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Published November 27, 2024

Catch the Glow Sneak Peek: Holiday Magic in Estes Park

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Written by Julie Abel

Illuminated handcrafted gift box float with tinsel and rope lights at the Catch the Glow Parade in Estes Park, Colorado

Catch the Glow Sneak Peek: Holiday Magic in Estes Park

Christmas is almost here in Estes Park, and this week our town turns on its brightest lights of the year. On Friday, November 29, at 5:30 p.m., the Catch the Glow Parade rolls down Elkhorn Avenue and officially opens the holiday season in the mountains.

Before the crowds gather and the floats light up, we got a sneak peek at what is coming. We spent an evening with the artist who builds these floats, walked a fully decorated Bond Park, and went looking for Santa. Here is what we found, along with what you need to know to plan your night.

Three Things to Know About the Catch the Glow Parade

1. It happens the day after Thanksgiving. The parade steps off at 5:30 p.m. on Elkhorn Avenue in downtown Estes Park, kicking off the holiday weekend.

2. Everyone is welcome. This is a free, family friendly community event. As many as 20,000 people line Elkhorn Avenue each year, and plenty of them have traveled a long way to be here.

3. The floats are handmade, right here. More than 40 units roll through the parade, including marching bands, fire trucks, and specialty vehicles. The Town floats are designed and built by one local artist, and the craftsmanship is the reason people come back year after year.

Meet Michael Young, the Artist Behind the Floats

Michael Young is the creative director behind the Catch the Glow floats, and this is his fifteenth parade. Fifteen years of designing, building, wiring, and glittering the pieces that light up Elkhorn Avenue for one night in November.

When we asked him which float was his favorite this year, he could not pick just one. He named two.

The Calliope

The first is a calliope. It came from somewhere personal. His dad used to play the theater pipe organ, and the calliope carries the same pipes, cymbals, and drums. When he heard Christmas music played on one, that settled it. Some of these floats start with a design brief. This one started with a memory.

Christmas Treats

The second is a float called Christmas Treats, and its origin story might be the most Estes Park thing about the whole parade. Michael asked the community on Facebook what their favorite Christmas treat was. People sent in pictures. He built the float from the answers.

A float curated by a Facebook group. That is a community project dressed up as a parade entry, and it is exactly what makes this event feel like ours.

Asked to settle on one overall favorite, Michael gave the answer of a man who has built a lot of floats: "Any float that works is my favorite."

What It Takes to Build 18 Floats a Year

The scale of this is easy to miss when you are standing on the curb with a cup of cocoa. Here is what goes into it:

•       Michael provides 18 floats for the parade every single year

•       Each float stays in service for two years, so the ones built last year come back for a second run

•       That means about seven brand new floats have to be built from scratch each season

•       Construction starts in late September, when the components come out of storage

 

Late September to late November. Seven new builds. All of it timed to one evening on Elkhorn Avenue.

And then there is the glitter, which does not respect the calendar at all. We asked Michael how long it takes to de-glitter himself after a build. His answer: "Not fast enough." He says he will run into friends at the pharmacy or at Safeway and get told, cheerfully, that they can tell he has been working. Part of the job.

Bond Park Is Already Decorated, but Santa Is Running Late

After the float preview, we walked over to Bond Park in downtown Estes Park, which is fully decorated for Christmas. If you have not been down there yet this week, it is worth the walk. The lights are up, the displays are in place, and downtown looks the way you want a mountain town to look in late November.

The reindeer are all accounted for. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen are all present. We found the sled, too.

What we did not find was Santa. We looked. He was not there. Here is the good news, and we have this on decent authority: if you come downtown Friday evening around 5:30 for the Catch the Glow Parade, Santa makes his appearance. He closes out the parade in his sleigh. So he is not missing. He is just keeping his own schedule, which is fair enough given the week he has coming.

Planning Your Night at the Parade

A few practical notes if you are making the trip:

Dress for a mountain November

The parade goes on regardless of wind or weather, and you will be standing outside after dark at 7,500 feet. Bundle up. Bring blankets. Bring something hot to drink. Locals do not treat this as optional.

