COLORADO TAKES FALL AND WINTER BY STORM WITH NEW EVENTS, ADVENTURES, LODGING OFFERINGS, EATERIES AND MORE

As the leaves begin to change, Colorado is coming to life with an impressive lineup of new activities, events, lodging offerings and culinary experiences for travelers to explore. From major museum exhibits such as the worldwide debut of Dior: From Paris to the World at the Denver Art Museum, to much anticipated hotel openings including Denver’s Source Hotel & Marketplace, the Limelight Hotel Snowmass, and Gaylord Rockies, and the unveiling of enticing new eateries including The Exchange in Fort Collins and Taco Beast, a roaming food snowcat in Steamboat, to new adventure offerings including a winter-serviced hut outside of Breckenridge and a via ferrata experience near Colorado Springs. Colorado is the place to be this fall and winter. Combine that with major terrain expansions, base village redevelopments and on-mountain improvements at the state’s 28 ski areas and resorts, and Colorado is solidifying its place as the leader in winter vacation fun.

Denver Welcomes the Grandoozy Music Festival, September 14-16, 2018: From the co-creators of Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, the new three-day Grandoozy Music Festival comes to Denver and features headliners, including Kendrick Lamar, Florence + The Machine and Stevie Wonder. Visitors can enjoy Grandoozy’s diverse lineup ranging from local to iconic musicians with the city’s best food and spirits in hand. The festival will also incorporate activities that celebrate Denver’s art, culture and love of the outdoors.

 

Lost Art Revival Festival Comes to Steamboat, September 17-21, 2018: This fall, Steamboat Creates launches the new week-long Lost Art Revival Festival celebrating Steamboat Springs’ western heritage, unique natural setting and recent designation as a certified Colorado Creative District. The festival will offer traditional art workshops, guided heritage tours and a chuck wagon dinner.

 

Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering Celebrates its 30th Anniversary, October 4-7, 2018: The Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering works to preserve and perpetuate the traditions of working ranch people in the American West. The event celebrates the lifeways of rural people by creating the "campfire" around which anyone with an interest can come to share in the appreciation of the culture and traditions unique to the West.

 

Dior: From Paris to the World Debuts at The Denver Art Museum, November 18, 2018 – March 3, 2019: The Denver Art Museum will host the U.S. debut of the renowned exhibition, Dior: From Paris to the World, this fall. 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 will trace 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.

 

The Ice Castles Return to Dillon, December 2018-March 2019: Back for its second season, the impressive Ice Castle in Dillon is perfect for all ages. The castle features tall walls and turrets, slides, interactive features, colorful lighting and live entertainment.

 

The Royal Gorge Bridge & Park Celebrates in 90th Anniversary in 2019: The Royal Gorge Bridge in Canon City, the highest suspension bridge in America, will celebrate its 90thanniversary in 2019. Special boards with guest signatures wood-burned into them will be installed as replacement planks throughout the year.

 

Explore The History of Colorado’s 10th Mountain Division with Professional Skier Chris Anthony, January 18-21, 2019: The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Avon will host an exclusive ski weekend with professional skier Chris Anthony to celebrate the incredible history of Colorado’s 10th Mountain Division Ski Troopers. This weekend will include three days of guided skiing with Anthony, a tour of the Camp Hale training facility and the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum, a private whiskey dinner featuring Colorado’s delicious 10th Mountain Division Whiskey & Spirit Company and more.

 

Fat Bike World Championships Return to Crested Butte, January 23-27, 2019: Crested Butte founded the self-proclaimed Fat Bike World Championships (FBW) in January 2016, and it has quickly become a highlight of the winter calendar. Throughout the event, participants riding fat bikes – mountain bikes equipped with wide 4-inch-plus tires for riding on soft surfaces (i.e. snow) – tackle race courses, ski runs and winter singletrack.

 

Loveland Launches New Sweetheart Festival, February 8-9, 2019: The nation’s Sweetheart City, Loveland, Colorado just got sweeter for Valentine’s Day with the launch of the inaugural Loveland Sweetheart Festival - Love, Locks and Lights. For more than 70 years, Loveland has embraced sweethearts near and far and invites sweethearts across the world to gather in downtown Loveland to celebrate Valentine season with love, lights and one of the largest Love Lock sculptures in the U.S.

