Briargate has two Santas this season, about a mile apart on Briargate Parkway and Briargate Boulevard, and they keep very different hours. At The Promenade Shops at Briargate, Santa and Mrs. Claus visit for free, but only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., starting Nov. 27 and ending Dec. 20. At Chapel Hills Mall, Santa Photos start a week earlier, on Nov. 20, and continue every day through Christmas Eve.
That gap shapes how a family's December plans come together here. Chapel Hills covers a Tuesday after school or the last days before Christmas. The Promenade is a weekend afternoon outing, plus a few weeknight exceptions on its calendar. The busiest Saturday of the season draws on both places and a couple of others nearby.
Two Calendars, Side by Side
The Promenade calls its program Holiday Happenings. Visits are free, families can take photos on their own phones, and hot cocoa, cookies and kids' crafts are offered while supplies last. The center asks visitors to bring a package of new, unused socks for Springs Rescue Mission. The page still lists Santa's spot in the center as "to be announced."
Chapel Hills Mall runs a reservation system. Families book 15-minute time slots, each shared by several families, and can reschedule for free up to 48 hours ahead. Walk-ups are welcome daily until closing. Daily hours vary, so check the mall's booking calendar before you go.
| The Promenade Shops at Briargate | Chapel Hills Mall | |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Nov. 27 to Dec. 20 | Nov. 20 to Dec. 24 |
| Days | Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays | Every day |
| Hours | Noon to 5 p.m. | Varies by day; see booking calendar |
| How it works | Free visit, photos on your own device | Timed booking slots or walk-up |
| Extras | Cocoa, cookies, crafts; sock drive for Springs Rescue Mission | 48-hour free rescheduling on bookings |
For the week of Nov. 20, Chapel Hills has the only Santa of the two. The Promenade's season opens the day after Thanksgiving, which falls on Nov. 26 this year. From Monday, Dec. 21 through Christmas Eve, Chapel Hills is again the only one of Briargate's two Santas still running. For weekday visits in between, the mall is the dependable choice, with the exceptions below.
The Weeknights That Break the Weekend Rule
The Promenade schedules three special Santa events, and two of them fall on Thursdays, outside the regular Friday-to-Sunday window.
- Santa Paws, Thursday, Dec. 10, 5 to 7 p.m. at Pikes Peak Patio, next to Ted's Montana Grill. It is the only Santa event on either calendar built around pets, and it runs into the evening after the regular visiting hours.
- Breakfast with Santa, Saturday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m. to noon at My Neighbor Felix, 1645 Briargate Pkwy., Suite 203. It ends right as the regular noon visits begin.
- Storytime with Santa, Thursday, Dec. 17, 3 to 5 p.m. at Arhaus, 1925 Briargate Pkwy., Suite 627. The time fits a school-pickup afternoon a week before the holiday.
The Promenade also has two Friday choir performances. The Pine Creek High School Holiday Choir sings Friday, Dec. 4, from 4 to 5 p.m., during Santa's regular Friday hours. The Skyview Middle School Holiday Choir follows on Friday, Dec. 11, from 1 to 2 p.m. For a family with a student in either choir, those Fridays work as a concert, a Santa visit and an early dinner in one trip.
The Saturdays, Ranked by How Much Is Happening
The Promenade spreads its roaming entertainment unevenly. Face painting runs from noon to 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27 and on Saturdays, Dec. 5, 12 and 19. A holiday stilt walker appears from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 28, Dec. 5, Dec. 13 and Dec. 19. Mistletoe Carolers sing from 1 to 3 p.m. on Nov. 28 and Dec. 19. Anna and Elsa make appearances from 1 to 3 p.m. on Dec. 12 and Dec. 20.
Lay those dates on top of each other and Saturday, Dec. 19 has the most going on. Face painting, the stilt walker and the carolers all overlap in the early afternoon, and it is the last Saturday with Santa at the Promenade. Saturday, Dec. 12 makes a longer day of it, with breakfast at My Neighbor Felix, Santa from noon, face painting and the Anna and Elsa visit. The Sunday performances, the stilt walker on Dec. 13 and the princesses on Dec. 20, suit families who keep Saturdays for errands.
Dec. 5 Is the Day Briargate's Calendars Overlap
Saturday, Dec. 5 is the one day when the Promenade's busy afternoon lines up with two separate events nearby. It plays out roughly like this:
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The CFAM Holiday Market at The Margarita at Pine Creek, 7350 Pine Creek Road, with local artisans, bakers, treats and Santa.
- Noon to 2:30 p.m. At the Promenade, Santa's visiting hours begin, face painting runs until 2 p.m., and the stilt walker is out from 12:30.
- 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. "Season of Joy – A Christmas Concert" at Sunrise United Methodist Church, 2655 Briargate Blvd., with the America the Beautiful Chorus featuring Velvet Hill Chorus. The concert appears in The Gazette's holiday events roundup, which lists the ticket details.
There are two ways to spend the day. Families with small children can do the market in the morning, then Santa and face painting, and stop there. Others can do the market and the Promenade, then go to the 7 p.m. concert after dinner. The 2 p.m. show overlaps with the Promenade's busiest stretch, so choosing it means skipping some of the afternoon there.
Two New Stops Since Last Christmas
The Promenade has two new tenants this season that weren't there last December. Both opened within a few days of each other at the end of October.
Mendocino Farms is a California-based sandwich and salad restaurant. Its Briargate store, at 1765 Briargate Pkwy., Suite 807, is the chain's first in Colorado Springs, and it opened Oct. 27 with daily hours of 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to FOX21 and The Gazette. Because it stays open until 9, it's a convenient dinner stop after the Santa Paws evening on Dec. 10 or before the 7 p.m. concert on Dec. 5.
L.L.Bean opened Friday, Oct. 30 at 1925 Briargate Pkwy., Suite 611, its first store in Colorado Springs and second in Colorado. The Gazette reported hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. It's in the same 1925 Briargate Pkwy. address range as Arhaus, where Storytime with Santa takes place on Dec. 17, so the two fit easily into one afternoon.
When Santa Leaves the Promenade
After Sunday, Dec. 20, the Promenade's program winds down with one last event. The Holiday Trombone Choir plays Wednesday, Dec. 23, from noon to 2 p.m. From Dec. 21 on, families who still need a Santa photo can go to Chapel Hills, which runs through Dec. 24 and takes both timed bookings and walk-ups.
For an evening outing after the Promenade's 5 p.m. close, Forest Bend Farm at 9525 Burgess Road in Black Forest runs a holiday hayride through lights, with hot drinks, crafts and children's activities. This year it adds Sparkle Steps and a new illuminated hayride-tractor pavilion. Its 2026 dates are Nov. 27 and 28; Dec. 4 through 6; Dec. 11 through 13; Dec. 17 through 23; and Dec. 26.
If you're planning December around a move, or around hosting family in a home you're thinking of listing in the new year, Jeanne Guischard and The Elite Team know Briargate's calendar as well as its streets. Schedule Your Free Market Consultation, and we'll help you plan your timing around the season.
