The holiday season is a great time to bring employees, clients, association members, and business colleagues together for festive meetings and events. Rather than coming up with eye-catching decor and jingle bell-worthy activities, planners might save time and money by considering what is already available in Colorado for ready-to-go possibilities.
Two of Denver’s major attractions, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance and Denver Botanic Gardens, go big with lighting events that can be paired with a wide range of event spaces already exquisitely decorated for the season. Three Colorado hotels also pull out all the stops: The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, and Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. Expect fantastic ornamentation inside and out, magnificent experiences, and full-service options for gathering space, lodging, and catering.
Looking to participate in industry happenings with a holiday twist? Colorado has you covered with two December gatherings. Destination Colorado Meetings’ Colorado Meetings Showcase moves to different locations every few years and integrates holiday touches into the decor, trade show booths, entertainment, and refreshments, attracting nearly 400 attendees.
Naughty or NACE, an annual soiree hosted by the National Association of Catering and Events (NACE) Greater Denver Chapter, has been a favorite since 2010. Bonnie Vidal, a NACE Denver board member, notes, “Our holiday party is one of our anchor events every year, and it’s a great opportunity for all of us to celebrate another successful year and gather with no expectations other than to have fun. We do love a theme and find new spaces and new ways to make them special.”
Select Hotel Celebrations
Christmas festivities at Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center begin on Nov. 24 and run through Jan. 2, 2026. More than 3 million lights, over 200 Christmas trees, and all sorts of displays throughout the resort contribute to the cheer, along with holiday shows and activations like ICE! For this, master ice carvers create a 17,000-square-foot display that brings a beloved Christmas story like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” to life using more than 2 million pounds of ice.
With several restaurants and more than 500,000 square feet of meeting and event space, Gaylord Rockies provides event planners with many choices for holiday parties. Bloom Healthcare in Lakewood hosted a gathering at the property for 380 people last year. “We have held our holiday parties at Gaylord Rockies for the past few years and have always been pleased with the service,” says Nancy Parrott, senior executive assistant at Bloom Healthcare. “We also are getting to the size that it is difficult to find space large enough to accommodate our team. Some of our employees stayed for the weekend and attended ICE!”
The Broadmoor hosts numerous holiday events available to corporate groups and has all sorts of activities for planners to plug into. The White Lights festivities begin the day before Thanksgiving and run through the weekend. A shining moment to note for this year’s event is when the thousands of lights will be turned on during the 40th annual White Lights ceremony on Nov. 29. During the time leading up to New Year’s Day, the “12 Days of Christmas at The Broadmoor” programming also offers a jam-packed schedule with culinary workshops and events, craft classes, sports activities, holiday dinner shows, and a formal New Year’s Eve gala. “Guests walk through the doors and they are transported into a festive setting that inspires celebration and connection,” says Pierre Stone, director of conferences and catering at The Broadmoor. “Hosting an event at The Broadmoor sets the tone for the year ahead.”
Hotel Colorado has one of the state’s showiest holiday displays. From late November through January, the historic hotel transforms into a winter wonderland inside and out with extravagant holiday decorations. Modeled after an Italian villa, the ornate building is draped with more than half a million colorful lights. Attendees walking through the doors will find 60 decorated Christmas trees, charming displays tucked in every nook and corner, and Legends Coffee and Gift Shop’s exterior decorated as a colorful, life-size gingerbread house.
The lights and decor serve as an ideal backdrop for groups that book holiday gatherings at Hotel Colorado in one of the six on-site function spaces. The property’s 35th annual Holiday Lighting Ceremony is on Nov. 28. “The holiday season at Hotel Colorado is a favorite for generations of families on the Western Slope and throughout the state,” says Larry MacDonald, general manager at the hotel. “The same goes for party planners, not only because of the decor and ambience [but also] our full-service banquet team, [which] is outstanding and takes care of all details that go into creating a wonderful and memorable event.”
Zoo & Garden Lights
Denver Botanic Gardens hosts multiple corporate events during Blossoms of Light at its York Street location in Denver, and Trail of Lights at Chatfield Farms in Littleton—offering indoor event space in tandem with access to the colorful displays. A cherished tradition for nearly four decades, Blossoms of Light features a mile-long path to admire the luminous displays that highlight the vegetation collections. Groups can book Mitchell Hall, the Orangery, Marnie’s Pavilion, Gates Hall, and Freyer-Newman Center.
At Trail of Lights, trees line a pathway past the Green Farm Barn and through the Crossroads Garden, Deer Creek Discovery Children’s Play Area, and 1880s Hildebrand Ranch homestead. Attendees can admire singing Christmas trees, illuminated antique tractors, and lights synchronized to music before gathering in Green Farm Barn, Deer Creek Stables, Deer Creek Schoolhouse, or Polly Steele Center.
Zoo Lights at Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (DZCA) also is sure to inspire holiday cheer. From Nov. 23 to Jan. 5, 2026, the zoo’s 80 acres, alongside the many animal exhibits, are adorned with over 3 million lights. During most of this time, groups can book indoor and outdoor function space from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and enjoy the lights and indoor animal habitat buildings with the public. Or, planners can book the entire zoo for up to 6,000 attendees during a Zoo Lights preview night offered from Nov. 7 to 23 to get a private sneak peek.
During Zoo Lights, a number of venues are available for rent: Gates Education Center, Norgren Hall, Grasslands and Tree Tops Studios, Zoo Gardens Pavilion and Plaza, and Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Animal Hospital. Last year, the zoo hosted 68 different group events during Zoo Lights, and 12 preview buyouts. “Zoo Lights is a truly magical time at Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance,” says DZCA Sales and Hospitality Manager Amber Harvey. “We offer a variety of venues so groups of any size can celebrate the year’s accomplishments and build excitement for what’s to come.”
Jolly Railroad Rides
Groups might instead opt for a holiday gathering on the move. Royal Gorge Route Railroad in Cañon City runs its Holiday Train on select dates in November and December with 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. departures. Here, attendees can indulge in breakfast or lunch on decorated railcars while admiring amazing winter scenery. For a healthy dose of “ho ho ho,” book a ride on the railroad’s Santa Express Train that travels to the “North Pole” to pick up St. Nick.
Other great options if families are involved are rides themed after “The Polar Express” book and movie. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Durango offers The Polar Express Train nearly daily from Nov. 21 to Jan. 3, 2026, and the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden presents its version on select nights from Nov. 7 to Dec. 23. At the Colorado Railroad Museum, the experience begins in The Polar Express Pavilion with caroling, a cabaret-style show, and a dramatization of the story before riding aboard vintage railroad coaches to another “North Pole” to pick up Santa and his elves.
The Georgetown Loop Railroad in Georgetown has Santa’s Rocky Mountain Adventure and Santa’s Lighted Forest trains that run from mid-November until the first week of January 2026. The train station and forests that line the railroad tracks are decorated with more than 300,000 holiday lights. After Christmas, Victorian Holiday Celebration train rides from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, 2026, feature Ebenezer Scrooge being visited by ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.
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