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9Things to do in Denver & Colorado this New Year's weekend

Soak in the magic of the season with New Year's festivities and fireworks this weekend.

COLORADO, USA — It's been a long, full year of amazing events, concerts, festivals, art fairs, county fairs and sporting events in the Centennial State.

As we jump into 2022, this weekend offers fireworks, concerts and New Year's celebrations and parties. Before fireworks light up the sky over downtown Denver Saturday night, the sights, sounds and excitement of Times Square will come to Children’s Museum of Denver — all before bedtime.

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Credit: Smileus - stock.adobe.com

New Year's Eve fireworks

DENVER — After a pandemic hiatus in 2020, the sky will light up once again over downtown Denver on New Year's Eve. Denver will launch two firework shows on Friday, Dec. 31 over the 16th Street Mall in the heart of downtown. The firework shows will begin at 9 p.m. and midnight to help ring in 2022.

The identical firework displays will be synched to a music playlist from live DJs along the mall running from 8 p.m. to midnight. Each firework show will run for about eight minutes and can be viewed anywhere along the mall.

RELATED: Fireworks will be back in Denver this New Year's Eve

RELATED: RTD offering free rides on New Year's Eve

Credit: Children's Museum of Denver

Noon Year's Eve

DENVER — Families can enjoy the sights, sounds and excitement of Times Square, at the Children's Museum, all before bedtime. The Children Museum's Noon Year's Eve event on Friday, Dec. 31 features countdowns with ball drops a 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. plus music, tasty treats and more. This year's Noon Year's Eve also promises sock skating, sledding and surprises. Reservations are required at MyChildsMuseum.org.

Credit: Lars Leber

AdAmAn Club Fireworks

COLORADO SPRINGS — A Pikes Peak tradition since 1922, hearty climbers traverse the icy slopes of Pikes Peak to provide a spectacular show for spectators in the Colorado Springs region. At midnight on New Year's Eve the climbers set off a huge fireworks display for the delight of everyone below. On a clear night, the AdAmAn Club Fireworks can be seen for hundreds of miles along the Front Range and eastern plains. This is truly a Colorado tradition you need to experience at least once.

New Year’s Eve Bash

LOVELAND — Loveland has a wonderful way to ring in the new year — Centerra New Year’s Eve Bash. Staged at The Promenade Shops at Centerra and Chapungu Sculpture Park, you can celebrate the new year with food, activities, ice skating and fireworks. Most activities are free, except for ice skating.

On Friday, Dec. 31, the Winter Wonderlights show will run every 30 minutes from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The light and music show features six songs and moving lights on the 23-foot-tall LED mappable Christmas Tree. The light show is free and open to the public. At 8 p.m. catch Centerra’s New Year’s Eve community fireworks show from either the Main Plaza at The Promenade Shops or at Chapungu Sculpture Park.

This event was first published by MileHighontheCheap.com. For more deals and discounts, visit MileHighontheCheap.com.

Credit: Scott Roth/Invision/AP

Decadence

DENVER — America's biggest electronic New Year's celebration is the two-night event of the (end of the) at Colorado Convention Center this weekend. Featuring performances by Adventure Club B2B Bear Grillz, The Chainsmokers, Zeds Dead, Zedd, Louis The Child, Steve Aoki, Zhu and more, Decadence is one of Denver’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebrations. General Admission, VIP and two-day passes are available at Decadence.com.

Credit: McGregor Square

The Drop at McGregor Square

DENVER — Ring in 2022 with your choice of two New Year's Eve parties at the new McGregor Square. The Plaza Party at McGregor Square Plaza features an open bar, live DJ and photo booth as you count down to the ball drop on the massive 66-foot LED screen in the outdoor plaza. The Midnight Rally at The Rally Hotel at McGregor Square will have festivities in the hotel's expansive indoor lounge and outdoor terrace. Both parties are prime spots to enjoy McGregor Square’s exclusive fireworks show. Reserve your tickets online.

