When does the holiday season start in Cherry Creek? Depending on which side of 1st Avenue you ask, it starts on either Saturday, Nov. 14, or Thursday, Nov. 19. Cherry Creek Shopping Center lights its tree first. Five days later, Cherry Creek North switches on more than a million lights across its 16 blocks. The two events are separate, run by different organizers, and they bracket one stretch of sidewalk.
That stretch is also where this year's changes are happening. A furniture showroom is planning a move from the mall into the North. A Williams Sonoma brand is taking over the space it leaves. A new sushi spot, a bento box salad shop, a bagel chain and a bakery have all claimed addresses within a few blocks of Fillmore Plaza. If you walk from one tree to the other this season, you'll pass most of what Cherry Creek looks like in 2027.
Saturday, Nov. 14: the mall goes first
Cherry Creek Shopping Center's Annual Tree Lighting Celebration is set for Nov. 14, 2026. It runs as an afternoon into an evening. The Holiday Bazaar opens at 2 p.m. with shopping, seasonal treats and family activities. Live entertainment and holiday performances start at 5 p.m., building up to Santa lighting the tree. After that, the party moves indoors for cookie decorating, free hot chocolate and visits with Santa.
The same afternoon, Denver BAZAAR lists a free makers' market at the shopping center, 3000 E. 1st Ave., from 2 to 7 p.m. As of its latest update, 36 makers had confirmed.
Santa's visits at the mall run Nov. 7 through Dec. 24 in Grand Court. His hours change by the day. The mall's 2026 Santa Photos schedule lists 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for opening Saturday, Nov. 7, then 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Sunday, Nov. 8, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Christmas Eve. That means a quick glance at general mall hours won't tell you when Santa is there. The reservation page offers timed online slots and welcomes walk-ups daily until closing. It also notes that several families may share one 15-minute slot, and you can reschedule for free up to 48 hours ahead.
Thursday, Nov. 19: the North plugs in
Cherry Creek North calls its season A Holiday Less Ordinary. It opens Nov. 19 with the Million Light Plug-in and the unveiling of the Giving Machines. The season also includes Windows Less Ordinary, a run of decorated storefronts, plus a Holiday Cherry Hunt and Festive Sips at spots around the district.
The Giving Machines stand at 2nd Avenue and Fillmore Street and run 24 hours a day from Nov. 19 through Jan. 4. They work like vending machines, except each purchase is a gift for a local or international organization. They will keep running more than a week after the market closes.
The 7th annual Cherry Creek Holiday Market opens the same day at Fillmore Plaza and runs through Dec. 24. It's free, with local makers, live music and the Mistletoe Lounge. Weeknight hours are shorter than many people expect:
| When | Market hours |
|---|---|
| Monday through Wednesday | Noon to 7 p.m. |
| Thursday through Saturday | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Sundays | 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 18 through 23, every day | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Thanksgiving Day | Noon to 3 p.m. |
| Christmas Eve | Noon to 3 p.m. |
A Tuesday visit after work gives you until 7. A Thursday gives you until 9. In the final week before Christmas, every night runs late.
The showroom crossing 1st Avenue
A single furniture store is moving from the mall into the North, and its old space already has a new tenant.
BusinessDen reported in October that Pottery Barn, owned by Williams Sonoma, will take the 13,400-square-foot mall space that Arhaus occupies now. Public records cited in that report show Pottery Barn plans to spend $1.3 million renovating a space whose facade faces 1st Avenue. The plans call for a seasonal section right at the entrance, with separate areas for office, bedding and bath.
Arhaus, according to WhatNow Denver, is planning to move to 299 Milwaukee St. in early 2027. That address first came up in March 2025, when BusinessDen reported Arhaus's plan for a showroom there. The same building has another tenant lined up. In September, BusinessDen reported that PopUp Bagels, known for its "grip, rip and dip" bagels, had leased space at 299 Milwaukee.
This makes it likely the 2026 holiday season is Arhaus's last on the mall side. By next November, the same brand should be selling from a North address a few blocks from the Giving Machines, and a different home store should be lighting up the 1st Avenue windows.
What's changing on the blocks between the trees
Arhaus isn't the only change. If you walk from the mall to Fillmore Plaza and loop through the district, these addresses are worth knowing as the season goes on:
- Sushi 37, 2817 E. Third Ave. The Denver Post describes it as the lower-level sushi and izakaya concept from SYC Concepts, with SYC Omakase upstairs. Westword reported a scheduled Nov. 11 opening, and noted it follows the same group's Blossom by SYC in Highland.
- BoxBox, 3003 E. 3rd Ave. After a year on Colfax Avenue in Park Hill, the fast-casual bento box salad spot founded by Tim and Laurie Martin plans to open here in early 2027. It's moving into the former Sweet Izzy space, per BusinessDen.
- Butterdrop Bakeshop, 250 Detroit St. The bakery is slated for the space next to Aviano Coffee, with a 2027 opening planned, BusinessDen reported.
- 299 Milwaukee St. This is the planned home of both Arhaus and PopUp Bagels.
- 300 Josephine St. Syrup closed its Cherry Creek location here on Aug. 16, per Westword.
Most of these are 2027 stories. For the next six weeks, many of these addresses will sit under the North's holiday lights while still under renovation or waiting on tenants. The Windows Less Ordinary storefronts and the dark windows behind future signs will share the same blocks this season.
How the season plays out, in order
From Santa's arrival at the mall to the Giving Machines' last day in the North, here is the full calendar:
- Nov. 7 through Dec. 24: Santa in Grand Court at Cherry Creek Shopping Center, with hours that vary by date.
- Nov. 14: Mall tree lighting, with the Holiday Bazaar from 2 p.m. and the Denver BAZAAR makers' market from 2 to 7 p.m.
- Nov. 19: A Holiday Less Ordinary Kickoff, the Million Light Plug-in, the Giving Machines unveiling and the Holiday Market's opening day at Fillmore Plaza.
- Nov. 27 through 30: Small Business Weekend across Cherry Creek North, with participating shops and offers still to be posted.
- Dec. 12, 5 to 8 p.m.: Saturday Night Lights at Civica Plaza, 250 Fillmore St. It's a free, all-ages night of music, dancing and entertainment under the million lights.
- Dec. 18 through 23: Late Holiday Market hours, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
- Dec. 24: The market's last day, noon to 3 p.m., and Santa's last day at the mall, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Jan. 4: The Giving Machines at 2nd Avenue and Fillmore Street shut down for the season.
Dec. 12 is a busy Saturday on the regional calendar. Denver BAZAAR is holding its LoHi holiday market at 2138 W. 32nd Ave. that day, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you want both, the hours allow it: an afternoon in Highland, then the drive back for Saturday Night Lights at 5.
Once the lights come down in January, several of the storefronts on this route will be getting ready to open. If you own near 1st, 2nd or 3rd Avenue and wonder how Pottery Barn, the Arhaus move and the new food spots might affect your home's value heading into 2027, Dianne Goldsmith can walk you through it. Get your free home valuation.
