Colorado, USA-Happy Thanksgiving, Colorado!

Before and after enjoying turkey this weekend, consider one of these fun Thanksgiving and holiday events held in every corner of the state.

Before the Turkey Festival starts and walks, Mile High City will welcome the holiday under the annual lights of Denver City and County Government Buildings. The Colorado holiday season traditions that begin this weekend include the Nutcracker, the Flower of Light, Hudson Christmas, the lights of the zoo, the big lights at Union Station, and more.

Experience the unique culture, food and geography, and experience the special features of the century-old state in one of these parades, festivals, lights and activities this weekend, and start the holiday.

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Denver-For most of a century, Colorado people gathered outside Denver city and county buildings to celebrate the beginning of the holiday. The Mayor of Denver, Michael Hancock, will start the holiday celebrations for the city and county buildings on Wednesday, November 24, turning on the switch to turn the building into a festive scene throughout the season. The interactive holiday program will be broadcast twice at 5:45 pm and 6:45 pm before January 23, 2022, and at the National Western Stock Show.

Denver-The 48th annual Mile High United Way Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Day was held in Washington Park in Denver. A trot is a four-mile run/walk, and the proceeds are used to support the Mile High United Way. The opening ceremony began at 8:45 in the morning. Registration can be done at UnitedWayDenver.org.

CASTLE ROCK-Castle Rock’s Thanksgiving morning tradition will return on Thursday. The 17th Turkish Rock Trot is a 5K family run/walk/walk, very suitable for serious runners or the whole family. The 5K event starts at 9 am at the Douglas County Event Center. The free 1K Kids Dash starts at 8:30 am. The ROCK Trot Health and Wellness Expo in Turkey opens at 7:30 am on Thursday with health and wellness vendors, gifts, bounce houses, face painting, balloon twists and f lapjacks. To register for the contest, please visit TurkeyROCKTrot.com.

Denver-The 7th Stanley Harvest Hope 5K arrived in Denver's Central Park on Thanksgiving morning. This activity includes 5K and children's fun running. Dogs, strollers, and wheelchairs are all welcome on the paved route of the game. All proceeds from this event were donated to the non-profit Prader-Willi Research Foundation. You can register at HarvestingHope5K.com.

Colorado Springs-The Briargate YMCA in Colorado Springs will host the 24th Annual Turkey Trot 5K and Kids Trot on Thanksgiving morning. These running activities are fundraising activities for YMCA and many of its projects. The free kids run starts at 8:15 in the morning, and the Turkish trot starts at 9 in the morning. You can register for trotting on PPYMCA.org.

LITTLETON — Gobble Wobble is a 5K competition held at Clement Park in Littleton. Running/walking is open to serious athletes, aspiring runners, families and children. Thanksgiving Day 8:30 in the morning, the 12th annual Gobble Wobble will be held south of the new large playground near the Columbine Library. You can register on GobbleWobbleRun.org.

Frisco-The 8th Annual Turkey Day 5K was held in Frisco on the morning of Thanksgiving. The event is open to people of all ages and is held in Summit County Recreation Path and Town of Frisco Street. The game starts at 9:30 am on Thursday from the old community center. This event will be sold out, so please register on TownofFrisco.com as soon as possible.

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ESTES Park-Estes Park will kick off the festival with its annual Catch the Glow parade and celebrations. The lit parade started at 5:30 pm on Friday, along Elkhorn Ave., with marching bands playing festive tunes, dancers flashing lights and beautiful floats.

GREELEY — The 24th Annual Greeley Lights the Lights Night Holiday Parade and Grand Lighting Ceremony will be held on Saturday at 5:30 pm from 15th Street to 9th Avenue in Lincoln Park. The free march and the lighting ceremony are the official holidays in Greeley and surrounding areas.

SALIDA — Salida will hold an annual parade of lights starting at 6 pm on Friday. After the parade, Salida will become a Christmas town, and the "world's largest Christmas tree" is lit up-4,500 light bulbs on Tenderfoot Mountain are strung together to form a Christmas tree. A huge holiday sign can be seen miles away in the Arkansas River Valley, which will be lit during the New Year.

