When Camp Christmas took a year off from Denver in 2024 — having pulled up its candy-cane stakes and moved to Dallas — creator Lonnie Hanzon’s influential holiday show left a lot of good cheer in its wake.
That’s because the kitschy, maximalist (and, yes, immersive) installation was something special, artfully collecting decades of pop-culture ephemera while finding a balance of spectacle and sentiment. That tone, while not unique, is still present at events both traditional and innovative.
Good news: Camp Christmas is back in a big way for 2025, with an expanded footprint over its previous incarnations at Aurora’s Stanley Market place. That includes a trio of themed bars, scavenger hunt, free Santa visits, shorter “Express” version of the tour, and of course, countless baubles and lights.
The all-ages installation runs Nov. 14-Dec. 24, with $10 tickets only available in person at 2501 Dallas St. in Aurora (see stanleymarketplace.com for additional information).
Here are more spectacle- and performance-driven holiday activities and installations in the metro area that are worth checking out, including annual lighting displays and downtown’s biggest parade.
Ellie Kummer, 4, sits on the shoulder of her mother Laura Sparks as they walk through the decorated displays of light at the annual Blossoms of Light at the Denver Botanic Gardens in Denver on Dec. 11, 2024. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)
The glittering life
Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance’s Zoo Lights returns Nov. 24-Jan. 4, 2026, featuring 3 million lights across 80 acres that bring animals and various animated holiday scenes to life — and includes carousel rides and tasty adult drinks. There’s also a Nov. 23 adult night that includes one free drink (5-9 p.m.). Call 720-337-1400 or visit denverzoo.org/events/zoo-lights.
The wildly popular Blossoms of Light display at Denver Botanic Gardens’ York Street location, which winds through a mile of the tightly packed urban garden, includes tens of thousands of glittering LED lights, special drinks and more in a cozy outdoor setting.
It runs Nov. 21-Jan. 11, 2026 (closed Nov. 27 and Dec. 25) from 4:30 to 9 p.m. nightly at 1007 York St. in Denver. Call 720-865-3500 or visit botanicgardens.org/events for more details — including information on Chatfield Farms‘ Trail of Lights, which runs now through Jan. 4, 2026.
Finally, if it’s a huge parade you want, check out the 9News Parade of Lights, which returns for its 51st year at 6 p.m. on Dec. 6, launching from 14th and Bannock streets with 40 or so floats (including Santa!) and winding 2 miles through downtown Denver. It’s free to attend. winterindenver.com/parade
Holiday song and dance
Saturday-Sunday. If it’s non-traditional spectacle you want, check out one of the musical extravaganzas from Trans-Siberian Orchestra, whose touring shows always hit the Front Range during the holidays. It’s returning for another all-hands-on-deck Christmas show, “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO & More,” featuring “a second set of hits and fan favorites, including a 25th anniversary salute to Beethoven’s Last Night,” producers said. It runs at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 at Ball Arena in Denver, and the same times on Nov. 16 at Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs. trans-siberian.com
The 34th year of “Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum” will feature globe-spanning music, dance and spoken-word performances that the acclaimed Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and its partners are known for, with new tales and twists. If you haven’t seen this multicultural pageant, you’re missing an honest-to-God Denver tradition. The 130-minute performance at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theatre returns Dec. 2-21, with a Spanish-language show and on-demand streaming through the first week of January 2026. Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theatre, 119 Park Ave. West in Denver. All ages. cleoparkerrobinsondance.org
Tis the final season for the Denver tradition known as “Santa’s Big Red Sack,” which is back with “nonstop sketch comedy, music and technology bursting at the seams,” according to producers. It’s celebrating its 23rd year of offensive glee, so buy a shot to celebrate. (Note: This is not, as you may have already guessed, a kid’s show.) Dec. 4-Dec. 24 at The People’s Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave. in Aurora. thepeoplesbuilding.com/tickets
Denver Gay Men’s Chorus has a great holiday show this year named “My Favorite Queens,” a playful nod to “My Favorite Things,” according to the nonprofit chorus. The show, which runs select dates Dec. 5-14 in Boulder, Denver and Highlands Ranch, is “a celebration of holiday traditions shared with those we hold dear. From beloved movie classics and dazzling stage favorites to heartwarming carols, this concert captures the magic of the season through the songs that shape our memories.” denverchoruses.org
Motones & Jerseys, the creators of the 1960s-themed “Holiday Hi-Fi” show, are returning to Northglenn’s Parsons Theatre with this variety production, which features “an array of musical performances, ranging from classic Christmas carols to modern pop hits, and side-splitting comedy. Santa’s mischievous elves and other special guests ensure that there’s never a dull moment.” Dec. 14-15 at 1 E. Memorial Parkway in Northglenn. Tickets: $24-$32. northglennarts.org.
Run and play
The sprawling Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, just south of Denver International Airport, this year presents the “ICE! Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” installation, where “two million pounds of ice will re-create the classic holiday story in Colorado’s largest indoor frozen attraction,” producers said. The hotel also offers Candy Cane Mountain Indoor Snow Tubing, Gumdrop Gliders Ice Puck Challenge and Feast with the Grinch, a character dining experience. Nov. 24-Jan. 2, 2026. christmasatgaylordrockies.com
Heading downtown? Be sure to swing by the Mile High Tree, the holiday behemoth with 60,000 LED lights that undulate and flash based on the holiday music being played. This year, it moves from Civic Center park to the Tivoli Quad on Auraria Campus, Nov. 21-Dec. 31. It’s free to check out and walk through. denver.org/milehighholidays
Four hundred drones will take to the sky to entertain holiday revelers, also running Nov. 21-Dec. 31, with 7 p.m. shows in downtown Denver across 41 nights. Best views for the free public show are from the Tivoli Quad, Sculpture Park at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 54thirty Rooftop at the Le Méridien, and Peaks Lounge at Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center. denver.org/milehighholidays/drone-shows