Castle Pines' Holiday Season Opens on Nov. 13 at 8 a.m., Weeks Before the Tree Lights Up

"These cherished holiday experiences sell out every year!" That line comes from the Castle Pines Chamber's Winter Wonderland page, and it's the most useful thing to know about Castle Pines' holidays this year. The tree lights up on December 4. For a family that wants the gingerbread session at a good time, a seat for the movie, or a carriage ride on a Saturday night, December gets decided three weeks earlier.

On Friday, November 13 at 8 a.m., the City of Castle Pines opens ticket sales and registration for the whole Winter Wonderland series at once. That covers VIP access for the Tree Lighting, Holiday Movie Night, Gingerbread House Decorating, Holiday Bingo, Holiday Carriage Rides and the Holly Jolly Brunch. All six events happen at one address: The Ridge Golf Course, 1414 Castle Pines Parkway.

Ten days in December, one window in November

The series runs across two weekends. Here's the 2026 lineup as the City has posted it:

Every line in that table goes on sale or opens for registration at the same time on the same morning. The Movie Night, Gingerbread, Carriage Ride and VIP Tree Lighting pages all say the same thing about refunds: "Due to limited capacity," tickets are non-refundable. Limited capacity and a single opening hour mean the order you click in on November 13 matters more than anything you do in December.

What filled up last year

The Chamber's "sell out every year" claim has a track record behind it. In 2025, the City's page for the December 5, 2025 Tree Lighting Celebration posted that "VIP Passes are sold out." That applied to the VIP passes. The tree lighting itself was free and open to everyone, and it still is.

Bingo filled up too. The City's page for Holiday Bingo Night 2025 on December 13 said registration had reached capacity and closed. Last year's bingo ran 3 to 7 p.m. This year it runs 3 to 9 p.m., with three sessions at 3, 5 and 7. So the 2026 bingo window is two hours longer than the one that filled in 2025. More families can play, but registration is still free and still opens with everything else at 8 a.m. on the 13th.

The single sales date isn't new either. In 2024 the City opened ticket sales and reservations on Friday, November 8, and told residents that "Spots will fill up fast." This year's November 13 opening follows the same pattern, just five days later on the calendar.

Planning the morning of the 13th

Most of these events have fixed times, so the hard part is matching each one to your family's December, not just getting in. Here's how the schedule plays out before 8 a.m. on Friday the 13th:

1. Pick the Gingerbread session first. The three sessions on December 6 start at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., and tickets are $20 per person. If you have younger kids who nap, this is the choice most tied to the time of day.
2. Choose a bingo session. Sessions start at 3, 5 and 7 p.m. on December 12. Bingo and the first night of Carriage Rides, 4 to 8 p.m., are on the same Saturday. A 3 p.m. bingo session leaves the evening open for a ride. A 7 p.m. session pairs better with a carriage ride on Sunday the 13th.
3. Count every carriage rider over age 2. The City requires tickets for everyone ages 2 and up. If you have a toddler who just turned 2, they need a ticket.
4. Decide whether VIP is worth it. The Tree Lighting on December 4 is free. VIP tickets are $65 for adults and $35 for children, and they're non-refundable. Those were the passes that sold out in 2025.
5. Plan around Sunday the 13th. The Holly Jolly Brunch runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the City calls it "a holiday favorite." The final night of Carriage Rides starts at 4 p.m. the same day. Both can fit in one Sunday.

The Movie Night is the easiest one. It costs $5 per person, plays "The Grinch," and runs 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 5. The Chamber describes it as a night when families can come in pajamas.

What the free tree lighting includes

Nobody needs a ticket for the December 4 Tree Lighting, and it's a full evening. The City lists a meet-and-greet with Santa and his reindeer, a train ride, carolers, hot cocoa, a path lined with decorations and "sweet surprises," and local performers doing seasonal music and dance. The tree is lit at about 6:45 p.m., and a drone light show follows if weather and conditions allow.

One rule is easy to miss. "Due to limited space," the City says, dogs are not allowed at the event. If your dog usually comes along to neighborhood events, plan for them to stay home on December 4.

The parkway to The Ridge, before December

Every Winter Wonderland event happens on Castle Pines Parkway, and the parkway is still under construction this month. According to the City's 2026 Castle Pines Parkway Reconstruction page, asphalt paving on the westbound lanes was expected to start the week of November 2. That's this week. Once the remaining westbound lanes between Forest Park Drive and the Buffalo Trail roundabout are paved, traffic moves onto the new pavement. Crews then remove the eastbound concrete driving and bike lanes. Final paving on those eastbound lanes is expected in mid-November.

That stretch was originally going to be resurfaced by grinding down the old concrete. Crews found the concrete was more damaged than expected, so on July 14 City Council approved replacing it with asphalt in both directions. The City notes that all of this timing depends on the weather. If the schedule holds, paving wraps up a couple of weeks before the December 4 Tree Lighting.

One more November date

The weekend before the ticket sale has its own city event. On Saturday, November 7, the City is holding free Leaf and Pumpkin Composting for Castle Pines residents from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Elk Ridge Park, 7005 Mira Vista Lane. It's a good chance to get rid of this year's jack-o'-lanterns. After that, the next date on the city calendar is Friday, November 13 at 8 a.m.

Whitney Cain loves a Castle Pines December at The Ridge, from the first drone show to the last carriage ride. If you're thinking about what comes next for your home in 2027, Whitney Cain is glad to talk it through over hot cocoa this season. Let's Connect.