Pueblo-The 31st annual Pueblo Light Parade marks the beginning of the Christmas season in southern Colorado. The parade is one of the largest Christmas parades in Colorado. There are colorful floats, school marching bands, training teams, saddle club horses, brightly lit classic cars and more. Pueblo Parade of Lights at 5:30 pm on Saturday from Mesa Junction along Union Avenue to Main Street, then 6th and Court. The theme of the 2021 parade is "Toy Paradise". 

Denver-Colorado Ballet's 60th "The Nutcracker" will return this holiday season with 26 wonderful performances at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. For decades, performances by the Colorado Ballet have been one of Denver's most popular holiday traditions. The story of The Nutcracker inspired the imagination of audiences of all ages, showing outstanding dancers and Tchaikovsky's beloved music score performed by the Colorado Ballet.

This year's performance has new costumes and new sets specially made for the Colorado Ballet. The Nutcracker is open on Friday and will run until Thursday, December 24. The shows are sold out every year, so please get tickets at ColoradoBallet.org as early as possible.

Colorado Springs-Colorado Springs' only professional performance of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" will be staged only at the Pikes Peak Performing Arts Center this weekend. Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra’s performances feature Oklahoma City Ballet and Colorado Springs Children’s Choir. Five Nutcracker performances are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday in downtown Colorado Springs. Get tickets at CSPhilharmonic.org.

Denver-The Grand Illumination of Denver Union Station will be more grand in 2021 than ever. Friday’s free holiday celebrations include grand lighting at the station and a 40-foot outdoor Christmas tree. There will be a retro festival performance by the Denver Dolls, Sound of the Rocky Mountains, and a performance by the Clauss. Entertainment hours are from 5pm to 8pm

Parker-Parker Town is pleased to hold the annual Mayor’s Holiday Lantern Festival on Friday to welcome the holiday. The mayor and Parker's choir will sing in "A Silent Night" to kick off the event, followed by the town trees and the big park lighting. After lighting up the O'Brien Park, guests are encouraged to appreciate the ice sculpture display, festival characters, the Clauss and festival food vendors. Live entertainment includes the Parker Choir, the local high school choir and the Colorado Dance School. The event starts at 5:30 pm on Friday and lasts until 7 pm  

Photo: Mayor Parker’s Holiday Lighting

LONGMONT-Friday's tree lighting ceremony will officially kick off the holiday in the center of Longmont. The ceremony at 6:30 pm will feature carols and festive singing, crafts, snacks, hot drinks, gift bags and Kris Kringle, before reaching a climax before the trees in the 6th Street Plaza light up.

Montrose-The historic Montrose County Courthouse is the venue for the annual tree light event on Friday. The event will have Christmas carols and hot cocoa. The "Letter to Santa" starts with Santa's mailbox in Santa's Hut in the 500th block of East Main Street.

Littleton-The 37th annual Littleton candlelight walk and tree lighting event will be held on Friday in the historic Littleton city centre. The walk provides free hot cider, holiday entertainment, main street parade, live reindeer and Santa Claus visits. The celebration starts at 5:30 pm on Friday. Santa Claus will light up a giant tree in Bowles Plaza at the west end of Main Street, marking a successful end to the night.

Grand Lake-The annual lighting ceremony of Grand Lake will be held in the city park on Friday. At 5 pm on Friday, Grande Lake will sound holiday carols, warm fire pits, hand-made biscuits, hot cocoa and a lighting ceremony during the holiday season.

BEAVER CREEK-Friday's 41st Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony kicked off the holiday ski season at Beaver Creek. There will be live music performances, ice skating performances, photos with Santa Claus, and tree lights in Beaver Creek Village.

KEYSTONE — Keystone’s 9th annual holiday tree lighting and winter carnival provide cookies, hot chocolate, Santa’s visit, holiday tree lighting, etc. On Saturday from 3pm to 5:15pm, Warren Station will provide hot toddy, cocoa, a letter to Santa Claus, a winter carnival photo booth, and light up the tree lights in River Run Village at 5:15pm . Holiday celebrations are free.

