22 W E S T W O R D W i n t e r G u i d e 2 0 2 4 - 2 5 westword.com HOLIDAY EVENTS NOVEMBER 37th Annual Holiday Exhibition: Now through December 30: Artists on Santa Fe brings back its seasonal celebration of original works by member and resident artists in a variety of mediums. Artist reception and holiday celebration Friday, December 13, 5-8 p.m. Artists on Santa Fe, 747 Santa Fe Drive, 303-573-5903, artistsonsantafe.com. Downtown Fort Collins Holiday Lighting: Now through February 14: LED lights will be hung along College Avenue, the northern boundary of Laporte Avenue and continuing south to Magnolia Street. Trees will also be lit along Walnut Street, Linden Street, Pine Street, Old Town Square, Oak Street Plaza and Mountain Avenue; Old Town Square, free, fcgov.com. Holiday Lights Mini Golf: Now through January 5: A beautiful holiday-themed light display with over 100,000 interactive lights on all three courses, 5-9 p.m. nightly except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; free to $15.50 ($8 to $12 group of ten or more) at the gate only; Adventure Golf and Raceway, 9650 North Sheridan Boulevard, Westminster, 303-650-7587, adventuregolfand- raceway.com. KOSI’s Nonstop Christmas Music Programming: Thursday, November 14, 4-6 p.m.: Debuting with a free live broadcast from Moxie Denver Cherry Creek, 240 Josephine Street, with a visit by Santa and more family fun, broadcasts of classic and contemporary Christmas music continue through the holiday season on the radio at KOSI 101.1, on the KOSI 101.1 app or on your computer at www.kosi101. com. Santa’s Secret Speakeasy: Each day at this holiday pop- up bar, the drink menu will be decided by a coin flip: Will it be naughty or nice? Open 4-10 Tuesdays-Thursdays and 4-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays through December, Blind Tiger Lounge, 3040 Blake Street, drinkhoochbooch.com. Christmas in Color Drive-Through Animated Light Show: Drive through millions of lights perfectly synchro- nized to holiday music on your radio. November 15-Decem- ber 29 (select dates; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas), 5:30-10 p.m. nightly, $44.94-$58.36 per carload. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, 18300 West Alameda Parkway, Morrison; Water World, 8800 Pecos Street, Federal Heights; Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, 25690 East Quincy Avenue, Aurora, christmasincolor.net. Junior League of Denver 45th Annual Mile High Holiday Mart: Friday, November 15: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. VIP shopping, $40; 1-8 p.m. public shopping, $10. Saturday, November 16, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, November 17, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., $10. Get tickets in advance on website or at the door. Gates Field House, University of Denver, 2201 East Asbury Avenue, jld.org. Estes Park Catch the Glow Holiday Season: Saturday, November 18, through January 1: See Bond Park trans- formed into a winter wonderland with larger-than-life light displays and photo ops. Saturday, November 18, 5:30 p.m.: Tree-Lighting Ceremony, Bond Park, free. Saturday, Novem- ber 23, 5:30 p.m.: Catch the Glow Parade, downtown Estes, free. Estes Park, U.S. Highway 36, visitestespark.com. Blossoms of Light: Wednesday, November 20-January 12: A dazzling and ever-changing display of light and color at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 4:30-9 p.m. nightly, closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas, $18-$31 (free for children two and under); Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York Street, 720-865-3500, botanicgardens.org. Cherry Creek North Winter Wanderland 2024: One million twinkling lights, hundreds of shops and dining options, a traditional holiday market and a variety of festive seasonal activations. Thursday, November 21, 5-7 p.m.: Million Light Plug In, Fillmore Plaza, 105 Fillmore Street. Ongoing Holiday Events: Thursday, November 21, through Tuesday, December 24: Cherry Creek Holiday Market, Fillmore Plaza. Saturdays, December 7, 14, 21, 5-8 p.m.: Saturday Night Lights: A family-friendly night of music, dancing, activities and entertainment throughout Cherry Creek North. Sunday, December 29, times TBA: Chanukah Celebration: Join Chabad of Cherry Creek for face painting, fire juggling, treats and crafts, cherrycreeknorth.com. GloWING: November 21-December 8: Starry Night Produc- tions and Theatre Artibus present an all-ages holiday show about moths and the moon, with juggling, aerial dance and physical comedy; select dates, 7:30 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, $16-$50. Savoy Denver, 2700 Arapahoe Street, theartibus.wellattended.com. Meredith Willson’s Miracle on 34th Street: The Mu- sical: November 21-December 29: Filled with music and a spirit of hope, Miracle on 34th Street puts cynicism on trial and invites audience members of all ages to believe in San- ta Claus again. Preview: Thursday, November 21, 7:30 p.m., $27-$32; Denver Actors Fund night: Monday, December 16, 7:30 p.m., $22; regular run: Thursdays-Sundays, November 22-December 29, times vary; $36-$56. Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 Main Street, Littleton, townhallartscenter.org. 48th Annual L’Esprit de Noël Holiday Home Tour: Friday, November 22, and Saturday, November 23, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.: Five remarkable Crestmoor residences showcasing unique architectural features will be embellished with festive decor by some of the city’s most talented florists and table designers. Tickets $40-$50, proceeds benefit the Central City Opera, additional details TBA, lespritdenoel.org. Ballet Ariel: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe: November 22-24: Ballet based on the popular book by C.S. Lewis. Friday, November 22, 7 p.m.; Saturday, November 23, 2 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, November 24, 2 p.m., $24-$44, Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 South Allison Parkway, lakewood.showare.com. Friday, December 28, 2 and 7 p.m.; Saturday, December 29, 2 p.m., $20-$40, Parsons Theatre, 1 East Memorial, Parkway, Northglenn, balletariel.org. Mile High Holidays Drone Show: More than a dozen colorful Denver- and holiday-themed animated displays will light up the skies nightly, November 22-December 31. On three tribute nights, the Denver Broncos (12.2), Denver Nuggets (12.25) and Colorado Avalanche (12.31) will be highlighted. Presented by Visit Denver and Brightflights Drone Shows. Denver area, west of downtown, denver.org/ milehighholidays/drone-shows. Mile High Tree: The 110-foot Mile High Tree returns to Civic Center Park nightly, November 22-December 31. Dazzling outside lighting is choreographed to holiday music, while visitors can also go inside the tree for an immersive viewing experience. Civic Center Park, Broadway and Colfax Avenue, denver.org/milehighholidays/mile-high-tree. Christmas at Gaylord 2024: November 22-January 1: ICE! featuring The Polar Express™, $23.71 to $39.99; Cirque: Frost, $54.02-$55.10; Mistletoe Mile Scavenger Hunt, $13.05; and other holiday activities. Discounted ticket bundles available, times and prices vary, Gaylord Rockies, 6700 North Gaylord Rockies Boulevard, Aurora, 720-452- 6900, christmasatgaylordrockies.marriott.com. Murder Mystery Company Dinner Theater Shows: Follow the plot twists and figure out whodunit (you might even be a suspect!) while enjoying a three-course meal during Murder Mystery Company’s holiday events. November 22: Best Laid Plans; December 6 and 20: The Most Won- derful Crime of the Year; 7 p.m., $59, Old Spaghetti Factory, 9145 Sheridan Boulevard, murdermysteryco.com. Denver Center for the Performing Arts: Theatre Company: November 22-December 29: A Christmas Carol: A joyous and opulent musical adaptation for the whole family. Tuesdays through Sundays, no shows on Mondays and Thursdays, times vary, $$40.25 to $172.50, Wolf Theatre, Bonfils Theatre Complex. Broadway: Through May 4: Gutenberg! The Musical!: Two aspiring playwrights try to sell their script for a splashy musical about Johann Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press. Tuesdays through Sundays, times vary, $59.80, Garner Galleria Theatre. No- vember 29-December 1: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical, 7:30 p.m. (Friday); 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. (Saturday) and 3 p.m. (Sunday), $28.75-$97.75, Buell Theatre. December 6-8: Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis, 7 p.m. (Friday), 1 p.m. (Saturday) and 2 p.m. (Sunday), $51.75-$115, Buell Theatre. December 10-22: Funny Girl, $46-$155.25, Buell Theatre, 303-893-4100, denvercenter.org. Festival of Lights: Friday, November 22, 5-8 p.m.: A Love- land hometown tradition with live music and entertainment, a tree lighting ceremony, holiday market, carriage rides, holiday floats and Santa, free. Downtown Loveland, 228 East Fourth Street, downtownloveland.org. THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride: Select dates, November 22-January 4: The award-winning children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg comes alive during a festive vintage steam train ride; trains leave at 4:55, 6:30 and 8 p.m., $29-$83. Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, 479 Main Avenue, Durango, durangotrain.com. Little Women: November 23-December 22: Firehouse Theater Company presents Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Little Women, directed by Kate Poling; 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays, $32; industry night benefit performance for the Denver Actors Fund, Monday, December 9, 7:30 p.m., $20. John Hand Theater, 7653 East First Place, firehousetheatercompany. Winter Wonderlights: November 23-January 1, 5-9 p.m.: Nightly holiday light show illuminated with over 200,000 holiday lights set to music; special nights with live programming on Saturday, November 23, Friday, December 13, and Saturday, December 14, 4:30-8:30 p.m.; free. Chapungu Sculpture Park, 5995 Sky Pond Drive, Loveland, visitloveland.com. Downtown Boulder’s Switch on the Holidays: Sunday, November 24, 5-7 p.m.: Kick off the holiday season as the lights are illuminated along the Pearl Street Mall, Boulder Civic Area and around the Boulder County Courthouse, free. Pearl Street Mall, 1300 block, Boulder, boulderdowntown. com. Downtown Denver Ice Rink: November 24-February 2, hours vary. BYO skates or rent them, $8-$12. Downtown Denver Rink at Skyline Park, 16th and Arapahoe, winterin- denver.com/rink. Downtown Aquarium: November 28, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.(seat- ing every half hour): Thanksgiving Buffet, $20-$40, reserve at opentable.com; November 28, 6:30-7:30 p.m. (seating every half-hour): Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner, $15.99- $25.99, reserve at opentable.com; December 7-24, eight dates (seatings at 8:30 and 9:45, and 8:30, 9:45 and 11 a.m. on December 24: Breakfast With Santa, free to $31.11, reserve at eventbrite.com. Downtown Aquarium, 700 Water Street, aquariumrestaurants.com. NoCo Winter Wonderland: November 28-December 31: Fifteen-minute drive-through light show, Thursdays-Sun- days, 5-8:45 p.m., and nightly December 19-31, $25 per carload. Colorado Youth Outdoors, 4927 East County Road 36, Fort Collins, coloradoyo.org. Candlelight Walk: Friday, November 29, 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Stroll Main Street in Littleton as it transforms into a winter wonderland with carolers, dancing Christmas trees, hot cider and Santa’s reindeer; parade with drone show and Santa at 6:30 p.m., free. Main Street, Downtown Littleton, visitlittleton.org. Grand Illumination: Union Station’s annual tree-lighting ceremony will also include Santa and Mrs. Claus, the Denver Dolls, face painting, balloon artists, live music, hot chocolate, drink specials and more. Lighting ceremony begins at 6:10 p.m. Friday, November 29, 4-8 p.m., Denver Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop Street, denverunionstation. com. The Nutcracker, Colorado Springs: Friday, November 29, and Saturday, November 30, 2 and 7 p.m.; Sunday, Decem- ber 1, 2 p.m., with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and the University of Oklahoma School of Dance, $36 to $175 here. Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts, 190 South Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, csphilharmonic.org. St. Nick on the Bricks: Visit Santa on Friday, November 29, and Saturdays, November 30-December 14, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., free. 1300 Block Pearl Street Mall, Boulder, boulderdowntown.com. Black Nativity: November 29-December 29: A modern retelling of the traditional Nativity story from an African American perspective, using gospel music and African beats; Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2:30 p.m.; Industry Night Monday, December 9, 7:30 p.m., $17.56; regular tickets: $20-$38. Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton Street, Aurora, vintagetheatre.org. A Christmas Carol: November 29-December 29: A loyal and zany adaptation of the Dickens classic by Josh Hartwell: Wednesdays through Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., and Sundays, 2 p.m., $30 to $59. 1224 Washington Avenue, Golden, second floor, 303-935-3044, minersalley.com. Trail of Lights: Walk along a winding path glistening with lights that illuminate the Colorado countryside. Select dates, November 29-January 4, 5-8:30 p.m., $10-$18 (free for children two and under). Chatfield Farms, 8500 West Deer Creek Canyon Road, Littleton, 720-865-3500, botanicgardens.org. A Blue Violin Candlelight Christmas: Saturday, No- vember 30, 7 p.m.: An intimate performance of music and dance blending the voice of the violin with Christmas music. Saturday, November 30, 7 p.m., $15-$30. Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut Street, Boulder, thedairy.org. Colorado Ballet, The Nutcracker: November 30-De- cember 29: Full production featuring the company’s custom-made sets and costumes, select dates and varied times, $40-$15; Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Per- forming Arts Complex, 303-837-8888, coloradoballet.org. DECEMBER Zoo Lights: December 2-January 7: Denver’s favorite family-friendly holiday attraction, with three million lights sparkling over eighty acres, Sundays-Thursdays, 5-8 p.m., and Fridays-Saturdays, 5-9 p.m., tickets TBA. Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele Street, 720-337-1400, denverzoo.org. WinterFest 2024: December 5-7: Kick off the holidays with a tree-lighting ceremony, a horse-drawn carriage ride, San- ta’s Cottage, a historic cottage tour, a festive market, guided hikes and more. Thursday, December 5: LAPOMPE: A Very Django Holiday Show!, 8 p.m., Community House, $29.50. Friday, December 6: Jeff and Paige’s Holiday continued on page 26
