At 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, the activities at 3rd and Massachusetts end for the day. That includes the Main Street Holiday Market, the FFA petting zoo, the Boy Scouts' s'mores and the Lions Club's cookie decorating. The Parade of Lights doesn't start on Mountain Avenue until 5 p.m., and the tree in Fickel Park lights at 6.
That leaves two hours between the end of the market and the start of the parade. A few Berthoud businesses and nonprofits have scheduled their activities for exactly that window. Sorted by closing time, the A Very Merry Berthoud schedule points to one plan for the day. Start early on the edge of town, spend midday at the market, then use the afternoon stops to work your way toward the parade.
The festival is presented by SouthState Bank. It's organized by Berthoud Main Street, the Town of Berthoud and the Berthoud Chamber, and local businesses and organizations host the individual events. According to the Berthoud Historical Society's listing, the daytime portion runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. across town.
The Day Starts an Hour Early on Berthoud Parkway
The earliest event of the day is away from downtown. The Town of Berthoud's free Winter Craft Fair opens at the Recreation Center at 9 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. The Recreation Center is at 1000 Berthoud Parkway.
Because of that extra hour, the craft fair works best as your first stop. Shop it at 9, while the downtown booths are still setting up, and you'll still be on Mountain Avenue when things get going there at 10. If you leave it for later, you'll be heading back out to the Parkway in the early afternoon, just as the downtown activities have the most going on.
Lunch Hour Belongs to 3rd and Massachusetts
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the center of the festival is the intersection of 3rd Street and Massachusetts Avenue. Berthoud Main Street's vendor application calls the market the "Market on Massachusetts" and puts it on Massachusetts Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets. Vendors have 10-by-10-foot outdoor booths and bring their own tents and tables. No electricity is provided, and the market runs until 3.
Four other activities share that corner and those hours:
- An FFA petting zoo
- S'mores with the Boy Scouts
- Cookie decorating with the Lions Club
- The Main Street Holiday Market itself
Two of the bigger draws are nearby and stay open longer. Santa will be at the Lions Club Depot Building from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Town's free Berthoud SNOWLYMPICS runs in the 3rd Street Parking Lot over the same hours. Both run an hour past the market, so Santa still fits into the afternoon.
Berthoud Main Street's sponsorship packet also lists three wagon ride sponsorships and a s'mores sponsorship. That's in addition to sponsorships for the Santa visit and the tree lighting.
The Storefront Stops, by When They Close
The downtown businesses and organizations on the schedule are what keep the day going past 3. Here they are in the order they close, which is also the order the afternoon unfolds:
| Stop | Address | Hours | Free? | What's there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire Arts Center | Wildfire Arts Center | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Crafts free, wreaths extra | Wreath decorating, family crafts, holiday photo op |
| House of Rossi Boutique | 311 Mountain Ave | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Yes | Holiday candy bar inside the boutique |
| Berthoud Community Library | 236 Welch Ave | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Yes | Hot chocolate bar, free kids' books, public restrooms |
| Mat + Motion | 435 3rd St | 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m. | Yes | Ornament decorating |
| Cornerstone Cafe NFOC | 250 Mountain Ave | 2–4 p.m. | Yes | Hot cocoa, cookies, living nativity |
| Marley & Moose | Marley & Moose patio | 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Yes | Santa letters, festive crafts |
| Berthoud Habitat Restore | 157 Mountain Ave | 4–5 p.m. | Yes | Pre-parade hot cocoa to go |
| Rise Artisan Bread | 403 5th St | All day | Yes | Gingerbread photo op |
Four of these stops close at 3 p.m., the same time as the market. After that, three stops are left: Cornerstone Cafe NFOC, Marley & Moose and Berthoud Habitat Restore. Their hours line up almost exactly. Cornerstone's cocoa and living nativity start at 2 and end at 4. Habitat Restore starts its pre-parade cocoa at 4. Marley & Moose's patio stays open until 5, right up to the parade.
Cornerstone is at 250 Mountain Ave and Habitat Restore is at 157 Mountain Ave, so the afternoon stretch stays on the same street the parade uses.
The library on Welch Avenue is worth knowing about for a different reason. Its listing is the only one on the schedule that mentions public restrooms, and it closes at 3. If you're out with kids, plan a stop there before 3, since you'll still have three hours to go before the tree lighting.
How the Afternoon Plays Out
Taken together, the closing times give the day a natural path from the market to Fickel Park:
- 3 p.m. The Market on Massachusetts, the corner activities at 3rd and Massachusetts, the library, Wildfire Arts Center, House of Rossi and Mat + Motion all close. The Recreation Center craft fair closes at the same time.
- 2 to 4 p.m. Cornerstone Cafe NFOC at 250 Mountain Ave serves cocoa and cookies and hosts its living nativity.
- 4 p.m. Santa leaves the Lions Club Depot Building, and SNOWLYMPICS ends in the 3rd Street Parking Lot.
- 4 to 5 p.m. Berthoud Habitat Restore at 157 Mountain Ave hands out hot cocoa to go.
- 5 p.m. The Marley & Moose patio closes, and the Parade of Lights begins on Mountain Avenue.
- 6 p.m. The Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place in Fickel Park.
Rise Artisan Bread's gingerbread photo op at 403 5th Street is listed as all day, so it fits in any open spot. The same goes for the Berthoud Giving Trees, where you can pick up a tag all day at City Star, the library and Hays. Keep in mind that the library closes at 3, so that's the time limit on picking up a tag there.
One More Indoor Option on Mountain Avenue
The Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum at 224 Mountain Ave also has a place in the day. The Berthoud Historical Society says the museum will be open and welcoming visitors throughout the festival, and its listing gives event hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's another stop on Mountain Avenue that stays open past 3, and it's indoors, which helps in December.
The Historical Society Gets Started in November
The Historical Society's holiday events begin weeks before December 5, and the first deadline is Saturday, November 14.
Entries for the Holiday Card Art Contest are due Saturday, November 14, and the winning artwork could become Berthoud's next holiday card. This year's theme is Winter Wonderland. You can bring your artwork and submission form to the Historical Society at 228 Mountain Ave., or enter online through the contest page. The museum has a Winter Wonderland Art Station with forms and folders, so kids can make and submit their entries right there. The contest sponsors are Wildfire Community Arts Center, the Town of Berthoud, Marley & Moose, Berthoud Community Library, The Artisan Shop & Studio and The Friends of the Berthoud Library. Several of those sponsors also host activities on December 5.
On Tuesday, November 17, the Society's fall speaker series features Anne Best Johnson and the Town's Historic Preservation Advisory Committee. They'll talk about historic preservation and updates to the Town's HPAC plan. The free talk runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Recreation Center, 1000 Berthoud Parkway.
On Small Business Saturday, November 28, the Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum at 224 Mountain Avenue is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. That's the same address and the same hours as on festival day, one week earlier.
Main Street's event page is where updates will show up as December 5 gets closer. It also has the business activity signup and parade float registration links.
Mountain Avenue on parade night is one of my favorite settings in Northern Colorado. If you're thinking about selling a home near downtown Berthoud, a listing that shows that kind of streetscape is something I'd love to help you build. Meagan Griesel puts together custom marketing plans for each neighborhood, from the staging to the photo timing, so reach out and we'll plan yours.
