Holiday Recommendations for Denver?
December 18, 2009 4:56 PM   Subscribe

Denver filter: My boyfriend and I will be in the Denver area from Dec 25 - Jan 1st. I would love Holiday/ winter activity recommendations for my boyfriend and I (mid-20s and early 30s) and activity recommendations for us and my parents.

I lived in Denver ex-urbs for many years with my family, but we were never around for Christmas / New Year's.

Your favorite Denver area winter time activities would be swell as well. We live in Seattle. Casa Bonita is already on our list.
posted by soupy to Travel & Transportation around Denver, CO (7 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
If you are the type who likes the lights this time of year, the Denver Botanic Gardens may make a good evening. They set up quite a light display around the holidays. They even have lights in 3-D.
posted by Widepath at 5:44 PM on December 18, 2009




There are 2 fireworks shows downtown on New Years eve.
The zoo is really good and I like going in the winter better because it's much less crowded and many of the animals tend to be more active when it's cool. They also have pretty good Christmas zoo lights at night .
If you like thrift shopping there is a good one called ARC in the same shopping center as Casa Bonita. It's to your right as you exit Casa Bonita.
posted by BoscosMom at 9:28 PM on December 18, 2009


If you have transport, get up to Boulder and walk around Pearl Street Mall.

Casa Bonita is known locally as the tourists' Mexican place and somewhat of a joke. If you want anything approximating Mexican, you'll not want to go there.

Denver Art Museum (with recently added Libeskind wing), Colorado History Museum, and the Denver Public Library's main building are all within walking distance of each other and near Civic Center Park.

The Tattered Cover (in Lower Downtown, East Colfax, and Highlands Ranch) is one of the best independent bookstores in the country.

Go out to Highland Gardens (West 32nd Ave. and Lowell) and walk around; good boutique-y shops (but less pricey than Cherry Creek) and food. St. Kilian's Cheese Shop is worth a trip, as is Julia Blackbirds (New Mexican-style cafe food and excellent). Good for holiday shopping/strolling with parents.

For music, there must be some holiday/New Year's thing at the DCPA (Denver Center for the Performing Arts), and there are usually at least 2-3 performances in town of the Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol.
posted by SmazenySyr at 9:53 PM on December 18, 2009 [1 favorite]


Sorry about the Denver fireworks link, here's a better one
posted by BoscosMom at 10:04 PM on December 18, 2009


Depending on everyone predilections, you could learn to ski at Winter Park.
posted by mmascolino at 6:55 AM on December 19, 2009


There are also lights at the Denver Botanic Gardens.
posted by crunchtopmuffin at 11:25 AM on December 19, 2009


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