Early spring in The Mile High City brings with it an abundance of things to see and do. From blockbuster exhibitions to world-tour concerts to international sporting events and more, the events in Denver amplify the excitement of the new season.  

The U.S. debut exhibition of Dior: From Paris to the World has been extended to March 17 at Denver Art Museum, allowing visitors one last chance to see the wildly popular show in Denver before it travels. International athletes will descend upon Denver for several events throughout the season; in a pre-World Cup women’s soccer match, the U.S. Women’s National Team will play Australia before they head to France. Additionally, there are several exciting festivals and events coming up, including cultural displays, unique beer festivals and live performances that keep the energy of Denver thriving.

Below are just a few examples of the experiences taking place in Denver over the next few months. For a complete event calendar, and hotel deals, please go to the VISIT DENVER website.

 

Blockbuster Exhibitions

Dior: From Paris to the World (extended through March 17)  

Denver Art Museum is hosting the U.S. debut of the renowned exhibition, Dior: From Paris to the World. Surveying more than 70 years of the House of Dior’s legacy and influence, the exhibit features a selection of 150 haute couture dresses, accessories, photos, original sketches, and archival material. Curated by Denver Art Museum’s Florence Müller, it traces the history of the iconic haute couture fashion house, its founder – Christian Dior – and the subsequent artistic directors who carried Dior's vision into the 21st century.

Aftereffect: Georgia O’Keeffe and Contemporary Painting (through May 26)

Aftereffect: Georgia O'Keeffe and Contemporary Painting, an exhibition at Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (MCA) that brings together a select group of artists whose work resonates with that of Georgia O'Keeffe, is currently on display. From her formal innovations, to her ambition to transcribe her ideas and emotions, to her distinctive approach to abstraction and the landscape of New Mexico, O'Keeffe's legacy is identifiable in the work of several generations of painters.

Jordan Casteel: Returning the Gaze (through August 18)

Jordan Casteel: Returning the Gaze at Denver Art Museum features nearly 30 paintings by Denver-born artist Jordan Casteel, who is now based in Harlem, New York. This presentation represents Casteel’s first major museum exhibition, and provides audiences with a first look at new work by one of the most acclaimed emerging artists working today. The exhibition brings together a body of work made from 2014 to 2018, with new paintings that reveal Casteel’s evolving practice and a shift in subject matter ranging from cityscapes and subway scenes to women and local business owners.

Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius (through– August 25)

Although Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519, his influence has endured. His extraordinary legacy as an inventor, artist, scientist, anatomist, engineer, architect, sculptor and philosopher comes to life at Denver Museum of Nature & Science in Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius, the most comprehensive exhibition about da Vinci ever presented. Dozens of replicas of da Vinci’s machine inventions, built using his detailed codices, reveal how his fundamental scientific and artistic principles continue to impact the world today. In addition, the exhibition will feature the fascinating Secrets of the Mona Lisa exhibit, with super-magnified visual examinations and the only 360-degree replica ever made of the iconic painting.  

Our Senses: Creating Your Reality (April 12 – August 4)

The senses get the scientific spotlight in Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Our Senses: Creating Your Reality, an exhibition for the whole family that playfully reveals how and why what we perceive is not all, or exactly, what’s actually going on around us. In a series of interactive galleries, visitors will enjoy some "sensory overload" as they play with color, patterns, sound, scents and touch. Discover how there is so much more to our senses than just the usual five. 

Human | Nature: Figures from the Craig Ponzio Sculpture Collection (April 19 – September 15)

Human | Nature: Figures from the Craig Ponzio Sculpture Collection at Denver Botanic Gardens will present sculptures that explore the human form in both classical and abstract styles, from the early 20th century to today. Featured artists hail from around the world and include Eric Fischl, Jacques Lipchitz, Sassona Norton, Beverly Pepper, Auguste Rodin and Manolo Valdés.From sculpture to selfies to dance, the power of the human figure conveys and conjures a range of emotions. Human | Nature shares the expressive capacity of the human form against the backdrop of the Gardens’ lush botanical environments.

