December turns Colorado Springs into a lights town. The zoo strings its mountainside with more than a million bulbs, a Christmas-themed amusement park operates at the foot of Pikes Peak, and neighborhoods compete in earnest.
The month closes with downtown's New Year's Eve celebration — fireworks off the buildings on Tejon Street.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's Electric Safari — the mountainside zoo strung with light sculptures and more than a million lights, with many animal exhibits open into the evening — is the region's signature December tradition. Weeknights are noticeably calmer than weekends.
Santa's Workshop at the North Pole — the Christmas-themed amusement park at the base of Pikes Peak that has operated since the 1950s — runs its peak season through December. It skews best for the under-10 crowd.
Holiday light displays run across the city and surrounding towns, the seasonal-performance calendar (Nutcracker runs, holiday concerts) fills the theaters, and The Broadmoor's decorated campus is a free-to-wander tradition even if you're not staying.
Happening right now
The zoo's annual holiday-lights event — over a million lights and animated sculptures across the mountainside grounds, with select animal exhibits open in the evening. It runs on December nights, and weeknights are the calmest.
A Christmas-themed amusement park at the base of Pikes Peak near Cascade, operating since the 1950s — rides, Santa visits, and shops, aimed mostly at younger kids. Its season peaks in December.
Downtown traditionally hosts a New Year's Eve celebration with fireworks launched downtown — check our events pages in late December for the current year's plans.