The 9NEWS Parade of Lights Experience: What you Need to Know
Access & Parking
Access & Parking
Downtown Denver is accessible by bus, light rail, bicycles, walking and the 16th Street Free MallRide. Using public transportation to arrive at The Parade is highly encouraged.
Ride Share
The 9NEWS Parade of Lights and Lyft have partnered to get you to and from the Civic Center for Denver’s Parade of Lights! Use code: PARADEOFLIGHTS19 and get an affordable ride in minutes with Lyft.
RTD Bus & Light Rail
RTD’s light rail offers uninterrupted service before and after the parade and lots of parking at RTD Park-n-Ride locations. The H, F, and D-lines will bring you directly to the parade route. However, during the parade, these lines will be temporarily suspended on Stout and California between 14th and 18th Streets, and passengers will need to get off at the Theatre District/ Performing Arts or 18th & Stout stations. You can also take the C, E, and W-lines to Denver Union Station and then take the 16th Street Mall Shuttle to reach the parade route. To find the best route, please visit www.rtd-denver.com.
16th Street Mall Shuttle
With FREE shuttle service, once you arrive in Downtown Denver, your destination is only a short ride
away. Mall shuttles will not operate during the one-hour parade, but will be running before and after. To learn more about the FREE MallRide, please visit www.rtd-denver.com.
Parking
There are many surface lots and garages in Downtown Denver providing quick access to the parade. Parking rates will vary according to lot location and time of day. Handicapped parking is available at all public parking lots. Please note that access to some parking facilities may be impacted by street closures, so plan to arrive early.
Driving Directions
Downtown Denver is accessible from all directions via I-25, 6th Avenue, Speer Boulevard, Brighton Boulevard (From I-70), Lincoln Street, Santa Fe Drive and Colfax Avenue. Read on for directions to Downtown, or click here to map a route on MapQuest. If you drive, plan to arrive before 7:00 p.m. on Friday and 5:30 p.m. on Saturday when the street closures begin (see Street Closure section below).
From the NORTH: Take I-25 to Park Avenue to Downtown parking or take I-70 to southbound Brighton Boulevard to Downtown parking.
From the SOUTH: From I-25, exit to northbound Lincoln Street to Downtown parking. An alternate route is to take I-25 to Auraria Parkway to Downtown parking. From Santa Fe Drive, stay on Santa Fe across Speer Boulevard where it turns into Stout Street to Downtown Parking.
From the EAST: Take I-70 to southbound Brighton Boulevard to Downtown parking, or use 8th Avenue, 13th Avenue, 18th Avenue or Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard into Downtown.
From the WEST: Take I-70 to I-25 South and merge onto the Park Avenue off ramp. Continue on Park Avenue to Downtown Parking. You can also take 6th Avenue to Santa Fe and stay Santa Fe across Speer Boulevard to Downtown parking.
Street Closures
Please note that there will be parade route and staging area closures before, during and after the event. If you are driving, be sure to arrive early before the street closures begin. Also, note that once the parade begins, light rail service will be temporarily discontinued between the Theatre District/Convention Center and 18th Street stations. For a complete list of street closures and closure times, click here.