Glenwood Springs, one of Colorado's oldest hotels, is ready for the holidays. The Colorado Hotel will host live Christmas music and entertainment all day Friday until its 31st annual lighting ceremony and fireworks show. Free celebrations include music entertainment, Santa visits, ice sculptures, photo booths, etc. More than 500,000 Christmas lights will be lit at the same time, followed by a firework show at the top of the hotel.

FRISCO — Frisco's Wassail Days starts on Saturday and lasts until Sunday, December 5. Frisco companies will provide special Wassail recipes during the event, and visitors will try to fill in their "12-port Wassail" card. The festival begins with the Frisco Holiday Illumination at the gazebo in Frisco Historic Park at 6pm on Saturday. The lighting includes hot cider, mulled wine, biscuits and s'mores set.

LITTLETON — Hudson Christmas is an outdoor Christmas lantern festival in Hudson Gardens, which will definitely make your holiday atmosphere stronger. Two years later, the woods in the garden turned into a winter wonderland, with brightly lit trees reflecting the night sky and reflecting the water. With friends and family, hot chocolate, delicious food, and photo opportunities, Hudson Christmas is a must-see tradition in Colorado. Hudson Christmas will be open on the weekend starting on Friday and choose a date during Christmas. Tickets can be found on HudsonGardens.org.

LITTLETON — Starting this Friday, the Denver Plant Garden at Chatfield Farms will become a path of sparkling lights. The Trail of Lights holiday experience offers singing Christmas trees, synchronized music in the children’s play area, light tunnels, model tractor displays, hot drinks, nuts, corn kettles, etc. The Trail of Lights at Chatfield Farms will be open every night before Sunday, January 2. Tickets are sold at BotanicGardens.org.

Greeley-The 32nd Annual Tree Festival will return this weekend, and the United Colony Civic Center Hall will become a true winter wonderland. The festival features beautifully crafted trees, each decorated with its own unique theme and style, all competing for prizes. The nine-day tree festival opens on Friday and lasts until Saturday, December 4th. It also provides visits, carriage rides, and entertainment for the Clauss. View the complete tree festival schedule on GreeleyGov.com.

Denver-The Denver Zoo will light up more than 2 million lights at its 31st Annual Zoo Lights Festival. Zoo Lights will cover 80 acres and will provide new installations and products as well as returning favorites, including night ice sculpture demonstrations. The zoo stated that outdoor animal viewing during Zoo Lights is limited to cold weather species, such as Siberian tigers, bactrian camels, Przewalski horses and most of our pachyderms, but the Tropical Discovery Building will be open, allowing you to access 1,800 Species of animals, including fish, frogs, snakes, lizards, capybaras and sloths.

Zoo Lights will be held from Monday, November 22 to Sunday, January 2 from 5 pm to 10 pm Zoo Lights will be closed for Christmas on Saturday, December 25. Denver Zoo officials stated that Zoo Lights tickets are sold out every year. The zoo encourages people to book tickets online in advance to secure a spot.

Pueblo — ElectriCritters will bring joy to children of all ages at the Pueblo Zoo for 28 years. The 2021 event will start the day after Thanksgiving and will last until Sunday, December 26. The traditional features of the Pueblo Zoo include 150 magical lighting creations, hot cocoa, delicacies and holiday shopping, as well as free photos with Santa Claus on December 19, December 20, and December 20. December 21 . Visit PuebloZoo.org to get tickets.

Loveland-This Saturday and Sunday, the Rocky Mountain Train Show will be held at the Ranch Activity Center in the Larimer County Fair. This year's event covers an area of ​​more than 36,000 square feet in the North and South exhibition halls. It will showcase the operational layout, Lego blocks, many children's activities, etc., which is very suitable for families and train lovers. There will be 15 different sizes and sizes of running train layouts and more than 200 supplier tables, selling trains, books, paint, landscape materials, and everything you need to build your own spectacular model train. The Rocky Mountain Train Show is open from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday and 9 am to 3 pm on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the show or RockyMountainTrainShow.com.

GOLDEN — The latest work of Miners Alley Playhouse opened in Golden on Friday. This cheerful and rhythmic "A Christmas Carol" uses five actors to bring Dickens' beloved character to life. Josh Hartwell’s adaptations only use simple props, interesting bodies and imagination to tell the classic story of salvation. The Christmas Carols at Miners Alley Playhouses are scheduled until Thursday, December 23. Tickets can be found at MinersAlley.com or by calling 303-935-3044.

