Experience A Uniquely Colorado Christmas in 2020
Crackling fires with steaming hot chocolate warms the crisp winter air and hot toddies toast another year. A sleek wooden sled and cozy alpaca wool mittens handcrafted in small towns rouse a quintessential winter experience. Christmas holidays in Colorado embrace the essence of the season. Historic settlements, forts and mining towns illuminate their history with twinkling lights against a backdrop of freshly fallen snow while horse-drawn sleigh rides on rustic dude ranches, festive Christmas parades, bustling food halls, steaming hot springs, and handcrafted gifts make for a uniquely Colorado Christmas.
Visit. Give. Do. Make. We’ve collected holiday ideas from every corner of Colorado: a special place to visit, a uniquely Colorado gift to give, an experience to enjoy and something you make that creates lasting memories this holiday season.
Snow fun in Silverton
Visit: A snowy Colorado mountain town.
Give: Pair a sleek, handmade Mountain Boys Sled with cozy, locally made hats, gloves, socks, and mittens made from cuddly woolen fleece.
Do: Head to the tiny town of Silverton and experience Colorado’s legendary fresh powder on a sled or sleigh ride. Pack the family onto the Mountain Boggan or host races on the Ultimate Flyer. Check the calendar for full moon hikes and events as the mountains glisten in the glow.
Make: Fill your thermos with a warm Colorado Toddy: 1½ oz. Colorado Honey Bourbon, spoonful of Honeyville honey and a lemon garnish. Kiddos in tow? Try pre-made hot chocolate from Animas Chocolate Company.
Trek Trinidad
Visit: One of Colorado’s 42 state parks or 22 national parks, monuments and forests.
Give: Resolve to explore the outdoors with an annual Colorado State Park pass that allows unlimited entry to Colorado State Parks all year long.
Do: Head to Trinidad Lake State Park for the First Day Hike. Colorado Parks and Wildlife celebrate New Years with guided hikes, including a gift for hikers and hot cocoa. Trinidad Lake borders the historic Santa Fe Trail and scenic Highway of Legends; bring your binoculars for wild life watching!
Make: Search streambeds and roadsides for Satin Spar and green Stonewall Jade (especially near Monument Lake); have it wrapped at Curly’s Bead Emporium where you can learn to wire wrap, Kumohimo braid, chain maille, and seed bead stitches.
Princely Pampering
Visit: Colorado has over 19 natural hot springs and mineral waters with breathtaking mountain backdrops and star-studded skies.
Give: Pampering products for a basket of self-spa.Creative craftsmen develop rich creams, balms, sprays, essential oils, and soaps. In historic downtown Salida, Vital Living offers natural bath and body care products and teas. Heal All Salve is a must-have for a mountain visitor or Calendula Crème from Green Earth Farm in Saguache. Deliver your treats in a handmade Feed Sack Bag available at a "must see" Salida market: The Ploughboy.
Do: Soak under the stars at Mount Princeton Hot Springs and relax with an Arkansas River Hot Stone Massage.
Make: Stay the night at Mountain Goat Lodge for a cheese making class. Take home soft, fresh cheeses for your holiday appetizer plate and stock up on goat milk based stocking stuffers.
Cowboy Christmas
Visit: Celebrate Christmas at a Colorado dude and guest ranch.
Give: Colorado-made Crescent Moon snowshoes for traipsing across the snowy fields. For those cozy evenings by the fire, snuggle up with a good book or a knitting project.
Do: Dude ranches are magical when blanketed in snow under bluebird skies. Settle into Latigo Trails for sleigh rides, snowshoe hikes, bonfires and more.
Make: Let the wranglers at Latigo Trails help you handle authentic branding irons to create your unique family brand then burn it onto the ranch wall and onto a wooden block to take home.
Twinkling Traditions
Visit: Colorado’s past to discover heritage holiday traditions
Give: When Slovenians settled in Pueblo, Colorado, they introduced cultural and culinary traditions that are still alive today. One such culinary delight is the sweet dessert, Potica, especially popular during the holiday season. Stop by Mauro Farms or find your favorite baker and pick-up a loaf of this festive bread for your holiday feast.
Do: Experience the most festive and elaborate lighting on November 29 for Pueblo'sParade of Lights. Don your jingle bells to keep with this year’s theme: Silver Bells!
Make: Wake up with the sun and solar-roasted coffee from Solar Roast Coffee – the world’s only commercial solar-powered coffee roaster. Participate in a traditional cupping or simply hang out in the roasting room and roast your own solar coffee from green bean to cup. Take home a bag of your personal roast coffee. Complete your gift--make a pottery coffee mug at Cup and Bowl.
Culinary Fort Collins
Visit: From the foodie capitol, Boulder, to the undiscovered culinary corners of the state, Colorado is home to artisan chocolateers, bakers, crafters, brewers and people who live to create tasteful treats.
