The Thanksgiving turkey will barely be cold in its Tupperware grave when Santa Claus arrives in Durango, Colorado, to kick off the Christmas season.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at Buckley Park in downtown Durango at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, to officially mark the start of the Christmas season. The Clauses will lead the crowd in singing along to their favorite Christmas carols before they count down to the lighting of Durango’s glowing Christmas tree at 6 p.m.

Everyone can munch on free cookies and sip on hot chocolate across the street at Guido’s, and the kids can have their picture taken with Santa. So make sure you dress your kiddos in warm (and cute) clothes for that perfect picture, then watch as they scream and squirm away from the big, strange man in the red suit. Ah, the holidays!

If you’ll be visiting Durango for the holidays or if you’ll be hosting out-of-town guests, be sure to book rooms with us at the Durango Quality Inn!