What do you get when you mix cherished traditions, a few new surprises and an 80-foot blue spruce draped in 4,000 feet of lights? A full day of holiday cheer called A Very Merry Berthoud, the town’s first all-in-one celebration promising plenty of dazzle, a dash of homespun charm and what may be the state’s tallest decorated tree.
“Westminster, Colo., claims to have the tallest living Christmas tree in the state at over 64 feet,” Berthoud Community Engagement Manager Stephanie Horvath said. “With deep respect to Westminster, we would like to humbly announce we just decorated a Colorado blue spruce in Berthoud’s Fickel Park that is 80 feet.”
The festivities begin at 9 a.m. Saturday and stretch into the evening, with events and activities all around town. Horvath said the new event was designed to bring several long-running traditions under one umbrella, creating a single day of celebration that highlights everything residents love about the holidays.
“We’ve done a Parade of Lights for years with one-off little events,” she said. “This is the cohesive holiday glue that brings everyone downtown and gives it a name.”
Familiar favorites include a winter craft fair at the Berthoud Recreation Center and Cowboy Christmas at The Rancher’s Wife, featuring photos with Santa Claus, carolers, an artisan market and a petting zoo.
The fun lasts all day, with ice skating on Third Street, hot cocoa and free books at the library, blacksmithing and carriage rides on Massachusetts Avenue, plus ornament making, cookie decorating, festive cocktails, a living Nativity, a craft bazaar and more — all wrapped in the sparkle of historic downtown Berthoud.
The holiday excitement builds toward dusk, when the streets fill with color and sound for the Parade of Lights, one of Berthoud’s most beloved holiday traditions. Led by Santa’s sleigh, dozens of illuminated floats, local school groups and community organizations will make their way along Mountain Avenue to Fickel Park, where Santa will flip the switch on the newly decorated blue spruce.
“It’s such a beautiful tree,” Horvath said, adding that the 80-foot measurement was confirmed by the town’s forestry department. “It will be really cool visually.”
Westminster officials, meanwhile, aren’t relinquishing the tallest decorated tree title just yet, but they’re taking the competing claim in stride.
“People like to challenge the city of Westminster on this claim, but we stand by it,” said city of Westminster spokesperson Max Wisdom, adding that Kremmling has also tried to claim the crown. “It’s a fun battle.”
For a full schedule and event details, visit berthoud.org/averymerryberthoud.
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