Christmas Weekend Events in Denver
The Mile High City will put you in a festive mood. Explore these holiday events for new ways to celebrate Christmas with your friends and family.
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We strive to post the most current and accurate event information, but changes and cancellations do occur, so please check the official event website to confirm all details before attending.​
Featured Events
Cherry Creek North Winter Wanderland
WHEN: Nov. 16–Dec. 24, 2024
WHERE: Cherry Creek North
Winter Wanderland displays a collection of free holiday offerings and festivities throughout the neighborhood! Festivities include a dazzling display of nearly one million twinkling lights on more than 600 trees spread throughout the walkable neighborhood and Giving Machines — vending machines that don't dispense snacks or drinks, but instead offer the chance to make a positive impact! Throughout the holiday season, enjoy The Million Light Plug-In (Nov. 21), Small Business Weekend (Nov. 29–Dec. 1), Saturday Night Lights (Dec. 7, 14, & 21) with complimentary holiday treats and festive entertainment, a Chanukah celebration (Dec. 29), and the Cherry Creek North Holiday Market (Nov. 16–Dec. 24), where you can browse gifts from more than 40 local makers, designers and creators.
Blossoms of Light
WHEN: Nov. 20, 2024–Jan. 12, 2025
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens
Consistently lauded as one of the top holiday light shows in the nation, Blossoms of Light is a spectacular celebration that illuminates Denver Botanic Gardens' York Street location. Wander a mile-long path through immersive, luminous displays that accentuate and highlight our plant collections. A cherished holiday tradition for nearly four decades, Blossoms of Light is constantly evolving to inspire wonder and delight in even the most seasoned visitors.
Mile High Drone Show
WHEN: Nov. 22–Dec. 31, 2024
WHERE: Downtown
For 40 magical nights, 400 drones will soar into the sky, creating breathtaking holiday-themed animations. See these dazzling displays from across the city every night at 7 p.m. for free. From Santa and his reindeer to iconic Denver landmarks like the Mile High Tree and Denver Union Station, each night will bring a new visual experience to life.
The Mile High Tree presented by Xcel Energy & Xfinity
WHEN: Nov. 22–Dec. 31, 2024
WHERE: Civic Center Park
Join in the free festivities at the Mile High Tree. It’s a brilliantly lit, 110-foot-tall immersive art installation that provides a dazzling lights-and-music show. You can experience two of Denver's most popular holiday attractions in one place: America’s tallest digital tree and the Denver Christkindlmarket, the city’s only authentic German holiday market.
Zoo Lights
WHEN: Nov. 23, 2024–Jan. 5, 2025 (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas)
WHERE: Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance
It's official: Zoo Lights has been making magic, memories, and even marriages for 30 amazing years! Presented by Your Hometown Toyota Stores, this illuminating annual event transforms Denver Zoo into Colorado's WILDEST winter wonderland. Don't miss this year's historic celebration, with more than a million lights sparkling over 80 acres—plus a host of special measures to keep your family safe and healthy.
Trail of Lights
WHEN: Nov. 29, 2024–Jan. 1, 2025
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms, Littleton
Trail of Lights at Chatfield Farms takes you along a winding path glistening with lights that illuminate the Colorado countryside. Tucked into the foothills under the dark sky, the glow of lights can be seen for miles. Just under a mile of walking trail, the illumination of cottonwoods, boxelders and pine trees line the pathway through the Green Farm, Crossroads, Deer Creek Discovery Children's Play Area and 1880s Hildebrand Ranch homestead. There is also the option of a shorter path for those who want to take a shorter stroll. In line with the core value of sustainability, all lights used in the event are LED.
Luminova Holidays
WHEN: Nov. 29–Dec. 31, 2024
WHERE: Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park
This family-friendly event brings larger-than-life holiday displays and immersive experiences for all to enjoy. It features millions of dazzling lights, a 65-foot-tall Christmas tree, twinkling snowmen who never melt, a 300-foot-long candy cane tunnel, giant presents and ornaments, a wall of lights, rides on Elitch Gardens attractions, interactive activities like a light-up hopscotch, strolling holiday entertainers, Old Saint Nick and his elves, and more.
