Black Meetings & Tourism - Denver Gearing Up For The Most Exciting Memorial Day Weekend In The Cit'y History

Industry Briefs
Denver Gearing Up For The Most Exciting Memorial Day Weekend In The Cit'y History
Denver will offer the largest and most fun collection of Memorial Day events in memory with a wide assortment of happenings ranging from rock concerts to art festivals, from baseball to Batman. "The scheduling this year has created a 'perfect storm' of events, so in downtown we will have Denver Day of Rock with 25 bands, thousands of people in costumes for Denver Comic Con, a Rockies home stand and two art festivals, all at the same time," said Richard Scharf, president of VISIT DENVER, the Convention & Visitors Bureau. Many of the events are free. "Downtown will be packed with food trucks, free music, art displays, and very colorful crowds, all blending with the normal offerings of museums, 70 outdoor cafes and rooftop bars, breweries, shops and professional sports," Scharf said. He noted that there are a myriad of other activities happening all over the city this weekend. All of the activities are listed at visitdenver.com. DOWNTOWN DENVER EVENTS: Denver Day of Rock WHEN: May 23 WHERE: Downtown Denver with 5 stages along the 16th Street Mall COST: Free Denver's largest block party kicks off for its seventh year with 25 bands performing on five stages, all for free during Denver Day of Rock. Mat Kearney will headline the event, with additional performances by The Kin, Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, Lost Bayou Ramblers, The Noms, and many more. Food trucks and a beer garden will be set up along Arapahoe Street from 2:30 to 9:30 p.m. Denver Day of Rock is a fundraising event for Amp the Cause, a Denver-based, non-profit organization that raises funds for more than 50 children's charities. Denver Comic Con WHEN: May 23-25 WHERE: Colorado Convention Center Denver Comic Con is Colorado's largest pop-culture fan experience with thousands of fans getting into the spirit of the event by donning costumes of their favorite heroes and villains. Expect to see Catwoman walking with Wookiees and Game of Thrones characters mixing with Klingons. The 3-day event fills the Colorado Convention Center with the best in popular television shows, movies, Japanese animation, cosplay, panel presentations, toys, gaming, sci-fi/fantasy, and of course... comic books. Even without tickets, the area in front of the convention center along 14th Street will be filled with colorful characters willing to pose for photos. ArtStir Denver WHEN: May 23-24 WHERE: Denver Pavilions on the 16th Street Mall COST: Free One of two downtown arts festivals, ArtStir Denver is a creative art outdoor marketplace exclusively showcasing Colorado Artists. The event features Colorado art, music and style in all mediums, including paint, sculpture, photography, drawings, textiles, furnishings and mixed media. Discover the artist in yourself at this artistic free event. Downtown Denver Arts Festival WHEN: May 22-24 WHERE: Denver Performing Arts Complex COST: Free Another free outdoor arts festival will be staged all Memorial Day Weekend at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, where you can mix and mingle with thousands of fellow art lovers at the Downtown Denver Arts Festival. The event features more than 150 of Colorado's best artists. Recent festivals have attracted more than 150,000 people, who supported Colorado's creative community by purchasing more than $500,000 worth of art. Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants WHEN: May 22-24 WHERE: Coors Field COST: Varies Watch the Colorado Rockies battle the San Francisco Giants during a three-game home stand. There will be special promotions for each game at Coors Field during Memorial Day Weekend. *Diamonds in the Daytime* WHEN: Through Aug 30 WHERE: Molly Brown House Museum Margaret "Molly" Brown was both a witness to, and agent, of the great changes during her life and became a fashion icon in her own right. Diamonds in the Daytime at the Molly Brown House Museum explores shifting fashion modes as a reflection of social change as America moved through the Gilded Age and into the Great Depression. The Big Wonderful WHEN: May 23 WHERE: 2500 Lawrence St. This is a fun and lively outdoor sustainable market that blends food and a flea market with entertainment. The Big Wonderful features a large, outdoor craft beer and cocktail garden built out of storage containers, beach volleyball, an urban farm, full entertainment stage and much more. This is built for the whole family, and cool enough for everyone. EVENTS THROUGHOUT DENVER: *Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids* WHEN: Through September 7 WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science For thousands of years, humans have brought mythic creatures to life in stories, songs, and works of art. Explore the stories of these wondrous creatures and uncover the truths behind the myths. The Denver Museum of Nature & Science features eye-popping "life-size" models, paintings, preserved specimens and fossils that spotlight the fascinating relationship between real and imaginary creatures. Deborah Butterfield: The Nature of Horses WHEN: Opens May 23 WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens Be one of the first to see this renowned artist's life-sized cast sculptures of horses placed amid the stunning natural displays of Denver Botanic Gardens. The works are made of cast bronze wood collected from many locations including Montana, Hawaii, Washington, Israel and Iceland. Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park WHEN: All weekend long WHERE: Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park ONLINE COST: $34.99 for adults, $31.99 for kids under 48 inches tall and people over 62 years old, kids 3 and under are free Head to Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park - the only downtown theme & water park in the USA - for roller coasters, water slides, family entertainment and much more. Be one of the first to experience their brand new, six-story waterslide, Slidezilla! Water World Opening Weekend WHEN: May 23 WHERE: Water World COST: $39.99 (General Admission Ticket) Celebrate opening weekend at Water World, Denver's 67-acre water park, home to more than 65 aquatic attractions. Whether you decide to soak up the rays in the lazy river, channel the ocean in the wave pool or brave the new "Warp Speed" waterslide, this is one cool way to spend your Memorial Day Weekend! Colorado Rapids vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC WHEN: May 23 WHERE: Dick's Sporting Goods Park COST: Tickets start at $22 See a high-energy game of Major League Soccer as the Colorado Rapids battle the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Red Dirt on the Rocks WHEN: May 24 WHERE: Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Pkwy., Morrison COST: $37.50 (advance), $42.50 (day of show) Head out to the one-of-a-kind Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre for Red Dirt on the Rocks, a concert featuring the rootsy country rock of the Randy Rogers Band and the Casey Donahew Band. MORE MEMORIAL DAY FUN: Take in the View from a Rooftop Restaurant Spend some time dining in the sunshine. With 300 days of sunshine, Denver is a city that loves to live outdoors. There are 42 outdoor cafes on the 16th Street Mall alone. Huge rooftop cafes at Ale House at Amato's, ViewHouse, LoDo's Bar & Grill, Ignite, the Tavern Downtown, Linger and Lola offer views of the city and the nearby snowcapped Rocky Mountains. And don't miss the new Rooftop at Coors Field- the largest outdoor bar in any sports stadium in the nation that is exactly one mile high with a bar 52 feet 80 inches long. Denver B-cycle Denver has one of the largest bike trail networks in America - some 850 miles of paved, off-street bike trails. A perfect way to explore the system is on Denver B-cycle, which was the first bike sharing program in America. More than 700 sturdy, red Trek bikes are available at 84 stations across the city. Swipe a credit card, and for just $9 a day, all rides of half hour or less are free. Hop on, pedal across town, and leave the bike at another station and explore the city. Go to VISITDENVER.com to book great hotel deals for your Memorial Day weekend getaway in The Mile High City.

