New Year Brings New Denver Adventures for a Mile High Getaway

DENVER, Jan. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- One night is not enough to experience everything going on in The Mile High City this season. Featuring national exhibition openings at some of the city's top cultural attractions, inaugural outdoor sporting events, and citywide celebrations of the culinary, craft beer and cultural scenes, the first few months of 2016 have something for everyone's ideal getaway.

"There is so much to see and do between January and April," says Richard Scharf, president and CEO of VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Our exceptional arts and culture scene, professional sports venues and more than 300 days of sunshine allow us to continue to create and host blockbuster events like the ones we are seeing this season, alongside some great hotel deals; now is the time to explore all that Denver has to offer."

Between spectacular cultural events like Chocolate: The Exhibition, the first ever outdoor game for the Colorado Avalanche with the NHL Stadium Series™, culinary programs like Denver Restaurant Week and hotel deals through April, there is enough going on in Denver this winter to make a getaway out of it.

Below are some details about early 2016 events in Denver; for a complete event calendar and hotel information go to VISITDENVER.com/new-adventures.

Arts & Culture

A Place in The Sun
WHEN: Now through April 24
WHERE: Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14^th Ave. Pkwy.
This exhibition presents bold, large-scale paintings by lifelong friends and fellow artists, Walter Ufer and E. Martin Hennings, who were instrumental in defining American art in the twentieth century; and it is the first exhibition to present the major award-winning paintings by each artist. Organized chronologically, this exhibition highlights the parallels and differences between the artists' lives and artistic development. Both artists gravitated toward subjects drawn from the Southwest's rich American Indian and Hispanic cultures, its serene landscape, and vibrant light.

Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage
WHEN: Jan. 26-31
WHERE: Buell Theatre, 1400 Curtis St. 
This show, based on the original movie of the same title, is an unprecedented live experience. Seen by millions across the globe, this worldwide smash hit features the hit songs "Hungry Eyes," "Hey Baby," "Do You Love Me?" and the heart-stopping "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life."

The Wizard of Oz
WHEN: Feb. 7-13
WHERE: Buell Theatre, 1400 Curtis St. 
This new production of "The Wizard of Oz" is an enchanting adaptation of the all-time classic, totally reconceived for the stage. Developed from the ever popular MGM screenplay, this production contains the beloved songs from the Oscar-winning movie score, all the favorite characters and iconic moments, plus a few surprises along the way, including new songs by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Chocolate: The Exhibition
WHEN: Feb. 12 – May 8
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.
Chocolate. The word conjures up visions of candy bars, hot fudge sundaes, and rich brownies, yet its rustic origins extend back thousands of years. Chocolate: The Exhibition will engage the senses as it traces the story of the "food of the gods," from its earliest cultivation among the ancient peoples of the rain forest to its status today as the world's favorite sweet. Immersive exhibits, fun interactives, and detailed replicas and objects place chocolate under the lenses of science, history, and popular culture.

Samurai: Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection
WHEN: Mar. 6 – June 5
WHERE: Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14^th Ave Pkwy
The Samurai Collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller is one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of Japanese samurai armor and accoutrements in the world, exploring the life, culture and pageantry of the samurai from the 12th through the 19th centuries. The exhibition tells the iconic story of the samurai through 140 objects, showcasing items of folklore, religion, nature and foreign influences.

"Riverdance – The 20^th Anniversary World Tour"
WHEN: Mar. 8-13
WHERE: Buell Theatre, 1400 Curtis St.
Drawing on Irish traditions, the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures in an innovative and exciting blend of dance, music and song. Of all the performances to emerge from Ireland – in rock, music, theatre and film – nothing has carried the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of Riverdance.

Robot Revolution
WHEN: Mar. 18 – Aug. 7
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.
Explore and interact with a cutting-edge collection of robots from around the world in the new exhibition Robot Revolution, supported by Google with additional major support from The Boeing Company. Robots that have rarely been shown to the public – from soccer-playing 'bots to impressive humanoids to all-terrain crawlers – demonstrate how these amazing machines can change how to live, work, and play for the better.

"Newsies"
WHEN: Mar. 23 – Apr. 9
WHERE: Buell Theatre, 1400 Curtis St. 
Direct from Broadway comes "Newsies," the smash-hit, crowd-pleasing new musical from Disney. Winner of the 2012 Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Choreography, "Newsies" is filled with one heart-pounding number after another, a high-energy explosion of song and dance not to be missed. Based on true events, "Newsies" tells the captivating story of a band of underdogs who become unlikely heroes when they stand up to the most powerful men in New York.

