On November 28, more than a million lights come on across The Broadmoor at the White Lights Ceremony. The evening is reserved for overnight hotel guests. The resort's own description of December says the month is filled with festivities and entertainment "exclusively for our overnight guests." If you live a few minutes from 1 Lake Avenue, the season works on a different schedule. That schedule is published, it is longer this year than last, and part of it doubles as a charity drive.
Twelve Weeknights This Year, Eight Last Year
The Broadmoor's holiday visitor page invites non-overnight guests inside the hotel during three windows, all running Monday through Thursday.
- Monday, November 30 through Thursday, December 3
- Monday, December 7 through Thursday, December 10
- Monday, December 14 through Thursday, December 17
That comes to twelve evenings. Last December, The Gazette reported two windows, December 8 through 11 and December 15 through 18, for eight evenings. So 2026 adds a third four-night window, and it puts that window at the front of the season, right after Thanksgiving weekend instead of in the second week of December.
The arrangement used to be looser. In 2023, KKTV reported that visitors could see the decorations any time before December 21. After that date, access was limited to hotel guests, Holiday Show attendees and restaurant diners.
| Season | Visiting arrangement for non-overnight guests | Interior decor comes down |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Open before December 21, then limited to hotel guests, show attendees and diners | Not stated |
| 2025 | Dec. 8–11 and Dec. 15–18, Monday through Thursday | After Jan. 1 |
| 2026 | Nov. 30–Dec. 3, Dec. 7–10 and Dec. 14–17, Monday through Thursday | After Jan. 3 |
The 2025 format, with set weeknight windows, is still in place. This year simply has more of those windows, and the indoor decor stays up two extra days at the end.
Weekends Belong to the Hotel Calendar
The windows sit where they do because Friday through Sunday is already taken. The Holiday Show plays December 18, 19 and 24, which is after the last locals' window ends on December 17. The resort describes its holiday programming, including the Holiday Shows and the New Year's Eve Gala and Bash, as available by booking overnight accommodations.
Even on the open nights, the hotel is planning around a full house. Its visitor page says this about dining:
"Due to high demand in all our Restaurants throughout property, dining options will be limited."
Valet parking is reserved for overnight guests and diners who have booked ahead. Visitors without a reservation use the garage. If you want a meal along with the decorations, book that reservation separately and early. A weeknight walk-through doesn't come with a table.
On December Weeknights, the Garage Fee Goes to Charity
The Broadmoor's posted visitor parking rate is $6 per half hour, capped at $30 per day. An hour inside the lobbies and around the gingerbread display costs about $12 in the garage. The Broadmoor's Empty Stocking Fund page says that from December 1 to 31, Monday through Thursday, all proceeds from parking in its garage go to the fund.
Compare those dates with the visitor windows. Eleven of the twelve locals' evenings, December 1 through 3, 7 through 10 and 14 through 17, fall on Monday-through-Thursday dates in December. The one exception is the first night. Monday, November 30 is still in November, so the season opens one night before the parking donation starts.
The Empty Stocking Fund is a collective fundraiser for 20 local health and human service agencies. Its stated goal is helping people in crisis reach lasting self-sufficiency. Its funding partners include Gazette Charities Foundation and El Pomar Foundation. The Broadmoor's page notes that because those partners cover administration, 100 percent of donations from individuals and corporations go to the partner agencies. The Broadmoor lists this season of giving as November 22, 2026 through January 22, 2027.
The parking program is one of several fundraisers The Broadmoor ties to the fund this season. Two of them don't require being an overnight guest:
- A peppermint chocolate bar. The Special Edition Empty Stocking Fund Peppermint Chocolate Bar goes on sale November 22 at Café Julie's, Natural Epicurean and the Cog Railway Retail Shop, with proceeds donated to the fund.
- A stocking with a QR code. A large stocking stands outdoors near the illuminated tree by Ristorante del Lago, with a QR code for direct donations.
Three Dates Before the First Window
Because the locals' windows start November 30, the Broadmoor events that come before them stand out more than usual. Three dates are worth marking, in this order:
- Sunday, November 22: Soli Deo Gloria holiday kickoff concert. The one-hour concert is free but needs a ticket, and The Broadmoor notes the tickets usually sell out. PeakRadar's listing has it at 4 p.m. at the Broadmoor International Center, with free admission and advance reservations. Parking fees collected that day are donated to charity, and November 22 is also the first day of the giving season on The Broadmoor's Empty Stocking Fund page.
- Thanksgiving weekend: the 2026 gingerbread display. The resort invites guests to see this year's gingerbread creation over Thanksgiving weekend. For anyone not staying at the hotel, the first scheduled chance to see it inside comes a few days later, when the November 30 window opens.
- Sunday, November 29: Seven Falls' last day of the season. On closing day, all proceeds from park admissions go to the Empty Stocking Fund. There will be free cookies and hot chocolate from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the park is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The late season runs Friday through Sunday from October 23, and the park also opens November 26 and 27 for Thanksgiving. No December dates are listed.
At Seven Falls, the time you book makes a difference to the price. Adult admission bought online is $25 for the morning ticket slot and $21 for the afternoon slot. Walk-up adult tickets are $27 and $23. Child tickets are $19 online in the morning and $15 in the afternoon, and children under 2 get in free. On November 29, every one of those tickets is a donation.
So the Sunday before the first locals' window ends the canyon's season, and the Sunday a week earlier starts The Broadmoor's giving season. Every visiting night in December after that adds to the same fund through the garage.
The Lights Stay Up Until March
The indoor decorations come down after January 3. The white lights on the outside of the hotel stay up until March 1. Last year was similar. The Gazette reported the indoor decor would be removed after January 1 and the outdoor lights would stay up until March 1.
For people nearby, that means roughly two months of lit evenings after the guest calendar's busiest weeks. The resort suggests a January or February winter staycation for anyone who wants to see the lights then. For neighbors in and around the Broadmoor Resort area, the lights will still be on along Lake Avenue in February. For more on the dining scene up the hill this year, see our earlier piece on what's new near The Broadmoor.
Twelve weeknights fall between November 30 and December 17, and eleven of them are December nights when the garage fee goes to the Empty Stocking Fund. If you are hosting family during those weeks, or thinking about how a home near the resort fits into your own seasons, Eric Scott is glad to talk it through. Book a private consultation.
