"Our job isn't to reinvent the marketplace, it's to protect it," Magnetic Capital managing partner Dan Huml told The Denver Post the day the firm closed on Stanley Marketplace. In the same interview, the owners named the one part of the property they plan to work on. That's the restored Westerly Creek along the site's western edge.
Ten weeks later, the holiday calendar follows that plan. Inside the old Stanley Aviation building, the season is still built on tenant events: karaoke, bingo, ornament workshops and weekend Santa visits. The new part is outside. A fire pit lounge sits on the West Patio, there are s'mores nights on the new field, and a Christmas tree lot runs through Christmas Eve. Camp Christmas won't be back this year. In 2026 the building's west side does more of the holiday work than it has before.
The Land West of the Building Didn't Exist a Year Ago
Magnetic Capital paid $40.9 million for the 140,000-square-foot market hall and the 20 acres it sits on at 2501 N. Dallas St. The deal closed Aug. 31, 2026. The sellers were Flightline Ventures and Westfield Co., the partnership that opened Stanley in 2016. Those 20 acres matter more this winter than they did in past ones.
The Westerly Creek Improvements cover the stretch from E. Montview Boulevard to 26th Avenue. The City of Aurora lists the project's goals as filling a missing segment of the Westerly Creek regional trail, adding turf and event space, and restoring native habitat. The money came from Aurora, the Mile High Flood District, Adams County's open space sales tax and Stanley Marketplace itself. Front Porch reported that the roughly $14 million project moved an industrial canal about 1,000 feet west and reshaped it as a winding creek. The work also added a filtration pond, native plantings and walking and biking trails.
The open ground came in stages. The first turf areas opened June 19, 2026, after more than a year of construction. A larger outdoor park area followed in August. Work is still going on nearby, including additional parking. That means this is the first holiday season with a finished field next to the building.
Holiday Evenings Now End Outside
Chris Carroll, Magnetic's other managing partner, told Front Porch he wants the creek area used for festivals, arts, recreational sports, farmers markets and activities for all ages. In the same story, he said the holiday plans for the area included outdoor fire pits and "exciting things for kids." He also said Camp Christmas would not return and the Giving Tree campaign would.
Stanley's published Season at Stanley schedule follows that outline closely:
| Outdoor feature | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| Fireside at Stanley, with Cheluna Brewing Co.'s Casita pop-up bar | West Patio | Fridays 4 to 9 p.m., Saturdays 2 to 9 p.m., Sundays noon to 7 p.m., through Jan. 3 |
| Christmas tree lot from Neighborhood Christmas Tree Co. | On site | Nov. 19 through Dec. 24 |
| S'mores in the Field | The field | Dec. 11 from 5 p.m.; Dec. 18 and Dec. 26, 5 to 9 p.m.; also listed Dec. 19 |
Stanley describes Fireside as an "après-style hangout" with cozy chairs, a fire pit and holiday décor. The Casita bar serves cocoa and holiday cocktails. Fireside's weekly hours stay the same through early January, so any weekend visit to the hall can end outside.
Inside, the Calendar Still Belongs to the Tenants
None of this replaces what happens indoors, and the indoor schedule runs on tenant events the way it always has. The Giving Tree runs through Dec. 13, with trees in the Common Area and in Stanley Beer Hall. Its tags support the Denver Housing Authority, Aurora Housing Authority, Vivent Health, Canine Partners of the Rockies and New Legacy. Gifts go back to Bonez 4 Budz by Dec. 13.
Season-long extras include free self-serve gift wrapping stations around the building and decorated storefront windows. There's also The Living Room, a lounge by the fireplace with a photo wall of tenants' own holiday traditions. Kids can follow Stanley Bear's Holiday Scavenger Hunt, which has 10 stops across the first and second floors.
Before Thanksgiving, the events calendar is almost all tenant-hosted:
- Nov. 13: Give the Wheel a Spin at Friend Assembly, and live music from Bunny Blake at Cheluna.
- Nov. 14: Customer Appreciation Day at True., and Birthday Bingo at Create Kitchen & Bar.
- Nov. 18: Comedian Brandt Tobler at Stanley Beer Hall.
- Nov. 20: Clay ornament making at Friend Assembly, Portraits of Purrrfection at Cats Only Vet, an adult fused-glass workshop at Mindcraft, Karli + Toni at Cheluna, and a Raw Groove line-dance lesson.
