Christmas in Durango starts Friday, November 20, 2026. That is the day Purgatory is set to open and the Polar Express train first leaves the depot. The season peaks on December 4 to 6, when Noel Night, the Festival of Trees and a craft fair all land on one weekend. It ends with the last Polar Express run on January 2, 2027. Every date below comes from an official source, read in October 2026, and when a 2026 detail is not posted yet, we say so instead of guessing.
What is happening in Durango at Christmas 2026?
Here is the dated calendar. The cost and date columns show what each organizer had posted when we checked.
| Event | 2026 date | Where | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purgatory opening day | Fri, Nov 20 | Purgatory Resort | Variable lift prices; limited $9 tickets on select dates | purgatory.ski |
| The Polar Express train ride | Nov 20 to Jan 2, 2027 | Durango depot | $42.12 to $100.44 per rider, fees included | durangotrain.com |
| Festival of Trees and Wreaths | Opens Nov 23; festival weekend Dec 4 to 6 | D&SNGRR Museum | Free admission | communityconnectionsco.org |
| Singing with Santa and tree lighting | Fri, Nov 27 | Main Avenue to Buckley Park | Free; cocoa, cookies and a Santa photo | downtowndurango.org |
| Christmas tree lot (San Juan Mountains Association) | Opens Fri, Nov 27 | Railroad parking lot, Camino del Rio and College | Not listed | fs.usda.gov |
| Noel Night | Fri, Dec 4, 10 AM to 8 PM | Downtown Durango | No ticket listed | Local First, durangoherald.com |
| Home for the Holidays improv | Fri, Dec 4, 7 PM | Durango Arts Center | $25 | durangoarts.org |
| Holiday Arts and Crafts Festival | Dec 4 to 6 | La Plata County Fairgrounds | Not listed | downtowndurango.org |
| Durango Choral Society Family Christmas Concert | Sun, Dec 6, 3 PM | Community Concert Hall | See durangoconcerts.com | durangoconcerts.com |
| The Nutcracker | Dec 11 (7:30 PM), Dec 12 (2 PM, 7:30 PM), Dec 13 (2 PM) | Community Concert Hall | See durangoconcerts.com | sanjuansymphony.org |
| Holiday Farmers Market | Sat, Dec 12, 9 AM to 2 PM | Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall | Not listed | downtowndurango.org |
| Demo Days | Sun, Dec 13, 9 AM to 3 PM | Purgatory plaza | $39 | purgatory.ski |
| Bar D Wranglers Christmas Jubilee | Sat, Dec 19, 7:30 PM | Community Concert Hall | $18.75 to $45 (KSJE listing) | ksje.com |
| Cascade Canyon Winter Train | Dec 5, 6, 11 to 13, 18 to 24, 26 to 31 | Durango depot, 9:15 AM | $97 coach, $87 ages 4 to 11 | durangotrain.com |
| New Year's Eve torchlight parade and fireworks | Thu, Dec 31 | Purgatory Resort | 2026 time and cost not yet posted | purgatory.ski |
| Christmas tree permit sales | 2026 date not yet posted (2025 sales began Nov 24) | Recreation.gov and Forest Service offices | $8 plus $2.50 online fee | fs.usda.gov |
Purgatory's calendar had no 2026 entry for December 31 yet. The resort does list the torchlight parade and fireworks as an annual signature event, and last year's listing said 6 PM. We left Snowdown out because it falls after the holidays, and our events guide covers it.
When does the Polar Express run in 2026, and what does it cost?
The Polar Express runs most nights from November 20, 2026 to January 2, 2027, with a few dark ones. Thanksgiving and Christmas are not the only gaps, so read the railroad's calendar before you pick a night. Each date carries a Value, Standard or Peak price. The 2026 fare chart works out to whole-dollar fares plus an 8 percent Historic Preservation Fee, and the second table shows each range from Value to Peak.
| Calendar detail | Dates |
|---|---|
| Regular departures | 4:55 PM, 6:30 PM and 8 PM |
| Extra 9:10 PM train | Dec 5, 12 and 19, plus Dec 21 to 24 |
| Closed for holidays | Nov 26 (Thanksgiving) and Dec 25 |
| No trains at all | Nov 30 to Dec 2, and Dec 7 and 8 |
| Shortened nights | Dec 14 and 15, with only the first two departures |
| Car class | Riders | 2026 price range |
|---|---|---|
| Coach | Age 12 and up | $42.12 to $66.96 |
| Coach | Ages 2 to 11 | $31.32 to $56.16 |
| Deluxe | Age 12 and up | $52.92 to $83.16 |
| Deluxe | Ages 2 to 11 | $42.12 to $72.36 |
| First class | All ages 2 and up | $72.36 to $100.44 |
On our read of the railroad's color-coded calendar, the top Peak prices cluster around Thanksgiving weekend, the Dec 5 and Dec 11 to 13 weekends and the week before Christmas. Value dates include Nov 20 to 23, Dec 3, 9 and 10, and Dec 28 and 29. Confirm each date on the booking page. Our Polar Express guide covers car classes, cancellation rules and what to wear, and the railroad warns that some dates and car types sell fast.
What is the best weekend for Christmas in Durango?
