The 2026 First Friday schedule in downtown Louisville runs from March through November, and the last date on the list is Friday, November 6. No December date is on it. The first Friday in December is December 4, and that evening belongs to the Louisville Chamber Parade of Lights.
The month between those two Fridays has a pattern you can trace by address. A tasting room on Empire Road, a trailhead at Kerr Gardens, a Thanksgiving race on Front Street and a senior center on Via Appia Way carry Louisville's events for four weeks. Then everything comes back to Main Street on one Friday night.
November 6 is the last after-hours evening on Main
Downtown Louisville describes First Friday as an evening of shopping, art, food and live music after regular hours. Participating businesses mark their doors with rainbow pinwheels. You can pick up a punch card at any participating stop to enter the First Friday prize drawing, and November 6 is the last chance this year. The November evening runs 5 to 8 p.m.
The 2026 lineup on the Downtown Louisville First Friday page covers shops, a brewery, bars and civic stops:
- Shops: Acme Fine Goods, Colbert Hat Co., Curating Colorado, Eleanor, My Saving Grace, Old Friends, Pink House Co., The Singing Cook and South Street Market
- Food and drink: The Birdie Bar, Crystal Springs Brewing Company, Nora's and Rocky Mountain Tap & Garden
- Civic stops: the Louisville History Museum, the Louisville Public Library and the Louisville Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber's listing for the November evening says the Downtown Business Association leads First Friday. It also offers the Chamber's space at 901 Main Street to member businesses for pop-ups that night. Two names from the November list show up again later in the month, on Thanksgiving morning and at the parade. Those two are Rocky Mountain Tap & Garden and South Street Market.
The next night, the music is on Empire Road
On Saturday, November 7, the live music is at Ironton Distillery & Crafthouse. The distillery's events calendar lists a set at its Louisville location from 5 to 7 p.m.
The distillery closed its Denver tasting room in December 2024 and moved to Louisville. Right now it pours at a pop-up tasting room at 1303 Empire Road while it builds out its permanent home. Pop-up hours are Thursday and Friday 4 to 9 p.m., Saturday 2 to 9 p.m. and Sunday 2 to 7 p.m.
The Denver Gazette reported in November 2024 that the permanent facility at that address will have production and barrel-aging space, a tasting room, a patio and event space. The Gazette gave 2026 as the expected year but no specific date. Ironton's own site still calls the current room a pop-up and lists no opening day for the permanent space. For now, the November 7 show happens in the temporary room.
Sunday morning moves into Open Space
On Sunday, November 8, events move from Empire Road to the trails. From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Historical Museum staff and the City's Ranger Naturalist lead the Louisville During the Great War Walking Tour. It starts at Kerr Gardens, 100 Courtesy Road.
The route goes through Open Space and follows how the war of 1914 to 1918 affected coal, agriculture, mining and people in Boulder County and the Louisville area. Plan on about 2.5 miles with some uphill sections. The City asks walkers to bring water, sunscreen, weather-appropriate layers and comfortable shoes. Pets stay home, though leashed service animals are allowed.
The tour is free, but you have to register through the City of Louisville event page. Registration opens four weeks before the program date. The City calls its programs popular and asks anyone whose plans change to cancel so someone else can take the spot. The walk falls the weekend before Veterans Day, so this is one of the few November dates that looks back at the town's past.
The four weeks, by address
Laid out in order, you can see the events leave Main Street, spread out, and come back.
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 6 | First Friday, last of 2026 | Main Street, Old Town | 5 to 8 p.m. |
| Sat, Nov 7 | Live music at Ironton Distillery | 1303 Empire Road | 5 to 7 p.m. |
| Sun, Nov 8 | Louisville During the Great War Walking Tour | Kerr Gardens, 100 Courtesy Road | 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. |
| Thu, Nov 26 | 13th Annual AdventHealth Avista Louisville Turkey Trot | Front Street, Pine to South | 9 a.m. start |
| Thu, Dec 3 | Tree of Warmth | 900 Via Appia Way | 11 a.m. to noon |
| Fri, Dec 4 | Louisville Chamber Parade of Lights | Main Street, South Street to Parkview | 5 to 8 p.m. |
Eighteen days pass between the Great War walk and Thanksgiving morning with nothing on this list.
Thanksgiving morning runs down Front Street
The 13th Annual AdventHealth Avista Louisville Turkey Trot starts at 9 a.m. on Thursday, November 26. The race begins at Front Street and Pine Street and finishes at South Street and Front Street. Its event address is 951 Spruce Street. The race's own site lists it as a 5K.
The trot started as a free run to collect food and donations for Community Food Share. As it grew, it became a public benefit corporation. Entry fees and food donations still go to Community Food Share, which works to end hunger in Boulder and Broomfield counties. According to the race's registration page, every dollar donated provides $6 worth of groceries. Last year's race raised more than $92,000.
The race keeps costs down by skipping bibs, shirts and chip timing, which leaves more of each entry fee for the food bank. RunSignup listed the early adult price at $22.20, fee included, and $8.95 for ages 14 and under. It said prices go up after 11:59 p.m. on October 30, 2026. Organizers say early pricing comes in at nearly half the race-day rate.
The post-race celebration has music and free drinks from these partners:
- Craft beer: Rocky Mountain Tap & Garden, Gravity Brewing and 4 Noses Brewing Company
- Hard cider: Stem Ciders
- Spirits: Ironton Distillery
- Coffee and hot cocoa: Ziggi's Coffee
Drinks for adults 21 and over require ID and a race entry. Rocky Mountain Tap & Garden, a November 6 First Friday stop, and Ironton, which hosts the November 7 show on Empire Road, meet again at South and Front on Thanksgiving morning.
December 3 and 4 bring it back to Main
The day before the parade, Louisville Senior Services holds its Tree of Warmth from 11 a.m. to noon at 900 Via Appia Way. The Loving Hands Craft group donates warm handmade items to SPAN, and the Singing Seniors provide the music.
Then, on Friday, December 4, Main Street is busy again. The Louisville Chamber Parade of Lights runs from 5 to 8 p.m. along Main Street from South Street to Parkview. South Street Market and Art Major Studio are sponsors. The parade is free to watch and free to enter. Businesses, organizations and teams can apply to join with a lighted float or entry. The Chamber puts 2025 attendance at more than 6,000 people. Its sponsorships include Hot Chocolate and Santa partnerships, which help keep the event free.
If you'd like to help without building a float, the Chamber's Parade of Lights page links to volunteer time blocks. Questions go to [email protected]. South Street Market is on the November 6 First Friday list and also sponsors the December 4 parade, so the month starts and ends with the same shop.
At Kristin Kalush and Valta & Co., we keep track of the small changes in Louisville's calendar, like where the town gathers on a November weekend and who shows up on Thanksgiving morning. If you're wondering how Old Town's year of events affects the value of a home a few blocks from Main Street, start with a free market consultation and we'll walk you through it.
