Fort Collins this winter: lights, Nutcrackers and the symphony, November 2026 to February 2027

Winter in Fort Collins has a rhythm: the lights go up in Old Town, the stages fill with holiday shows, and the new year brings concerts and quieter museum days. Here is what is on from late November through February, with the dates each organizer has published. Plans change, so check the organizer's page before you go.

Holidays in Old Town

The Downtown Development Authority's winter season is already underway. Thousands of LED lights are wrapped around Old Town's trees and stay on through February 14, a partnership of the City, the DDA and the Downtown General Improvement District.

Santa arrives in Old Town Square by fire truck on Friday, November 27 at 11:30 a.m., with Comet the reindeer. After that, Santa's Workshop in the square offers free visits through December 24, with printed portraits for sale and a posted schedule. Next to it, the free skate rink is open for the season on a synthetic surface, with free admission and free skate rental, or bring your own skates. The DDA posts rink hours for November through January.

The DDA's First Friday Art Walk also continues through the winter, with galleries, shops and venues downtown opening their doors from 6 to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of each month. It is free.

Garden of Lights

The Gardens on Spring Creek, the City's botanic garden on Centre Avenue, turns into Garden of Lights from December 11 to 27, from 5 to 8 p.m., closed December 24 and 25. Timed tickets take visitors along a half-mile path of light displays, including a new rivers-of-light display this year, with Santa nightly through Christmas, an Ice Queen in the Ice Forest and live music. An adults-only evening comes first, on Thursday, December 10. Entry windows can sell out, so the Gardens suggest buying early.

Holiday music and dance

Colorado State University's choirs open the season with the All-Choral Holiday Concert on Thursday, December 3 at 7 p.m. The Chamber Choir, Concert Choir and University Chorus sing at First United Methodist Church on Stover Street.

The Lincoln Center on West Magnolia Street hosts two Nutcrackers. The Great Fort Collins Nutcracker, now under the direction of Gratie Ballet, mixes professional dancers and students on Friday, December 4 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, December 5 at 2 and 7 p.m. A week later, Contemporary Dance Academy stages its 16th annual Nutcracker on Friday, December 11 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, December 12 at 2 and 7 p.m., with a livestream option for each show.

Ringing in the new year

Avogadro's Number on South Mason Street, a restaurant with a full music calendar, has two ticketed New Year's Eve shows on Thursday, December 31: Lid Dixon with Sweet Virginia, and Rhythm Train. Through December it also lists blues, jazz, salsa and holiday shows, along with its weekly Tuesday open mic.

January and February

The Fort Collins Symphony brings its family concert to the Lincoln Center on Sunday, January 17 at 3 p.m., pairing Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf with Greg Smith's The Animated Orchestra. On Saturday, February 6 at 7:30 p.m., its third signature concert of the season, Opera & Theater, features Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, with a pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m. Both concerts can also be streamed.

On campus, CSU's Gregory Allicar Museum of Art on Remington Street is a good place to spend a cold afternoon. Handheld, a free exhibition of more than 75 small objects from many places and periods, grouped around household, personal, leisure and labor themes, runs through March 12. A new exhibition, Matthew Shlian: The Shape of Hidden Things, opens February 4.

Every Saturday

The farmers market moves indoors for winter. Wildcraft's Fort Collins winter market, now in its 20th season, sets up inside Foothills on East Foothills Parkway every Saturday from November through April.

Before you go

Every event here was confirmed on its organizer's own page in November 2026: the Downtown Development Authority for Old Town, the City's Gardens on Spring Creek, the Lincoln Center box office, CSU's School of Music, Theatre and Dance and its art museum, Avogadro's Number and Wildcraft Markets. Times, tickets and weather closures can change, so check the source before heading out, and dress for a Front Range evening.