Candlelight Nights
WHEN: Nov. 30–Dec. 31, 2024
WHERE: City of Golden
Golden’s beloved Candlelight Nights returns with quaint holiday shops and festive decorations along historic Washington Avenue and thousands of twinkling lights lining the banks of Clear Creek. The annual Candlelight Walk occurs on Dec. 6, featuring revelers strolling Washington Avenue holding candles and singing carols. Golden’s Holiday Parade returns on Dec. 14, with marching bands, floats, horses, Victorian carolers, elves, fire trucks and, of course, Santa. Come back for a magical day in Golden meeting and mingling with family favorite holiday characters along Washington Avenue on December 21, during the Jingle On the Avenue.
Zoo Lights
WHEN: TBA 2024
WHERE: Denver Zoo
It's official: Zoo Lights has been making magic, memories and even marriages for more than 30 amazing years! This illuminating annual event transforms Denver Zoo into Colorado's WILDEST winter wonderland. Don't miss this year's historic celebration, with more than a million lights sparkling over 60 acres — animated animal sculptures, Santa and Mrs. Claus visits, animal encounters, exciting entertainment and treats for kids of all ages.
Blockbuster Exhibitions
Weaving a Foundation: Cornerstones of the Textile Arts Collection
WHEN: Thru Dec. 31, 2024
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
This new exhibition features 60 objects from the museum’s permanent collection, two-thirds of which have never been shown. Throughout the museum’s history, textile arts have played a fundamental role in the development of its collecting philosophies and exhibition programs. The first textile entered the museum almost 100 years ago, and since that time, textile arts have been regular additions to the collection.
By Design: Stories and Ideas Behind Objects
WHEN: Thru Jan. 1, 2025
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Design is all around us. Whether it takes the form of objects and spaces, images and interactions, or systems and processes, design shapes our lives in fundamental ways. But what shapes design? A series of thematic installations drawn primarily from the architecture and design collection, By Design: Stories and Ideas Behind Objects illustrates the abundance and versatility of approaches to design.
The Power of Poison
WHEN: Thru Jan. 5, 2025
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Explore the captivating and often paradoxical world of nature’s toxic arsenal in The Power of Poison. Encounter the many plants and animals living deep in the Colombian forest that use poison as a vital tool for defense and survival. With live performances and interactive dioramas, dive deep into familiar tales of illness, enchantment and death by poison. Find out how studying poison’s effects on human cells can help scientists figure out how to protect, repair and heal our own bodies and improve our health. Whether used as a defense against predators, a source of magical strength or a lifesaving medical treatment, The Power of Poison is sure to surprise you at every turn!
More Holiday Fun
The Polar ExpressTM Train Ride
WHEN: Nov. 8–10; 15–17; 22–26; daily Nov. 29–Dec. 23, 2024 (performances at 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
WHERE: Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden
The story of The Polar ExpressTM is theatrically re-created and combined with a magical train ride at the Colorado Railroad Museum. Children get to meet Santa and experience all the sights and sounds of this classic tale as if happening all around them. This year, a whole host of carefully crafted updates have been made to ensure the health and safety of guests, cast and crew, so put on your pajamas and your most fashionable mask and bring the family to enjoy sharing hot cocoa and cookies together as the "Hot, Hot, Hot—Chocolate" song and dance unfolds before your eyes.
Cherry Creek Holiday Market
WHEN: Nov. 21–Dec. 24, 2024
WHERE: Cherry Creek North
The Cherry Creek North Holiday Market at Fillmore Plaza features more than 50 local artisan vendors, live music, and festive drinks and decor. The market is free, open to the public and family- and dog-friendly.
Denver Christkindlmarket
WHEN: Nov. 22–Dec. 23, 2024
WHERE: Civic Center Park
This outdoor event brings the most beloved elements of an authentic German holiday experience to The Mile High City. Stroll through a European village decorated for the holiday season as you shop for finely crafted artisan gifts and treats at charming wooden huts. Fuel your shopping with authentic Glühwein (mulled spiced wine), German Biers and hot chocolate, and nosh on Bavarian-style pretzels, fresh smoked salmon, Knödel, Goulasch, Nürnberger Sausages, pastries, caramels and European chocolates.