Industry Briefs

Denver Gearing Up For The Most Exciting Memorial Day Weekend In The Cit'y History

Denver will offer the largest and most fun collection of Memorial Day events in memory with a wide assortment of happenings ranging from rock concerts to art festivals, from baseball to Batman. "The scheduling this year has created a 'perfect storm' of events, so in downtown we will have Denver Day of Rock with 25 bands, thousands of people in costumes for Denver Comic Con, a Rockies home stand and two art festivals, all at the same time," said Richard Scharf, president of VISIT DENVER, the Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Many of the events are free. "Downtown will be packed with food trucks, free music, art displays, and very colorful crowds, all blending with the normal offerings of museums, 70 outdoor cafes and rooftop bars, breweries, shops and professional sports," Scharf said. He noted that there are a myriad of other activities happening all over the city this weekend.

All of the activities are listed at visitdenver.com.

DOWNTOWN DENVER EVENTS:

Denver Day of Rock

WHEN: May 23

WHERE: Downtown Denver with 5 stages along the 16th Street Mall

COST: Free

Denver's largest block party kicks off for its seventh year with 25 bands performing on five stages, all for free during Denver Day of Rock. Mat Kearney will headline the event, with additional performances by The Kin, Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, Lost Bayou Ramblers, The Noms, and many more. Food trucks and a beer garden will be set up along Arapahoe Street from 2:30 to 9:30 p.m. Denver Day of Rock is a fundraising event for Amp the Cause, a Denver-based, non-profit organization that raises funds for more than 50 children's charities.

Denver Comic Con

WHEN: May 23-25

WHERE: Colorado Convention Center

Denver Comic Con is Colorado's largest pop-culture fan experience with thousands of fans getting into the spirit of the event by donning costumes of their favorite heroes and villains. Expect to see Catwoman walking with Wookiees and Game of Thrones characters mixing with Klingons. The 3-day event fills the Colorado Convention Center with the best in popular television shows, movies, Japanese animation, cosplay, panel presentations, toys, gaming, sci-fi/fantasy, and of course... comic books. Even without tickets, the area in front of the convention center along 14th Street will be filled with colorful characters willing to pose for photos.

ArtStir Denver

WHEN: May 23-24

WHERE: Denver Pavilions on the 16th Street Mall

COST: Free

One of two downtown arts festivals, ArtStir Denver is a creative art outdoor marketplace exclusively showcasing Colorado Artists. The event features Colorado art, music and style in all mediums, including paint, sculpture, photography, drawings, textiles, furnishings and mixed media. Discover the artist in yourself at this artistic free event.

