Brighton Festival of Lights

The Festival of Lights is a day long holiday tradition that has been going on in Brighton, CO since 1996. It started out as just a night time parade featuring floats, marching bands, and marchers, all ablaze in electric light, done to try to revitalize the downtown area.

This 14th Festival opened with a kid’s movie at the local cinema in the morning. It continued with carolers and open houses in the downtown business community, and then progressed to City Hall. There was a petting zoo, various stage entertainers, and at dusk the tree lighting ceremony. The parade began a 6:30 PM, and had 75 entries. All entries are required to have a certain amount of lights, so as to give the crowd something to look forward to. The final float of the parade is always a large display with Santa, his sleigh, and the reindeer, flying over a house.

The parade is a very popular event, with people staking out a spot over an hour before it starts. The parade has historically started at the north end of town, on Main St, progressed south to Bridge (Colorado Highway 7), turns east and travels to 10th, where it turns south again. This has the effect of shutting down the major east-west artery in town, and cutting the town in half, west of 10th St. Bridge Street is closed. To travel east or west you will need to use Bromley Lane or County Line Road (WCR 2). To travel north or south you will need to use Highway 85 or 27th Ave/Buckley Road.

All events are free. There is limited parking downtown, and along Bridge. Most people park in the residential areas around the parade route and walk to their viewing spot. There is limited hospitality seating set up near Bridge and 4th St, but it fills up early and quick. You can bring your own chairs and set up on the sidewalks.