New Bicycling & Byways Map Now Available: Colorado’s Governor John Hickenlooper is on a quest to make Colorado the most bike-friendly state in the U.S. New for fall 2018, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has launched a Bicycle & Byways map that serves as a guide for selecting routes best suited to the interests and abilities of sightseers hoping to soak in the beauty and history of the state’s 26 designated scenic and historic byways.

 

Breckenridge Nordic Center Offers Luxurious New Nordic Snowcat Adventures: Breckenridge Nordic Center takes nighttime exploration to a luxurious level with newly-offered nightly Nordic Snowcat Adventures. Explore the Cucumber Gulch wildlife preserve in a heated all-glass Prinoth Snowcat designed in Pininfarina, Italy. Guests sit back and enjoy historic tales of the forest over champagne with a pitstop for s’mores and hot chocolate at a nearby cabin.

 

Cave of the Winds Mountain Park Opens New Via Ferrata in Manitou Springs:  During this two-hour guided rock climbing adventure at Cave of the Winds, guests scale limestone cliffs and mountains that are miles above the canyon floor.

 

Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum Re-Opens in Vail: The Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum, located in Vail Village, re-opened in summer 2018 after a year-long, $2.6M renovation. The newly renovated museum features six exhibit bays, a theater and three state-of-the-art interactive touch screen exhibits that allow visitors to dig deeper into Colorado’s snowsports history.

 

Colorado Sky Trek Opens in Clear Creek Canyon: Opened in July 2018, the new Colorado Sky Trek aerial park at the Colorado Adventure Center in Clear Creek Canyon offers a three-story labyrinth of ropes, wobbly bridges, a floating raft and other elements for adventure-seeking guests.

 

Grand Lake Named a Colorado Creative District: Grand Lake has been designated by Colorado Creative Industries as a Creative District and is home to the new Rocky Mountain Wooden Boat School that promotes the continuation and expansion of the craft of wooden boat construction, restoration, maintenance and enjoyment through research, public outreach and education.

 

Rockin’ K Jeep Rentals Offers New Winter Jeeping Experience in Ouray: Ouray County and the San Juan Mountains are well-known for their summer Jeeping opportunities, but four-wheeling can be a year-round recreational activity. Starting this winter, Rockin' K Jeep Rentals will provide a new winter Jeeping experience utilizing brand new Jeep Rubicons with 35-inch tires, perfect for exploring the area’s many maintained winter roads and trails.

 

Snow Mountain Ranch to Offer Intro to Backcountry A/T Skiing this Winter: New this season, Snow Mountain Ranch, located near Winter Park, is offering a backcountry ski program perfect for beginners that will focus on how to use modern A/T (Alpine/Touring) equipment, teach the ins and outs of avalanche safety equipment and touch upon the basic principles of avalanche safety, terrain management, backcountry travel and preparedness.

 

Summit Huts to Open New Winter-Only Hut: The Summit Huts Association will open the first new hut approved on public land in Summit County in 22 years. After more than a decade of planning, SHA announced that this new winter-only hut, "The Sisters Cabin" is anticipated to open early winter 2018. The 2,090-square-foot Sisters Cabin will be the fifth backcountry hut in the Summit Huts system.

 

Timber to Table Guide Service Offers New Program for Female Hunters: New Western Slope-based guiding service, Timber to Table, isn’t your typical hunting outfitter. As their name implies, the company is focused on helping hunters put wild, healthy and delicious meat on their tables. Hunts are geared toward first-time hunters, and a five-day cow or bull elk experience includes a private guide who leads the hunt and will also teach participants how to process the animal, identify various cuts and custom wrap their meat. Timber to Table also offers hunting programs geared specifically toward women.

 

Wild I-70 Audio Tour Now Available: This fall and winter, travelers along the I-70 mountain corridor can enjoy a new audio tour designed to educate tourists (and locals) about the wildlife and wild places along one of the state’s most well-known highways. Each story in the free guide is accompanied by music from a different Colorado-based band (Elephant Revival, Trout Steak Revival, Flobots and more) and includes expert interviews with a variety of people who work to protect wildlife in the state, including Colorado Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service and Defenders of Wildlife.

