Holiday Guide: Everything you need to know about the holidays in Colorado

Several retailers kicked off their Black Friday deals before Thanksgiving and, like 2020, many stores were closed on Thanksgiving. Here are resources to help you navigate the holiday season in stores.

• Denver Christkindl Market returns for the holidays
• Holiday markets to find unique gifts this Christmas
• Walmart unveils Black Friday 2021 ad
• Target unveils Black Friday 2021 ads
• Amazon announces Black Friday deals
• Best Buy releases Black Friday plans, early deals
• Which stores will be open, closed on Thanksgiving

Supply chain issues have caused some shoppers to get started on their holiday shopping earlier than ever. Ahead of the holiday season, the U.S. Postal Service installed more than 100 high-speed parcel sorting machines across the country, including one here in Denver.

Before you take your list and check it twice, do you know the shipping deadlines to ensure your gifts arrive on time for Christmas? Here is a list of shipping deadlines to keep in mind if your want your package to be delivered before Dec. 25.

• UPS, USPS, FedEx shipping deadlines
• Shippers prepare for pandemic holiday package rush
• USPS installing dozens of new sorting machines, including one in Denver
• USPS unveils new Santa stamps for holiday season

"A Christmas Carol," "The Nutcracker" and Trans-Siberian Orchestra are back this holiday season for the first time since 2019. There are also new seasonal celebrations for the family at Gaylord Rockies, Elitch Gardens, Hudson Gardens and Lakewood's Belmar Park.

With tree lightings and outdoor celebrations, Colorado has no shortage of places to soak in the sights, sounds and smells of the holiday season.

• Christmas concerts and shows you can see in Colorado
• 'A Christmas Carol' returns after 3-year absence
• 2 drive-through Christmas displays returning to Colorado
• New 'Elf' holiday experience coming to Gaylord Rockies
• 3 million Christmas lights coming to Elitch Gardens
• Winter Wonderlights returns to Loveland
• America’s tallest digital tree returning to Denver

Colorado's biggest holiday parade is returning to the Mile High City.

The 47th annual 9NEWS Parade of Lights will bring sparkling lights, marching bands, giant balloons and colorful floats to the streets of downtown Denver on Saturday, Dec. 4. Here's what you need to know to prepare for Denver's brightest holiday season tradition.

• 9NEWS Parade of Lights is back for a 47th year
• Volunteers needed for 9NEWS Parade of Lights

Show your fellow Coloradans the best lights in your neighborhood by uploading them to the "Near Me" section of the 9NEWS app. Your photos will be added to a statewide map highlighting the best places to see light displays around the state.

Here's how the 9NEWS Christmas Lights Map works.

• Use these maps to see the best Christmas lights in your neighborhood
• 7 of the biggest holiday light events in the Denver area

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> DOWNLOAD APP FOR ANDROID HERE

Would you rather spend your holiday season snuggled up under a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate watching movies? Here's what will be on.

• '25 Days of Christmas' Freeform schedule for 2021
• 41 new Hallmark Christmas movies coming in 2021
• NBC has found its star for 'Annie Live'
• Here's the Thanksgiving Day TV schedule on 9NEWS

There's no better way to get in the holiday spirit than by listening to the classics of Bing, Dino, Burl, Mariah, Barbra, Bublé, Mathis and Groban.

Denver's KOSI 101.1 and stations across Colorado provide us with 24/7 Christmas tunes, and we gladly accept. This is the 20th year that KOSI has become Denver's Christmas music station.

• Christmas music returns to KOSI 101 for 20th time
• SiriusXM spreading cheer with 19 holiday music channels
• Mariah Carey is ready for Christmas with new song, TV special

From Rockefeller Center and Washington, D.C., to Castle Rock and Kremmling, massive Christmas trees are a festive sign of the season.

• America’s tallest digital tree returning to Denver
• Everything you need to know about getting Christmas tree permits
• Christmas tree price shock expected this year, for both live and artificial trees
• Christmas tree arrives at Outlets at Castle Rock
• How to get a Christmas tree cutting permit at Golden Gate State Park
• There is a Christmas tree shortage this year, here's why
• Rockefeller Christmas tree arrives in New York City

Before you head to Grandmother's house for the holidays, make sure you're prepared at the airport and on the roads so you can avoid unnecessary holiday stress.

• High gas prices aren't keeping Coloradans off the road
• 49% of Coloradans have already booked holiday travel, AAA says
• CDC issues holiday safety recommendations
• Yes, airlines can cancel flight reservations months or weeks in advance of departure

Food is also a big part of the Christmas season. Here are some must-try holiday recipes.

• How to ship baked cookies as gifts
• Fall drinks that aren't a hot toddy
• Green bean casserole
• Biscochos, traditional Mexican cookies
• Twice-baked potatoes
• Pumpkin pecan pie
• Peppermint Oreo truffles
• Grammie’s Christmas Wreaths
• Sweet potato casserole
• How to adjust your recipes if you're baking at altitude
• Tips for cooking the perfect Thanksgiving turkey
• Easy, creative ideas to decorate cookies for Christmas

While you're out grinding the shopping aisles trying to find the perfect gift or chowing down on some delicious food, remember: Not everyone is as fortunate. The holidays are the perfect season for giving back.

The 39th annual 9Cares Colorado Shares food drive continues the fall tradition of helping our neighbors in need. Funds donated to Food Bank of the Rockies help provide meals for families facing hunger in 30 Colorado counties, including metro Denver, the Eastern Plains and the Western Slope. A $1 donation to Food Bank of the Rockies will provide four meals.

• Donate to the 9Cares Colorado Shares virtual food drive
• Servicios de la Raza giving away Thanksgiving turkeys, food boxes
• Food Bank of the Rockies needs volunteers

Whether you're looking for a full-time or part-time job, companies across Colorado are hiring for the busy holiday season.

Do you know of a business hiring for the holidays? Share the job listing with us. Some of the companies hiring this season include:

• UPS
• Bass Pro Shop/Cabela's
  
• Macy's
• Nordstrom's
  
• Check out Target's early Black Friday deals
• Walmart unveils three Black Friday shopping events
• Best Buy releases Black Friday plans, early deals
• Amazon reveals holiday shopping deals
  

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 25. Like all things in the past two years, the holiday might be a little different this year.

You can still count on turkey, stuffing, 5K runs, football and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on 9NEWS, which is returning with a full parade route through the streets of New York City.

• Here's the Thanksgiving Day TV schedule on 9NEWS
• Thanksgiving feast could be more expensive than ever
• Here's where to order Thanksgiving dinners to-go in Colorado
• Some families face fraught Thanksgiving divide over vaccinations
• Which stores will be open, closed on Thanksgiving
• Tips and tricks for cooking the perfect Thanksgiving turkey

The 9NEWS Holiday Guide is always a work in progress, and we'll be adding helpful links, recipes, events and Colorado-specific Christmas-season events.

What would you like to see in our Holiday Guide? What part of the holidays in Colorado are you curious to know more about? Drop us a line.

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