"When signing up for an account to register DO NOT use the Social Sign-On option." That warning sits near the top of the City of Greenwood Village's special events catalog. The page also explains why. If you sign up through Apple, Google or Facebook, "You will not receive receipts or notifications through this method."
The City put that warning in capital letters because the Mayor's Holiday Lighting costs nothing and still requires a ticket. The event is Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 6060 South Quebec Street. Mayor George Lantz and City Council will light City Hall, and the evening includes warm beverages, live music and entertainment, and a visit from Santa Claus. The invitation goes to Greenwood Village residents, and entry is handled like a parks program. You need an account, a registration and a confirmation, all through the City's Rec1 catalog. Getting that step right is the real planning for the afternoon.
The ticket is $0, and the account is the step that counts
The City's catalog says plainly that "all Greenwood Village special events are free for residents to attend." It also says registration is required for certain events, as shown in the Greenwood Village Newsletter and on the City's website. The Holiday Lighting is one of those events. Its listing shows a fee of $0.00, and the page says "An account is required to register for this program or activity."
Here is the sequence as the catalog lays it out:
- Open the City's special events catalog and find "Mayor's Holiday Lighting 2026."
- Create a Rec1 account with an email and password, not the Apple, Google or Facebook sign-on.
- Register for the session listed as Saturday, 12/05/26, 3pm–5:30pm, open to all ages.
- Check your email for the receipt. The City notes that social sign-on accounts do not get receipts or notifications.
For help registering, the catalog points to the Parks, Trails and Recreation Department at [email protected] or 303-486-5773.
The receipt is the reason to skip the shortcut. The City's 2025 reminder email called the lighting "free to attend, but tickets are required for entry." If you registered through a social login, you have no receipt in your inbox and no notification if event details change, which is a hard spot to be in at the door.
A 1,000-person cap and a cutoff after the doors open
The listing sets a maximum of 1,000 participants. As of early November 2026, about 25 of those spots had been claimed. Registration opened October 7 at 6 a.m. and runs until December 5 at 3:30 p.m.
That cutoff is 30 minutes after the 3:00 p.m. start. In practice, a household that decides on the day can still register from a phone after the event begins, as long as spots remain.
The cap is the number that matters. A count of 25 out of 1,000 in early November tells you only what the count was then. It says nothing about how quickly spots go in the final weeks, when holiday plans firm up. This post publishes on November 12, which leaves 23 days before the event. Registering early costs nothing, and a household that waits until December 5 is relying on spots still being open.
Two addresses on South Quebec Street
City Hall's calendar page lists one venue. The Rec1 listing lists two. Its schedule shows the event running from 3 to 5:30 p.m. "at Greenwood Village City Hall" and also "at Carson Park," and it labels the location "Multiple Locations."
William McKinley Carson Park is at 6000 South Quebec Street, next door to City Hall at 6060. The event covers both sites, so plan for both. Kids will be moving between the City Hall lighting and an outdoor park in early December, and the event ends at 5:30 p.m., so dress them for the outdoors.
Carson Park has also had a busy year. In August 2026 the City held a public input meeting on public art for the park. The City selected artist Kevin W. Shaffer for a three-piece steel sculpture project inspired by bushel baskets, silos and windmills, with themes of prairie grasses, orchards, and local farming and ranching. The holiday listing puts the same park alongside City Hall for the lighting. That gives families who followed the sculpture process a reason to walk the park on December 5.
Parking was the other half of the plan last year
The 2026 calendar page doesn't mention parking. The City's 2025 reminder shows how the event handled it last year. City Hall parking was limited, so the City "once again partnered with Harlequin Plaza to offer event parking," reachable from Orchard Road or Syracuse Way.
"Once again" means the Harlequin Plaza arrangement was already in use before 2025. Those directions applied to the December 6, 2025 event, though. Watch your inbox for the 2026 reminder, which reaches you only if your Rec1 account can receive notifications.
The 2025 email also shows what the City considers part of the event. It listed "family-friendly games and activities, live music and entertainment, warm beverages and seasonal treats, and cool holiday crafts to take home." It promised "a special visitor from the North Pole" and hinted that "there might be some very special reindeer games afoot." The 2026 listing confirms warm beverages, live music and entertainment, and Santa this year. The games and crafts come from last year's email.
December brings two evenings at 6060 South Quebec
Five days after the lighting, City Hall hosts a second December event. Chabad South Metro Denver will hold its annual Festival of Lights at Greenwood Village City Hall on Thursday, December 10, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The evening includes a menorah lighting, Chanukah crafts, gifts, latkes and donuts.
| Mayor's Holiday Lighting | Festival of Lights | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, December 5, 2026 | Thursday, December 10, 2026 |
| Time | 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. |
| Host | Mayor George Lantz and City Council | Chabad South Metro Denver |
| Where | City Hall and Carson Park | City Hall, 6060 S. Quebec St. |
| Highlights | City Hall lighting, warm beverages, live music, Santa | Menorah lighting, Chanukah crafts, gifts, latkes, donuts |
| How to attend | Free resident ticket through the City's Rec1 catalog; registration closes Dec. 5 at 3:30 p.m. | See the City's Festival of Lights listing |
The timing differs as well. The lighting starts at 3:00 p.m. on a Saturday and ends by 5:30. The Festival of Lights starts at 5:30 p.m. on a Thursday, so it falls after the workday. Both are listed under the same City Hall address, and a household with both dates on the calendar will make two December trips to South Quebec Street.
If you have friends or relatives coming to Greenwood Village for the holidays and need help with leasing, a corporate relocation or a property your family manages here, Corken + Company handles those details all year. Schedule Your Concierge Consultation, and we'll work around the evenings you've already set aside at City Hall.