Resolution 2022

DENVER — Resolution's interactive, all-inclusive 21+ open-bar New Year's Eve celebration is a tradition 12 years running. This year, Resolution is ringing in 2022 with LED party favors, blacklight face paint, immersive experiences, photo-ops, DJs and a midnight countdown featuring a giant balloon drop filled with $2022 in glowing $2 bills. Resolution 2022 takes place inside the McNichols Event Center & Art Gallery at Civic Center Park.

New Year's Eve Black Tie Party

DENVER —The Denver New Years' Eve 2022 Black Tie Party at Mile High Station features the longest open bar in Denver, with six hours of unlimited drinks. Attendees will also enjoy live music from local cover bands and live DJs. The second floor will feature Las Vegas-style casino games and prizes. A giant 2,000-balloon drop will take place when the clock strikes midnight.

RELATED: RTD offering free rides on New Year's Eve

Credit: BillionPhotos.com - stock.adobe.

A Night in Vienna

DENVER — The Colorado Symphony's popular annual tradition "A Night in Vienna" returns on Friday, Dec. 31. The rousing selection of polkas, waltzes and marches begins at 6:30 p.m. New Year's Eve at Boettcher Concert Hall, ensuring attendees won't miss the 16th Street Mall fireworks. Reserve your seats at ColoradoSymphony.org.

Colorado Springs Philharmonic’s New Year’s Eve

COLORADO SPRINGS — The Colorado Springs Philharmonic will celebrate New Year's Eve with a concert celebrating Broadway's greatest shows. The Philharmonic will swing into the new year at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31 at the Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts. Get your tickets at CSPhilharmonic.org.

Credit: Colorado Mammoth

Colorado Mammoth vs. Riptide

DENVER — The Colorado Mammoth are back at Ball Arena this Friday, Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. to take on the New York Riptide. New this season, the Mammoth have opened a Party Zone that can host more than 300 of the team's biggest fans. Fans can the unique, standing-room-only area with a mix of yard games, drink options, social opportunities and more. Tickets for Friday's game are available at Ticketmaster.com.

RELATED: Colorado Mammoth to debut Party Zone this season

Credit: Lincoln Rogers - stock.adobe.com

Extreme Rodeo Challenge

LOVELAND — The annual New Year's Eve Extreme Rodeo Challenge returns to the Budweiser Events Center on Friday, Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. The event features rodeo favorites including saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding, bullfighting and mutton bustin’. TREventsComplex.com is the place for tickets.

Credit: Deen van Meer

The Lion King

DENVER — Broadway is back in Colorado for the first time in 22 months. Disney's "The Lion King" is playing at the Buell Theatre at the Denver Performing Arts Complex through Sunday, Jan 2. More than 95 million people have experienced the incredible music, sets and costumes of this Broadway spectacular. A winner of six Tony Awards, "The Lion King" continues its reign as one of the biggest musicals in history. For tickets and showtimes, visit DenverCenter.org.

Credit: Visit Loveland

Winter Wonderlights

LOVELAND — Loveland's Winter Wonderlights lights and musical light show runs every night 5 to 9 p.m. through Sunday, Jan. 2. This year, Winter Wonderlights added 20,000 additional lights, bringing its display to 100,000 holiday string lights, twinkling bulbs, LED mappable snowflakes and heart arches, illuminated African stone sculptures and a new 23-foot LED mappable Christmas tree.

PHOTOS: Winter Wonderlights

RELATED: 7 of the biggest holiday light events in the Denver area

Luminova Holidays

DENVER — Elitch Gardens' first-ever holiday-season event continues through Sunday, Jan. 2. Luminova Holidays features three million lights, a 65-foot Christmas tree, 200-foot candy cane tunnel, Santa Claus and more. The event runs evenings from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and reservations will be required at ElitchGardens.com.

Credit: A Hudson Christmas

A Hudson Christmas

LITTLETON — A Hudson Christmas is an outdoor festival of lights that is sure to brighten your holiday spirit. Back after two long years, the garden's woods are transformed into a winter wonderland of brightly lit trees set against the night sky, reflecting off bodies of water. With friends and family, hot chocolate, tasty treats and photo opportunities, A Hudson Christmas is a must-see Colorado tradition. A Hudson Christmas will be open select dates through Friday, Dec. 31. Tickets can be found at HudsonGardens.org.

