Sunday, November 23 kicks off the start of holiday season in Downtown Boulder when Santa arrives to turn on the holiday lights
Boulder, Colo. [November 13, 2014]: On Sunday, November 23, locals and visitors alike are invited to Downtown Boulder’s annual Switch on the Holidays event taking place on the 1300 block of the Pearl Street Mall – in front of the County Courthouse. Festivities begin at 5 p.m. with a special performance by the Boulder Chorale and Boulder Children’s Chorale. Minutes later, Santa and Mrs. Claus will make their grand entrance with help from the Fairview High School Drum Corps. Once on stage, Santa will lead the audience in a countdown to the famous flip of the switch that turns on the holiday lights on the Pearl Street Mall and the courthouse.
This year, the Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District will use more than 70,000 LED bulbs (twice the amount used in 2013) and 250 colorful lighted ornaments to decorate trees along the famous pedestrian mall and throughout the entire downtown district. The lights will shine bright until just after the new year.
Switch on the Holidays kicks off an event-filled holiday season downtown. Other events include:
Small Business Saturday (November 29) – Downtown Boulder has been a proud Neighborhood Champion of Small Business Saturday for the past four years. This year, nearly 70 downtown businesses will be participating with in-store specials, happenings and more. Small Business Saturday® was founded in 2010 by American Express to help business owners with their most pressing need — getting more customers. Four years later, shoppers across the nation continue to rally in support of small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In addition to supporting local merchants, visitors to the downtown district will enjoy holiday carolers dressed in nostalgic attire roaming along Pearl Street and Santa will be at the Visitor Information Center for visits and free photo ops from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
To celebrate downtown business owners leading up to Small Business Saturday, Downtown Boulder has launched LoveTheLocal.com. On this site, over 60 small business owners are highlighted in photos and through their own words helping paint a picture of downtown’s strong entrepreneurial spirit. Every day, one of the business owners is featured on Downtown Boulder’s social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter & Instagram).
St. Nick on the Bricks (Friday, November 28 and Saturdays from November 29 – December 20) – Santa and Mrs. Claus come down from the North Pole to visit with families at the Downtown Boulder Visitor Information Center (1301 Pearl Street) from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Photo ops are free and highly encouraged. Don’t forget your cameras and wish lists!
Lights of December Parade (December 6) – The best hometown holiday parade featuring two high school and one middle school marching bands, hundreds of boy and girl scouts and local businesses & community groups on decorative handmade floats. Enjoy everything from fire trucks to bicycles decked out for the holiday season. This year’s route starts at 15th and Walnut streets heading west up Walnut to Broadway and north on Broadway around to Spruce. Viewing stands located at 14th & Walnut and Pearl & Broadway.
All events are free and open to the public. Every Saturday and Sunday (year round) City of Boulder Parking Garages are free. Information about all the events listed above can be found online at DowntownBoulderHolidays.com. Parking information is available at BoudlerParking.com.
Downtown Boulder’s Light Up the Holidays is produced by Downtown Boulder, Inc. and sponsored by: City of Boulder Parking Services, the Daily Camera, Broadway Suites and Tebo Development.
About Downtown Boulder, Inc. (DBI)
Downtown Boulder, Incorporated (DBI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to continued preservation and enhancement of Downtown Boulder as the heart of the greater Boulder community. We work to maintain downtown as the center of commerce, government, culture, and leisure. DBI members support the overall vitality of downtown through public advocacy, political involvement, and community events that enhance the Boulder experience for residents and visitors. Membership in Downtown Boulder, Incorporated (DBI) is voluntary and open to any interested person or organization.
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CONTACT: Terri Takata-Smith, Director of Communications – Downtown Boulder | 303.449.3774 | terri@downtownboulder.org