Arapahoe Basin to Open New Terrain: A-Basin is set to complete the two-year process of opening the expanded Beavers and Steep Gullies areas for the 2018-19 season with a total of 468 acres of new intermediate and expert terrain now available to skiers in addition to the 371 acres of terrain that opened last season. A new lift will serve the Beavers area, and the Steep Gullies will remain hike back and expert terrain.

 

Beaver Creek’s Ski School to Open New Haymeadow Park Learning Area: Following the debut of Red Buffalo Park during the 2017-2018 season, Beaver Creek Resort is building on its reputation as the world’s best luxury family resort by debuting a second dedicated learning area in 2018-2019. Haymeadow Park will focus on terrain for beginners of all ages. With the debut of Haymeadow Park, Beaver Creek will have the most dedicated learning terrain in the state of Colorado.

 

Discover Breckenridge's High Alpine in The Hands of A Breck Guide: Pioneered by locals and skied by legends, the High Alpine is Breck’s untamed wilderness. This winter, skiers and riders can chase new terrain and make the mountain theirs with a dedicated, specially trained Breck Guide through the Breck Ski & Snowboard School’s newest guided experience.

 

Crested Butte Launches Wednesdays with Wendy Ski Clinics:  World Champion and Olympic skier, Wendy Fisher, is an icon in big mountain freeskiing and has led women – and challenged men to follow – into some of the steepest terrains around the world. This winter, guests are invited to conquer their fears and participate in Wednesdays with Wendy on select dates throughout the season. Clinics cater to intermediate and advanced skiers, so it’s not required to ski like an Olympian to learn from one.

 

Monarch Mountain to Debut New Tubing Hill: Monarch Mountain, a ski and snowboard area just outside of Salida, will open a new 450-foot snow tubing hill in the area below the Ramble On and Little Mo runs this winter. The tubing hill will offer fun for all ages.

 

Purgatory Resort to Open New Mountain Coaster: Opening in fall 2018, Purgatory Resort in Durango will feature a new mountain coaster that will be accessible right from the base area and will operate during both winter and summer seasons. The coaster will be 4,000 feet in length covering 300 vertical feet and will feature nine switchbacks and one loop, giving guests another fun activity snow or shine.

 

Snowmass Begins Major Base Village Redevelopment: Located at the base of Snowmass Ski Area, Snowmass Base Village (SBV) is a $600 million mountain-resort development – the largest currently under construction in North America. This approximately 10-year project will add lodging, residences and amenities to the world-class mountain and resort. Completion of the first phase of construction is slated for November 2018 and includes the new Limelight Hotel, ski-in/ski-out residences, a public events plaza and a community building.

 

Steamboat Offers New On-Mountain Dining Experiences: This winter, the base area restaurant and bar experience at Steamboat will be transformed with the debut of Timber & Torch. Named for the resort’s legendary trees and Olympic heritage, the restaurant will feature bistro-inspired food, an extensive craft beer lineup and signature craft cocktails. Taking the food truck to new levels, Steamboat also announces the Taco Beast, an on-mountain, roaming snowcat redefining “slopeside” dining and serving street tacos, breakfast burritos, Mexican street corn and Mexican-style beer.

 

Upgrades at The Meadows Beginners Area in Telluride: The Meadows, Telluride’s popular beginner area, was recently upgraded into a world-class learning space. With a newly installed 320-foot covered surface lift and a significant investment in a Terrain Based Learning™ program, beginners can enjoy the freedom of learning in wide open space without ever feeling crowded.

 

Winter Park Ski Resort to Debut Nearly $30M in Improvements: Upgrades at Winter Park Resort will get skiers and snowboarders up the mountain faster with its new energy saving 10-person gondola that will increase uphill capacity to 3,600 guests per hour. An updated snowmaking machine is also a part of the improvements that will allow the resort to open their terrain earlier each season for mountain-lovers. Additionally, Winter Park Resort has added 21 acres of logging in the Eagle Wind Territory, snowcats and increased lift maintenance.

