The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals.
Disney on Ice: Let’s Dance
A trip to Disneyland isn’t required to see all your little ones’ (or your) favorite characters in one place. This weekend, Moana, Simba, Ariel, Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and other favorites will be hanging around Ball Arena—on ice skates. DJ Stitch (yes, that Stitch) will spin iconic Disney tunes while the characters show off their moves on the rink. Dec. 5–7; times vary; starting at $36
Ratcracker
If you feel like you’ve seen enough Nutcracker performances to last a lifetime, change up your tradition this year with this alternate telling of the story. Using trapeze, stilts, bungee, and rope and harness, the Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance Company will tell the holiday tale from the perspective of the rats in the Tchaikovsky suite. Dec. 5–13; times vary; $34–$38
Stranahan’s Snowflake Village Festival and Bottle Release
Year after year, Coloradans line up outside Stranahan’s in winter weather (and even camp out!) for a chance to receive one of the distiller’s small-batch limited-edition whiskeys—so you know the stuff is good. Before the bottles are released on Saturday morning, attend a Friday-night festival with live music, a vinyl DJ, a whiskey cocktail bar, late-night s’mores, and a Q&A with Stranahan’s head blender Justin Aden. Dec. 5–6; Friday 2 p.m.–midnight, Saturday 7 a.m.–noon; bottle release is Saturday morning; free entry
Every Brilliant Thing
What gives your life meaning? Family? Friends? An ice cream cone on a sunny summer day? This touring production—which is also playing on Broadway with Daniel Radcliffe in the lead role—explores what makes life worth living through two characters: a mother who has attempted suicide and her son, who tries to raise her spirits. On December 21, adults can view the show while their children can attend an art and theatre expo just down the hall at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder. Dec. 5–28; times vary; $15–$42
Winter break is fast approaching for your kids—and before you stress about how in the world you’re going to keep them occupied for days on end, we present you with this exhibit at Children’s Museum of Denver. Both you and your minis will enjoy tubing down the snow hill (featuring real snow), spinning around an outdoor sock-skating rink, fishing in an “ice house,” and enjoying some cocoa by a fire. Dec 6–Feb. 16; daily 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; $18–$20
It’s Tamale Time! At Kachina Cantina
If you’re the kind of potluck participant that brings paper plates and silverware, sign up for this cooking class to level up your holiday offerings. Kachina Cantina Chef Carlos Fierro will teach participants how to make tamales, the Latin American masa-based dish that’s filled with seasoned meat, wrapped in a corn husk, and steamed—and often shared at holiday gatherings and celebrations. Your ticket includes a house margarita to enjoy while you chef it up and take-home tamales to bring to your next holiday obligation. Dec. 7; 1–3 p.m.; $40 per person
