5 Tips for Visiting Denver During the Summer of 2024 (from a Local)

36 Hours in Denver, Uncategorized, Visit Denver Michelle@SquareState
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One of the tasks that I do as part of growing the Square State Colorado website is reading other people’s posts about Denver and the state of Colorado. In doing that I’ve discovered that a lot of the content about my city is out-of-date. Seriously out-of-date and the tips were out of date or places shared were closed. That is why I make sure to share that the majority of the posts that I’m writing in 2024 clearly state that they’re being published this year. With that in mind, I have 5 tips for visiting Denver during the summer of 2024. I want you to have a great time while you’re here and I hope this is helpful.

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Cowtown Denver

5 Tips for Visiting Denver During the Summer of 2024

Cities are in a constant state of change. In 2024, Denver is experiencing an exponential amount of change related to growth, important infrastructure investments, developments and the ongoing impact of the COVID pandemic. With this reality in mind, I’m giving candid insight and recommendations that will assist you as you plan an upcoming visit to Denver. I start with a very important question that I share below.

Do I Recommend Visiting Denver in 2024

Yes, I absolutely recommend visiting this year. The annoyances that I mention in this post can be irritating vs. things that will break your entire visit experience. Every city has its irritating things and I’m sharing what we’re dealing with right now. Every year these irritations will change and this post is specific to 2024 and the tips shared will help you better manage those issues.

Tip #1-Set Aside Some Time to Research Your Trip

Post COVID, I think that it’s a best practice (regardless of location) to do some basic research. What things are people excited about, are there top lists being published about shared that have caught your eye?

Tip #2 What Type of Trip Are You Taking

Are you a solo woman traveler looking to leave your friends and family behind while you experience Denver? Or, are you heading into town because you’re attending a conference at the Colorado Convention Center? Are you looking to venture further into the state on a road trip? Start searching for posts and helpful videos that share some insight into how to plan for those experiences.

Tip #3-Anchor Your Trip Around a Unique Event

I often will plan a trip around a fun and unique experience happening in the place that I’m visiting. Anchor events could include (but aren’t limited to) the following:

  • Concerts-Traveling to a dreamed about location to attend a concert may be a great way to experience a new town. Many towns may have cheaper tickets than a city that is closer to you.

  • Sporting Events-Denver is a huge sports town with games/matches happening throughout the year. We have the following professional leagues located here:
    • National Football League
    • National Basketball Association
    • Major League Baseball
    • National Hockey League
    • National Premier Soccer League

  • Regional Festivals-If you get a chance to check my other posts you’ll probably notice that I mention Juneteenth quite a bit in my content. Why do I do that? Because Juneteenth is a uniquely special experience in this part of the United States. And because many people have no idea that Denver hosts one of the largest Juneteenth Observations/Celebrations in the United States.

Tip # 4-Cool Outdoor Experiences

When you think about Denver and the state of Colorado, fun is often synonymous with enjoying the outdoors in some way. But, if your unfamiliar with exploring the outdoors then I have some tips for you.

  • Book a Tour-Head out with an experienced outdoors guide.

  • Tagalong in a Community Event such as Meetup.com, Outdoor Afro and different outdoors outfitters around the state. For example: if you want to go rafting, you would always go with a rafting guide. Then there are activities that are closer to Denver.

Tip #5 Denver Currently has A LOT of Infrastructure Projects

Right now there is a ton of work being done on Denver’s infrastructure. There’s also ongoing work being done on Colorado’s highways across the state. This work could impact your experience of Denver in a few ways.

  • Denver International Airport-Right now there is some work being done on the airport. This is a multi-year project and I think this project is about halfway done. Just be aware that you may see some construction.

  • The 16th Street Mall Renovation-I have lost count of the number of posts that I’ve read that don’t mention this major project. Denver is changing how the walking mall is set up. This means that they’ve torn up the street and are doing a lot of work reinforcing the street. What does this mean? About half of the Mall is difficult to manuvere around. Anything WEST of the May D & F Clocktower is perfectly fine. But, there is about a 10 block area that’s has minimum shops and is under construction. Don’t worry, I have you covered. Here’s where to go and what to do on the 16th Street Mall.

  • Denver Union Station-This project should be completed no later than mid-June because it’s more of a remodel vs. an actual infrastructure project. I love hanging out in this space, but I don’t want you to be shocked if you head there and the main room is encased in a big white box. Seriously, that’s what happened the last time I was there.

  • The Light Rail-So….some of the light rail lines will be fixed over the summer. They’ve hit their 30 year date and need to be worked on. This will impact some of the routes and the majority of trains will now end at Denver’s Union Station. Definitely download RTD’s mobile app so that you have real time information on the routes, delays and other information that you may need.

What to Do in Downtown Denver

Before you leave this post, I did want to leave you with some ideas of fun things to do when you’re in downtown Denver.

You can also attend a concert, wander through different neighborhoods and eat your way through the different outdoors markets that Denver has around town.

Accurate Tips for Visiting Denver During the Summer of 2024

It has been so frustrating reading that people didn’t enjoy their trips to Denver on social media. I love my town and this state and it was clear that there were some issues with the information shared about my hometown. It’s my hope that these tips help you have a great time while you’re here and know what to anticipate.

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