Arrive early and plan your parking

Elkhorn Avenue fills up. Downtown parking goes fast, and portions of the parade route close ahead of the 5:30 start. Give yourself real margin, and use the free parking structure near the Visitor Center if downtown is full.

Take the trolley

The Peak, the Town's free transit service, runs shuttles into downtown and typically pauses service just before the parade, then resumes afterward. It is a good way to avoid the parking hunt altogether.

For current parade details, route information, and timing, the Town's official Catch the Glow Parade page is the best source.

Why a Parade Tells You Something About a Town

If you are considering a move to Estes Park, or you are already here and still getting your bearings, this parade is worth paying attention to for reasons that go beyond the lights.

A town of roughly 6,000 people produces an event that draws tens of thousands. One artist builds 18 floats a year by hand. A float gets designed by crowdsourcing a Facebook question. Nonprofits build their own entries. Volunteers show up. Nobody is doing this because it scales.

That is the thing people tend to underestimate when they are evaluating mountain communities from a distance. You can compare price per square foot and drive times and school ratings from a spreadsheet. What you cannot see in a spreadsheet is whether a place still knows how to show up for itself. Estes Park does, and it does it in late November, in the cold, on a Friday night.

Connecting people to place is what we do. This is one of the nights that place makes it easy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When is the Catch the Glow Parade in Estes Park?

A: The parade takes place the day after Thanksgiving and begins at 5:30 p.m. on Elkhorn Avenue in downtown Estes Park.

Q: Is the Catch the Glow Parade free?

A: Yes. It is a free, family friendly event open to the public, and everyone is welcome.

Q: Who makes the floats for the Catch the Glow Parade?

A: Michael Young is the creative director and artist behind the Town of Estes Park floats. This year marks his fifteenth parade. He provides 18 floats each year, keeps each float in service for two years, and builds roughly seven brand new floats every season starting in late September.

Q: Will Santa be at the Catch the Glow Parade?

A: Yes. Santa appears at the parade and traditionally closes it out in his sleigh. If you visit Bond Park in the days before, you may find his sled, but Santa himself arrives with the parade.

Q: How many people attend the Catch the Glow Parade?

A: As many as 20,000 people line Elkhorn Avenue each year to watch the parade, which features more than 40 units including handcrafted floats, marching bands, fire trucks, and specialty vehicles.

Q: Where should I park for the Catch the Glow Parade?

A: Downtown parking fills quickly and parts of the route close before the parade. Arrive early, consider the free parking structure near the Estes Park Visitor Center, and check the Town's parking and transit pages for current guidance. The Peak, the Town's free transit service, offers shuttle access to downtown.

Q: Does the parade happen in bad weather?

A: Yes. The Catch the Glow Parade goes on regardless of wind or weather. Dress warmly, bring blankets, and bring a hot drink.

Relevant Links

Parade and Town Resources

•       Catch the Glow Parade official page: eventsinestes.com/catch-the-glow-parade

•       Visit Estes Park holiday parade information: visitestespark.com

•       Town of Estes Park public parking: estespark.colorado.gov/parking

•       The Peak, free Town transit service: estespark.colorado.gov/transit

Connect with Signature Home Team

•       Estes Park Living on YouTube: youtube.com/@EstesParkLiving

•       Everything Estes Park Facebook group: bit.ly/EverythingEstesPark

•       Instagram: instagram.com/signaturehometeam

•       Facebook: facebook.com/SignatureHomeTeam

Have a question about Estes Park, whether it is about the parade route or about what it actually costs to live here year round? Reach out. We are happy to be a resource, and there is never any pressure attached.

About the Author: Julie Abel is a licensed real estate agent with Signature Home Team, brokered by Keller Williams Top of the Rockies, specializing in Estes Park and Northern Colorado mountain communities. She shares insights about real estate and mountain living through the Estes Park Living channel.

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Events and Seasonal

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