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Celebrate the new year with your family by checking out fireworks, blockbuster museum exhibitions, stunning lights displays like Zoo Lights and art shows all over town. Take advantage of great Denver hotel packages. The Regional Transportation Network (RTD) will offer free bus and rail service, including Access-a-Ride, FlexRide and SkyRide services, starting New Year’s Eve at 7 p.m. and running through 7 a.m. on New Year’s Day. Plan your trips and find route and schedule information on RTD's website.
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.
Parties | Family-Friendly Activities | Featured Events | Music & Performing Arts | Museum & Gallery Exhibitions | Sporting Events
New Year's Eve Fireworks
WHEN: Dec. 31, 2022; 9 p.m. and midnight
WHERE: 16th Street Mall
The sky will once again sparkle over downtown at the close of 2022 with the New Year’s Eve Fireworks. The two spectacular fireworks shows will occur at 9 p.m. and midnight. For the best viewpoints, stand along the 16th Street Mall. The identical fireworks shows will be synched to a music playlist from live DJs along the mall. Each show will run for about eight minutes and can be viewed from anywhere along the mall. The DJs will play tunes from 8 p.m. to midnight.
New Year's Eve Parties
Here are some great ideas for celebrating New Year's Eve. For more New Year's Eve activities, see our Denver 365 events calendar.
Decadence
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Colorado Convention Center
America's biggest electronic New Year's celebration is the two-night event of the (end of the) year you won't want to miss!
New Year’s Eve Gala Feat. Same Cloth
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Dazzle
Dazzle presents a special $120 per-person party package that includes a three-course meal from our special New Year’s Eve menu (tax and gratuity on the meal), live music by Same Cloth, dancing, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight to ring in 2023! Same Cloth is a Denver-based project led by prolific keyboardist Solomon J. Chapman Sr. and inventive vocalist JoFoKe. Embarking upon a new musical journey, this charismatic duo combines their peculiarities and perspectives to share meaningful art.
The Drop at Mcgregor Square
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: McGregor Square
Ring in 2023 at Denver’s downtown playground with your choice of two New Year's Eve parties! The Plaza Party at McGregor Square Plaza features an open bar, live DJ and photo booth as you count down to the ball drop on the massive 66-foot LED screen in the outdoor plaza. Head on in to Milepost Zero for a bite to eat. Stick around ‘til midnight for McGregor Square’s exclusive firework show! Or dress to impress at Midnight Rally at The Rally Hotel at McGregor Square, where you'll enjoy New Year’s Eve in The Rally’s expansive indoor lounge and outdoor terrace. Enjoy unlimited bites and top-shelf bar selections all night long. Exclusive entertainment awaits you as you bid farewell to 2022 and enjoy the McGregor Square fireworks from the comfort of the VIP terrace. Both parties 21+ (ID required).
Denver New Year's Eve Black Tie Party
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Mile High Station
The Denver New Years' Eve Black Tie Party features the longest open bar in Denver, with six hours of unlimited drinks. Attendees will also enjoy live music from incredible local cover bands and live DJs spinning top 40, EDM, old-school hip hop, R&B and all your favorite classics. The second floor will feature Las Vegas-style casino games and prizes for the top chip holder. Say cheese at the complimentary photo booth & get the perfect selfie in our NYE Selfie Room Experience designed to take some epic photos on this epic Denver night! When the clock strikes midnight there will be a giant 2,000 balloon drop on the main floor guaranteed to impress.
Blockbuster Exhibitions
Whistler to Cassatt: American Painters in France
WHEN: Thru March 13, 2022
WHERE: Dever Art Museum
See more than 100 paintings made between 1855 and 1913 in the first comprehensive examination of France's stylistic impact on American painting of the period. From academic training in Paris to exploration of the countryside landscape, Whistler to Cassatt reveals both the visual and conceptual influences of France on American painters in the 19th and early 20th century.
GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World
WHEN: Thru April 17, 2022
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Experience and celebrate the many facets of this iconic instrument, from its origin and continued evolution to the music it creates and the cultural impact it has had. The exhibition features more than 60 instruments and explores the cultural and physical history of the guitar—from lutes and ouds to modern, high-tech and experimental instruments. You will learn about the science behind the guitar and discover how it became the cultural icon it is today.
Studio 54 Soiree: The Happenings NYE 2022 Silent Disco
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Forney Museum of Transportation
Celebrate in the style of NYC's iconic underground theatre movement. "The Happenings" of the 1960s and 1970s took dance parties to the streets and subways, so this year The Forney Museum of Transportation will host its first NYE extravaganza in a Studio 54-themed soiree to celebrate an immersive art and STEM experience. #ArtIsEverywhere installations and interactive experiences will fill the space as silent disco guests dance to the tunes of three different DJs playing three different genres. Pick your channel with your crew based on red, green and blue LED colors on the headphones.
Avanti Denver's New Year's Eve Party
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Avanti F and B
Ring in 2023 with Avanti Denver! Enjoy tunes from DJ Alquamista (upstairs) and Rowdy Shadehouse (downstairs), along with complimentary appetizers at each vendor from 8–9 p.m. and an open bar! Hungry? Full restaurant menus will be available until 10 p.m.
Denver Union Station Orient Express From Venice to Paris
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Denver Union Station
Prepare to embark on a legendary journey on the Union Station Orient Express to 2022. You will be transported to an age of timeless nostalgia and boundless glamour inspired by the world’s most iconic train. And of course every guest aboard the Union Station Orient Express will enjoy a glass of Chandon Brut bubbles for the grandest of midnight countdown toasts.
Saturday Morning Cartoons Themed NYE Party
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: FIRE at the ART hotel
Tune in for a very special New Year's Eve celebration that your childhood-self would be proud of! Come dressed to impress as your favorite classic cartoon character, pour yourself a giant bowl of your favorite breakfast cereals from the build-your-own-bowl cereal bar featuring all your childhood favorites, pop a squat in front of one of the many TVs and enjoy the cartoons and video games you loved as a kid, then dance the night away with DJ Beau!
The Denver NYE Cocktail Party
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel
There's no better place to celebrate New Year’s Eve than the recently renovated and remodeled Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. The Denver NYE Cocktail Party is Colorado’s top-tier New Year’s Eve experience. This opulent and upscale party in the middle of downtown Denver features a premium open bar, live music, DJs, casino games, photo booths, party favors, a confetti blast, and a champagne toast at the stroke of midnight.
Resolution 2023 - Denver New Year's Eve Party
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: McNichols Civic Center Building, Denver Arts & Venues
For 13 years running, Resolution's guests have experienced a truly interactive, high-class, all-inclusive 21+ open-bar New Year's Eve celebration unlike anything else Denver has to offer!
NYE All Ages Celebration
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: The Louisville Underground, Louisville
Party with friends and family of all ages from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and make it home in time to cuddle on the couch and watch the ball drop in Times Square. Enjoy game play in Tilt and a three-channel, all-hits Silent Disco in The Underground.
NYE Adults Only Celebration
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: The Louisville Underground, Louisville
Enjoy game play in Tilt and a three-channel, all-hits Silent Disco in The Underground as you party in the new year from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.
New Year's Eve Party
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: License No. 1, Boulder
Ring in the New Year with friends and family at License No. 1. Dance the night away with live music and stay refreshed with craft cocktails, a pizza buffet, and a champagne toast at midnight.
2023 Denver New Year's Eve (NYE) Bar Crawl
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: The Celtic Tavern
Why choose one venue when you can visit them all? Dance parties, DJs, live bands and the must-have midnight champagne cheers — the New Year’s Eve Bar Crawl is the perfect place to wrap up 2022 and celebrate the kick-off of 2023 with those you care for the most.
Denver New Year's Eve Pub Crawl
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: The Ginn Mill
Celebrate 2023 at more than eight different New Years' Eve parties across Denver’s LoDo district. Enjoy no covers and the luxury of bouncing from bar to bar to choose which venue you to catch the ball drop at. This all-access pass makes sure you get a hassle-free NYE night out, and each location will be offering exclusive drink specials to ring in the New Year. If you're looking for the best NYE deal in Denver, you've found it!