Gaylord Rockies To Open in Aurora: Located near Denver International Airport, Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center will open in late 2018. The resort destination will feature more than 1,500 guest rooms, as well as six restaurants and bars; a luxurious spa and salon; diverse shops; indoor and outdoor pool, lazy river and winding waterways; and more.

 

The Jacquard Hotel & Rooftop Comes to Denver’s Cherry Creek Neighborhood: Located in the heart of Denver’s iconic Cherry Creek neighborhood, The Jacquard Hotel & Rooftop will open in September 2018. A sophisticated, 201-room modern luxury hotel, where guests will find a split of bubbles in every guestroom, The Jacquard will deliver upon its brand promise of Haute Happiness, delighting each guest with tailor-made experiences, spirited celebration and service delivered with style. With sweeping 180-degree views of the Rocky Mountains and downtown Denver, the hotel’s rooftop will be the new centerpiece of the neighborhood with its 75-foot pool and rooftop bar, Kisbee on the Roof.

 

Snowmass Welcomes New Limelight Hotel: Slated to open in November 2018, the new Limelight Hotel Snowmass will feature 99 hotel rooms plus a new restaurant, a children’s game area as well as a five-story climbing wall that will be open to the public and the largest of its kind in the state. The new hotel will feature amenities and extras such as an expanded continental breakfast, après ski deals in the Lounge, live music, adventure activities such as First Tracks and Inside Tracks, a ski concierge as well as pet-friendly rooms.  

 

Origin Red Rocks To Open in Golden: Opened in August 2018, the official hotel partner to the world-renowned music venue, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Origin Red Rocks is a 124-room pet-friendly hotel providing transportation to and from Red Rocks; complimentary mountain bikes; yoga mats and exercise bikes in-room; and more. The hotel is home to Nomad Taqueria and Beer Garden, serving food inspired by the extensive travels of its Executive Chef throughout Mexico, the Southwest’s Four Corners region and Colorado. Origin Red Rocks is the inaugural hotel from new brand Origin Hotel Collection, a hotel brand that connects guests to the essential spirit and experiences of each destination in which its hotels are located.

 

The Oxford Hotel Unveils New Renovation in Denver: The Oxford Hotel - Denver’s most historic hotel in the heart of the LoDo district – recently completed a major renovation designed to celebrate the hotel’s rich past while enhancing the authentic urban experience sought by today’s modern travelers. The refresh included updating the hotel’s lobby and 80 luxurious guest rooms with a lighter and brighter overall design. The original antique pieces in the guest rooms have been mixed with contemporary, comfortable pieces.

 

Red Mountain Alpine Lodge to Open in Rugged San Juan Mountains: Opening late December 2018, Red Mountain Alpine Lodge will serve as the ultimate year-round backcountry accommodation for discerning clientele seeking to be on the doorstep of Colorado’s ultimate outdoor playground without sacrificing a single amenity. Located just north of the summit of Red Mountain Pass (elevation 11,018’), and 300 yards off Highway 550 (The Million Dollar Highway), RMAL will sleep 18-20 people and come complete with gourmet eats, a bar/tavern, wood-burning sauna and more.

 

New SCP Hotel Comes To Colorado Springs: An abbreviation for "Soul Community Planet," SPC Hotel will open in Colorado Springs this fall. The hotel focuses on holistic hospitality from the inside out. With an eco-industrial design featuring a large fitness area, rustic bedrooms and common areas.

 

The Source Hotel & Markethall Opens in Denver’s River North: Opening late summer 2018, this 100-room hotel is located next to the popular Source culinary marketplace in Denver’s hip RiNo (River North) district. Celebrating the utilitarian and industrial history of the RiNo district, The Source Hotel vendors are 100 percent independent, featuring the most unconventional and creative craft production in Denver. With the goal of connecting people, products, design and place, The Source Hotel showcases exceptional independent artisans, including a florist, tattoo shop, and small-scale craft retail counters operated by local designers and artists. The property also features a new New Belgium brewing concept to highlighting sour beers.

