Denver Special Events

     Denver kicks off the year in romping, stomping Old West style at the National Western Stock Show, Rodeo and Horse Show for 2 weeks in January. Amateur and professional rodeos and livestock demonstrations take place at this event, one of the world's largest in this category. A petting farm, children's activities and a barn tour add to the down-home fun.
     Some 70 tribes honor their legacy at the Denver March Powwow, reputedly the nation's largest and most diversified American Indian gathering. Jingling bells, beating drums and sweet herbal scents permeate the air of the Denver Coliseum, site of this colorful 3-day gathering. Enjoy tribal storytelling, singing and dancing, along with the opportunity to browse arts and crafts booths and sample Fry Bread, a traditional treat.
     In late May, Denver pays tribute to its Chicano heritage and to Mexican culture at the Cinco de Mayo Festival. Civic Center Park comes alive with the rhythm of mariachi and salsa music, supplemented by parades, storytelling and dancing. Food and crafts round out the 2-day celebration, which draws a half million folks. Soon after, Civic Center Park also hosts the Capitol Hill People's Fair during the first weekend in June. Subject matter ranging from politics and technology to herbal products makes for an interesting mix at this somewhat eclectic neighborhood fest. If face painting, massages, philosophical discussion and New Age pursuits aren't your thing, wander over to one of the several musical venues, ethnic food stands or more than 500 art displays.
     Cherry Creek Arts Festival, with some 200 booths adorned with quality arts and crafts, occurs during Fourth of July weekend. When you're not appreciating the goods, savor the entertainment on three performance stages or simply indulge in first-rate people watching. The second weekend of July brings the Denver Black Arts Festival to Sonny Lawson Field. Dance troupes, a parade, and drum and drill teams entertain visitors, while museum, cultural and gallery exhibits serve to educate. A visual arts pavilion presents works created by African-Americans, including sculpture, painting and photography.
     Labor Day weekend means it's time for The Festival of Mountain and Plain: A Taste of Colorado. More than 400,000 flock to Civic Center Park to honor the region's diverse cultural and Western heritage. This 4-day extravaganza includes culinary delights from local restaurants, top-name musical entertainment, an arts and crafts marketplace and a kiddie carnival. onsidered "the Napa Valley of beer" by connoisseurs, Denver upholds that distinction by hosting the Great American Beer Festival in late September. Brew lovers from throughout the world travel to the 3-day spectacle at the Colorado Convention Center, where roughly 1,400 American beers are on the sampling roster.
     Denverites celebrate the holiday season from late November until it's time to ring in the New Year during Downtown Denver for the Holidays. Festivities, which take place in a variety of locations, include fireworks, visits with Santa, sparkling light displays, the Christkindlmarket and Winterfest. Area shops and restaurants, decorated in seasonal finery, add to the merriment by inspiring holiday shoppers.

Performing Arts
     The Denver Performing Arts Complex, occupying four blocks at Curtis and 14th streets, is the second largest performing arts center in the nation: its 10 performance venues seat a total of more than 10,000 people. During the main concert season from October through May, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra usually performs weekly in the Boettcher Concert Hall; Opera Colorado and the Colorado Ballet perform in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.
     The Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre features Broadway productions and ballet. The Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex hosts the Denver Center Theatre Company. The 12-acre complex also includes the Galleria Theater.
     Free band concerts are held in various city parks during July and August. Coors Amphitheater in Greenwood Village, south of Denver, also has a summer concert series. A little farther out near Morrison, the natural amphitheater in Red Rocks Park and Visitor Center offers summer musical entertainment. Farther yet, the mining town of Central City attracts visitors to its Opera Festival late June through early August.
     Family entertainment can be found at the Joseph B. Gould Family Paramount Theatre. If you prefer drama or comedy while dining, try a dinner theater. Country Dinner Playhouse in the southeast metropolitan area presents the "Barnstormers" musical revue before its main feature. Heritage Square Music Hall presents melodramas and other entertainment of the vaudeville era.

Denver Shopping
     Shopping in the downtown area centers on the 16th Street Mall. This extends from Broadway to Wynkoop Street and includes the side streets in between. The mall comprises art galleries, gift shops, boutiques and varied specialty shops. The 16th Street Mall has free shuttle service; no cars are permitted. The Tabor Center, on the Mall at Lawrence Street, is a two-block glass-enclosed galleria showcasing more than 50 shops and restaurants.
     Larimer Square, in the 1400 block of Larimer Street, has restored buildings of Civil War vintage that offer entertainment, dining and shopping. Adjacent is the Historic Lower Downtown District, known locally as LoDo; renovated warehouses and buildings now contain antique shops, galleries, restaurants, offices and nightspots.
     Denver has a dozen major suburban shopping centers; most are open Mon.-Sat. 10-9 and Sun. noon-5. Among the larger and more varied are Aurora Mall, I-225 and Alameda Avenue; Buckingham Square Center, S. Havana Street and Mississippi Avenue in Aurora; Cherry Creek Shopping Center, E. 1st Avenue and University Boulevard in south Denver; Northglenn Mall, 104th Avenue and Valley Highway N.; and Park Meadows, on I-25 between SR 470 and County Line Road, south of Denver in Littleton.
     Other major shopping areas include Southglenn Mall, Arapahoe Road and University Boulevard; Southwest Plaza, Bowles Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard; Flatiron Crossing, US 36 and Interlocken; and Colorado Mills, at Colfax and Indiana near I-70.