Blockbuster Events

Icelantic's Winter on the Rocks
WHEN: Jan. 29
WHERE: Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Pkwy., Morrison, CO
Quickly becoming one of Colorado's most iconic events, Icelantic's Winter on the Rocks is Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre's only winter concert. This year, the show will be celebrating its fifth year with headliners Adventure Club and Big Grams (Big Boi & Phantogram), along with special guests and additional entertainment.

Denver Restaurant Week Presented by Lexus
WHEN: Feb. 26 – Mar. 6
WHERE: Various Locations
Hundreds of Denver's top restaurants will offer multi-course dinners for ten days at the tasty price of $30 per person. It is a perfect opportunity to experience something new in Denver's culinary scene or visit some old favorites.

Collaboration Fest
WHEN: March 19
WHERE: Sports Authority Field at Mile High, 1701 Bryant St.
Now in its third year, Collaboration Fest, "America's Most Creative Beer Event," according to Food & Wine Magazine, is a unique craft beer event where limited edition, exclusive beers are brewed just for the event itself. The concept is simple: two or more independent, award-winning breweries will collaborate to create one beer, which will only be available at one place for one day. One brewery on each project must be based in Colorado while the other partners can be from anywhere, even overseas. This year's festival will feature more than 75 craft beer collaborations.

Mile High Sports

2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™ 
WHEN: Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT
WHERE: Coors Field, 2001 Blake St.
The Colorado Avalanche will play host to the Detroit Red Wings at Coors Field as part of the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series^TM. This game will be the first outdoor game ever for the Colorado Avalanche, fittingly against their long-time rival Red Wings. Additionally, two teams of notable alumni from the Avalanche and Red Wings will play a special game at Coors Field on Friday, Feb. 26 featuring many of the players who competed for those organizations from 1996-2002 when the teams faced each other in the Stanley Cup® Playoffs five times, and combined to win five Stanley Cup® championships.

University of Denver vs. Colorado College "Battle on Blake"
WHEN: Feb. 20
WHERE: Coors Field, 2001 Blake St. 
The University of Denver (DU) Pioneers Hockey will host the Colorado College (CC) Tigers at Coors field for the Battle on Blake – the first collegiate game ever played at the stadium. The DU-CC rivalry is more than 65 years old, and the Battle on Blake will be the first time they have faced off in an outdoor match.

2016 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship First/Second Rounds
WHEN: Mar. 17-19
WHERE: Pepsi Center, 1000 Chopper Cir.
Hosted by the Mountain West Conference, the 2016 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship first and second rounds will kick off the college basketball championship playoffs. Tickets will be available for purchase and exchange beginning in February 2016.

Colorado Rockies Home Opener
WHEN: Apr. 8
WHERE: Coors Field, 2001 Blake St. 
Denver's baseball season kicks off at the Colorado Rockies Home Opener, when the Colorado Rockies face the San Diego Padres.

2016 NCAA Division II Spring Sports Fest
WHEN: May 16-21
WHERE: Metropolitan State University of Denver, Downtown 
The Spring Sports Fest is a six day event that will be held in The Mile High City for the first time. The Spring Sports Festival includes six championships – Men's Golf, Women's Golf, Women's Lacrosse, Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis, and Softball – rolled into one event.

About VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau
Celebrating 107 years of promoting The Mile High City, VISIT DENVER is a nonprofit trade association that contracts with the City of Denver to market Denver as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes. A record 15.4 million visitors stayed overnight in Denver in 2014, generating $4.6 billion in spending, while supporting nearly 54,000 jobs and making tourism the second largest industry in Denver. Learn more about Denver on the VISITDENVER website and at TOURISMPAYSDENVER or by phone at 800 2 Denver. Follow Denver's social media channels for up-to-the-minute updates at: Facebook.com/visitdenver; Twitter.com/visitdenver; Instagram.com/visitdenver; and YouTube.com/visitdenver.

With press or photo inquiries, please contact:
Jesse Davis: (303) 571-9450 or [email protected] 
Ashley Taufen: (303) 571-9451 or [email protected] 
Rochelle Jones: (303) 571-9418 or [email protected]

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SOURCE VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau

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