The Loveland Downtown District is pleased to announce the return of the annual holiday celebration, Festival of Lights, a beloved hometown tradition that kicks off the holiday season with lights, music and community cheer. This year’s event will be held from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, along 4th Street and in The Foundry Plaza.
With a few blocks of 4th Street under construction, the event layout will look a little different this year, but the heart and tradition of the Festival of Lights will remain intact. Attendees can expect the same exciting experiences: live music and performances, a festive tree lighting, holiday market, live reindeer, carriage rides, appearances from Scrooge and The Grinch (plus visits and photo opportunities with Mr. & Mrs. Claus) and more.
2025 festival highlights
- Meet Mr. & Mrs Claus, view the tree lighting and enjoy community performances in The Foundry Plaza.
- The art and music stage, Santa’s reindeer and the Valentine Flea Holiday Art Market, featuring more than 30 booths with local makers, artists and handmade goods, will be located on 4th Street between Cleveland and Railroad avenues.
- Floats on Fourth returns for its second year, expanding this festival by two blocks. Rather than a moving parade, floats will be stationed along the sides of the street, so visitors can walk through the center of the
street and experience them up close. Meanwhile, roaming performers—marching bands, dancers and entertainers—will move through the crowd, bringing parade energy throughout the evening. - Don’t miss the Meals on Wheels booth, providing hot chocolate and s’mores kits (with profits directly benefiting their mission).
- Enjoy free carriage rides around downtown in a horse-drawn carriage.
“Construction may shift our layout, but it will not effect our spirit,” says Nicole Fellure, event manager for the Loveland Downtown District. “This year’s festival will still light up downtown and be full of the same energy as past years.”
Event highlights and schedule
- 5 p.m. – Santa arrival celebration
- 5:20-7:30 p.m. – Community performances on The Foundry stage from Lighthouse Dance, Loveland Choral Society, Garfield Elementary, Old Man Charm and Resurrection Elementary Bella Voce Choir.
- 7:30 p.m. – A tree lighting ceremony in The Foundry Plaza.
- All evening – The art and music stage on 4th Street will feature a live DJ and musical performances.
- All evening – Enjoy roaming performers, a festive holiday market, carriage rides, live reindeer and opportunities to enjoy s’mores and hot chocolate.
Event maps and layout information coming soon.
To help guests navigate the reconfigured layout, a detailed event map showing stage locations, vendor zones, partner booths and float placements will be released in advance. Stay tuned at lovelanddowntown.org and for the latest updates.
The Loveland DDA is still accepting applications for the annual stationary float parade: Floats on Fourth. For more information about registering a float, visit downtownloveland.org/festivaloflights or contact Fellure at nfellure@lovelandpartnership.org.
Support for the Festival of Lights event comes from the generosity of presenting partners FNBO, Xfinity, BMW Loveland, Natural Grocers, Breeze Thru Car Wash, iHeart Media and Visit Loveland.
