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Ah, the holidays. The time when every member of your family descends on your once peaceful house, bringing chaos aplenty—often, for a few days too many.
Need a break? Or just some time to clean up the flour and icing that exploded in your kitchen during your niece’s cookie experiment? Lose the guilt and send the family on an excursion to one of these spots. It’s good for them to get out of the house. You can thank me later.
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Elton John and Tim Rice’s Tony Award-winning Broadway production comes to Aurora with Ignite Theatre. An unlikely love triangle between the Pharaoh’s daughter, the captain of the Egyptian army, and an enslaved Nubian princess fuels this musical based on an opera. Bonus: The Aurora Fox will transform into “Exhibition Aida,” an interactive experience that includes artifacts on loan from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Opens December 28; Aurora Fox Arts Center; $27
Revisiting: Celebrating 10 Years of the Visiting Artist Series at ASLD
One of the neatest offerings at the Art Students League of Denver is its Visiting Artist Series through which notable artists come to Denver and teach classes to both ASLD students and interested community members. In celebration of the program’s 10th decade, Revisiting showcases an eclectic mix of work—sculpture, painting, ceramics—by those artists. It’s ASLD’s biggest exhibit ever, and the mix of mediums means everyone in your family can find a piece they’ll cherish. Don’t miss: stunningly realistic sculptures by John De Andrea. Through January 17; Carson Gallery; Free
Spending the holidays in Summit County? If you’re traveling with kids, Beaver Creek is the place to go. From parades and scavenger hunts to tubing and figure skating, everyone from your pint-size skier to your teenager will be tuckered out at the end of these whirlwind days. View the full event schedule here. Of course, just getting the family out skiing at any of Colorado’s resorts sounds like a smart move. Through January 4; Beaver Creek Resort; Prices vary, many events are free
Holiday Lights
No holiday season in Denver is complete without a visit to at least one of the festive lighting displays around town. It’s good fun for kids and grown-ups alike. (Hot chocolate for the kids; hot cocoa with Peppermint Schnapps for the adults.) Your visitors can get some fresh air as they stroll through Zoo Lights (through January 5), A Hudson Christmas (through December 31), or Blossoms of Light / Trail of Lights (both through January 1).
Bonus: Check out this Holiday Throwdown for other event ideas.
—Top image courtesy of Jack Affleck, Beaver Creek Resort; art: Bill Amundson’s The Promised Land