LONGMONT — Longmont Theatre Company is launching a new comedy this long holiday weekend. Tuna Christmas is a Christmas comedy set in the third small town in Texas. Two actors play all the crazy citizens of Texas Tuna as they prepare for the town’s annual Christmas celebrations. Tuna Christmas will last until Sunday, December 5. You can book tickets at LongmontTheatre.org. Everyone who enters the theater needs to wear a mask and vaccination certificate.

CREEDE-Chocolate lovers, rejoice! The two-day Creede Chocolate Festival is held on Friday and Saturday, and business owners will show all things about chocolate. Very unique samples include tiramisu, cakes and chocolate pretzels, to jalapeno fudge and chocolate dip bacon. During holiday shopping weekends, the Clauss will be found in town.

Denver-The RiNo holiday market will be held at Zepplin Station on Saturdays and Sundays. The outdoor market offers more than 100 craft suppliers, fashion trucks, food trucks, holiday-themed cocktails, live entertainment and more.

Denver-This weekend's Horseshoe Holiday Market will have more than 100 talented suppliers. The award-winning market will be held at the former Salvation Army campus in Globeville, 4751 North Broadway. The market is open from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

AURORA-Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm, more than 100 craftsmen and suppliers will participate in this unique and upscale exhibition at the Arapaho County Exhibition Center. The entrance fee to the Fall Frenzy & Holiday Fair is $3, and parking is free.

Related: Visit these holiday markets to find unique gifts for this Christmas

ARVADA — Olde Town will host its first holiday maker market this year. The market will start on Friday, November 26 and will continue every weekend on December 19. The event was first released by Mile High on the Cheap. For more local offers and discounts, please visit MileHighontheCheap.com.

Denver-The 21st annual Denver Christkindl market is open every day until Thursday, December 23, at the Greek Amphitheater in Civic Center Park. The Denver Christkindlmarket recreates the fun of strolling through European country squares during the holidays.

Visitors to the market can taste authentic Glühwein (hot spiced wine) and European drinks while buying unique handmade gifts and festive food sold by local Colorado, European and international merchants in the wooden house. Daily entertainment will also be held on the Greek amphitheater stage, including German polka music, German traditional dancers, multilingual holiday hymns, accordion and bluegrass music, high school bands, etc.

Related: Christkindl Market returns to downtown Denver

Denver-The Colorado Symphony Orchestra and special guest singer Crystal Monee Hall are co-organizing a concert to celebrate Etta James' iconic album "At Last." The world premiere was hosted by guest conductor Scott O'Neil, and was created and presented in collaboration with Etta James Estate and Crystal Monee Hall. The concert starts at 7:30 on Saturday night at the Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver. Tickets are sold at ColoradoSymphony.org.

Denver-Percussionists of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra will use marimba, tambourines, bass drums, woodblocks, log drums, boos, Chinese cymbals, metal trash cans, dalab cards, talking drums, plastic tubes, Acoustic guitars, toy trumpets, table spoons, Burmese gongs, jugs, crow calls, tambourines, gankogui and sleigh bells are in the world drum performance this weekend. The performance starts at 2:30 pm on Sunday at the Boettcher Concert Hall. Book tickets at ColoradoSymphony.org.

Denver-A week after bidding farewell, the Denver Broncos are back. They are well rested and ready to meet the Los Angeles Chargers. The Broncos (5-5) and Chargers started at Empower Field in Mile High at 2:05 pm on Sunday. Some tickets are available through resale on Ticketmaster.com.

Fort Collins-The Colorado State Rams will play the final game of the 2021 season this weekend. The Rams (3-8) hope to end their five-game losing streak when they host the Nevada Wolves (7-4) at Canvas Stadium on Saturday. The kick-off time is scheduled to take place at 7 pm, because it is CSU's senior day.

Colorado Springs — The Air Force Falcons will end the 2021 regular season with a post-Thanksgiving game against UNLV. The military appreciation game between the Falcons (8-3) and the rebels (2-9) started at 1:30 pm on Friday.

