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The holidays might be the time of giving, but that doesn’t necessarily mean material things. Instead of buying your sister another set of tea towels she’ll never use, consider gifting her (and anyone else on your list) an experience this year.
Here, we present ideas that take up minimal room under the tree, but will loom large in your giftees’ memories for many holiday seasons to come. (Last-minute shoppers, this one’s for you.)
Colorado Shoe School One-Day Sneaker Workshop
We all have that one friend who somehow manages to tastefully pair plaid with paisley or who rocks hexagonal eyeglass frames with a bowler cap and doesn’t look like a magician. They’re the people who have a signature style that would look absurd on anyone else—and they will freaking love a shoe-making workshop ($250) with the wizards at the Colorado Shoe School. During the six-hour experience, they will cut, sew, hammer, and glue under the guidance of two former circus performers who fell in love with (and trained in) the art of making bespoke kicks. When class is dismissed, your pal will strut out having turned their choice of leather and a recycled rubber sole (made with either repurposed balloons or tennis balls) into a pair of Chuck Taylor–style sneakers like none before. Book online
ICE! Featuring Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas at Gaylord Rockies
Maybe the Grinch’s heart eventually grew three sizes bigger, but from November 24 through January 2, 2026 at Gaylord Rockies, it will still be made of ice. This year, the hotel and event center’s annual presentation of ICE! will use more than 2 million pounds of frozen water to recreate the Grinch’s mountaintop lair, crafty sleighride into Whoville, and a host of other scenes from Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The sculptures, which include five, two-story ice slides as well as ice tunnels and arches, come to life through the deft skill of 40 world-class ice artisans from Harbin, China. Come for Ice! (starting at $31) alone, or turn the experiential holiday gift into a true staycation. Why? How about the chance to try indoor snow tubing, gawk at more than 200 themed Christmas trees, taste your way through the gingerbread decorating corner, and dine with the grand poobah of grouchiness himself at the Feast with the Grinch? (Prices vary.) Book online
Denver Botanic Gardens Blossoms of Light
Treat the green-thumbed pal pining for spring’s growing season to a night out on the grounds of the Denver Botanic Gardens. From November 21 to January 11, their winter-resilient evergreens and giant cottonwoods glow under more than 1 million LED bulbs hung for the 40th annual Blossoms of Light display (tickets start at $18). Throughout the York Street location’s 24 acres, immersive installations like the 200-foot-long light tunnel and illuminated path through a tree canopy are sure to warm any plant-lover’s heart. When even their cockles get cold, head inside the Offshoots Café, located on-site, for a cup of hot cocoa. Purchase tickets online
eTown Concert and Conversation tickets
For the past 30 years, Colorado nonprofit eTown—which also hosts a nationally syndicated radio broadcast/podcast and houses an events production company—has brought the likes of Billy Strings, Brandi Carlile, Jack Johnson, and hundreds of other big names to its intimate stage in the heart of downtown Boulder. But in addition to sing-along musical performances, conversations around social responsibility and environmental sustainability also (literally) take center stage. For the friend who appreciates songs with a side of civic responsibility, tickets make the perfect prezzy. May we suggest an evening with folk duo Dug (January 22, $20)? Available online
Winter Park Express
Have a ski buddy stoked to celebrate Mary Jane’s 50th anniversary this season? Book tickets (starting at $9 one way) on the Winter Park Express, which will deliver you from Denver’s Union Station directly to the slopes of Winter Park Resort. Running Thursdays through Sundays from January 8 through March 29, the trip takes approximately two and a half hours each way (giving your skier plenty of time to catch some extra shuteye). The real gift, though? No sitting in rage-inducing traffic on I-70. Available online
Breckenridge Distillery Whiskey Blending Lab
Your posse loves to sample new spirits. This winter, book a two-hour experience at Breckenridge Distillery’s Whiskey Blending Lab ($1,400 for up to four people, $350 for every additional person), where your crew can craft their own. On the path to becoming whiskey extraordinaires, they’ll get a taste (literally) for life as a master distiller, learn how to pair substrates and categorize flavors, blend whiskey, and create a 750-milliliter bottle to take home (personalized label and all). Who takes it home is up to you. Available online
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo V.I.P. Small Group Tours
Going on an African safari might not be in the Christmas cards this year. A V.I.P Small Group Tour at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo—where you can feed giraffes, meet a three-banded armadillo in the Loft, and get up close and personal with an Amur tiger—is a much more attainable (not to mention convenient) option. Your group of up to five people will get behind-the-scenes access to a zoo ranked second-best in the country by USA Today readers. From now through February 28, 2026, a Winter Holiday Special is available for $1,250 per group (that’s $250 per person). We know it’s expensive, but if your family decided to go all-in on an experiential gift this holiday season, stop hemming and hawing and just zoo it. Available online