Family-Friendly New Year's Activities
Downtown Denver Rink
WHEN: Thru Feb. 20, 2022
WHERE: Skyline Park
Bundle up for some free ice skating in the heart of downtown and enjoy special events.
A Hudson Christmas: Extravaganza of Lights
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Hudson Gardens & Events Center, Littleton
You'll be enchanted by 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.
A Story Book Holiday in Evergreen
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Evergreen, various locations
A Story Book Christmas in Evergreen is coming back with classic Christmas stories depicted in ice. See "hidden" ice sculptures around the mountain community while Santa is flying in from the North Pole to do some special readings. Join the family-friendly scavenger hunt and support local businesses.
Camp Christmas
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park, Lakewood
Journey through artist Lonnie Hanzon’s fantastical wonderland of lights, dazzling decorations, music, and memorabilia as you explore mesmerizing yuletide scenes spread across a six-acre landscape. The experience is primarily outdoors, with several opportunities to visit decked-out indoor displays (and warm up!) throughout.
Christmas in Color (North)
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Water World
Load up your friends and family into the van (or car, or truck) and experience the holiday season like never before. Drive through acres of more than 1.5 million lights perfectly synchronized to holiday music you'll hear right through your radio. You'll drive by giant candy canes, snowmen, arched pathways and more. It's like being immersed in another world. You can also experience the attraction at Bandimere Speedway in nearby Morrison. (Closed on Christmas Day.)
Christmas in Color (West)
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Bandimere Speedway, Morrison
Load up your friends and family into the van (or car, or truck) and experience the holiday season like never before. Drive through acres of more than 1.5 million lights perfectly synchronized to holiday music you'll hear right through your radio. You'll drive by giant candy canes, snowmen, arched pathways and more. It's like being immersed in another world. You can also experience the attraction at Water World. (Closed on Christmas Day.)
Butterfly Pavilion's Living Lights
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Butterfly Pavilion, Westminster
Your little ones will love Denver's newest and most immersive holiday tradition: an evening filled with luminous aerial artists and performers, glowing exhibits and a kids-glow-in-the-dark dance party with the Firefly Princess! Butterfly Pavilion will light up in a rainbow of colors as visitors walk through the exhibits and see the world of invertebrates in a new and enchanting way. Fun and entertaining, this indoor festival of lights helps support Butterfly Pavilion's mission of invertebrate conservation around the world.
Christmas Carol Rides
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Great Outdoors Adventures LLC
Enjoy a winter sleigh ride in a cozy off-road vehicle with Great Outdoors Adventures this Christmas season for a merry, merry time. Tour the stunning Pike National Forest in your own rented off-road vehicle as a self-guided tour with GPS navigation or a guided tour.
Holiday Lights Mini Golf
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Adventure Golf & Raceway, Westminster
During the holiday season, Buccaneer Bay, Adventure Cove and The Lost Continent transform into beautiful holiday-themed light displays with more than 100,000 interactive lights on all three courses!
Featured Events
Cherry Creek North Winter Wanderland & More
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Cherry Creek North
During Winter Wanderland, explore 16 sparkling blocks with more than a half-million lights and discover eight twinkling displays choreographed to music. New this year is an interactive art installation, "domino effect" by Creos, which will feature 120 brightly colored dominos, each with its own sound profile. And during Saturday Night Lights stroll beneath 600 illuminated trees while enjoying free festive treats and entertainment.
The Mile High Tree, Brought to You by Presenting Sponsor Modelo® USA
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: 16th Street Mall at Welton Street
Join in the free festivities at this festive holiday attraction, the Mile High Tree. It’s a brilliantly lit, 110-foot-tall immersive art installation that provides a dazzling lights-and-music show.
Zoo Lights
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Denver Zoo
This illuminating annual event transforms Denver Zoo into Colorado's WILDEST winter wonderland. Don't miss more than a million lights sparkling over 80 acres — plus a host of special measures to keep your family safe and healthy.