Las Posadas
WHEN: TBA 2024
WHERE: The Fort Restaurant/Tesoro Cultural Center
Celebrated in Mexico and throughout the United States from Dec. 16 to 24, the Las Posadas celebration commemorates Mary and Joseph's journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of shelter on the night of baby Jesus' birth. The Tesoro Cultural Center partners with The Fraternas to present this traditional event. Enjoy Mexican hot chocolate, hot cider and traditional biscochitos.
Santa's Flight Academy
WHEN: TBA 2024
WHERE: Cherry Creek Shopping Center
Your little ones can step inside a 22-foot-tall sleigh and experience the magical snowfall. They can also have their photos taken with Santa. Reservations are recommended.
'Camp Christmas'
WHEN: TBA 2024
WHERE: Stanley Marketplace
Welcome back to Colorado’s campiest, quirkiest holiday tradition! Make merry and immerse yourself in a 15,000-square-foot, 360-degree kaleidoscope of yuletide cheer. It’s fun, it’s fleeting and just the right amount of camp; it’s everything you love about the holidays wrapped into one sparkling experience. Leave your worries behind, discover your holiday superpower, visit Santa, and sample craft cocktails from the Base Camp and Fairy Bars. Wander through a surreal mashup of nostalgic scenes, scratch your head at playful pun trees, and, most importantly, reconnect with the joy of the season.
Downtown Denver Rink
WHEN: TBA 2024
WHERE: Skyline Park
Bundle up for some free ice skating in the heart of downtown and enjoy special events. Skate rentals for adults are $11 and $9 for kids 12 and under. Bring your own pair and skate for free! If you need a skatewalker for assistance, you can also rent one $5.
Hudson Holidays
WHEN: TBA 2024
WHERE: Hudson Gardens & Events Center
You'll be enchanted by even more towering trees draped in thousands of colorful lights. A grove of dancing Christmas trees, a multi-colored forest inhabited by giant snowmen, the holiday light tunnel and glowing reindeer will light up Hudson Gardens into an extravaganza of holiday cheer. Purchase a delicious cup of hot cocoa or adult beverage before stopping by for a perfect free family photo opportunity with Santa.
Bridge of Lights
WHEN: TBA 2024
WHERE: Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, Cañon City
In an experience sure to become a time-honored Christmas tradition, you're invited to drive across the Royal Gorge Bridge, 1,000 feet above the Arkansas River, while it's decked out in thousands of holiday lights. Driving across the Royal Gorge Bridge is not regularly offered outside of pre-arranged car club groups, so this is truly something special! Guests can purchase hot cocoa, coffee or cider in a Bridge of Lights souvenir cup and holiday cookies to enjoy while driving through the light display. Hours: 5:30 p.m.–9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
McGregor Skate
WHEN: TBA 2024
WHERE: McGregor Square plaza
The magic of winter has made its way to LoDo with McGregor Skate, an ice skating rink for all ages. Skates are available to rent at an on-site skate shop. Enjoy hot beverages from the upcoming holiday pop-up bar: Sleigh Bar at Milepost Zero. Note: The rink is closed on Dec. 24 and 25 and closes early at 4 p.m. on Dec. 31 for The Drop New Year's Eve event. There are special themed dates on Fridays from 6–8 p.m. with a live DJ.
Snow Days
WHEN: TBA 2024
WHERE: Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
Spend your day gliding around the rink, sledding on REAL snow, warming up by a toasty fire and much, much more.
Music Film & Performing Arts
'Elephant & Piggie’s "We Are in a Play!"'
WHEN: Oct. 18–Dec. 22, 2024
WHERE: Weeks Conservatory Theatre
Get ready for a fun-filled musical experience, leaping from the pages of Mo Willems’ award-winning, best-selling children’s books that will leave audiences doing the “Flippy Floppy Floory” dance all night long! Watch as Gerald and Piggie take to the stage in a rollicking adventure that’s jam-packed with new toys, ice cream, trumpets, parties and wild-and-wacky costumes!
