Downtown Denver's Winter in the City 2010

Experience the magic of LoDo over the holiday season by ice skating on the Southwest rink at Skyline Park. From November 26-January 30, you can skate with friends and family at a low cost. Skate rentals are only $2 unless you're one of those guys who happens to have ice skates in a box in the basement, in which case, you get to skate for free!

The 9NEWS Parade of Lights continues to reign as the signature event of the Downtown Denver holiday season. The countless sparkling lights, marching bands, giant balloons, dazzling floats and delightful characters will once again wow hundreds of thousands of onlookers when this popular family tradition takes to the streets of Downtown. Spectator viewing for the parade is free all along the two-mile route as Downtown Denver's skyline provides a stunning background for the lights and sounds of the parade.

Tap your toes to your favorite holiday tunes at the 36th Annual TubaChristmas Concert at Skyline Park. Featuring 400 tuba players from all over the region, the TubaChristmas Concert is one of the most celebrated and longest-running holiday fun in Colorado!

While you're at Christmas shopping in LoDo or grabbing a bite to eat, check out LoDo Aglow from November 26-January 23. Windows have been decorated with various themes throughout businesses in LoDo, turning everything into a holiday winter wonderland!

The heart-warming holiday classic returns! Original songs, ghostly chills, laughter and warmth deck the halls, as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is haunted by the spirits of his past, present and likely future. This evergreen tale of generosity, kindness, and true Christmas spirit comes to joyous life with splendid period sets and costumes.

Let’s just say what we’re all thinking: Blue Man Group makes Smurfs look like amateurs. The wildly popular Blue Man Group performances combine comedy, music and technology to make for an exciting night out to the Buell Theater in Denver. Theater critics say that everyone leaves the shows with a happy state of mind after watching Blue Man Group. And come on, who doesn’t want to be happy over the holidays? The Blue Man Group will be headlining at the Buell Theater in Denver from Dec. 7-19 with tickets starting at $20. From Tuesday through Saturday, the show will be at 8 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays the men in blue will be on stage at 2 p.m. On Sundays they throw in a second performance at 7:30 p.m. And don’t worry, the Smurfs are still pretty badass.

Wildlife meets wild lights at the 20th Annual Denver Zoo Lights celebration. The annual holiday tradition will shine brighter than ever this year with added animal viewing opportunities, more than 38 brilliantly illuminated acres of lights and the opportunity for children to visit Santa Claus. Zoo Lights runs from December 10 through January 2 nightly from 5 p.m.-9 p.m., including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. This year’s celebration will again feature multiple animated animal sculptures, carolers, instrumental groups, dancers and the Conservation Carousel. Warming stations throughout the zoo will offer hot chocolate, cider, soft bread pretzels and steamy cappuccino.

You haven't truly witnessed the spirit of the holidays until you go to the Colorado Ballet's performance of "The Nutcracker." Captivating costumes and scenery, unforgettable characters, and Tchaikovsky's treasured music make Colorado Ballet's rendition of "The Nutcracker" the ultimate holiday gift.

Now in its 27th year, Colorado Christmas continues to ring in the holiday spirit in grand orchestral style. Join the CSO, CSO Chorus, Kim Robards Dance and soloists with a special visitor from the North Pole in a program that highlights your favorite yuletide carols.

Another addition to the Colorado Symphony Orchestra Holiday Series! CSO Conductor Laureate Marin Alsop and guest jazz vocalists return for the 13th anniversary of "Too Hot To Handel," the Gospel Messiah. Don’t miss out on this fabulous Colorado tradition!

It seems an unlikely story: heavy metal–leaning “rock orchestra” composes and performs epic Christmas suites; tours the world with 30-some musicians, enlisting the services of local orchestras at each tour stop; shows an endless love for outsized stagecraft; and receives critical acclaim coupled with a raucous fan reception. Welcome to the weird world of Florida’s own Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Founded and helmed by two composers and a hard rock singer, TSO focuses almost exclusively on delivering Christmas cheer with an extra kick. These aren’t your grandma’s yuletide carols; TSO gives the traditional tunes (and several original numbers) an upgrade similar to lighting a Christmas tree with blowtorches and gasoline. Tiny little strings of lights? Think mega-show replete with pyrotechnics and lasers. Christmas rawks!

To welcome the arrival of 2011, the New Year’s Eve Fireworks Downtown will once again fill the skies twice during the evening. The first show will be at 9 p.m. and will entertain families and others looking for an early celebration, while the second show officially marks the start of the New Year at midnight. The two fireworks programs are identical, and both are launched simultaneously from dual sites along the 16th Street Mall. Happy New Year! Now stop reading this event and go kiss someone already.