Races and revelry: Breckenridge Tourism Office welcomes the holiday season with an afternoon of community festivities
Nov. 14, 2025
Photo Credit: Breckenridge Tourism Office
On Dec. 6, Breckenridge will kick off the holiday season with a range of festive activities at The Lighting of Breckenridge and Race of the Santas, featuring everything from sprinting Saint Nicks to dressed-up dogs.
The slate of community festivities, which are all meant to bring the town together in celebration, will begin at 2 p.m.
Outlining the holiday happenings
The main activities begin with the Holiday Dog Parade, which starts with a 3 p.m. line up by The Canteen Taphouse. Participants and their pooches are encouraged to dress up in holiday attire for the 0.3-mile trek down historic Main Street.
Kerry O’ Connor, the public relations manager for the Breckenridge Tourism Office, said that the parade is what this event is most known for, with last year’s parade featuring 500 pups.
Photo Credits: Breckenridge Tourism Office
She noted there will be some special parade grand marshals this year, giving attendees even more to look forward to.
“Search and Rescue dogs from the Summit County Search and Rescue Group will be leading off and serving as parade marshals for our Holiday Dog Parade this year! We are so excited to honor the avalanche dogs who play a major role in keeping all backcountry recreators safe during the ski season,” she said.
After the parade concludes at 4 p.m., the races begin.
Costumed children ages 17 and under will line up at Main Street and Watson Avenue and race 0.5 miles down Main Street in the Moose March.
Photo Credit: Breckenridge Tourism Office
According to O’ Connor and the Go Breck website, all participants will receive a moose beanie, and sign-ups are capped at 150 racers.
The adult race takes place at 4:20 p.m., when participants ages 10 and older will run 0.7 miles dressed up as Santa or in Christmas red and green. O’ Connor said last year, 700 Santas participated, which is the activity’s cap.
Photo Credit: Breckenridge Tourism Office
For both races, participants need to register; adults 18+ must pay $30 to race, and children 17 years old and younger must pay $10.
While online registration is encouraged and must take place before Dec. 5, O’ Connor said that day-of registration is available at The Canteen Taphouse starting at 2 p.m.; this is also where racers pick up their bibs.
O’ Connor said $35 Santa suits and $15 hats are available for purchase during registration, and the event’s page notes that registered Santa racers will receive commemorative socks.
The race ends at Blue River Plaza, where the award ceremony will take place.
According to the Breckenridge Recreation website, the top three male and female Santa racers will receive gift cards to Peak Running Breckenridge. The top three male and female Moose March participants will get a Mountain Top Cookie Shop cookie bag.
Following the races, attendees can stay in Blue River Plaza to take in the tree lighting at 5 p.m.
O’ Connor described this as the most magical activity of the day. She said that Santa arrives to lead a countdown to the switch flip that brightens the town, all while carolers create a live soundtrack for the festivities.
“Altogether, over a thousand people help count down from 10 to 1, as Santa flips the switch and turns on every single holiday light in Breckenridge! That means 11.2 MILES and 250,000 dazzling lights that truly turn Breckenridge into a snow-globe town that you would find in a Hallmark movie,” she said.
Photo Credit: Breckenridge Tourism Office
Once Santa officially kicks off the holiday season in Breckenridge, he will relocate to the Mountain Top Explorium for the event's final activity.
Children can meet Santa and share what they want for Christmas from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The event page notes this activity is free and will serve as a place where “parents can capture holiday moments.”
While these core activities are taking place, local organizations will run additional, event-duration-spanning festivities, many of which contain activity lineups of their own.
According to Breck Create’s page and the Go Breck website, the organization will host a Handmade Holiday Artist Market from 2 to 7 p.m. in Ridge Street Arts Square. It will feature local artwork, contests, kids’ activities and more.
More information on the market and its featured activities is available here.
This event is held in part to assist with fundraising for local causes, like the Summit Rotary Club’s “Adopt an Angel” Program.
The Breckenridge Tourism Office is having a Holiday Giving Event to support “Adopt an Angel”; the Go Breck website notes this event takes place from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Blue River Plaza.
Donations help provide winter clothing and toys to Summit County community members in need. More information on this event and the Summit Rotary Club’s work is available here.
O’ Connor said that these events are meant to bring Summit County together to celebrate the holiday season. She shared that for rural, high-country areas like Breckenridge, in which people regularly rely on and support one another, togetherness strengthens crucial community closeness and creates connections over mutual investments.
“Our community events are a time that we can give back to Breckenridge and Summit County and provide everyone a reason to be with one another, dress up, indulge in the theme of each event and just have a great time,” O’ Connor said.
She looks forward to seeing the community joy this event creates each year.
“It’s one of our major joys as the Breckenridge Tourism Office to host this event that is guaranteed to put smiles on people’s faces and bring out a rosy glow on everyone’s cheeks,” she said.
Additional Information
O’ Connor hopes that everyone who comes to this event from out of town will stay the night and utilize the free bus service or walk instead of driving to the event.
“Breckenridge is extremely walkable and bus-able, and to help reduce our impact on the environment, we recommend these two options over driving,” she said.
The free skier shuttle lot on McCain Road will be available for parking, and free public transit is available and viewable via the My Free Ride App. Schedules and route information are also available on Breck Free Ride.
Information to help attendees plan and any updates to the event can be found on the Go Breck event page. Those interested can also follow the Breckenridge Tourism Office on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
