"The timing of the project also means that some impacts will occur during the busy fall and holiday season and continue into the winter." The City of Littleton put that line in its September 18 Littleton Links newsletter, in a short item announcing the Prince Street Link project. Two weeks later the city confirmed that construction had started. It also moved the end date from February 2027 to spring 2027.
So downtown's busiest stretch of the year, from the last haunted walking tours in October to the tree lighting the night after Thanksgiving, takes place next to an active work zone. Each event below is planned to happen. This year, the drive in runs past cones on South Prince Street.
Where the work zone sits, and why it's there
The Prince Street Link covers South Prince Street between West Lake Avenue and West Alamo Avenue. The biggest single piece of work is a "major reconstruction" of the Prince Street and Church Avenue intersection. The city's project page now marks the project as under construction, starting fall 2026 and finishing spring 2027.
The project is about connections. The city says it will improve the links between Downtown Littleton and Arapahoe Community College, the Colorado Center for the Blind, and the RTD Littleton / Downtown Station. The plan calls for wider and more accessible sidewalks where possible, ADA-compliant curb ramps, bike lanes, and new traffic signal equipment that gives people more time to cross. The work is meant to make downtown easier to reach on foot, by bike and from the train. For now, it means lane and intersection impacts on one of the streets people use to get there.
The city's notices describe those impacts in general terms. Its own wording is that drivers should "expect construction activity, lane and intersection impacts, and possible delays along South Prince Street as work progresses," and that timing and traffic controls may shift with the weather.
Prince Street isn't the only project on the city's list this fall. The October 2 newsletter also covers:
- Euclid Avenue Multimodal Improvements, Phase 2: paving is done, and crews are finishing speed cushions, signs, landscaping and concrete work on what the city calls Littleton's first "complete street."
- Euclid Neighborhood 2026 Street Reconstruction: expected to start once permitting is complete and run into spring 2027.
- Main / Alamo / Prince Bridge Fence Repairs: nearly finished, weather permitting. The temporary fencing on the Main Street bridge comes down once the work is done.
Main Street itself is a separate, later project. On the city's Project Downtown page, the Main Street redesign is still in preliminary design, with parking, curbside needs and construction phasing under review. No construction start date has been set. This season's events take place on the Main Street people already know.
The last October weekend fills three days in a row
October in downtown ends with three days that each have something on. If you're reading this on Thursday, October 22, all three are still ahead.
- Friday, October 23, and Saturday, October 24: Haunts of Littleton. The 24th annual walking tour runs 7 to 9:30 p.m., with ten tours a night through what organizers call "Littleton's dark streets and alleys." Tickets are listed at $17 to $20 on the Downtown Littleton events calendar. The tour also ran October 16 and 17, so this weekend is the last chance this year.
- Sunday, October 25: Goblin Giveout. From noon to 4 p.m., families can trick-or-treat at participating downtown shops and restaurants, according to the Littleton DDA event listing.
- Through Saturday, October 31: Bones About Town. More than 25 skeletons hang from lampposts around downtown, each with a QR code, and gift-card drawings tie into scanning them. The prizes are described a little differently depending on the source. Visit Littleton says a $100 winner is drawn every Saturday, while the city's business newsletter lists four $100 gift cards. Both list a $250 grand prize.
Haunts tours are on foot and in the evening, and the Goblin Giveout is an afternoon event. Either way, getting downtown before the walk starts is the part the construction can affect. This is also where the construction notice becomes practical. The city's Cone Zone page is where it posts road work and construction updates around town, and it's worth a look before you drive in on a Friday night.
November moves the calendar out to Chatfield Farms, then back to Main Street
The first November date to plan around is a ticket sale. Denver Botanic Gardens' Trail of Lights at Chatfield Farms has a staggered release:
- Wednesday, November 4, 10 a.m.: member presale for the listed member tiers
- Thursday, November 5, 10 a.m.: Friends & Family presale
- Friday, November 6, 10 a.m.: Dual Plus and Individual Plus presale
- Monday, November 9, 10 a.m.: public sale
Ticket prices haven't been announced yet. One new feature this year is the first Trail of Lights Gift Market at Chatfield Farms, a holiday shopping area with local artisans. On getting there, the Gardens says Chatfield Farms has plenty of free parking. Because of the traffic during events, though, it has no separate rideshare lane or drop-off area.
Then the season comes back downtown. The Candlelight Walk is on Friday, November 27. The city's event page gives this order of events:
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 5:30 p.m. | Event begins: carolers, dancing Christmas trees, hot cider, Santa's reindeer | Main Street |
| 6:30 p.m. | Holiday parade | Downtown Littleton |
| After the parade | Santa lights the big tree | Bowles Plaza |
| After the tree lighting | Drone show | Over the Melting Pot, west end of Main Street |
The city lists the evening as 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Visit Littleton's listing gives 5 to 8 p.m. and adds free cocoa and cider and photos with Santa. Both sources agree on the 6:30 p.m. parade, so plan around that. As of mid-October, Visit Littleton's Candlelight Walk page still tells visitors to check back for logistics, and no street closures, parking plans or shuttle details for 2026 have been posted yet.
The city expects Prince Street Link work to continue into spring 2027, so the work zone will still be in place on Candlelight night. When the city and Visit Littleton post their 2026 logistics, read them closely instead of assuming last year's plan still applies.
Places to stop between events
Downtown's fall dates are spread over five weeks, and a few new names have appeared in that time.
Leaves on Main showed up as a new Littleton opening in the Littleton Independent's business roundup dated September 21. It sits at the Main Street end near the Melting Pot. That's the same west end of Main where the drone show will fly on November 27.
The city's September 23 business newsletter lists these under "New Businesses in Littleton":
- Malai Thai Kitchen, 2630 W. Belleview Ave., Suite 150
- Sundance Face Spa, 5639 S. Curtice St.
- Littleton Family Eye Care, 1869 W. Littleton Blvd.
Out on Ken Caryl Avenue, the Littleton Independent reported that Robert's Deli is taking over and expanding into the space at 6731 W. Ken Caryl Ave.
Checking before you head downtown
The city gives the Prince Street Link a start in fall 2026 and an end in spring 2027, and says timing and traffic controls may change because of the weather. The Public Works project team takes questions at 303-795-3863 or [email protected], and the Prince Street Link page is where updates appear. Before Haunts this weekend and again before November 27, the Cone Zone page and the Visit Littleton Candlelight page are the two places to check.
If you own a rental near downtown Littleton, the Prince Street work and a holiday season of events are worth mentioning to tenants before they show up in maintenance calls or move-in planning. Colorado Dream Properties manages more than 260 properties across the Front Range and keeps owners informed about local changes like these. Request a free property management quote, or a free home valuation if you're weighing what your Littleton property is worth heading into 2027.
