Denver’s Annual 9News Parade of Lights to Bring Festive Delays and Detours
As the illuminated floats, giant character balloons, and marching bands of Denver’s annual 9News Parade of Lights crawl through the city this weekend, travelers can expect delays and detours on public transportation.
The Parade of Lights, which begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, will shut down or detour the Regional Transportation District’s light rails and bus routes in downtown Denver between 3 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., RTD officials said in a news release.
The 2-mile route starts at Denver City & County Building, 14th and Bannock streets, and travels up Tremont to 17th Street, where it goes northwest for several blocks before turning onto Arapahoe, organizers said. It then loops back on 15th Street to Glenarm.
RTD officials said bus routes will return to normal as the crowds clear after the parade, but travelers can expect delays and detours on routes 0, 1, 6, 8, 9, 10, 15, 15L, 16, 19, 20, 28, 38, 43, 44, 48, and 52.
The Free MallRide will shut down as crowds arrive for the parade and will resume around 9:30 p.m., according to the release.
Event organizers said they expect roughly 300,000 people to show up for the parade on its 50th anniversary.
RTD’s D Line, which runs from the Littleton-Mineral station to the 18th & California station, will cut the last two stops from its route starting at 3 p.m. Saturday, RTD officials said. The line will end service at the Theatre District-Convention Center station until crowds clear around 9:30 p.m.
The H Line, which runs from the Florida station in Aurora to the 18th & California station, will also end service at the Theatre District-Convention Center station starting at 3 p.m. Saturday, RTD officials said.
RTD officials said the last two stations on both lines — 16th & California and 18th & California — will reopen as crowds clear.
RTD’s L line, which runs between the 30th & Downing and 16th & Stout stations, will shut down at 3 p.m. Saturday, but transportation officials said it won’t resume service until Sunday morning.
Travelers can use bus route 43 during the L Line closure, RTD officials said.
Details on the delays and detours will be available on RTD’s service alerts website on Saturday.
Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.