Luminova Holidays
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park
Making its Colorado debut, this family-friendly event brings larger-than-life holiday displays and immersive experiences for all to enjoy. It features more than 3 million dazzling lights, a 65-foot-tall Christmas tree, a 25-foot-tall snowman that never melts, a 200-foot-long candy cane tunnel, giant ornaments, a wall of lights, rides on limited Elitch Gardens attractions, train rides for the kids (and the kids at heart), interactive activities like a light-up hopscotch, strolling holiday entertainers, Old Saint Nick and his elves, and more.
Trail of Lights
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms
Stroll through the Colorado countryside along a winding path glistening with lights. Features this year include a three-sided light tunnel, illuminated antique and model tractors, a children's play area and warms holiday food and drink. Visitors must purchase a ticket online for a specific day and time.
Holiday Lights & Sights Tour
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Downtown Denver
This holiday season, embark on a fun-filled two-hour Denver holiday lights tour and take in all of the magic and cheer of this festive time of year in the Mile High City. Enjoy the unique history, architecture and beauty of Denver’s holiday lights and top sights at night with our Denver Walking Tours team for a limited-run Denver Holiday Lights experience! Besides getting the inside scoop on the famous and incredibly lit-up sights, you'll hear about holiday traditions that got their start right here in Denver and other fun Christmas stories that are sure to surprise you.
Blossoms of Light
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Botanic Gardens is proud to host Blossoms of Light, an annual family-friendly event that has become a tradition for people across Colorado. Come interact with incredible light displays — a large field of sound-reactive, animated LED lights — plus sip warm drinks and nibble on tasty treats as you stroll. Pre-purchased timed tickets are required.
2022 Annual Holiday Lighting
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: City & County of Denver Building
Each night at 5:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m., an interactive holiday show will occur for 7–9 minutes, then the lights go to a static holiday look until 10:45 p.m.
Night Lights Denver
WHEN: Permanent Exhibit
WHERE: Daniels & Fisher Tower
Night Lights Denver features rotating content designed by local artists and the community and projected on the Arapahoe Street side of the Daniels & Fisher Tower every Tuesday through Sunday evening.
Music & Performing Arts
'The Other Josh Cohen'
WHEN: Thru May 1, 2022
WHERE: Garner Galleria Theatre & Bar
Enter the quirky world of Josh Cohen’s New York City apartment — as it's getting robbed. Broke and alone, all hope seems lost for Josh, until a mysterious letter arrives that changes his life forever. This 90-minute life-changing laugh-fest for the whole family will leave you feeling better about the world!
'Until the Flood'
WHEN: Thru Aug. 11, 2023
WHERE: Virtual/Online
After the death of Michael Brown, The Ferguson Unrest shook the nation to its core and put a spotlight on police brutality and discrimination. Using extensive interviews she conducted herself, Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Dael Orlandersmith created eight fictional characters to represent the broad spectrum of perspectives that continue to define and divide our country at large.
A Night in Vienna
WHEN: TBA 2022
WHERE: Boettcher Concert Hall in the Denver Performing Arts Complex
A Colorado cultural tradition returns to waltz with you into 2023! Start your celebration in style with the Colorado Symphony’s presentation of a rousing selection of polkas, waltzes and marches. The festive evening is the perfect sendoff to 2022 and a can't-miss holiday mainstay conducted by your very own Christopher Dragon!
Museum & Gallery Exhibitions
Smoking Mirrors: A Reflection on Identity in Mexico and the USA, 1821-2021
WHEN: Thru Feb. 26, 2022
WHERE: Museo de las Americas
This visual arts exhibit curated by the Chicano/a Murals of Colorado Project honors the Colorado Chicano/a mural tradition of using public art in service to the people and communities that are historically dehumanized and oppressed in U.S. society.
By Design: Stories and Ideas Behind Objects
WHEN: Thru March 1, 2022
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
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. How does it come into being? Who creates it and for what purpose? How does it serve society? What trends inspire it?