Denver-The Denver Nuggets have a game scheduled for Black Friday at Bauer Arena. At 7 o'clock on Friday night, the Nuggets will host the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks. Tickets for the Nuggets are sold through Ticketmaster.com.

Denver — Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche return to Denver this weekend to face the Nashville Predators. At 7pm on Saturday night, Avs and Preds will compete in the Ball Arena in downtown Denver. Ticketmaster.com is the official source of tickets for the Colorado Avalanche.

Loveland-The Colorado Hawks, an AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, played two games at the Budweiser Event Center in Loveland this holiday weekend. The Hawks skate with the Stockton Heat at 7:05 on Friday night and 3:05 on Saturday. Book your seat at ColoradoEagles.com.

Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect weekend to watch a movie with the family. There are many new movies in theaters this weekend. Disney's latest animated film "Encanto" was released on Wednesday along with new works from Lady Gaga's "House of Gucci" and "Resident Evil" series.

Other movies released include "Ghostbusters: Afterlife", "Eternal Race", "Dune", "Spencer", "King Richard" and "The Red Dog Clifford".

Denver-Colorado's largest Christmas carol production has reopened at the Denver Performing Arts Center this holiday season. Based on the classic novel by Charles Dickens, the Denver Music Adaptation traces the grumpy Ebenezer Scrooge's overnight journey to victory and salvation.

The Christmas Carol was last performed by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) Theater Company in 2018. The show was suspended in 2019 due to theater renovations and cancelled due to the 2020 pandemic.

Christmas carols will be performed at the newly renovated Wolf Theater in the Denver Performing Arts Center until Saturday, December 26. Tickets are now on sale at DenverCenter.org, starting at $30.

Related: "Christmas Carol" returns after 3 years of absence

AURORA — This holiday season, Gaylord Rockies will open a new Christmas experience. Mission: To save Christmas, the Elf Elf will open at the Aurora Hotel Resort and Conference Center on Sunday, January 2. A brand new, multi-sensory large tent experience for all ages allows guests to answer Santa’s phone calls with Buddy the Elf to help spend enough Christmas cheers to help Santa’s sleigh fly. You can buy overnight packages and event tickets at ChristmasatGaylordRockies.com. All events with tickets need to be booked online in advance.

Related: New "elves" holiday experience comes to Gaylord Rockies 

AURORA — Gaylord Rockies’ family holiday show Cirque Dreams Holidaze was staged at Gaylord Rockies’ Bubly Theater in 2019 and is back this year. Circus adventures and Broadway-style musicals are wrapped in a family-friendly holiday program, Cirque Dreams Holidaze is a celebration of toy soldiers, snowmen, reindeer, gingerbread, penguins, holiday characters and Santa Claus​​​​ The show features more than 300 sets of dazzling costumes and world-class trapeze, singers and dancers. The show will last until Sunday, January 2.

Related: "Cirque Dreams Holidaze" returns to the Gaylord Rockies

Lakewood-Guests can experience Christmas Camp’s biggest holiday ever at the Denver Performing Arts Center. This year’s new experience will be an outdoor/indoor event at Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park, featuring the fantastic lighting, dazzling decorations, music and souvenirs of artist Lonnie Hanzon in various Christmas scenes in a 6-acre landscape. The Christmas camp will last until Sunday, January 2. Please get tickets at DenverCenter.org.

Denver-The One Mile Tree, a seven-story tall, 39-foot diameter conical structure, will once again showcase dynamic light shows on the highest pixel LED technology tree in the country, which are arranged according to multicultural festival music . This giant tree will appear in the 16th Street Mall on Welton Street for the second year in a row. From 5pm to 10pm on Saturday, January 1, Mile High Tree will be lit every night. Visiting this tree is free and open to the public.

Related: America's tallest digital tree returns to Denver

Do you want to see your favorite Colorado festival, fair, fair, concert, theater, musical, ballet, running or event in 9Things? Send it to alexander.kirk@9news.com.  

Have a grateful weekend!  

Related: Everything you need to know about Colorado holidays

Related: The skating rink returns to downtown Denver

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