This Year, Congress Park's Way Into Blossoms of Light Runs Along 12th Avenue
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
At Colfax and Josephine, new steel arches now mark an elevated platform in the middle of the avenue. As Denverite described the new stations, the 15 and 15L buses pull up to platforms like this one, and riders step straight on without climbing stairs. The city calls it Josephine/York Station. It opened on Sunday, September 27, when the center lanes of Colfax between Broadway and Colorado Boulevard became bus-only.
That puts this winter's Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens on a different street grid than any season before it. Getting to York Street from Congress Park used to be a short drive. This year the simpler trip skips Colfax by car altogether. The two bus routes the Gardens points visitors to already run along Congress Park's own streets, and the left turns that once made Colfax an easy approach are now limited to marked intersections.
The display runs Nov. 20 through Jan. 10, 4:30 to 9 p.m., closed Nov. 26 and Dec. 25. The grounds are cleared by 9:45 p.m. Every ticket has to be bought in advance. The Gardens says it expects most nights to sell out days or even weeks ahead, and it does not sell tickets at the door.
Sales open in stages:
Prices were still listed as TBA on the Gardens' page as of late October. Every attendee over age 2 needs a ticket, and a membership doesn't guarantee one. The Gardens names its own website as the only official place to buy, and it offers no support for tickets bought from third parties.
You're asked to arrive within 30 minutes after the time on your ticket, and running late doesn't mean you have to change it. You can switch to another date for a $5 fee up to 72 hours before your entry time, if space allows. Members don't pay the fee. When asked which nights are best, the Gardens itself suggests going after a fresh snowfall, so a flexible date can work in your favor.
Last holiday season, Colfax was in the middle of two years of construction. The first phase that opened in September is a different road to drive, and the changes land right on the stretch between York and Colorado Boulevard.
Your phone may not know all of this yet. Days after the opening, The Denver Post reported that route-setting apps such as Google Maps were still sending some drivers toward turns that are no longer allowed. City officials had said they were working with the apps to update traffic patterns. On a dark December evening with a timed entry, a banned turn suggested by an app means a loop around the block at best. The city's Colfax BRT project page has a map of turn locations, and the posted signs are the final word.
For getting to the Gardens, the Gardens recommends RTD Route 24 on York and Josephine streets and Route 10 on 12th Avenue. Neither one runs in the new center lanes, so neither depends on the Colfax changes.
Route 10 runs along 12th Avenue, the spine of Congress Park's restaurant blocks, and stops at 12th and York. From much of the neighborhood, that's a straight ride west with no Colfax crossing at all.
Route 24 runs north and south on York and Josephine, with stops at Josephine and Colfax and at York and MLK. It's the better connection if you're coming from north of Colfax, or if you've ridden the 15 or 15L to the Josephine station.
The center-running 15 and 15L are built for the long trips along Colfax. According to Denverite's rider guide, you board at the front right door, and bikes ride inside near the rear door. RTD says the new route will run faster and that buses will eventually come every 4.3 minutes. The city expects full Lynx Colfax service, with off-board ticket machines and multi-door boarding, by January 2028. Until then, Colfax is mostly how out-of-town guests staying along the corridor reach York Street, not a route Congress Park needs for its own trip.
Cycling is the other option the Gardens recommends. Bike racks sit at the York Street main entrance.
Parking in the Gardens' structure is free during Blossoms. The Gardens also says it's limited and fills quickly. Some surrounding streets are restricted, and where restrictions are posted for event dates, every parked car needs a current residential parking permit. The Gardens says it isn't responsible for tickets or towing. The city is also changing permit eligibility for addresses around the Gardens under its Curbside Area Management plan, based on feedback from residents and city council. Read the signs on the block where you park, even if you're parking near home. They set the rules for that night.
For anyone driving in from outside the neighborhood, the full structure plus the Colfax turn limits make a strong case for meeting them near the Gardens rather than steering them through east-side streets.
The trip has a few named stops worth planning around.
There are two other dates on the Gardens' calendar. Night at the Museums is Saturday, Nov. 7, from 5 to 10 p.m., with free admission to the Freyer–Newman Center. It isn't a holiday event, but it's a chance to try your route to York Street after dark before Blossoms opens. A Sensory-Friendly Night is Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 8 p.m., with limited capacity for guests with sensory sensitivities and their families. Wherever you start, the path is outdoors and concrete, and the Gardens recommends shoes with good traction.
The parking and fine details above are general information, not legal advice. Check the posted signs and city sources for your own block and permit.
If you're hosting family for the holidays and want help planning the evenings around the Gardens, the new Colfax and the rest of central Denver, the team at Mckinze Casey is glad to share what we know. Request a Private Consultation.
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