Give: A gourmet gift basket from the up-and-coming culinary hotspot Fort Collins:
• Vern’s Toffee-- handcrafted, mouth-watering milk chocolate butter toffee,
• Craft beer--over 220 Colorado craft breweries offer diverse beer styles to choose from: Pilsners, IPA’s, stouts, ambers, porters, cask, Belgian, saisons and sour ales,
• Feisty Spirits--handcrafted whiskey made from locally grown grain,
• Honey--at the heart of agriculture is the honeybee and every region of Colorado boasts their own liquid gold flavored by the area’s wild flowers, blossoms and crops,
• Nuance Chocolate—from ethical cacao beans; roasted, ground and made into spirited artisanal chocolates,
• Old Towne Spice Shop—hand blended and ground spices from around the corner and world; gift boxes made by a local artist out of Pine Beetle Kill Wood,
• Cheese and Crackers-- artisan Mou Co cheeses or craft cheeses made from sheep, goat or cow’s milk make a decadent appetizer when paired with local chutney, jams and all natural Nita Crisp crackers.
Do: Learn about the local Ft. Collins food scene: The Gardens on the Creek for the Garden of Lights Tour, Laughing Buck Farm for Family Fun Days, Copoco’s for a beekeeping class, or nearby Haystack Mountain Goat Farm for a creamery tour and cheese making class. Visit a local craft brewery for a tasting and tour; from New Belgium to High Hops, the Fort Collins area has over 13 craft brewers!
Make: Prepare a homemade feast using handcrafted local ingredients: Honey-Spiced Glaze for your Christmas turkey, a Colorado cheese plate with fresh local cheeses, warm up with Fireside Eggnog made with Longmont Dairy Cinnamon Eggnog and a splash of craft Colorado spirits from Feisty Spirits or CopperMuse. Find produce, meats and more at Fort Collins Winter Farmers’ Market
‘Tis the Season in Delta County
Visit: A Colorado tree farm or acquire a Christmas tree cutting permit from the US Forest Service to harvest your tree.
Give: A handcrafted ornament from an artist’s studio in the North Fork Creative District .
Do: Take a driving tour of Delta County including a visit to Crawford, Colorado. This hamlet dresses in twinkle lights from corner to corner to celebrate the holidays. Head to the Covered Bridge Ranch in Montrose and decorate your own holiday wreathe. Overnight at Gunnison River Farms for a relaxing holiday get away.
Make: Keep your fingers and toes toasty warm. Learn a simple felting technique in a class at The Living Farm and make cozy slippers and mittens. Or try a scarf dying class at the Creamery Arts Center.
Let’s Get Together
Visit: An urban food hall for shopping and holiday gatherings.
Give: A handwritten note on a handcrafted card. Toast in the New Year, exchange Secret Santa gifts, or simply hang around and spend time together.
Do: The holidays are the perfect occasion to gather with friends at the Ivywild School in Colorado Springs. This urban gathering space offers local cuisine, education, art and gardens. Formerly an elementary school, Ivywild’s façade still holds true to its roots as reimagined spaces fill the halls once again with the voices of children and adults. You'll also find unique holiday gifts.
Make: A host gift or stocking stuffer. Learn about the curious alpacas and fiber processing; then try your skill in spinning and felting alpaca wool at C Squared Alpacas and complete a wool craft project.
An extra dash of Holiday Heritage:
• Georgetown’s Christmas Market, December 6, 7, 13, 14
Enjoy weeks worth of holiday fun at this small-town Christmas market steeped in history; roast chestnuts, ride horse-drawn carriages through historic Georgetown and shop for hand-made gifts in their outdoor European-style market.
• Gold Camp Christmas in Victor & Cripple Creek:
Holiday activities kick off nightly with Gold Camp Christmas Holiday Headframe Lighting. Load up the car, pop in your favorite holiday tunes, and take a self-guided tour of the decorated mine head-frames (the above-ground structure of the shaft). Take time to visit the Elf Emporium where you’ll find loads of gifts made by local crafters.
• Pleasures and pastimes at Bent’s Old Fort; Dec 6-7:
Witness the joys, pleasures and pastimes of the 1840's at Bent's Old Fort western trading post. The spirit of the season comes alive with wagon rides, games, toy making, taffy pull, piñata break, frontier cooking, storytelling, and other holiday festivities culminating in candlelight tours. (719) 383-5026
• Gingerbread homebuilding and Palisade’s Old Fashioned Christmas:
Food Network-worthy entrants alongside the whimsical talents of youth and children are drawn to Palisade’s Old Fashioned Christmas.
Visit. Give. Do. Make. This holiday season delight in the relaxing welcome and festive feeling of a snow-covered, Colorado town. Enjoy endless opportunities for outdoor excursions and festive holiday events; gift the creativity of Colorado crafts and the divine taste of Colorado-made food, spirits and sweets. Embrace the essence of the season, connect with loved ones, and celebrate with a Uniquely Colorado Christmas.
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