceeds support the school's PTCO. The Aurora Symphony Orchestra's holiday program mixes traditional Christmas, Hanukkah and winter favorites with music from Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller.
For something on a weeknight before then, the Festival of Wreaths runs from Nov. 10 through Dec. 11 in the Aurora History Museum's Community Gallery. Visitors can vote on community-made wreaths and bid in a silent auction, either in person or online.
Put together, Copperleaf's season starts at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 21 at the fairgrounds gate on East Quincy, and its last 80016 event is the noon countdown at Southlands on Dec. 31.
The holidays are a good time to take in the neighborhood around you. If they also have you wondering what your Copperleaf home might be worth in the new year, Gerlock Homes can put together a free home valuation or schedule a no-pressure consultation whenever it suits you.