'MONOPOLY LIFESIZED: Travel Edtion'
WHEN: Oct. 22, 2024–Jan. 5, 2025
WHERE: DCPA Off-Center at Broadway Park®
Rally your loved ones, your plus ones, and your very best ones. It’s game time, Denver! Direct from one of London’s most popular attractions, comes the highly anticipated international tour debut of "MONOPOLY LIFESIZED: Travel Edition" at a brand-new location: DCPA Off-Center at Broadway Park®! In this exhilarating, 60-minute experience, you will be guided by your very own personified MONOPOLY token as you and your team solve escape room-style challenges on a giant MONOPOLY board for a chance to buy property, charge rent and break out of jail.
'Gutenberg! The Musical!'
WHEN: Nov. 2, 2024–May 4, 2025
WHERE: Garner Galleria Theatre
In this two-person musical spoof, a pair of aspiring playwrights perform a backers’ audition for their new, ill-advised project: a big, splashy musical about printing press inventor Johann Gutenberg. With an unending supply of enthusiasm, Bud and Doug sing all the songs and play all the parts in their crass historical epic, with the hope that one of the producers in attendance will give them that elusive Broadway contract.
'A Christmas Carol'
WHEN: Nov. 22–Dec. 29, 2024
WHERE: Wolf Theatre
Celebrate 30 years of "A Christmas Carol" at the Denver Center! Essential to the holiday season in Denver, "A Christmas Carol" is a joyous and opulent musical adaptation for the whole family that traces money-hoarding curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge’s triumphant overnight journey to redemption. Based on Charles Dickens’ classic novel, the DCPA Theatre Company’s production is “a splendidly festive tradition” (BroadwayWorld) that illuminates the meaning of the holiday season in a way that has resonated for generations.
'Once Upon A Mattress'
WHEN: Nov. 22–Dec. 29, 2024
WHERE: Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities, Arvada
Prince Dauntless’s outspoken Queen mother and mute King father decree that no one in the kingdom may marry until their son finds someone sensitive enough to be a true princess. Will goofy, awkward Winnifred the Woebegone from the swamp finally be the one to pass the seemingly impossible test? In this laugh-out-loud musical version of "The Princess and the Pea," "Once Upon a Mattress" redefines what it takes to be a princess. Perfect for the whole family, this hilarious tale zany enough to launch the Broadway career of Carol Burnett celebrates the uniqueness in all of us.
'Blue Whales: Return of the Giants 3D'
WHEN: Thru March 3, 2025
WHERE: Infinity Theater
Take part in a breathtaking journey with “Blue Whales: Return of the Giants 3D.” In this giant screen film narrated by English actor Andy Serkis, you will explore the world of the magnificent blue whale, a species rebounding from the brink of extinction. Following two scientific expeditions — one to find a missing population of blue whales off the exotic Seychelles Islands, the other to chronicle whale families in Mexico’s stunning Gulf of California — this inspirational story transforms our understanding of the largest animal ever to have lived.
'Cities of the Future'
WHEN: Thru March 3, 2025
WHERE: Infinity Theater
“Cities of the Future” invites you to step into an exciting new world of innovation and exploration to address the challenges of a rapidly changing planet. Discover the thrilling technological breakthroughs — electric autonomous vehicles and aerial highways, solar energy beamed down from space to power entire cities and smart buildings and greener infrastructure to keep us cool — that engineers are working on right now and meet a team of middle school students competing in the Future City Competition. Narrated by actor John Krasinski, this film will energize kids and adults of all ages to think about engineering as a meaningful way to help others and leave a positive mark on the world.
Museum & Gallery Exhibitions
Lumonics Immersed
WHEN: Thru Dec. 28, 2024
WHERE: Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery
“Entering a performance at Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery is like stepping through a looking glass and into a sci-fi wonderland. The gallery’s Lumonics Immersed installation was originally created by the late Dorothy and Mel Tanner, pioneering light artists whose singular style fuses elements of light, music and sculptures to produce captivating experiences for the audience.” – Denver Westword
Museum of Illusions
WHEN: Thru Dec. 31, 2024
WHERE: Museum of Illusions
Discover a brilliant collection of perspective-changing rooms, enthralling installations, and spellbinding images. The mesmerizing exhibits will teach you that nothing is ever quite as it seems, especially in the Museum of Illusions Denver.
