Family Events and Activities in Denver this Summer

When my family makes the 3.5-hour drive to Denver from our mountain home, it’s usually for a special event. For example, we made a weekend trip to the Mile High City at the end of April, namely for the (awesome) LEGO KidsFest happening at the Colorado Convention Center. We’ve also created mini urban vacations around Colorado Rockies’ baseball games, events at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, exhibit openings at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, as well as Elitch Gardens’ fun autumn FrightFest. I love the idea of anchoring a special event to a visit to the city, then adding on other fun things to do in Denver with the kids.

Here are my suggestions of fun family activities in Denver this summer:

Lizards and Snakes at Denver Museum of Nature and Science: This exhibit runs through July 8. If you’ve got kids who love creatures, bring them to this museum at City Park to check out more than 60 unusual snakes and lizards from five different continents.

Yves St. Laurent at the Denver Art Museum: Fashion-loving tweens and teens might appreciate this exhibit dedicated to the designer’s career, also running through July 8. Families can check out Backpacks and Art Tubes for games and projects to do while visiting the DAM; also see the Family Activity Cart.

The Addams Family at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts: Running June 19 to July 1, this musical is appropriate for kids ages 7 and up, according to the DCPA’s Family Guide.

Toyota Elephant Passage at the Denver Zoo: This brand-new home for the zoo’s elephants opens to the public June 1.

New live shows at Elitch Gardens: Peak season for this downtown amusement park is Memorial Day through Labor Day. During this time, visitors can see some new family-friendly shows at scheduled times throughout each day, including Cirque Innosta Verano, with performers exhibiting their feats of strength and aerial artistry, as well as Reflections, an evening color-and-light show.

Independence Day in the Mile High City: If you’re in Denver for the Fourth of July, check out the free music and evening fireworks in downtown Civic Center Park.

Colorado Renaissance Festival: This annual event actually takes place in Castle Rock, about a half hour south of downtown Denver. Filled with live shows and entertainment, plus an artisans’ marketplace. Mainly weekends, June 9 to July 29.

For more tips on what to do in Denver with kids this summer, visit the informative Visit Denver website and check out my “Kids in the City” Expedia guide!

I wrote this post in conjunction with Expedia’s “Kids in the City” summer travel campaign, for which The Vacation Gals were compensated to promote the chock-full-of-information resource site. 

For still more summer urban-vacation ideas in the U.S., check out these posts from other savvy family-travel bloggers: Philadelphia, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles.