End the Holiday Season on a High Note!
January 2, 2020
The final weekend of the holiday break gives you one last chance to see any of the magnificent holiday attractions that you didn’t quite have time to fit in before. There are still lights up at Denver Botanic Gardens and Camp Christmas fills the time until school starts! In addition, there are many fun musicals and plays performing at nearby theatres, including one inspired by Jimmy Buffett’s music—Escape to Margaritaville.
TODAY/TONIGHT, January 2
LAST DAY FOR THE CAROUSEL
There’s still time to hop aboard the holiday carousel on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. Say goodbye to the winter holidays with a last look at the festive decorations and let the kids ride on the carousel now that the crowds have thinned. If you are shopping after-Christmas sales, some downtown stores provide a voucher for a free ride—ask about it!
Denver Pavilions, 16th and Glenarm, Denver
11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE to $3
Phone: 303-260-6000
Thursday-Friday, January 2-3
BOTANIC GARDENS LIGHTS
If you were just too busy before the holidays to make time to see the magnificent lights at Denver Botanic Gardens, there are still a couple of days to catch the display before they are history. Everyone in the family will enjoy this sparkling winter wonderland, including a 360-degree immersive light experience.
Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver
6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $18-$21
Phone: 720-865-3500
Thursday-Saturday, January 2-4
GUY CODE/GIRL CODE COMIC
Fans of MTV’s Guy Code/Girl Code already know Chris Distefano’s distinctive brand of humor, where he was a standout on the talking heads comedy show. He also starred in the IFC series Benders and served as a co-host of Netflix’s Ultimate Beastmaster. You may have caught him most recently in his first hour stand-up special, Chris Disefano: Size 38 Waist.
No matter where he appears, this New York-based actor and comedian is always an audience favorite.
Comedy Works, 1226 15th St., Denver
Thurs., 8:00 p.m.; Fri./Sat., 7:30 and 9:45 p.m.
Tickets: $18-$26
Phone: 303-595-3637
Thursday-Sunday, January 2-5
FINAL WEEKEND FOR CAMP CHRISTMAS
You may be ready for the holidays to be over, but a final lighthearted event will end the holiday season on a high note! Camp Christmas is the new and unique immersive event that gives you an historical perspective of all things Christmas—through a decidedly wacky lens.
The Hangar at Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Aurora
10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Tickets: $10 – $15
Phone: 303-893-4100
LACE UP THOSE SKATES AT SOUTHLANDS!
Everyone can benefit from an exhilarating lap around the ice rink—whether the kids need to expend some excess energy or you want to work off those holiday cookies, ice skating is a fun and healthy way to spend the afternoon or evening! It’s a great way to spend some quality time with friends and extended family!
The Pond Ice Rink at Southlands, 6155 S. Main St., Aurora
Thurs., 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.; Fri., 4:00 – 10:00 p.m.; Sat., 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.; Sun., 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $3.50 – $8.50
Phone: 303-627-5000
$1 KIDS ADMISSION AT THE AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM
Denver’s outstanding Air and Space Museum considers this weekend part of winter break—which means their special $1 admission for all kids is still on! This is a great opportunity to treat the whole family at the interactive museum of the future without maxing out your credit card!
Wings Over the Rockies, 7711 E. Academy Blvd., Denver
12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Tickets: $1 (Kids) – $16.95
Phone: 303-360-5360
GOODNIGHT, MOON
Every family who follows the sweet tradition of reading their children to sleep with this cherished children’s classic will delight in the stage version of the beloved story. This adaptation incorporates whimsical music and dance and picks up right as the clock is striking seven—Bunny’s bedtime.
Pre-K through 2nd graders will be especially mesmerized as all of the characters they know so well make an appearance on stage—kittens and mittens, bears and chairs, a red balloon, a quiet old lady saying “hush,” and of course, the beautiful moon!
Randy Weeks Conservatory Theatre, 1101 13th St., Denver
1:30 and 3:30 p.m.
Tickets: $16
Phone: 303-893-4100
ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE
More than just a musical tribute show with hits strung together and a bit of narrative, Escape to Margaritaville is a fully-formed Broadway musical that captures the characters and lay-back vibe created in Jimmy Buffett’s iconic songs.
Written by Emmy Award-winning writers and filled with the best-loved Jimmy Buffett classics, this feel-good musical was dubbed “a little slice of paradise” by USA Today. So escape from the winter weather for an evening in Margaritaville!
The Buell Theatre, 1350 Curtis St., Denver, CO 80204
Thurs./Fri./Sat./Sun., 7:30 p.m.; Sat./Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $35-$110
Phone: 303-893-4100
SHAKESPEARE IMPROVISED!
Shakespeare has never been funnier! With a brilliant strategy that makes 400-year-old plays absolutely relevant, The Improvised Shakespeare Company takes many of the elements of the Bard’s works and improvises a new show on stage right before your eyes! This talented troupe of comedians and Shakespeare actors take a mere suggestion from an audience member and create an improvised Shakespearean masterpiece on the spot!
Some recent show titles suggest the limitless range of where the show can go: Much Ado About What the F, Okay Boomer, The Grinch Meets Hamlet, and Twelfth Night Stand were some recent creations. Of course, you won’t know the title of upcoming shows—because they haven’t been invented yet!
Garner Galleria Theatre, 1101 13th St., Denver
Thurs./Fri./Sat./Sun., 7:30 p.m.; Sat./Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $42
Phone: 303-893-4100
Friday – Sunday, January 3-5
SYMPHONY PLAYS HARRY POTTER SCORE
More than a film screening or a symphony concert, this special event pairs up the movie and a live performance of the score—simultaneously. You’ll see the entire film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, the beginning of the epic finale of the series.
Experience the loss and the love of this series’ finish all over again as Harry and his friends rush to face the Dark Lord Voldemort for the last time. With the full film set to a live symphony orchestra, the final battle for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has never been so emotional.
Boettcher Concert Hall/DCPA, Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St., Denver
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15-$89
Phone: 303-623-7876
DRAMA ABOUT FROST AND NIXON
In a timely play about the aftermath of a presidential impeachment, this drama by the writer and creator of The Crown, pits a newly-resigned President Nixon against washed-up British talk show host David Frost. The result is a series of TV interviews in a showdown between two men trying to redeem their images. It quickly becomes clear that on television, image is king and only one will come out on top.
Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $32
Phone: 303-856-7830
Saturday, January 4
FREE DAY AT THE ART MUSEUM
Start the new year with a little culture! Everyone gets in free on this first Saturday of the month, and there will be special activities for kids as well as adults. Live artists will be stationed throughout the museum, doing demonstrations and answering questions about their work.
The kids will enjoy the hands-on art-making at Create-n-Take stations or may want to attend Cuentos del Arte, a bilingual storytelling program, at 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy., Denver
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 720-913-0130
Start 2020 in the Southshore!
Make 2020 the year you join the family-friendly community of Southshore! Enjoy Life at the Lake with plenty of cultural and entertainment activities in the surrounding area and find out why this amazing community feels away from it all, but still close to all you’d ever need! Check out the beautiful model homes from Richmond American Homes, Toll Brothers, and Century Communities, and picture yourself in your very own dream house! With ranch and two-story models available, new homes are priced from the upper $400s to the $700s.