A new canopy now stands in the middle of East Colfax Avenue where York and Josephine streets meet it. Artwork by Koco Collab covers it, and it is one of the center platforms the city opened when the bus-only lanes between Broadway and Colorado Boulevard went live on Sunday, Sept. 27. From that platform, York Street runs south to the Bonfils-Stanton Visitor Center at 1007 York Street, the main entrance to Denver Botanic Gardens.
This is the first Blossoms of Light season with that station open, and it changes how the evening works for anyone within reach of Colfax, from the ticket queue to the walk down York, which avoids the permit-signed side streets around the Gardens.
Ticket Week Is Already Underway
Blossoms tickets go on sale in waves, and this post goes up partway through.
- Wednesday, Nov. 4, 10 a.m.: President's Circle, Garden Leader, Director's Circle, Four Seasons, Patron, Supporter and Gardens Plus members.
- Thursday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m.: Friends & Family members. That's today.
- Friday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m.: Dual Plus and Individual Plus members.
- Monday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.: public sales.
The Gardens uses an online queue, and the timing matters. You can join it starting at 9:30 a.m. At 10 a.m., everyone already in line gets a random place. Anyone who joins after 10 is served in the order they arrived. Logging on at 9:30 gives you the same odds as logging on at 9:59. Logging on at 10:01 puts you behind all of them.
There are no tickets at the door. The Gardens says it expects most nights to sell out "several days or even weeks in advance." Everyone older than 2 needs a ticket. The Gardens calls its own website the only official place to buy online, and it also takes orders by phone, though phone lines are limited. Cash and check purchases can be made in person during general admission hours. The Gardens says it can't support tickets bought from third parties or scalpers, and it won't hold them at Will Call.
The Gardens still lists 2026 prices as TBA. For a rough sense of cost, Denverite's listing for the 2025 run showed $18 to $29 for members and $22 to $33 for nonmembers, with children 2 and under free. Those were last year's prices. This year's will be posted when sales open.
Seven Weeks, Two Dark Nights
Blossoms of Light runs Nov. 20 through Jan. 10, from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Grounds clear at 9:45. It's closed Nov. 26 and Dec. 25. A sensory-friendly night is set for Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. The Gardens limits capacity that night "to create more intimate experiences."
Tickets are good only for the date you buy. If your plans change, the Gardens will swap your date for a $5 fee up to 72 hours before your entry time, if space is available. Members don't pay the fee. Call the Resource Center at 720-865-3500. You have 30 minutes after the time on your ticket to arrive, and you don't need to change your ticket if you're running late. That grace period helps most if you're coming on foot or by bus, since nobody is circling the garage.
If York Street dates sell out, the Gardens runs Trail of Lights at Chatfield Farms from Nov. 21 to Jan. 3, 5 to 8:30 p.m. It has more dark nights: Nov. 26, Nov. 30, Dec. 1, Dec. 7, Dec. 8 and Dec. 25. It's a drive to Deer Creek Canyon Road, which makes the case for getting a York Street date this week.
Why the Garage Is the Hardest Way In
The Gardens' parking structure sits between York and Josephine and is free during Blossoms. The Gardens' own FAQ says it "is limited and fills quickly."
The streets around it are tighter during the event. The 2025 Blossoms parking map shows signs reading "NO 5PM - 9PM" and says every parked car needs a current residential parking permit "on streets where restrictions are posted on the dates listed." That map lists the blocks whose residents can use the BG district permit:
- 2100 to 2299 East 12th Avenue
- 2100 to 2599 East 11th Avenue
- 2200 to 2399 East 9th Avenue
- 1000 to 1199 Columbine Street
- 1100 to 1199 Vine Street, Gaylord Street and Elizabeth Street
The Blossoms of Light FAQ still links the 2025 map, so the street signs are the rule to follow this season. The Gardens also says it is not responsible for parking tickets or towing fees. The city adjusted this district in 2024. Phase 1 took event restrictions and permits off 1100 Race Street and parts of 11th and 12th avenues in June 2024. Its Curbside Area Management plans page lists the Botanic Gardens plan as implemented that year.
If you live inside the district and have guests coming for a December evening, the city's Residential Parking Permits page explains the two permit types. A Vehicle-Specific Parking Permit costs $20 a year and is tied to one plate. A Flex Parking Permit costs $25 a year and can cover a guest, a service provider or another vehicle in the household. Applications are online or by mail only, with no walk-in service, and you'll need proof of residence. This is general information, not legal advice. Check your own address's eligibility directly with the city.
Colfax and York Is the New Front Door
The Colfax project is the biggest change since last year's Blossoms. After two years of construction, the 15 and 15L buses now run in the two center lanes from Broadway to Colorado Boulevard. Riders board from raised platforms marked by steel arches, and there are seven center stations in each direction. Cars now use only the outer lanes. Denverite's rider guide says to reach the center platforms at marked crosswalks, and the city says it improved 27 intersections to make crossing easier. The Denver Post covered the late-September opening. Construction continues east of Colorado Boulevard, and the full Lynx Colfax line is expected by January 2028.
The Josephine/York station is the one that matters for the Gardens. The Gardens itself points visitors to Route 24 on York and Josephine and Route 10 on 12th Avenue. It also has bike racks at the York Street main entrance. If you live north of 12th, you can ride, bike or walk to Colfax, eat, and then head south on York. That route never touches the garage or the permit blocks.
Before and After, Within a Few Blocks
Dinner fits around the route, too. Three of these stops are new or newly rebranded since last year's Blossoms. The other two have been on 12th Avenue for years.
| Stop | Address | What the 2026 reporting says |
|---|---|---|
| Ma's Kitchen Dim Sum & Bar | 2301 E. Colfax Ave. | Opened in spring 2026 in the former Okinawa Japanese Cuisine space, with dinnertime dim sum and a cocktail program |
| Ma's Kitchen Next Door | 1514 York St. | Same owners. Focused on takeout, lunch and what the opening press release called "efficient dining" |
| Convict Coffee | 2260 E. Colfax Ave. | The Parker roaster's third shop, with a patio |
| Chef Zorba's | 2626 E. 12th Ave. | A Congress Park restaurant since 1979, with all-day breakfast and Greek dishes |
| Blue Pan Pizza | 3509 E. 12th Ave. | Detroit-style pizza at this address since 2017, now adding a takeout and delivery section |
The two Ma's Kitchen locations fit the evening in two different ways. The Denver Post described Next Door as the quick, takeout-friendly room and the Colfax space as the sit-down dinner room. That makes Next Door the quick stop before an early ticket and Dim Sum & Bar the place to go after a later one. Both are near the station. Denverite reported that Convict Coffee opened its Colfax and York shop "amid the mess of bus rapid transit construction." Those cones have since cleared. Inside the Gardens, Offshoots Café and the Hive Garden Bistro sell holiday treats and warm drinks during Blossoms.
On 12th Avenue, Blue Pan owner Giles Flanigan told BusinessDen, in a report published by the Denver Post, that his staff "just get clobbered" on a typical weekend night. He took over the building's corner unit, which had been home to a bakery for 20 years. As of August, he expected the takeout space to open within six months.
If you're getting a December date this week, plan the route along with the ticket: Colfax and York, south past the garage, into the visitor center at 1007 York Street.
If you have a Blossoms night planned and want to hear how the new Colfax lanes and the changes along 12th Avenue look from the Congress Park side, let's talk about your home. Thaddeus Howells keeps up with these blocks year-round and is happy to compare notes.