 

The Stanley Hotel Unveils New $10 Million Pavilion Amphitheater in Estes Park: Recently opened, The Pavilion stands as one of Northern Colorado’s most unique venues. The building features a 300-seat indoor/outdoor Amphitheatre wrapped around a private pond with distinctive granite features and cascading waterfalls. The main theater also features an 11,000-pound hydraulic glass door that opens outward 90 degrees creating an open-air theater where Colorado’s natural beauty becomes the backdrop.

 

Strata Integrated Wellness Center Launches at Garden of the Gods: Celebrating its grand opening October 2018, Strata Integrated Wellness Spa at Garden of the Gods will draw upon Colorado Springs and Garden of the Gods’ history as a wellness destination to offer whole life health. Located within Garden of the Gods, a four-diamond resort, Strata is a 30,000-square-foot spa and wellness center that will offer clients a dynamic combination of advanced clinical practices, naturopathy, nutrition, fitness and other wellness services.

 

Viceroy Snowmass Completes Major Property Enhancement: New this year, the Viceroy Snowmass completed a $4 million enhancement of the property, which includes a lobby refresh complete with a new lobby coffee shop, Café V, brand new fitness center and yoga studio, and the cornerstone, new restaurant TORO Kitchen & Lounge, a Richard Sandoval restaurant.

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail to Launch New Back Bowl Tour and First Chair Ski Concierge Experience: New for winter 2018, guests of the Four Seasons Resort Vail can enjoy an exclusive tour of Vail’s legendary bowls with a local celebrity such as Pete Seibert, the son of one of the founders of Vail, as he weaves in and around the back bowls and tells stories about the founding days of the ski resort. The Four Seasons is also offering a First Chair with a Ski Concierge experience exclusively for guests in which a Ski Concierge member takes them up the first chair and down their favorite run.

 

The Hotel Telluride Offers New Fall “Mining or Bust” Package:  Telluride is a former silver mining camp with a rich history and is surrounded by a number of mining ghost towns. This fall, The Hotel Telluride is offering a new and exclusive “Mining or Bust, Telluride Ghost Town History” package. The package includes a three-night stay, daily breakfast for two, admission to the Telluride Historical Museum located in the restored 1896 miners’ hospital in downtown Telluride, in addition to a guided 4x4 tour led by Telluride Outside (with a packed lunch from The Hotel Telluride) amidst the fall glow of the yellow Aspen trees to a Colorado mining ghost town located high in the Rocky Mountains.

 

Park Hyatt Beaver Creek to Offer Powder Day Package: New this winter, Park Hyatt Beaver Creek is offering guests a special “powder day” treat for those days when fresh snow awaits on the slopes. When 8+ inches of snow falls on the mountain overnight, guests can opt-in for a dedicated wakeup call letting them know pow is in store for the day. Fresh powdered donuts paired with elevated coffee drinks will be waiting in the lobby along with special to-go bites offered at the café for skiers and snowboarders who don’t want to miss a run.

Dairy Block Micro-District Opens in Denver: Located in the heart of Lower Downtown, Dairy Block, Denver’s newest micro-district is a vibrant community of inspired retailers, chefs, creators and cocktail crafters. This walkable neighborhood is home to Denver’s first pedestrian alley, offering a progressive experience of curated shopping, dining and drinking destinations in a historic block that once housed the Windsor Dairy.

 

New Eateries Open at The Exchange in Fort Collins:  Fort Collins is poised to welcome a litany of new eateries this fall and winter at The Exchange, an innovative new development in Old Town including the Fort Collins Donut Company, Vatos Tacos and Tequila, Churn, Steamies Burger Bar, Chick’n Cone, Copper Muse Distillery and Urban winery Infinite Monkey Theorem. Along with plenty of tasty food and drinks, there’s also a music venue and outdoor projection screen for live music, movie showings and year-round events.

 

Fort Collins’ Farm Fusion Offers New Classes: A popular Fort Collins food truck, Farm Fusion recently expanded and now offers fun classes in its teaching kitchen. The classes are taught in a beautiful red barn nestled between two lakes on a working ranch. Learn how to make three types of homemade cheese at the “Oh La La, Cheese Please” class, or come for “Yoga and Yakitori,” which starts with a rejuvenating lakeside yoga class followed by a class where you’ll learn how to make a four-course meal including yakitori, dipping sauces and even dessert.