- Nov. 21: A Day of Dolly, Mercury Cafe on Tour, and Replay Sports Cards' monthly trade night.
- Nov. 23 to 25: Thanksgiving-break mini-camps at Mindcraft and Friend Assembly, plus Pawtery: Paw Print Ornaments on Nov. 24.
- Nov. 25 to 27: Everything But The Turkey with Create, Toughen Before Stuffin' at FLY Kickbox, and Record Store Day: Black Friday at Wax Trax.
Eight Santas, One Building
The outdoor features run all season. The busiest days, though, are the eight weekend days from Nov. 28 to Dec. 20, and each one has a different Santa. Stanley lists the visits as free and walk-up, held late morning, and the events calendar carries each one.
- Sat., Nov. 28: Old St. Nick and Sensory Santa
- Sun., Nov. 29: Vietnamese Santa
- Sat., Dec. 5: Drag Santa
- Sun., Dec. 6: Native American Santa
- Sat., Dec. 12: Santa en Español/Papá Noel
- Sun., Dec. 13: ASL Santa
- Sat., Dec. 19: Black Santa
- Sun., Dec. 20: Old St. Nick
The first Santa day is also Small Business Saturday, which runs 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 28. The schedule has a Bear Drop at 10 a.m. and another at 2 p.m., Yuletide Carolers in the late morning, and Abstract screenprinting from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Casita bar opens at 2 p.m., and Denver Dolls perform from 6 to 8 p.m. That's the one day the indoor and outdoor programs run back to back, with shopping in the morning and Fireside from the afternoon on.
The first December weekend fills in quickly. Holiday Plant Bingo: Santa Edition with Fun with Ferns is on Dec. 2, and Kringle Karaoke runs from 6 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 3. The menorah display is lit for Hanukkah starting the evening of Friday, Dec. 4. On Dec. 5, Santa Paws comes to Stanley Beer Hall with Bonez 4 Budz, and the Denver Gay Men's Carolers perform the same day.
The Week of Dec. 7 Has a Tree Lighting and Three Market Nights
The City of Aurora holds its Holiday Tree Lighting on Tuesday, Dec. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. on the Great Lawn at Aurora Municipal Center, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway. The city lists lights, activities, treats, performances and Santa. The Merry Makers Market runs the same evening from 4 to 8 p.m. inside Aurora Central Library on the same campus.
Three days later, Stanley's After Hours Market fills the whole building from 4 to 10 p.m. on both Dec. 11 and Dec. 12. The first s'mores night on the field starts at 5 p.m. on Dec. 11, during the market's opening night. On Dec. 12, Santa en Español takes the morning, the Chihera Family Band starts at noon, and Holiday Smackdown runs at The Local Drive from 6 to 8 p.m.
The next week has evening events almost every night. ASL Santa visits Dec. 13, which is also the Giving Tree's final day. On Monday, Dec. 14, The Local Drive hosts the free Christmas Covers: A Blackjack Riff-Off from 6 to 9 p.m., presented with Blackjack Beverage. Holiday Plant Bingo returns as a Krampus Edition on Dec. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. Kringle Karaoke repeats on Dec. 17, and s'mores are back on the field Dec. 18 from 5 to 9 p.m.
Dec. 19 is the season's fullest day. Black Santa, Ye Wanton Singers, Mr. and Mrs. Claus and s'mores on the field are all on the schedule, along with Cookies with the Clauses at Friends of Friends. Old St. Nick closes out the Santa lineup on Dec. 20, and Neighborhood Music leads carols and sing-alongs the same day.
After Christmas, the Fire Pits Keep Going
The tree lot's last day is Dec. 24, and Stanley is closed Friday, Dec. 25. Most of the season's events are over by then, but the outdoor features keep running. S'mores on the Field returns Dec. 26 from 5 to 9 p.m., and Kids' Noon Year's Eve starts at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31. Fireside at Stanley stays open on its weekend schedule through Jan. 3, so the West Patio is the last part of the season to close.
Carroll told Front Porch that customer experience is the real test of new ownership, and that includes whether it stays consistent before and after the sale. This year's calendar is close to that description. The hall's tenant programming carries over largely intact, and the evenings move outside to the field by the creek.
At REBL Home Team, we pay attention to places like Stanley and the restored Westerly Creek land because they shape daily life in the surrounding blocks. If you live near Dallas Street and want to know how this year's changes affect what your home is worth, our instant valuation is a good place to start. See your home's value now.
