Why Denver, Colorado is a Great Summer Vacation
Picking a summer vacation destination can feel so overwhelming especially if you don’t have a lot of time off during the summer. Or, maybe you do get a lot of time off and are trying to figure out a new to you stateside trip. Denver and the state of Colorado is a great place to start your summer travels especially if you’ve never visited before. If you’re local to Colorado and would like to rediscover Denver (especially post COVID) I’m sharing tips, context about the City and what to expect while you’re here. If you’re wondering why Denver, Colorado is a great summer vacation there are so many reasons and I’m going to share several of those reasons below.
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Cowtown Denver
10 Tips on How to Enjoy Denver
Every city has its own vibe and way of experiencing and exploring it. I wish that more people would share context about their towns so that people visiting would be able to better navigate their cities. I’m sharing my top tips below.
- You experience Denver vs. Visit Denver-You’re going to participate in a lot of activities vs. roaming up and down 16th Street Mall the entire time you’re in town. Give it a couple of hours and head over to other fun things to do.
- Attend an event-There’s so much to do in Denver that I actually find it really overwhelming to choose what I’m going to do-especially during the summer.
- Patios are everywhere-Denver has a phenomenal patio scene and residents enjoy them all year long (for those of you wondering about the weather-it’s nicer than you think)
- The live music scene-There is so much live music here that Denver rivals other live music scenes found across the United States. And you can see a lot of this music for free. There are so many venues to choose from and concerts that are heading into town this summer (2024) Some shows to check out.
- Black Pumas
- Janet Jackson
- Jennifer Lopez
- Olivia Rodrigo
- Peso Pluma
- Damian Marley and Stephen Marley with The Colorado Symphony
- Nas with The Colorado Symphony
- The Rolling Stones
- Kenny Chesney
- Foo Fighters
- The String Cheese Incident
- Reggae on the Rocks
- Head to the mountains-Denverites enjoy heading to the mountains similar to folks who live near the beach. If you have access to a car or public transit such as Bustang-you’ll often find us exploring nature or hanging out in one of the many beautiful mountain towns found in our state. It’s my view that any trip longer than 3 days to Denver should include a visit to the mountains.
- Enjoy a farmers market-We have a ridiculous number of farmers markets and each one is different from the others.
- City Park Farmers Market-This was my pick for best Denver farmers market in 2023.
- Mo’Betta Greens-This market is a hidden gift that I wish more people knew about. It’s Black-owned and was the only market that I visited last year with African food and a regular dj.
- The Highlands Farmers Market-I really enjoyed this market and I plan on visiting it more in 2024. What I especially appreciated was the layout and how easy it was for shoppers to walk up and down the market. Great food too.
- Cherry Creek Farmers Market- In 2023 I found that the Cherry Creek Farmers Market made some impactful pivots that made it a must visit market. I loved the emphasis on retail vendors. And it was the only market with Mexican hot dogs and agua frescas. WIN.
- South Pearl Street-This market is insanely busy. But, I still really love it. Bring patience, arrive early and make sure that you set aside time to wander up and down the market.
- Wander around and enjoy street art that you’ll find everywhere
- Explore unique community spaces
- Participate in fun activities that are only available during the summer
Denver’s Summer Weather
While I think that June is the best month to visit Denver during the summer, the weather can be all over the place. The weather can range from really warm, sunny, cloudy, snow (yes, snow) and rain all in the same week. Basically, the weather during the month of June can be incredibly unpredictable.
July and August are endlessly sunny and hot days. While Denver does get into the 100’s, it’s not often that this happens and honestly-the weather is pretty amazing during those months. It doesn’t rain as much as we would like or need it to, but it’s an incredibly beautiful time of year. What may surprise people is that peak wildflower season occurs in the mountains during the months of July and August. null
Book That Plane Ticket
The state of Colorado is an incredibly popular summer vacation destination. Once you decide to visit, book your plane tickets as quickly as you can. Summer travel to and through Denver International Airport stays booked and busy.
Denver International Airport also happens to be the third busiest airport in the world. Keep this in mind as you’re making your way through it. There’s still a lot of construction projects happening in the airport so do plan for that as well.
There is a train from the airport that terminates at downtown Denver’s Union Station which is in the heart of downtown. It costs $10.50 and takes 37 minutes to reach downtown Denver. It’s the only way I travel to and from the airport these days.
A Tour is Non-Negotiable
If you’re visiting Denver from out of town, or maybe you’re a car-free Coloradan looking to explore the state-book a tour. Some important things to keep in mind. Summer tours sell out FAST. Make sure to book your tour ASAP. If you’re looking for a more curated Denver experience, want to avoid mountain driving or are enjoying a solo travel experience a tour is a great way to enjoy Denver and the rest of the state.