 

Signature Events

Winter Park Express Ski Train (through March 31)  

In January 2019, the Winter Park Express Ski Train by Amtrak has returned for its third year of service. The train allows people to hit the slopes during the day and return to Denver to spend their aprés ski exploring The Mile High City’s award-winning, chef-driven cuisine, more than 70 local craft breweries, unique live music venues and 10,000 hotel rooms. New this year, Amtrak has added a bi-level Superliner® Sightseer Lounge Car with windows that start at the floor level and wrap into the ceiling of the railcar; service also includes food and beverages for the first time. Additionally, Amtrak has increased the round-trip service to include the first two Fridays of each month.

Collaboration Fest (March 16) – Known as America’s most creative beer festival, Collaboration Fest features brews that are a result of collaborations between two or more breweries from around Colorado, the country and the world. These individual collaborations mean that every beer tapped will be exclusive to the festival, and every beer has a unique story. This year, the festival will be at the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center.

Denver March Powwow (March 22-24) – One of the largest events of its kind in the country, the Denver March Powwow at the Denver Coliseum is an American Indian Festival that features more than 1,600 dancers from nearly 100 tribes, representing 38 states and three Canadian provinces. Each session of the three-day event begins with the Grand Entry, a colorful spectacle featuring traditional song and dance. Throughout the weekend, there are traditional drum and dance groups, storytellers and more than 170 tribal craft booths.

U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Australia (April 4)

US Soccer’s Women’s National Team will take on Australia at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for a match before they head to France to participate in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Colorado Rockies Home Opener (April 5)

Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies will square off against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Rockies’ first home game of the season. The home opener has become a citywide celebration, with fans from near and far heading to Coors Field to cheer on the home team decked out in Rockies purple, celebrations at bars and restaurants around the city and festivities all day long.

Monster Energy AMA Supercross (April 13)

Experience the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship in the world. Monster Energy AMA Supercross, a FIM World Championship, is comprised of 17 heart-stopping races in North America's premier venues – including a stop at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. Every week, the greatest athletes from across the globe seek to outperform each other on the sport's most challenging tracks as they accumulate points leading up to the world championship. Featuring tight corners, fast straightaways, challenging rhythm sections, triple jumps and whoops sections, these tracks pack excitement into every inch of dirt.

 

Performing Arts

Hello, Dolly! (March 27 – April 7)

Tony Award-winning Broadway legend Betty Buckley stars in Hello, Dolly! – the universally acclaimed smash that NPR calls “the best show of the year!” Winner of four Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, this new production at Buell Theatre pays tribute to the original work of legendary director/choreographer Gower Champion – hailed both then and now as one of the greatest stagings in musical theater history.

P!NK Beautiful Trauma World Tour (April 1)

Superstar pop singer, P!NK, will bring her Beautiful Trauma World Tour to Denver’s Pepsi Center. The spectacle, dancing, lights and, of course, her music, all combine to create a live experience like no other.

Hozier Wasteland, Baby! Tour (April 5)

International sensation Hozier will stop at the Bellco Theatre on his Wasteland, Baby! Tour, performing songs from his upcoming album of the same title, which will be released March 1.

Cats (April 24-28)

Cats, the record-breaking musical spectacular by Andrew Lloyd Webber that has captivated audiences in more than 30 countries and 15 languages, will stop at Denver’s Buell Theatre on its North American tour. Audiences are rediscovering this beloved show, with its breathtaking music, including one of the most treasured songs in musical theater— Memory. Winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Cats tells the story of one magical night when an extraordinary tribe of cats gathers for its annual ball to rejoice and decide which cat will be reborn. The original score by Andrew Lloyd Webber (PhantomSchool of RockSunset Boulevard), original scenic and costume design by John Napier (Les Misérables), all-new lighting design by Natasha Katz (Aladdin), all-new sound design by Mick Potter, new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton) based on the original choreography by Gillian Lynne (Phantom) and direction by Trevor Nunn (Les Misérables) make this production a new Cats for a new generation.

Xanadu (through April 28)

Xanadu, performed at the Garner Galleria Theatre & Bar, follows the journey of a magical Greek muse, Kira, who descends from Mount Olympus to Venice Beach, California in 1980 on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time – the first roller disco.