Through January 3, The Rink at Belmar is open every day except Christmas Day. On January 4, it switches to its off-season schedule and closes Monday through Thursday for the rest of its run, with one weekday exception on January 19.
This season, three large Belmar spaces are going to tenants that will be open well after the ice comes out. A LoDo arcade bar is moving its biggest location yet into the old Lucky Strike. A Brazilian steakhouse bought its corner outright. A Korean barbecue and hot pot chain has a "coming soon" sign on Bonfils Lane. Those three will shape the Plaza's evenings long after the holiday season ends.
Friday, November 20, Hour by Hour
Belmar's season starts with three events in one evening on the Plaza. Here is how Friday, November 20 lays out:
- 4:00 p.m. The Holiday Shopping Stroll starts at participating businesses and runs until 8:00 p.m.
- 5:00 p.m. The Holiday Tree Lighting begins on the Plaza with Santa photos, craft stations, letters to Santa, horse-and-wagon rides, and food and drink specials.
- 6:00 p.m. The tree is lit, and the rink officially opens for the season.
- 6:00 p.m. onward Public skating starts. On every other weekday in the early season, skating starts at 4:00 p.m., so opening night starts two hours later than the usual Friday.
Since the stroll, the lighting and the first skate all happen on the same Friday, getting all three into one evening comes down to timing. If you plan to shop, start at 4:00. Then be on the Plaza before 6:00 to see the tree lit and get in line for the ice.
The Rink's Calendar Changes Sharply on January 4
The Rink at Belmar is presented by GFiber this year and runs from November 20, 2026, to January 31, 2027. Its hours aren't the same all season.
| Period | Mon–Thu | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 20, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 | 4–9 p.m. | 4–10 p.m. | Noon–10 p.m. | Noon–9 p.m. |
| Jan 4 – Jan 31, 2027 | Closed | 4–10 p.m. | Noon–10 p.m. | Noon–7 p.m. |
A few dates don't follow the table. From November 23 to 26, Thanksgiving week, the rink is open noon to 9:00 p.m. It keeps those same hours over winter break, December 22 through January 2. Christmas Eve hours are noon to 4:00 p.m., and the rink is closed Christmas Day. Belmar also lists noon to 9:00 p.m. hours on January 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the one weekday opening during the off-season stretch. The rink closes for 30 minutes at scheduled times so the ice can be resurfaced. Belmar posts the full schedule on its rink page.
Admission with skate rental is $12 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under. If you bring your own skates, it's $8, and military with ID also pay $8. Seniors 65 and older skate free. Walk-ups are welcome on a first-come, first-served basis if there's room.
So for six weeks, the rink gives the Plaza something to do nearly every night. Then for the last four weeks of January, it mostly covers Friday through Sunday. Belmar's weeknight evenings after that will depend on what opens in the spaces below.
Three Big Spaces Are Betting on Belmar's Nights
| Address | Previous tenant | Incoming | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 415 S. Teller St. | Lucky Strike | The 1up Arcade Bar | "Coming soon," fall 2026 |
| 7111 W. Alaska Dr. | Bar Louie, closed 2025 | Texas de Brazil | Property purchased; no opening date announced |
| 7224 W. Bonfils Ln. | — | KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot | "Coming soon" |
The 1up chose Belmar over downtown
The 1up opened on Blake Street in LoDo in March 2011, and What Now Denver describes it as Colorado's first arcade bar. That original location closed in June 2026 after 15 years. According to What Now Denver, the company cited changing conditions in downtown Denver and rising financial pressure on hospitality businesses.
The new location is moving into the former Lucky Strike at 415 S. Teller St., which Westword also reported. At more than 13,000 square feet, it will be the largest 1up the company has opened. The plans call for its biggest collection yet of arcade games, pinball machines and redemption games, and the company wants to keep some of the underground feel of the LoDo bar.
The 1up's website still lists Belmar as "coming soon" with a fall 2026 target and no exact date. Its Colfax, Greenwood Village and Westminster locations are still open.
Texas de Brazil bought its corner instead of leasing
BusinessDen reported on October 6 that Texas de Brazil paid $3 million for 7111 W. Alaska Drive, according to property records. That's the corner Bar Louie left in 2025. The company explained the purchase in a statement to BusinessDen:
"Purchasing allows us to make a long-term investment in Lakewood while giving us greater control over the property and our future operating costs. It reflects our confidence in the location and our commitment to being part of the community for years to come."
Restaurants usually lease, and a lease can end. By buying the building, Texas de Brazil has tied itself to this corner for the long term. No opening date has been announced.
KPOT is coming to Bonfils Lane
KPOT's location directory lists a Lakewood restaurant at 7224 W. Bonfils Ln., marked "coming soon" with no opening date. Belmar's own directory lists KPOT under the district's general address on West Alaska Drive, so the Bonfils Lane address from KPOT is the one to use for finding the storefront.
An arcade bar, a churrascaria and a tabletop barbecue and hot pot spot are all places people go in the evening. None of them depend on the ice being up.
The Daytime Side Filled In Last Fall
Belmar's daytime additions arrived about a year earlier. The local blog La Vida Belmar wrote about Onto Coffee being open at 7150 W. Alaska Dr. by October 11, 2025, and about MINISO operating on West Alaska Drive by October 12. Both are still listed as current tenants in Belmar's directory.
Local makers have a place at Belmar this season as well. Lakewood Social House is hosting the Winter Shop Edition from November 3 to 22. The Holiday Shop Edition follows there from December 1 at 11:00 a.m. to December 24 at 6:00 p.m. Both are on Belmar's events page.
Lakewood's other retail centers are adding stores too. Nordstrom Rack held its grand opening on October 29 at 14357 W. Colfax Ave. in Denver West Village. The Denver Post reports that the 24,000-square-foot store sells discounted clothing, shoes, beauty products and home décor. That gives you a second holiday shopping stop on the west side, separate from the Plaza.
The City's Calendar Covers the Weeks Around the Plaza
The rink and the incoming tenants are concentrated in a few blocks of Belmar. The City of Lakewood's holiday events list adds events on the weeknights and weekends around them, several just a few minutes away:
- Starting November 6: The Holiday Pop-Up Market opens at Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Pkwy., with artisan goods and free admission. The city's event page says it closes November 23, but its holiday list says December 23, so check before you plan a late-December visit.
- November through January: The Winter Salon at Lakewood Cultural Center shows works priced under $500.
- November 15: A Holiday Woodcarving Workshop at Washington Heights Arts Center. November 23: A Turkey Talk presentation at Bear Creek Lake Park.
- December 3, 5–8 p.m.: Lakewood Lights at Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park, 801 S. Yarrow St. It's free, with a lighting ceremony, music, cocoa, cookies and Santa.
- December 5–6: Rocky Mountain Stocking Stuffers performs at Lakewood Cultural Center.
- December 12, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.: The free Holiday Arts and Pottery Sale at Washington Heights Arts Center, 6375 W. 1st Ave.
- December 16: Canadian Brass at Lakewood Cultural Center. December 21: A guided Winter Solstice night hike at Bear Creek Lake Park.
Lakewood Lights falls on a Thursday, when the rink is open 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. That means you can walk from Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park to the Plaza and fit both into one December evening.
Alex Rice keeps track of what opens, closes and changes hands at Belmar and in Lakewood's other retail centers, from the old Lucky Strike space to the Texas de Brazil corner. If you'd like a read on what this winter's new tenants could mean for the blocks around the Plaza, Alex is glad to talk it through. Start Your Home Journey with a conversation.
