West 32nd Avenue gets two free holiday markets this year, one at each end, on back-to-back Saturdays. Holiday in the Highlands comes first, on December 5 at the Highlands Square end in the 3700 block. A week later, on December 12, Holiday BAZAAR sets up at 2138 W. 32nd Ave. at the LoHi end. Roughly 1,600 address numbers separate the two sites. Each market draws its own crowd and keeps its own hours, and each is a short walk from a bakery that made news this summer.
On the Highlands Square end, Hearth Patisserie opened in August. On the LoHi end, The Wooden Spoon came close to closing in July and reopened in August under new owners who kept its name. The markets are a week apart, so these two shops line up with two different Saturdays.
| Saturday, Dec. 5 | Saturday, Dec. 12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Event | Holiday in the Highlands | Holiday BAZAAR LoHi |
| Hours | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Address | Santa and wagon rides at Nostalgic Homes, 3737 W. 32nd Ave. | 2138 W. 32nd Ave. |
| Headline draw | Santa from noon to 3 p.m., free photos, horse-drawn wagon rides | Colorado makers, warming stations, s'mores, the Holiday BAZAAR Train |
| Nearby bakery | Hearth Patisserie, 3621 W. 32nd Ave. | The Wooden Spoon, 2418 W. 32nd Ave. |
December 5 starts at the Highlands Square end
Holiday in the Highlands runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 5. Its page describes an annual holiday market with local artisans and makers, holiday gifts, food and drinks, and kids' activities. The West Highland Neighborhood Association lists the same date on its calendar.
Santa's visit and the carriage rides run on a shorter schedule than the market, from noon to 3 p.m. at Nostalgic Homes, 3737 W. 32nd Ave. According to the event page, the visit comes with:
- A free professional photo with Santa, which can include children, dogs, or the whole family
- A horse-drawn wagon ride through Historic Highlands
- Treats along the way
With the market open from 10 a.m. and Santa arriving at noon, families who want both can shop the morning and line up for photos at midday. The market wraps up at 4 p.m.
Hearth Patisserie stays open past the market's close
Hearth Patisserie sits a block east of Nostalgic Homes, at 3621 W. 32nd Ave. It opened with a noon grand opening on August 27, Westword reported. The patisserie sits next to the original Hearth bakery and focuses on French-style afternoon and evening pastries. Pastry chef Kevin McCormick appears in Westword's photo making macarons. Earlier, Westword's 2026 Best of Denver named Hearth its Best Cafe That's Also a Bakery.
The patisserie keeps listed hours of noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. On December 5 it opens when Santa arrives and stays open four hours after the market's 4 p.m. close. A family can finish the wagon ride and still pick up dessert for the evening.
This end of the avenue also lost a restaurant in September. Westword's September openings and closings roundup listed Natuur, at 3712 W. 32nd Ave., among the month's closures.
Sloan's Lake holds a market the same Saturday
Holiday in the Highlands has company on December 5. Holiday BAZAAR runs five free outdoor markets on five Saturdays this season, and its December 5 stop is at Sloan's Lake, 1611 N. Raleigh St., from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Sloan's Lake listing showed 61 makers confirmed.
So two separate holiday markets run within an hour of each other in northwest Denver that day. The Highlands Square event closes at 4 p.m. and the Sloan's Lake market runs until 5, so one Saturday can cover both.
Here is the BAZAAR series in order, according to the organizer's calendar:
- November 14, Cherry Creek, 2 to 7 p.m., on tree-lighting day
- November 28, Belleview Station, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- December 5, Sloan's Lake, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- December 12, LoHi, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- December 19, Littleton, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
RiNo is off the calendar this year. That makes December 12 the only stop in central Denver north of the Cherry Creek opener.
December 12 moves to the LoHi end
The LoHi stop runs Saturday, December 12, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2138 W. 32nd Ave. It is free, and leashed dogs are welcome. The page lists room for up to 80 Colorado makers, and 66 were confirmed as of October 28. Among the names on the lineup:
- Anantara Collection
- Buffalo Squared Designs
- Heliconia Boutique
- Keja Designs Jewelry
- The Link Lounge Jewelry Co.
- Luxe Links Permanent Jewelry
The lineup leans toward jewelry and boutique goods, a different mix from the kids' activities and Santa photos the week before. Like every stop in the series, the LoHi market has warming stations, s'mores, photo ops and the Holiday BAZAAR Train, and it runs rain, snow or shine. The organizer notes that details may change and that updates go out by email first.
The Wooden Spoon is three blocks west, under its old name
From 2138 W. 32nd Ave., The Wooden Spoon at 2418 W. 32nd Ave. is a few blocks west, back toward Highlands Square. This past summer, the bakery nearly closed for good. Westword reported in July that Edible Beats, the group behind Root Down, had bought the 16-year-old shop. The bakery would keep its name, employees, recipes and equipment, with a planned reopening on Wednesday, August 5.
Founders Jason and Jeanette Burgett shared the news in a post that Westword quoted: "we couldn't be more honored that they felt so strongly to keep our little corner of LoHi going." Westword's August roundup later listed the shop among the month's reopenings.
Each market weekend now has a bakery within a few blocks. Hearth Patisserie is the newer of the two and serves the Highlands Square end. The Wooden Spoon has been on the avenue since well before LoHi's restaurant boom and serves the LoHi end.
Two newer LoHi stops for after the market
The LoHi market closes at 5 p.m., and two places that opened at this end of the neighborhood this year made 5280's fall list of the best new places to eat and drink.
Blossom by SYC, at 1691 Central St., opened in LoHi in July. Restaurateur Shuang "Sherry" Crossland launched it through SYC Concepts, the group behind her higher-end projects. 5280 describes a dining room in dusty rose and jade with granite and bronze finishes. The menu centers on small plates such as steamed dumplings, Sichuan-seasoned wagyu tartare and lychee shrimp pearls, with blistered green beans and wagyu chow fun in its "staple food" section.
Ciao Babe opened in June inside Avanti Food & Beverage at 3200 Pecos St. It is Niko Diamantopoulos's counter for Italian sandwiches on schiacciata, a light, airy bread similar to focaccia. 5280's best bets are the Firenze Babe, with mortadella, burrata, pistachio and hot honey, and the Dolce Babe, with prosciutto di Parma, stracciatella, tomato, arugula and balsamic. Cacio e pepe, carbonara and amatriciana fill out the menu.
Both stops are good after a day of shopping on December 12. Blossom's small plates suit a sit-down dinner, and Ciao Babe's counter suits a quick sandwich.
Picking your Saturday
If the household includes kids or a dog who would sit for a Santa photo, December 5 is the day. Santa is at 3737 W. 32nd Ave. from noon to 3 p.m., and Hearth Patisserie is open until 8 p.m. If you're gift shopping for adults, December 12 has the bigger maker list, at 66 confirmed as of late October, with jewelry well represented. That market runs until 5 p.m. at 2138 W. 32nd Ave., with The Wooden Spoon a few blocks west. Both markets are free, and anyone on the avenue both weekends can easily go to both.
If you're sorting out which end of the avenue suits how you spend your weekends, The Denver Group would be glad to talk it through over a pastry from either end. Let's Connect.