Danielle SeeWalker: But We Have Something to Say
WHEN: Thru Dec. 31, 2024
WHERE: History Colorado Center
Danielle SeeWalker is a Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta citizen from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She is an artist, writer, activist and boy mom of two, based in Denver. This exhibition uses storytelling to explore a variety of issues important to Indigenous peoples and communities. Striking nineteenth-century hair ornaments, beaded spoons and moccasins are paired with SeeWalker’s art in ways that illuminate censored and erased histories.
Dialogue and Defiance: Clyfford Still and the Abstract Expressionists
WHEN: Thru Jan. 12, 2025
WHERE: Clyfford Still Museum
Clyfford Still withdrew his paintings from the Betty Parsons Gallery in 1951, refusing to participate in a market prioritizing the fame of an artist and the price of their artworks. The following year, he surprised many by agreeing to participate in a group show at the Museum of Modern Art. His rationale for doing so was because the curator, Dorothy Miller, agreed to show Still’s works together in their own gallery. As Still saw it, his work could be viewed on its own terms and not in direct comparison to other artists—but visitors could still see the scope of American painting in the mid-century. Even with his turn away from the art world, Still saw himself participating in something larger and remained in dialogue with his contemporaries. This exhibition considers the nuanced ways in which Clyfford Still was part of an artists’ community in the late 1940s and early 1950s, despite his protestations to the contrary, and how his paintings, through their scale and composition, promote ideas of community.
Vanity & Vice: American Art Deco
WHEN: Thru Jan. 12, 2025
WHERE: Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
Vanity & Vice: American Art Deco explores the dynamic designs that emerged during the rebellious years of 1920–1933. American women were enjoying more independence inside and outside the home. Cutting hair into a chic bob, wearing rouge on lips and cheeks, hosting cocktail parties, and publicly consuming alcohol and tobacco all reinforced what it meant to be a modern woman. American designers and manufacturers responded to these societal changes with fashionable perfume atomizers and vanity sets and drinking and smoking accessories in the latest styles. This exhibition invites visitors into two distinct spaces occupied by a progressive Prohibition-era woman: her boudoir and a speakeasy. Explore the Art Deco objects that filled these rooms and how they reflect a time of freedom and change.
Flow: On the River with John Fielder
WHEN: Thru Jan. 27, 2025
WHERE: History Colorado Center
This exhibition focuses on the many uses and importance of the Colorado River, taking visitors inside majestic canyons and atop the most awe-inspiring vistas along the Yampa, Gunnison and Dolores Rivers as they flow toward their confluence with the Colorado. Flow: On the River with John Fielder features a number of iconic large-format Fielder prints, as well as quotes from the renowned landscape photographer gathered carefully from his publications and interviews over the years.
Rumors of Bloomers
WHEN: Thru March 30, 2025
WHERE: Center for Colorado Women's History
Rumors of Bloomers explores women’s experiences as expressed through undergarments. Using rarely displayed objects – such as corsets, bloomers, swimming costumes, petticoats and Mother Hubbard gowns – the exhibition highlights the ways “unmentionables” have given form and shape to bodies, while also expressing identity, autonomy, agency, and protest.
The Life and Art of Tokio Ueyama
WHEN: Thru June 1, 2025
WHERE: Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
The Life and Art of Tokio Ueyama features more than 40 paintings loaned to the museum by the Japanese American National Museum and Ueyama’s family, whose combined efforts to preserve his work have allowed the story of this accomplished and cosmopolitan artist to be told at the DAM for the first time. Born in Japan, Tokio Ueyama moved to the United States in 1908 at age 18, where he made a home until his death in 1954. This exhibition tells the story of Ueyama’s life, including his early days as an art student in San Francisco, Southern California, and Philadelphia; his travels abroad in Europe and Mexico; his role as artist and community member in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles; and his unconstitutional incarceration during World War II at the Granada Relocation Center, now the Amache National Historic Site, in southeast Colorado.