Credit: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

COLORADO SPRINGS — The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's Electric Safari offers 60 light sculptures illuminating the zoo's 50 acres. Along with the warming fires throughout the zoo, the astounding displays will fill you with warmth and holiday spirit as you gaze out at the sparkling lights of Colorado Springs. Electric Safari is open most nights through Saturday, Jan. 1. Reserve your passes at CMZoo.org.

PHOTOS: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's Electric Safari 

Zoo Lights at Denver Zoo

DENVER —  The Denver Zoo will light more than two million lights for its 31st annual Zoo Lights celebration. Zoo Lights will span 80 acres and with new installations and offerings as well as returning favorites including nightly ice-carving demonstrations. Zoo Lights runs through Sunday, Jan. 2 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Denver Zoo officials said Zoo Lights tickets sell out each year. The zoo encourages folks to book tickets online in advance to secure a spot.

PHOTOS: Zoo Lights at the Denver Zoo

RELATED: Denver Zoo Lights offers low-sensory night

Credit: Gaylord Rockies

Mission: Save Christmas

AURORA — Mission: Save Christmas featuring Elf will be open at Gaylord Rockies through Sunday, Jan. 2. The all-ages multisensory experience lets guests join Buddy the Elf in answering the call from Santa to help muster enough Christmas cheer to help Santa’s sleigh fly. Overnight packages and event tickets can be purchased at ChristmasatGaylordRockies.com.

Credit: Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center

Cirque Dreams Holidaze

AURORA — Gaylord Rockies’ holiday show Cirque Dreams Holidaze is a cirque adventure and Broadway-style musical wrapped into one family-friendly show. Cirque Dreams Holidaze is a celebration of toy soldiers, snowmen, reindeer, gingerbread, penguins, holiday characters and Santa. The show features world-class aerialists, singers and dancers. The show plays through Sunday, Jan. 2.

Credit: Butterfly Pavilion

Butterfly Pavilion's Living Lights

WESTMINSTER — Butterfly Pavilion's Living Lights features biofluorescent invertebrates including scorpions, glowing exhibits, a Firefly Forest with aerial artists and captivating performers culminating in an electrifying kid’s glow-in-the-dark dance party and unveiling of the Firefly Princess. Living Lights runs nightly through Sunday, Jan 2. To learn more and purchase tickets, visit Butterflies.org.

Christmas in Color

FEDERAL HEIGHTS & MORRISON — Denver's biggest drive-through Christmas light displays are open for another holiday season. Christmas in Color has drive-through light displays at Water World in Federal Heights and Bandimere Speedway in Morrison. The display features more than one million LED lights arranged into tunnels, trees, giant candy canes, snowflakes and more, all synchronized to festive holiday music on the FM radio dial. Tickets are on sale now at ChristmasinColor.net. The displays will be open through Sunday, Jan. 2.

Mile High Tree

DENVER — The seven-story tall, 39-foot diameter Mile High Tree features light shows choreographed to holiday music on the tallest pixel LED technology tree in the country. The giant tree is appearing for a second-straight year on the 16th Street Mall at Welton Street. The Mile High Tree will be lit up nightly through Saturday, Jan. 1 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Entry to see the tree is free and open to the public.

Credit: Adams VisCom

Camp Christmas

LAKEWOOD — Denver Center for the Performing Arts' biggest holiday experience ever is this year's Camp Christmas, an outdoor/indoor extravaganza at Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park. The experience features artist Lonnie Hanzon's fantastical wonderland of lights, dazzling decorations, music and memorabilia in various yuletide scenes across a six-acre landscape. Camp Christmas runs through Sunday, Jan 2. Get your tickets at DenverCenter.org.

> Would you like to see your favorite Colorado festival, fair, expo, concert, drama, musical, ballet, run or event listed in 9Things? Send it to alexander.kirk@9news.com.

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