Holiday Markets & Lighting Displays
Wrap up your holiday shopping or simply mix, mingle and marvel at these colorful displays around Colorado.
Dream of time traveling to a 19th-century European market? Browse one-of-a-kind wares, nibble on roasted chestnuts and take a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the Victorian streets of Georgetown at the majestic Georgetown Christmas Market (Dec.), located less than an hour from Denver.
The Cherry Creek Chanukah Celebration (Dec.) in Denver is a can’t-miss event. An outdoor Menorah is lit, and you can enjoy festive treats, face painting and crafts. And the Christkindl Market (Nov.–Dec.) in Civic Center Park will make you feel like you're wintering in Bavaria.
Grand Junction’s largest parade of the year features more than 100 lit entries making their way along the downtown streets. Parade of Lights (Dec.) will delight the entire family. While there, you can check out the incredible holiday displays in business windows — it kind of feels like you’ve stepped into “A Christmas Story.”
Experience the delights of the season, small-town style, at the northeast Colorado town of Holyoke’s Country Christmas (Dec.). The most popular activity of the night is the parade, which features floats decorated according to the annual theme.
The Boulder County Farmers Market Winter Market (Dec.) is an indie-minded bazaar held at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont. Stroll the works of local makers, ranging from foodstuffs to jewelry, skincare and home decor, to find something for all of the VIPs in your life.
Bikes, cars and floats cover themselves in holiday lights and roll through downtown Alamosa to bring cheer to San Luis Valley families and visitors during their Christmas Lights Parade (Dec.).
It wouldn’t be the holidays in the Mile High City without Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens (Nov.—Jan.), where millions of lights transform the gardens into shimmering colorscapes: Massive glowing orbs float over grasslands and pond surfaces and bright tunnels shift their patterns along with festive music.
Potentially the most over-the-top experience you’ll have this holiday season is Camp Christmas in Lakewood (Nov.—Dec.). Artist Lonnie Hanzon crafts an insane world of pink holiday trees, thousands of lights and many miniature Santas. It’s as if an art museum solely existed to celebrate the season. Did we mention they sport seasonal cocktails and specialty hot chocolates? Oh yeah, warm your cheeks as you wander along!
Cool Museum Exhibits & Collections in Denver & Boulder
If you need a respite from the cold, Denver’s world-class museums will warm you up and fill your cultural cup. Here's a sampling of places that are known for having amazing permanent collections along with sweet rotating exhibits.
At Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the permanent Gems and Minerals exhibition showcases all types of sparklers, from crystals to stalactites and even Tom's Baby, an eight-pound gold nugget discovered in Breckenridge during the Colorado Gold Rush.
Explore the Denver Art Museum's Indigenous Arts of North America collection spanning ancient times to present day. It not only features more than 250 Indigenous nations, it includes over 18,000 objects — from preserved ceramics and beaded attire to mixed-media art and sculpture.
Let the Museum of Boulder's Historic 3D-Objects collection illuminate Colorado history via its more curious items like parking meters, weather balloons, old radios and even a kitchen sink.
Meow Wolf: Convergence Station is a mind-bending installation full of bright colors, fascinating landscapes and trippy creations. The four-story exhibit has more than 70 sub-exhibits, so plan ahead to spend at least two hours exploring the rainbow of art.
