Most people picture Main Street when they think of Downtown Littleton, the stretch of storefronts running toward Bowles Plaza. Many people coming downtown on foot, by bike or by train get there on a less photogenic road, though. South Prince Street runs south from West Lake Avenue past Church Avenue to West Alamo Avenue. It links the Downtown Littleton light rail station, Arapahoe Community College and the Colorado School for the Blind to the core of downtown.
That road is now a construction zone, and the city expects it to stay one until spring 2027. Also this month, a separate project closed a stretch of trail, and its official detour sends trail users onto Prince Street. The Candlelight Walk lands on November 27, inside that same window, and Hudson Holidays opens the same night. This winter, much of downtown's busiest traffic is headed for the one street being rebuilt.
What is actually happening on Prince Street
The city calls the project the Prince Street Link. Its project page lists the start as fall 2026 and completion as spring 2027. In its October 2 construction roundup, the city said construction had begun. Traffic will feel it on South Prince between West Lake and West Alamo, and the Prince/Church intersection is getting a major rebuild.
According to the Prince Street Link project page, the finished street will have:
- Bike lanes in both directions on Prince
- Replaced sidewalks, widened wherever the width allows
- Concrete pavement in place of asphalt north of the Prince Street Bridge
- ADA-compliant curb ramps at the RTD bus stop driveways, at West Lake Avenue and at Church and Prince
- Upgraded signals at Church and Prince with leading pedestrian intervals, which give people on foot a head start before cars get a green light, plus transit signal priority for future use
A Colorado Department of Transportation Safer Main Streets grant and local money are paying for it. The city has not posted a phase plan or a calendar of lane or sidewalk closures. Instead, the project page sends people to the city's Cone Zone map, which the city says it updates weekly. That weekly map is the most reliable way to check which block is open before you head out.
Prince is the biggest item on the city's fall list, but it is not the only one.
| Project | Where | Status the city gives |
|---|---|---|
| Prince Street Link | S. Prince St, W. Lake Ave to W. Alamo Ave | Started fall 2026, expected done spring 2027 |
| Euclid Avenue Multimodal, Phase 2 | Cherokee St to S. Broadway | Paving done, crews finishing speed cushions, signs and concrete |
| Euclid Neighborhood 2026 Street Reconstruction | Euclid neighborhood | Expected to start soon once permits clear, running into spring 2027 |
| Main / Alamo / Prince bridge fence repairs | Main Street bridge | Nearly done, weather permitting |
Euclid Phase 2 is the one that is almost finished. The city calls it Littleton's first "complete street." Its features include a 12-foot shared-use path on the north side, wider sidewalks on the south side, three raised pedestrian crossings and a connection to the High Line Canal Trail at Broadway. That matters for the next part, because Euclid is the first leg of the trail detour.
The trail detour lands on the construction zone
This closure isn't on Littleton's own project list. The City of Englewood has started Reach 2 of its City Ditch Piping Project, which replaces sections of the open ditch with buried pipe to make Englewood's water supply more reliable. The Reach 2A segment requires a complete closure of the Littleton Community Trail between Ridge Road and Lower Ridgewood Park. The Lee Gulch Trail inside Lower Ridgewood Park is partly closed too, since equipment and materials are being carried across the park. Littleton's announcement of the next phase said the closures would start the week of October 5 and reopen in spring 2027.
The posted detour, in order:
- West Euclid Avenue
- South Prince Street
- West Ridge Road
The detour starts on the street that is just getting its new shared-use path. Its middle leg runs along Prince, where crews are working through spring. Both projects have the same rough end date. So on a walk, jog or ride that used to stay on the trail, you'll spend part of the winter beside both the City Ditch fencing and the Prince Street work. Englewood and its contractor, Hudick Excavating Inc., are asking trail users to follow signs, fencing and flaggers. They also ask people to keep children and pets away from equipment and dirt piles.
