When the pools around town close for the summer, and the lifeguard whistles stop tweeting across the warm air, most of us in Colorado put thoughts of swimming to rest. Our eyes and hearts shift quickly from the pool to the slow build-up of snow on the mountains to our west. We hit the ski […]

1 Parade of Lights The second night of the annual holiday tradition gets underway at 6 p.m. The two-mile parade starts on Bannock Street at 14th Avenue in front of Civic Center Park and the City and County Building in downtown Denver. Free, grandstand tickets available. denverparadeoflights.com 2 Jefferson Symphony Orchestra Soprano Judy Shay Burns […]

As the temperatures drop, the humidity in the air crystallizes, making winter the perfect time for stargazing. Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre has wide, terraced stairs where you can just sit or spread a blanket. Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park have several stargazing areas. The Rocky Mountain Nature Association offers Trek Adventures at […]

We can’t guarantee geese a-laying or swans a-swimming, but whether you’ve been naughty or nice this year (see No. 1), you deserve a little holiday fun. There’s a lot to do in and around Denver. So here’s our 12 days of Christmas. 1. Say “hi” to the big guy What’s Christmas without Santa Claus? Everyone’s […]

One of my favorite things about living in Colorado is the ability we have to drive less than hour away from the crowded suburbs and insert ourselves into an entirely different landscape. For my family, the start of autumn is ushered in with mountain drives to enjoy the beautiful foliage and trips to the local […]

She wasn’t there, but Maureen Keilty still shudders when she thinks about the terrified youngsters being dragged up Mount Sherman as a storm approached. “It just haunts me,” Keilty says. “This mom called me out of the blue to tell me about it. These kids were crying, and the mom asked the adults, ‘What’s going […]

It’s that time again, Colorado. Dig to the bottom of the drawer, pull out your favorite piece of Lycra, and pray that your birthday suit still fits into your bathing suit. We’ve rounded up a sampling of some of the best outdoor pools in the metro area for your enjoyment. So go ahead. Grab your […]

The still-new History Colorado Center showcases the old-fashioned and the ancient — artifacts and archives representing 1,200 years of regional human presence, ranging from American Indian tribes to the Denver Broncos Barrel Man. The History Colorado Center joins a sprawling constellation of brilliant museums in and around Denver. And while it’s the newest kid on […]

Parks are at once places of great nostalgia and new discoveries. I set out to visit 30 different parks in 30 days, and the odyssey took me from Aurora to Westminster to Lakewood to Dillon. Mostly I explored my hometown of Denver, where I learned that the parks system, at 138 years old, is made […]

Updated March 2021. Hiking with your little ones is a great way to spend the day close to home while enjoying the special outdoor spaces unique to the Front Range. Here are the favorite hikes of the Colorado Mountain Mamas, a hiking club for moms with babies newborn to 5 years. Do you want to […]