Steamboat Springs hosts the joyful spirit of the holiday season with Merry Mainstreet 

Eat, Shop and Celebrate in Northwest Colorado’s Winter Wonderland 

 

Forget Candy Cane Lane, cancel your direct flight to the North Pole and no need to save “Whoville” from 

the Grinch. This season, kick-off the holidays right here in Steamboat Springs for the First Annual Merry 

Mainstreet event on the Routt County Courthouse lawn in the heart of Steamboat Springs. In true 

Steamboat fashion, this hometown celebration will be a holiday block party. Lincoln Avenue will be 

closed on Saturday, December 13th from 5-8 p.m. as downtown becomes the place to see neighbors, 

spread holiday cheer and is the center of entertaining events for the entire community. 

 

“America is peppered with small towns, like Steamboat Springs, whose heart and soul are the downtown 

gathering places, shops, cafes, and mainstreet itself,” notes Erica Fogue, owner of Epilogue Book 

Company. “This Merry Mainstreet event was conceived to celebrate and revitalize this tradition and it 

will be a spectacular event for shop owners, local families and our guests alike.” 

 

“We are extremely pleased with the way Steamboat has embraced the idea of this holiday celebration,” 

said Tracy Barnett, Program Manager for Mainstreet Steamboat Springs. “Downtown merchants, 

restaurants and community organizations are all on board to make this first year event a success that 

should continue for years and years to come.” 

 

The heart of the holiday events will be on the lawn of the historic Routt County Courthouse with a special 

visit from Santa Claus. Children will have a photo opportunity on Santa’s lap in the Santa House which is 

a refurbished lift shack donated by the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation. Digital photos will be 

available for free on the Jack FM/KFUM website. Jack FM (local channel 95.5) will also be doing a live 

broadcast on the Courthouse lawn playing holiday tunes to add to the festive atmosphere along with 

carolers and local organizations selling holiday treats. 

 

Along Lincoln Avenue the festivities continue with a few friendly downtown competitions. Many of the 

merchants will have their storefront windows decorated in holiday song theme such as “Winter 

Wonderland” and “Frosty the Snowman.” Participating businesses will vie for a 10-day ski pass provided 

by the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation. Professional gingerbread houses will be on display at 

different locations including Off the Beaten Path, Epilogue Book Company, K. Saari Gallery, Steamboat 

Ski and Sport and The Homesteader. The public will pick the winner of the favorite candy home. Be on 

the look-out for local amateur gingerbread houses that will also be on display in storefronts. 

 

In addition, Merry Mainstreet Presenting Sponsor Edgemont will be holding an iPod drive for local 

elementary schools in support of the “Take Your Teacher Home” program. Saturday’s event is also the 

kickoff for the inaugural “12 Nights of Restaurants” which counts down the days until Christmas with a 

different restaurant featuring a special each night before December 25th. 

 

“The Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association very excited to team up with Mainstreet Steamboat 

Springs on this new hometown event,” says Kara Givnish, Special Events and Sponsorship Director at the 

Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association. “It is great that we, as a community, are coming together 

to celebrate the holidays and support one another.” We look forward to seeing you at Merry Mainstreet!