November 27 is the night it all overlaps
The Candlelight Walk is set for Friday, November 27, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., centered at 2250 Main St. The parade starts at 6:30 p.m. After Santa lights the big tree in Bowles Plaza, a drone show flies over the Melting Pot at the west end of Main Street. The west end of Main is the side of downtown closest to the Prince Street work.
Parking guidance for this year isn't out yet. As of now, Visit Littleton's Candlelight Walk page asks visitors to check back in mid-October. Last year's "Know Before You Go" page listed free parking at Littleton Center, 2255 W. Berry Ave., and at Arapahoe Community College Lot B on Church Avenue between Nevada and Sumner. That was the 2025 plan. Lot B is on Church Avenue, which crosses Prince at the intersection being rebuilt. Wait for the 2026 version before you count on either lot.
The Downtown Littleton DDA's getting-around page is the general reference. It says on-street parking downtown is free, with two-hour limits on some core streets. It lists two RTD lots, one at Rio Grande and Main and one at Prince and Alamo, plus several paid lots. It also notes extra parking north of Main along Rio Grande Street. That page dates from 2024. The Prince and Alamo lot sits at the south end of the construction limits. Compare it against the Cone Zone map before the holiday.
Hudson Holidays opens the same evening
Hudson Holidays at Hudson Gardens runs November 27, 2026, through January 3, 2027. Its opening night is the night of the Candlelight Walk. The event has a lighted maze, themed displays, Santa photos and theme nights. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m., except on December 24, when it closes at 7 p.m. Tickets aren't timed, so you can arrive any time during event hours on your date. There is no re-entry.
The ticket schedule rewards planning ahead:
| Ticket | On sale | Adult | Senior | Youth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Day presale | Nov. 6 at 10 a.m. to Nov. 8 | $15 | $15 | $10 |
| Dated ticket | From Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. | $20 | $18 | $15 |
| Any Day, after presale | After Nov. 8 | $25 | $20 | $20 |
Children ages 0 to 2 get in free with every ticket type. An adult Any Day ticket costs $15 during the three-day presale and $25 after it, so it pays to buy during November 6 to 8 if you want flexible dates. Select nights add gourmet s'mores, holiday-character story time, holiday bingo and Christmas-movie trivia. The sensory-friendly night is December 2. Parking at Hudson Gardens is free, and overflow parking is at Arapahoe Community College. Hudson is south of downtown on Santa Fe, so it uses its own lots, away from the Prince Street work.
What's open around the edges this month
Some of the season is happening off the construction route. Leaves on Main, a plant and gift shop at 2699 Main St., opened September 5, as the Littleton Independent reported. The DDA's listing says the shop carries houseplants, handcrafted pottery, gifts and home décor.
The DDA's Bones About Town hunt has more than 25 skeletons on downtown lampposts. A $250 gift-card drawing is set for October 31. At Aspen Grove, 7301 S. Santa Fe Drive, the Paris Street Night Market runs October 16 from 4 to 9 p.m. Monster Bash + Mystical Makers Market follows on October 17 from noon to 5 p.m. Listings can change, so check the center's page before you go.
The city's September business bulletin lists Malai Thai Kitchen as a new Thai restaurant at 2630 W. Belleview Ave., Suite 150. The August bulletin lists two more. Hodgepodge Market is a new shop in Suite 110 at Aspen Grove, and Lewis & Cluck, the backyard-chicken supply shop, is under new ownership at a new address, 5827 S. Rapp St. Those listings come from city bulletins, not confirmed opening dates, so call ahead.
By spring, the city expects Prince Street to have bike lanes both ways, wider sidewalks and a new signal at Church. Englewood expects the Littleton Community Trail to reopen around the same time. Until then, check the Cone Zone map weekly, buy Hudson Holidays tickets during the November 6 to 8 presale, and look for Visit Littleton's 2026 Candlelight parking update before November 27.
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