72 Hours Experiencing Black Denver (Summer 2025)

72 Hours in Denver, Uncategorized Michelle@SquareState
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Growing in Denver as a Black person means forever being asked the following question “There Black people in Denver?” At this point I just laugh it off and enjoy the exchange of comments, discussing how people perceive the city of Denver and sharing my experience growing up in Boulder and Denver. In the past 5 years, especially post pandemic, I’ve noticed an increasing interest in the Colorado and the various cities and towns across the state. I’ve also noticed an increase in African-American interest in visiting and potentially moving to the state of Colorado. To all of you willing to give us a chance “Welcome to Colorado” Just note that gentrification, cost of living and cross-state migration has changed the City and the experience that I had growing up in it. That said, I’m watching with interest as increasing numbers of Black visitors and potential future residents make their way here.

With that in mind, I thought I was share a couple of different itineraries to help visitors have a fun experiencing while in town-at the same time supporting as many Black businesses as possible.

* In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Please read my disclosure here.*

Book a Tour

Before I share the itinerary, I do recommend that you also make sure to book a tour while you’re here. There are so many places to visit such as Rocky Mountain National Park, Garden of the Gods and Red Rocks. If you’re not planning to rent a car, don’t feel like dealing with mountain driving conditions (a nightmare during the summer and winter) then I strongly encourage you to book a tour with Viator. Leave the driving and planning in their hands.

3 Days in Denver (Summer Edition)

For the sake of simplicity, I’ve designed a weekend trip starting on Friday and departing late Sunday evening.

Here are some of the initial logistics:

  • Arrive at Denver International Airport

  • Take the “Train to the Plane” from the Airport for $10.50 to downtown Denver’s Union Station. The train runs basically every 15 minutes baring a technical issue until about 8:00 pm and the every 1/2 hour until around 12:00 a.m. There’s security on the train. While the train is safe, I personally opt out of public transit in a town that’s new to me anytime after 9:00 pm.

  • Once you depart the train at Union Station you’ll be making your way to your hotel. I’m sharing a few options below.

  • How to get to your hotel-This depends on the time of day you arrive, how many you’re traveling with and how much luggage you’ve brought with you.
    • Walk-Depending on the hotel, it could be with walking distance of the sation.
    • Take the Free Mall Shuttle-It’s red and runs every 2 (ish) minutes up and down 16th Street
    • Regional Transit District (RTD) Bus-The bus terminal is directly adjacent to Union Station but is located underground. If you’re not sure, ask any of the helpful people inside Union Station. If it’s during regular business hours there’s a help desk typically on the left side of the Main Room in the Union Station terminal.
    • Bustang-If you’re opting to go directly to the mountains-Bustang is a fantastic option* (But, this post is about staying in Denver)
    • Book a Lyft-Passengers are picked up at the front of the building.

Where to Stay

Here are a few of my recommended properties to stay at while in town. I’ve picked these based on conversations with people who’ve stayed in the hotels, proximity to certain things, amenities and access to transit. I recommend all 3 of our hostels and have listed them below.

Hotels with an asterisk indicates a hotel located in the Cherry Creek North district. This district is about 12 minutes away from downtown by bus or car and includes the Cherry Creek Mall, lots of restaurants and shops.

Friday

Now that you’ve freshened up and dropped off your luggage, it’s time to have a nice evening. Here are some suggestions of fun things to do during the summer.

  • First Friday of the Month-Head over to the Santa Fe District and check out the art, food and more. This happens once a month and my favorite “First Friday” happens in August. That’s typically when they shut down the street to traffic. You’ll spend at least 3 hours there if you enjoy art, food, music and people watching.
    • Friday, August 1st, 2025 is the Car-Free First Friday. Looking forward to attending!

  • Dinner at “Le French“-Great food and a beautiful restaurant. You can dress up or not-Either way, you’ll enjoy the experience.

Saturday

Head over to Mo’Betta Green Farmers Market and pick up a fresh juice. It’s a tiny market that packs a big punch. But, it’s located by several Black Denver experiences and spaces that I hope you get a chance to check out.

  • Blair-Caldwell Library-The Mo’Betta Green Farmers Market is right next to the library. If you want a visual history of Black Denver head up to the Third Floor to get a better feel for our history and the people who made Black Denver what it was and is today. For me, it was a very emotional experience (because I’m from Denver and remember a number of the people and moments shown) but I think it’s an important space to check out. This library is also an archive of Black history and must be protected.
    • Can’t go to the Mo’Betta Green Market? They host a Community Farm Dinner on most Saturday evenings. Check their Facebook page to find out when they’re hosting the next dinner.

  • Grab a coffee at Fifth Coffee House Denver-My favorite summer drink was the “Blacker the Berry” IYKYK. Delicious, great people, fun atmosphere and a free Ms. Pacman arcade game that you can play while there.

A List of Different Things to Do….

There are so many things to do on a Saturday during the summer that I thought I would share a list of fun things to do during the day.

  • An Early morning Experience–Yoga on the Rocks at Red Rocks-this starts at 7:00 am and you would need a car to get to it. Ideally, you would arrive no later than 6:45 am to set up your mat.

  • Head to the Mountains for a Day (At a cooler altitude)-You can book a tour or take the Bustang to one of the many mountain towns that are “close” to town.

  • Visit Colorado Mills Outlet Mall and go to Prismatic-Similar to Meow Wolf

Night Time Shenanigans

Denver has a fun night life, but it’s not a club heavy town. If you’re looking for that I would recommend Las Vegas, Atlanta and any other city that is larger than Denver. Focus on finding unique events and local spaces.

I’ve shared a few below.

  • Spangalang Brewery–If you love beer, music and great people, Spangalang is the place for you.
  • Community Keis-This wonderful woman has been curating a weekly feed of fun things to do each weekend in Denver called “Black Spaces in Denver“ I strongly recommend reviewing that feed before you arrive in town.

Sunday

There’s so much to do on a Sunday, but I feel like we need to start with a great meal.

Things to Do

Sundays in Denver during the summer are filled with festivals, farmers markets and a number of other activities. It’s very easy to have choose from several different options on the same day. Below is a started list to consider.

  • Watch a baseball game at Coors Field-Great venue and it’s wonderful for fans of the opposing team.

  • Enjoy a free movie at McGregor Square-This continues to be one of my favorite new developments in town.

  • Savor Ethiopian food at Denver Milk Market-I was so excited when Konjo opened up a location downtown.

  • Book a ResortPass experience
    • Soak in the hot tub
    • Go swimming at the rooftop pool
    • Get a workout in

Vibes in the Park

Good energy only. If you’re lucky enough to be in town for a Vibes in the Park event, I strongly recommend that you attend. These events run from 3:00 pm until 7:00 pm

  • July 20th

  • August 24th

  • September 21st

Jazz in the Park

Every Sunday evening, Denverites converge at City Park for an evening of free music. Bring some food, a blanket and good vibes. This event is hosted every Sunday evening until August 3, 2025 for this season.

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