Square State Colorado

21 Must Enjoy Denver Experiences in 2024

I can’t believe that I’m still finding so many articles and blog posts about Denver that are so out of date post COVID. And some of these articles were written recently. I’ve actually either participated in these events, know a person who has attended or hosted one of these experiences. While there have been a lot of experiences that didn’t survive post 2020, there are so many cool things happening in 2024. If you don’t live here it will be difficult to know what’s going on in Denver. That’s why there are so many articles that share the same things over and over again. We all know that we should go to the Denver Art Museum (I love that place). Here’s a list of must enjoy Denver experiences that should be on your list of things to do in 2024. Don’t laugh, the first three experiences are at the same venue.

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Cowtown Denver

21 Must Enjoy Denver Experiences

Summer is a few months away as I’m working on this list. My goal was to think of as many experiences as possible that could be enjoyed throughout most of the year. I do think that we’re pushing it with having Red Rocks available in November and April. Layer up, bring some hand and foot warmers and you’ll be prepared for a night on the Rocks. Not your thing? Don’t worry, I’m sure there’s something that you’ll find fun to do on this list of must enjoy Denver experiences. Many of these experiences and spaces have been around for awhile but I consider best kept secrets.

• Yoga on the Rocks–One of my all time favorite experiences is enjoying a yoga practice at Red Rocks. While the classes are a little early for me (I’m not a morning person) it’s so amazing to see thousands of other yogis practicing at the same time as the sun rises above the venue. Beautiful. Make sure to bring water with you, layers and look around your space to make sure there aren’t any food remnants around you from the night before. The smell will mess up your practice.

• Concert at Red Rocks-Some of my favorite concert experiences were at Red Rocks. It’s one of the most popular concert venues in the world and is definitely an incredible experience to have.

• Film on the Rocks-I don’t really go to the movie theater anymore. But, I do love going to Film on the Rocks. In fact, one of my favorite movie watching experiences was watching Black Panther with a sold out crowd of 9,000 other fans under an almost full moon. Incredible.

• Levitt Pavilion-Did you know that you can attend free or inexpensive concerts at the Levitt Pavilion?! This year I plan on seeing Common at The Drop’s annual Block Party for free. I’m so excited.

• Denver Cruiser Ride-It’s so awesome to have this long standing local event still happening. Especially after the disappointment of the Viva Streets Denver cancellation. Ride your bike through the streets of Denver with literally hundreds of other casual and serious bicyclists around town. Make sure to check out the ride’s theme so that you can wear a costume.

Have You Checked Out One of The Following Experiences Below?

• Five Points Jazz Festival-This event is so much fun. If you enjoy jazz, then you’ll love wandering up and down Five Points listening to jazz at the different stages at the event.

• Dragon Boat Festival-Without fail, the Dragon Boat is an amazing time and a really hot weekend. Bring plenty of cash so that you can eat your way through the different food vendor offerings. Slather yourself with a ton of sun block, wear a hat and have fun watching the different teams race against one another at Sloan’s Lake.

• Civic Center Eats-One of my favorite lunch experiences is Civic Center Eats. I love the different food trucks, the live music and the people watching. One of the best aspects of this experience is the EATS for All program that allows patrons to donate to a fund that pays for other patrons’ lunches. Patrons are then able to use a wooden chip to purchase a meal(contributor and recipients). My only suggestion would be to increase the meal amount to $20 dollars.

• Dance Class With Mile High Shufflers-I was lucky enough to take a Mile High Shuffler class at Meow Wolf and had an incredible time. I’m now hooked but waiting for the weather to warm up a little more before heading over to Cheeseman Park to participate in their weekly classes. You can find classes around town.

• Meow Wolf-This is one of my favorite venues in town. If you’re from Denver or looking to visit and aren’t sure what Meow Wolf is it’s an interactive art experience. You’ll need about 2 or 3 hours to enjoy it. Meow Wolf also has great local food offerings on site as well as a cocktail bar called Sips (With a Z)

Which One of These Experiences is Next on Your List?

• The Inventing Room for Desert-I have a friend who is obsessed, literally obsessed with the Inventing Room. In town the comparison is often made to Willy Wanka’s fantastical factory. If you love deserts and would like to have a whimsical experience at the same time-book a time to visit.

• High Tea at TeaLee’s-I love going for high tea a couple of times of year. There are a number of places in town to do this and I’ve enjoyed several of them. But, I feel like not enough people know that TeaLee’s offers a high tea service. Black owned and with a book space downstairs, it’s a lovely tea experience and the portions are generous. *You must book your high tea in advance which is the norm for all spaces hosting high teas*

• Take a Goat Yoga Class-Don’t laugh but for the longest time I wanted to take a goat yoga class. A couple of years ago I finally had the opportunity to take a class for $5 and it was so much fun! But, the goats are a little heavier than I thought they would be because they are yearlings. Also, they peed on a couple of people. But, if you’re looking to have a fun time taking an unexpected yoga class-I highly recommend.

• La Raza Park Day-One of my favorite events last year was La Raza Park Day. It was the 5th Annual Celebration last year and I took so many pictures of lowriders. My friends and I had a great time watching performances, talking to the vendors and trying to stay cool while drinking iced horchatas. I can’t wait to attend this year. I’ll be bringing more money this time.

• Watch the Night Lights Denver-Art projected on the Daniels and Fischer Tower downtown. This interactive art experience is so cool but so few people know about it because of the endless 16th Street Mall Construction Project. It’s definitely worth checking out and watching bundled up or during a warm evening. The Night Lights Denver shows are about 20 minutes a show.

Which Experience Below Is Next on Your List?

• Slam Nuba-If you’re a slam poetry fan you will love this space and experience. Be prepared to listen, learn, and feel every emotion. If you are open to content about the state of the world, the Black experience and more you will love this space.

• Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony at Whittier Cafe-I truly appreciate the fact that the Whittier Cafe shares the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony with the Denver community. As a huge coffee fan and lover of welcoming spaces, this is a wonderful experience to check out.

• Summer Sessions at Confluence Park-Located the equivalent of 3 blocks behind the Union Station complex, Confluence Park is a great place to enjoy live music.

• Denver Fringe Festival-I feel like many Denverites are still unaware of this festival and how cool it is. It’s heading into its 5th year and I think this is the year where it will really break through the noise that is Denver’s active festival season. Looking forward to hanging out at the Denver Fringe Festival this year.

• Hecho en Westwood-In my view, Hecho en Westwood is one of the best community spaces in Denver. What makes Hecho en Westwood (Made in Westwood) stand out is its programming and unapologetic focus on uplifting and supporting the Westside of Denver, Latinx entrepreneurs and culture. If you’ve never visited before I highly recommend heading over for the Cinco de Mayo festivities. Bring money so that you can eat, drink and shop from one or several of the many vendors that will be there.

• Attend an event at the Museum of Contemporary Art-We have such an amazing choice of museum to enjoy in town and the Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the museums that I love, love, love in town.

What Experiences Have You Added To Your List?

There are so many things to do in Denver that deciding what to do can feel pretty overwhelming. Think of this list as a starter’s guide to enjoying Denver the way that locals do. There are so many unique and fun experiences and spaces to enjoy that sometimes it’s hard to keep up with all of things happening in town. In fact, many Denverites have a hard time keeping track of all the fun happenings that are going on in town. What experiences made your list?