December 4 to 6 is the best weekend, because five events overlap and all are downtown or a short drive away. Noel Night runs 10 AM to 8 PM on Friday the 4th. Local First's new director wrote in the Durango Herald that about 3,000 people and 50 businesses took part last year. This year adds the Miracle on 10th Street Market, a European-style market with 25 or more booths on 10th Street between East Second and Narrow Gauge avenues. The Durango Arts Center stages a holiday improv show that night at 7 PM.
All weekend, the Festival of Trees fills the railroad museum with trees and wreaths made by local groups. The Holiday Arts and Crafts Festival, now in its 52nd year, fills the fairgrounds. Check each site for daily hours. The choral society's family concert is Sunday at 3 PM. Add a Polar Express ride on Friday or Saturday night and you have a full weekend, so book those two nights first. For lodging, start with where to stay in Durango or our guide to historic hotels, and book early.
How do you get a Christmas tree permit near Durango?
Buy a permit from the Forest Service, then cut your own tree on San Juan National Forest land. Per the San Juan National Forest, a permit costs $8, plus a $2.50 Recreation.gov fee online. The 2026 sale date has not been posted yet. In 2025, online sales began November 24. You can also buy in person at the forest headquarters, 15 Burnett Court in Durango, or at the Columbine office, 367 Pearl Street in Bayfield. Fourth graders with an Every Kid Outdoors pass get one free permit. Forest rules and other permits are in our San Juan National Forest guide.
The rules are strict. Do not cut within 100 feet of a road or campground, in wilderness areas or in La Plata Canyon. Cut the trunk as close to the ground as you can, leaving a stump of six inches at most. The Forest Service's 2025 notice said to leave Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir alone, since the program thins white fir. Forest roads are not plowed. If you would rather skip the hunt, the San Juan Mountains Association sells local white fir at a lot that opens the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 27. Our local sister site has a step-by-step permit guide.
What is the weather like in Durango in December?
Cold and fairly dry. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Durango-La Plata County Airport show a December high of 39.2°F and a low of 12.9°F, with 0.87 inches of precipitation. Downtown runs a bit warmer than the airport. Purgatory, 25 miles north and far higher, runs colder. For month-by-month numbers in town, see our Durango weather guide. Pack layers, boots with good traction and a warm hat for the Polar Express line.
What is closed on Christmas Day in Durango?
A lot closes, so build Christmas Day around what stays open. Here is what we confirmed:
- The Polar Express is closed on Dec 25, per the railroad's calendar. It runs on Dec 24 and 26.
- The Cascade Canyon Winter Train has no listed Dec 25 departure. It runs on Dec 24 and 26.
- Durango Transit does not run on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, per the city's no-service list.
- Mesa Verde's museum and visitor center are closed on Christmas, per the National Park Service. The park is otherwise open.
- Four Corners Monument closes on Christmas, since the Navajo Nation parks office observes the holiday.
- City sites such as the library, Recreation Center and Chapman Hill were closed on Dec 25 last year. The 2026 notice usually appears in mid-December, so check durangoco.gov.
Confirm Purgatory's Christmas Day lift hours on its lift status page, and call any restaurant or hot spring before you go. Christmas dinner tables fill early, and our restaurant guide is a good place to start.
What does a 3-day Christmas week itinerary look like?
This plan covers Thursday, Dec 24 through Saturday, Dec 26, 2026, with the closures above built in.
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Thu, Dec 24 | Ride the 9:15 AM Cascade Canyon Winter Train, a 5.25-hour round trip that returns at 2:30 PM. Walk Main Avenue in the afternoon. Reserve an evening Polar Express ride; the railroad adds a 9:10 PM train on the 24th. |
| Fri, Dec 25 | The trains are closed, so ski at Purgatory (confirm lift hours first) or soak in a hot spring. Book a Christmas dinner table well ahead. |
| Sat, Dec 26 | Drive to Mesa Verde. Its museum is open 10 AM to 3 PM, and the winter park fee is $20 per vehicle. Or take a Polar Express ride at 4:55, 6:30 or 8 PM. |
For skiing and lodging near the mountain, see our Purgatory lodging guide and the Durango winter tours roundup. To fill the gaps, try winter activities beyond skiing, the Durango in winter guide, the Mesa Verde day trip guide or the hot springs guide.
What is there to do on New Year's Eve in Durango?
The headline event is Purgatory's torchlight parade and fireworks on Dec 31. Ski instructors and patrollers ski down the slopes with torches, and then the fireworks start. Purgatory calls it an annual signature event. Its 2025 calendar listed a 6 PM start, plus a dinner at Purgy's from 5 PM that sold out, so expect a similar pattern and verify the 2026 times when the resort posts them. The Polar Express and the Cascade Canyon Winter Train both run on Dec 31 and Jan 1. Downtown Durango's winter events list shows no official New Year's Eve event yet.
Where can you see Christmas lights in Durango?
Three official options stand out: the community tree lighting at Buckley Park on Nov 27, the free Festival of Trees displays at the railroad museum, and the light show on the Polar Express itself. We found no official 2026 route for home light displays, so we list none. For ideas that fit a winter evening downtown, see our Main Avenue guide and Durango with kids.