Downtown Denver Arts Festival

WHEN: May 22-24

WHERE: Denver Performing Arts Complex

COST: Free

Another free outdoor arts festival will be staged all Memorial Day Weekend at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, where you can mix and mingle with thousands of fellow art lovers at the Downtown Denver Arts Festival. The event features more than 150 of Colorado's best artists. Recent festivals have attracted more than 150,000 people, who supported Colorado's creative community by purchasing more than $500,000 worth of art.

Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants

WHEN: May 22-24

WHERE: Coors Field

COST: Varies

Watch the Colorado Rockies battle the San Francisco Giants during a three-game home stand. There will be special promotions for each game at Coors Field during Memorial Day Weekend.

Diamonds in the Daytime

WHEN: Through Aug 30

WHERE: Molly Brown House Museum

Margaret "Molly" Brown was both a witness to, and agent, of the great changes during her life and became a fashion icon in her own right. Diamonds in the Daytime at the Molly Brown House Museum explores shifting fashion modes as a reflection of social change as America moved through the Gilded Age and into the Great Depression.

The Big Wonderful

WHEN: May 23

WHERE: 2500 Lawrence St.

This is a fun and lively outdoor sustainable market that blends food and a flea market with entertainment. The Big Wonderful features a large, outdoor craft beer and cocktail garden built out of storage containers, beach volleyball, an urban farm, full entertainment stage and much more. This is built for the whole family, and cool enough for everyone.

EVENTS THROUGHOUT DENVER:

Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids

WHEN: Through September 7

WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science

For thousands of years, humans have brought mythic creatures to life in stories, songs, and works of art. Explore the stories of these wondrous creatures and uncover the truths behind the myths. The Denver Museum of Nature & Science features eye-popping "life-size" models, paintings, preserved specimens and fossils that spotlight the fascinating relationship between real and imaginary creatures.

Deborah Butterfield: The Nature of Horses

WHEN: Opens May 23

WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens

Be one of the first to see this renowned artist's life-sized cast sculptures of horses placed amid the stunning natural displays of Denver Botanic Gardens. The works are made of cast bronze wood collected from many locations including Montana, Hawaii, Washington, Israel and Iceland.

Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park

WHEN: All weekend long

WHERE: Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park

ONLINE COST: $34.99 for adults, $31.99 for kids under 48 inches tall and people over 62 years old, kids 3 and under are free

Head to Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park - the only downtown theme & water park in the USA - for roller coasters, water slides, family entertainment and much more. Be one of the first to experience their brand new, six-story waterslide, Slidezilla!

Water World Opening Weekend

WHEN: May 23

WHERE: Water World

COST: $39.99 (General Admission Ticket)

Celebrate opening weekend at Water World, Denver's 67-acre water park, home to more than 65 aquatic attractions. Whether you decide to soak up the rays in the lazy river, channel the ocean in the wave pool or brave the new "Warp Speed" waterslide, this is one cool way to spend your Memorial Day Weekend!

Colorado Rapids vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

WHEN: May 23

WHERE: Dick's Sporting Goods Park

COST: Tickets start at $22

See a high-energy game of Major League Soccer as the Colorado Rapids battle the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

Red Dirt on the Rocks

WHEN: May 24

WHERE: Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Pkwy., Morrison

COST: $37.50 (advance), $42.50 (day of show)

Head out to the one-of-a-kind Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre for Red Dirt on the Rocks, a concert featuring the rootsy country rock of the Randy Rogers Band and the Casey Donahew Band.

MORE MEMORIAL DAY FUN:

Take in the View from a Rooftop Restaurant

Spend some time dining in the sunshine. With 300 days of sunshine, Denver is a city that loves to live outdoors. There are 42 outdoor cafes on the 16th Street Mall alone. Huge rooftop cafes at Ale House at Amato's, ViewHouse, LoDo's Bar & Grill, Ignite, the Tavern Downtown, Linger and Lola offer views of the city and the nearby snowcapped Rocky Mountains. And don't miss the new Rooftop at Coors Field- the largest outdoor bar in any sports stadium in the nation that is exactly one mile high with a bar 52 feet 80 inches long.

Denver B-cycle

Denver has one of the largest bike trail networks in America - some 850 miles of paved, off-street bike trails. A perfect way to explore the system is on Denver B-cycle, which was the first bike sharing program in America. More than 700 sturdy, red Trek bikes are available at 84 stations across the city. Swipe a credit card, and for just $9 a day, all rides of half hour or less are free. Hop on, pedal across town, and leave the bike at another station and explore the city.

Go to VISITDENVER.com to book great hotel deals for your Memorial Day weekend getaway in The Mile High City.