Last year, Parker's Christmas Carriage Parade gave way to an all-day market in O'Brien Park, and the rest of the downtown holiday calendar shifted around it.
For 2026, the season no longer comes down to one morning at the curb. Two days anchor it, the Friday after Thanksgiving and the first Saturday in December. Four free weekends of decorations run from the end of November to December 20, and the short walk from O'Brien Park to Discovery Park ties it all together. If you plan by weekend instead of by event, you'll get far more out of it.
Why the parade became a market
On October 9, 2025, the Downtown Business Alliance announced it would replace the traditional Christmas Parade with the Downtown Parker Holiday Market. The Alliance is the nonprofit behind both events. In its words, the parade had "been a beloved tradition," but "the rising costs of hosting combined with limited sponsorship and grant funding, made it difficult to sustain." It also said feedback from downtown business owners showed "strong support" for an event that would do more for local shops.
Shelli Mango, the Alliance's board chair, explained the reasoning in the Downtown Business Alliance's announcement:
"This new format allows us to bring the community together in a way that better supports local businesses while still capturing the magic of the holiday season."
That choice explains the whole 2026 calendar. The market runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the Town's decorations stay up every weekend for most of a month. As a result, the season is spread out, it happens on foot, and it centers on the downtown businesses. This year's market is the second one in the new format.
Friday, November 27 does double duty
The day after Thanksgiving, two of Parker's longest-running winter traditions begin a few blocks apart.
The Parker Ice Trail at Discovery Park opens for the season at 11 a.m. and stays open until 9 p.m. Discovery Park is at 20115 E. Mainstreet, next to the Parker Library. The Ice Trail is not a standard oval rink. It winds through the park "like a frozen river," with three fire pits nearby, a concessions stand for hot chocolate and snacks, and skate rentals on-site. Season hours and pricing are posted on the Parker Ice Trail page from Parker Parks and Recreation, so look there before you go.
That evening from 5 to 7 p.m., the Mayor's Holiday Lighting takes place at O'Brien Park, 10795 Victorian Dr. It's free. The Town's schedule starts with a gathering around the Town Tree at 5 p.m. Next comes a "Silent Night" sing-along led by the Mayor and the Parker Chorale. To finish, the Mayor and Town Council lead a countdown that lights both the Town Tree and Grand Park. You can find it on the Town of Parker events calendar.
Because the trail is open until 9, one easy plan is to watch the lights come on at O'Brien Park and then walk down Mainstreet to Discovery Park for a skate by the fire pits. If you'd like a theater night instead, the Parker Arts run of Irving Berlin's White Christmas also starts November 27 at The Schoolhouse, 19650 E. Mainstreet. It runs through December 20, with 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. performances. Parker Arts' White Christmas page lists the dates for each show.
Four weekends of "Parker Through the Decades"
The Town of Parker's Hometown Holiday Experience starts the day after the lighting and continues well past the market. It's free and runs every Saturday and Sunday from November 28 through December 20. This year's decorations follow the theme "Parker Through the Decades," with displays and holiday music running from Mainstreet to Discovery Park. More details are on the Town's Hometown Holidays page.
Each weekend has something different scheduled alongside the decorations:
- November 28–29: This is the first weekend of decorations, and the Ice Trail's first full weekend. FROST, a cirque holiday show, plays the PACE Center at 20000 Pikes Peak Ave. on Saturday, November 28 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, November 29 at 2 p.m. Parker Arts lists tickets at $69 and $64.
- December 5–6: The market, a Hometown Holiday weekend and A Classic Parker Holiday at the PACE Center all land on the same two days. A Classic Parker Holiday is listed as sold out for its 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. shows.
- December 12–13: The Nutcracker runs December 10 through 15, with 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. showtimes, so this weekend falls in the middle of its run.
- December 19–20: This is the last weekend of Hometown Holiday decorations, and White Christmas closes at The Schoolhouse on the 20th.
The Downtown Business Alliance's holiday guide also lists the 6th Annual Santa Photos at Parker Petit, 19565 Mainstreet. The guide notes that pets are welcome in the photos along with kids.
December 5 is the day it all comes together
The Downtown Parker Holiday Market runs Saturday, December 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in O'Brien Park, and admission is free. The Alliance lists more than 100 local vendors and makers, Santa and Mrs. Claus, live reindeer, kids' crafts, face painting, holiday music and food trucks.
The horse-drawn carriage rides are part of the market now, too. The Alliance's guide lists carriage rides on Mainstreet as part of the market on December 5. For families who remember the old parade, the carriages are still downtown. They just run during the market instead of in a procession.
That Saturday is the busiest day of the season. The market, a Hometown Holiday weekend and a sold-out show at the PACE Center all happen on the same day. The market page says parking is free throughout downtown, including public lots, on-street spaces and the PACE Center garage, all within walking distance of O'Brien Park. If you're driving in, the garage is the obvious first try, and the walk to the park is short. The Downtown Parker Holiday Market page has the full vendor and activity details.
Where to stop between events on Mainstreet
The market was meant to send holiday foot traffic to downtown businesses, and Mainstreet has several new names to visit this season.
Goods & Grace Marketplace at 17002 Mainstreet is open, according to the Town of Parker's Autumn 2026 Town Manager Report. Founder Janet McCracken Beard describes it as a marketplace for local entrepreneurs, makers and specialty brands. The shelves carry home and kitchen goods, apparel, jewelry, toys, pet treats, specialty foods and sourdough. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's closed Mondays. Since it's open on Sundays, it fits easily into any Hometown Holiday weekend, and it's a good place for gifts if the market feels too crowded.
The same Town report lists two restaurants headed for Mainstreet. SuBourbon on Main is a whiskey bar and restaurant at 19590 E. Mainstreet, in the former Parker Chamber of Commerce building at Mainstreet and Pikes Peak Drive. Doug Co Social reported in October that the opening could come around the new year. Cask & Trotter, at 19865 Mainstreet in The Juniper, comes from Jeffrey Coyle of Table 31 Hospitality and Wolf Peach Public House. Doug Co Social reports that it plans a "highly seasonal, regional" menu that changes every six to eight weeks, with an opening expected around the end of 2026.
One familiar spot came through a change of its own this year. Las Delicias, a longtime Mainstreet restaurant, reopened on February 5, 2026, as El Delicious Tex-Mex under longtime employee Juan Andrade. It kept the menu regulars know and added Tex-Mex dishes. The Parker Chronicle's report on the change notes that customer favorites stayed on the menu.
Put together, a full day downtown could start at the market in O'Brien Park, include lunch on Mainstreet, continue with a slow walk past the "Parker Through the Decades" displays, and finish on the Ice Trail at Discovery Park.
I love a holiday season you can walk, and downtown Parker's is easy to plan once you know the anchor days. If you're thinking about a move closer to Mainstreet, or you just want to talk through what's happening in Parker, I'm glad to help. Reach out to Jaclyn Broesel, learn more about the area on my Parker neighborhood page, or Let's Connect.
