On the night of Dec. 4, Goldenites will gather at the top of the hill on 15th Street and Washington Avenue to meet up with old friends, and make new friends.

At 6:30 p.m., with candles or red and green glowsticks in hand, they will walk down the hill.

When they reach the bottom of the hill, they will count down to prompt Santa to turn on the lights…

“…and the city of Golden becomes magical,” said Carol Ann Bowles with the Golden Visitors Center.

The Olde Golden Christmas Candlelight Walk is tradition, Bowles said. “It kicks off the holidays here in Golden.”

This is the 24th consecutive year the walk has taken place. And this year, a little extra magic has been added.

The Golden History Museums is adding a new dimension by lighting up Clear Creek History Park, located at 11th and Arapahoe streets, for the first time.

The history museums has wanted to light up the park for a while now, said the museums’ director Nathan Richie. This year it is happening partly because of a grant that allowed the organization to have electricity throughout the park.

The trees will be lit, and all the buildings, inside and out, Richie said. Plus, he added, from 6-8 p.m., people will be able to watch live blacksmithing, participate in song and enjoy warm cider served by the Golden Lion’s Club and roasted chestnuts from the Kiwanis Club of Golden.

“There’s more to the walk than just the walk,” Richie said. He encourages everyone to “float around Golden.”

“Be sure to see it all,” he said.

The history park, along with the trees along Washington Street and Clear Creek, will be lit up from dusk to midnight, from Dec. 3 through Jan. 25.

People can kick off the annual celebration at the Holiday Art Market at the Foothills Art Center, 809 15th St. Santa Claus will be there for photos, 4:30-6 p.m.

From 5:30-8 p.m., the Golden Library, 1019 10th St., will offer live entertainment, holiday refreshments and a used book sale. Shoppers can continue holiday gift shopping at The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, 1213 Washington Avenue, between 6-8 p.m. where there will be a 20 percent off sale.

People will also have opportunities for free, live entertainment at various locations throughout the evening. From 6-8 p.m., Destination Dance will perform to holiday music in the creekside amphitheater behind the Golden Visitors Center, 1010 Washington Avenue. Baby Doe’s Clothing, 1116 Washington Avenue, will have live music by the band FatFingers, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Golden History Center, 923 10th St., is inviting people to make an ornament to hang on the museum’s Christmas tree beginning at 6 p.m. Heather Klenske’s students will perform on a historic piano 7-8 p.m.

And to cap off the evening, there will be a fireworks display.

“Only in Golden,” Bowles said, “you get holiday fireworks.”

The celebration reminds Bowles of a Norman Rockwell painting. It’s wonderful, she said, to see everybody enjoying the holidays together as a community.

“It’s magical,” she said.