Black in Denver
WHEN: Thru March 5, 2022
WHERE: History Colorado Center
Narkita Gold is a Denver-based artist who's been honing her skills in digital photography since 2009. Her exhibition Black in Denver is a portrait and interview series that takes delves into Black life in Denver.
A Decade of Discovery: Clyfford Still in Denver
WHEN: Thru March 6, 2022
WHERE: Clyfford Still Museum
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Clyfford Still Museum, this exhibition takes inspiration from the museum’s beloved inaugural exhibition while highlighting some of its most compelling revelations since. Featured surprises include photographs of lost paintings from the 1930s, undocumented and mysterious artworks found during inventory, ways in which our understanding of Still’s earliest years and artistic training has expanded, and even a few architectural quirks of the building.
Indelible Garden
WHEN: Thru April 3, 2022
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens
Born and raised in the mountains of Nagano, Japan, Taiko Chandler’s life has been shaped by the presence of the natural world. Recollections of the wild forests near her hometown, her father’s garden and her mother’s ikebana (traditional flower arranging) suffuse her artwork, finding form in the organic, layered shapes of her prints and installations. Chandler’s plant-like forms are not intended as literal representations of nature, but rather interpret its foundational influence on family and memory.
State Historical Fund Retrospective
WHEN: Thru April 30, 2022
WHERE: History Colorado Center
This exhibit explores the rich contributions of History Colorado's State Historical Fund. Through the preservation of the built environment, the SHF has enhanced vibrant communities across the state for more than three decades.
The Power of Horses
WHEN: Thru May 9, 2022
WHERE: History Colorado Center
Horses, humans and history come together in this exciting new exhibition revealing the strength, majesty and diversity in Colorado's history through fun and fascinating stories of horses throughout our state. This exhibit features a mix of captivating artifacts, pop-culture cues and engaging activities to explore the power of horses. No stone is left unturned on this meandering journey through Colorado history, from prehistoric horses and Ute tribal traditions to contemporary Black horsemanship and even therapeutic horses. Visitors can explore the many ways these beautiful animals have shaped Colorado communities, as working animals, sources of entertainment, treasured companions or symbols of freedom.
Immersive Van Gogh
WHEN: Thru May 28, 2022
WHERE: Lighthouse Denver
Renowned for transforming venues into unforgettable art experiences, the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit strives to highlight the unique architecture of its spaces while integrating influences from its history and community. Get ready to be transported the second you step inside!
Revisión: Art in the Americas
WHEN: Thru July 17, 2022
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
This thematic presentation will explore land, people and place by linking ancient and contemporary artworks that address political and social issues at the heart of the region’s cultural heritage as well as expand the narrative through voices that include women artists and contemporary voices that speak to the diversity of the Americas.
Brick & Soul // Armando Geneyro
WHEN: Thru July 30, 2022
WHERE: History Colorado Center
Local photographer Armando Geneyro connects the build environment with the people who shape its meaning. A versatile photographer, Armando specializes in events coverage and photojournalism. His passion for street photography allows him to connect to his subjects and immerse himself in different cultures.
Seeing the Invisible
WHEN: Thru Aug. 1, 2022
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens
Seeing the Invisible presents virtual works that engage with existing features of the natural landscape. The augmented reality exhibition features new works by international artists including Ai Weiwei, El Anatsui, John Gerrard, Ori Gersht, Mohammed Kazem and Sigalit Landau — including several artists’ first works in AR. Beyond the boundaries of what is possible with physical artworks, many of the works created for the exhibition address themes of nature, environment, sustainability and the intersection of the physical world with the digital one.
Memory Mirror
WHEN: Thru March 5, 2023
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Lares Feliciano's Memory Mirror is an immersive installation that invites visitors to explore their relationship with memory through animation, dioramas and interactive storytelling. Designed to evoke the memory of a relative's living room, this exhibition will transform the museum's Precourt Family Discovery Hall into a surreal domestic den that is both familiar and fantastic.
Sporting Events
Check back for the 2022 lineup!