 

Narrative to Open in Denver: Delivering a new topic of conversation, and a place to hold that exchange, Narrative is set to open in Denver’s iconic Cherry Creek neighborhood in September 2018. Narrative will offer storied food and drink under the direction of award-winning Executive Chef Paul Nagan and will feature global entrées, gourmet bowls, salads, shareable plates, a robust happy hour and more.

 

Masa Coming to Broomfield: Opening in late 2018 within the Arista Broomfield community, Masa is a modern Mexican cocina from Denver’s acclaimed Kevin Taylor Restaurant Group. Executive Chef/Partner Frank Blea and Chef/Partner Ryan Taylor create contemporary Mexican fare rooted in traditional flavors that span the entirety of Mexico, rather than a singular region. Inspired by their travels and love of street food, Masa features light, fresh and playful dishes, such as tacos al pastor; pork shoulder molcajete; Oaxacan chile rellenos; and Colorado tilapia Veracruz.

 

Mila Restaurant to Open in Denver: Opening in late 2018, Mila is a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant from Denver’s acclaimed Kevin Taylor Restaurant Group. Executive Chef & Partner Austin Cueto present colorful cuisine, including house-made pasta, pizzas, fresh seafood, salads, crudo and more.

James Beard Award-winning chef, Alon Shaya to Open Safta in Denver: Alon Shaya will open Safta September 2018 inside The Source Hotel. Alon will bring his modern Israeli cuisine, made famous at Shaya in New Orleans, Louisiana westward. Safta will offer freshly-baked hot pita from a wood-burning oven, signature smooth hummus topped with everything from tahini to lamb, and combine the flavors of Morocco, Lebanon, Palestine, Bulgaria and Turkey into a dynamic menu that also highlights vegetables from local farms.

 

The Tunnel is Telluride’s Newest Speakeasy: Opened in 2018 and offering four sittings per week, Telluride's new speakeasy-inspired restaurant, The Tunnel, requires a password to enter, and the theme-based menu changes every two weeks.

 

 

C Lazy U Saddles Up for its 100th Anniversary: Known for its genuine service and legendary western hospitality, C Lazy U luxury guest ranch will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2019. The ranch will offer special packages, an exclusive partnership with a local Colorado Whiskey maker and much more.

 

Denver International Airport Kicks-Off Great Hall Project: Denver International Airport (DEN) kicked-off construction on a three and a half-year renovation project of the Great Hall. The Great Hall Project will enhance security, provide a more flexible and open airline check-in space and add new dining and shopping options. It will also increase the capacity of the terminal, update the aging facility and improve the overall passenger experience at DEN.

 

New Monarch Casino to Open in Black Hawk. Opening in spring 2019, Monarch Casino Black Hawk will change Black Hawk’s landscape with a 23-story hotel tower including a high-end spa with rooftop infinity pool overlooking the canyon and enhanced dining options.

 

W Aspen and The Sky Residences at W Aspen to Open: Slated to open in early June 2019, the new W Hotel and Residences will offer 88 guestrooms and 11 W-branded fractional residences. Conveniently located at the base of Aspen Mountain, the development will also feature a 12,000-square-foot rooftop bar and pool with expansive views of Aspen Mountain.

 

 

# # #

 

 

ABOUT COLORADO: Colorado is a four-season destination offering unparalleled adventure and recreational pursuits, a thriving arts scene, a rich cultural heritage, flavorful cuisine and 28 renowned ski areas and resorts. The state's breathtaking scenic landscape boasts natural hot springs, the headwaters of seven major rivers, many peaceful lakes and reservoirs, 12 national parks and monuments and 58 mountain peaks that top 14,000 feet. For more information or a copy of the 2018 Colorado Official State Vacation Guide, visit www.COLORADO.com or call 1-800 COLORADO.

 

Follow Colorado on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr and YouTube

 

Media are invited to visit the Colorado Media Room for story ideas, news releases, image gallery, and other resources.