I do wish that there was a “mocktail” curated experience and I’m researching if that exists and will share it if it does.
Downtown Denver’s 16th Street Mall (Context)
If you’re visiting Denver anytime in 2024-you’re going to discover that the 16th Street Mall is under construction. Sadly for you (and for us) the project will be completed at the end of 2024. Typically, it’s a bustling area that you can walk up and down and enjoy or take the free mall shuttle to where you would like to visit. The construction project and COVID has impacted downtown.
What does this mean for your trip?
- If you’re planning on walking up and down the 16th Street Mall it’s going to be challenging. Especially if that’s the only activity that you have planned. BUT, there are businesses open and wanting/needing you to visit them. Please support them.
- You’ll have to be a little more intentional about what you’re doing downtown.
- Yes, there are plenty of activities to enjoy in downtown Denver. Here are a few to check out.
- Meow Wolf Denver
- Five Points/Rino Neighborhoods
- Museum of Illusions (1 hour of fun)
- Museum for Black Girls
- Civic Center Eats (I love this event so much)
- Flight Club (darts bar)
- McGregor Square
- Dairy Block and Denver Milk Market
- Watch a baseball game at Coors Field
- Relax at Confluence Park
- People watch (in a non-creepy way) at Union Station
- Watch the Night Lights Denver display on the Clocktower (I love this video display)
- Anything west (facing the mountains) of the Clocktower is fairly undisturbed by the construction.
There is still a lot to do downtown. Don’t listen to your suburban friends who were rightfully traumatized by their downtown Denver experiences during COVID and never returned. While I totally understand why that happened, it’s now 2024 and beyond. I’m especially excited to see what happens in 2025 after the construction is completed.
Where to Stay
There are a ton of hotels, a tiny number of hostels and other spaces that you can stay in while visiting town. I’ve shared a few of my favorite spots to recommend based on proximity to transit, amenities, comfort and general aesthetic (look and vibes) of the accommodation.
What to Do in Denver When Visiting During the Summer
One of my favorite things about summer in Denver is that there is so much to do. In fact, it can often feel very overwhelming trying to decide what I want to do especially if there are multiple fun events happening on the same day. We have an endless number of live music, head to professional soccer/baseball games, festivals, markets, free things to do and outdoor activities to enjoy throughout the summer. There are two things that slow down during the summer-theater and dance focused events. With that in mind, I’m sharing a short-list of fun events that you can enjoy while in town.
What to Do in June
It’s my view that June is the best month to visit Denver during the summer. There’s just so many activities and events to choose from that it’s really overwhelming. The one wild thing about hosting this many events in June in Denver is that the weather can be tricky. Layer up, plan for the possibility of rain, snow (it melts the same day) hail or extreme heat and start planning your June shenanigans. Despite the weather, what happens in June is why I make the argument about why Denver, Colorado is a great summer vacation. Here’s the list of events happening this year. I’m sure there will be more events announced as we get closer to summer.
- Denver Day of Rock-I’ve worked this event several times and it’s so much fun.
- Juneteenth-I bet it would shock you to learn that Denver’s Juneteenth celebration is one of the largest, if not the largest, Juneteenth’s in the United States. Why? We’re close to Texas and are divided by that no man’s land area of Oklahoma.
- Five Points Jazz Festival
- Denver Pridefest
- Denver Greek Festival
- Cherry Blossom Festival
- Yoga on the Rocks-I love this experience so much!
- Movies on the Rocks
June is so much fun. But you do have to be prepared for cooler weather than you would want during summer.
What to Do in July
- 4th of July Events
- FanExpo Denver
- Cherry Creek Arts Festival
- Black Arts Festival
- Underground Music Festival
- Denver Dragon Boat Festival
What to Do in August
Things start to slow down a little bit during August as things get hotter, families are preparing for Back to School and the summer travel season winds down. There are still a lot of things to do.
- Taste of Ethiopia
- Broncos Pre-Season Games
- Car Free First Friday on Santa Fe
- La Raza Park Day
- Denver Go Topless Day (wut)
- Colorado Dashiki Festival
Why Denver, Colorado is a Great Summer Vacation
If you’re looking for a fun, accessible and active summer vacation add Denver, Colorado to your list. There’s a wide variety of activities to enjoy while you’re here. Denver is also a great launching point for those of you looking to do a road trip around the state or other spots in the Rocky Mountain West. Bring your patience, do your research and welcome to Denver.
[…] and unexpected event that you’d like to attend. Trips to Denver are always unpredictable. Summer trips to Denver can be even more unpredictable. I haven’t even mentioned the fact that it can snow in […]
[…] July and August are amazing too but the weather gets pretty hot so keep that in mind. Denver is a fantastic city for summer travel and it’s a great starting point for a road trip to other parts of the state or other […]