holidays

Light up the Holidays Green Chile & Hockey in Loveland, Colorado. HeidiTown (header)

Most longtime citizens of HeidiTown know that I live in Loveland, Colorado. We moved here in 2003 from Denver, and have seen the area undergo a lot of changes. One of the best things that has happened to this region’s holiday season is Loveland Wonder Winterlights. This extravaganza makes this city one of the finest when it comes to holiday happenings, and worth a visit to Loveland. Located at Chapungu

grand lake portrait. HeidiTown.com

Several weekends ago, we headed to Grand Lake, Colorado, for Ryan’s birthday. We were warned that the town would be quiet. Grand Lake had a busy summer, and with the staff shortages owners needed a break, especially restaurant owners who’d been working 7-days a week. Many shut down at the beginning of November, until Thanksgiving, and I don’t blame them. We are not new to Grand Lake or to a

A Colorado Mountain Town for the Holidays. Scenic Glenwood Springs

Also appearing in this year’s “Christmas in Berthoud” in the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor If you’re considering spending the holidays away from home, there’s nothing more magical than the Colorado Rocky Mountains covered in snow. There are many beautiful mountain towns but which is right for you? It depends on who you are traveling with and your expectations for a holiday getaway. Romantic Holiday If you plan to travel with your

A Holiday Date Night in Denver With a Stay at Le Méridien. Chandelier at Le Méridien. HeidiTown.com

I’m a small town girl at heart, but I love the city during the holidays and Denver is especially Christmassy at this time of year. This past weekend, we visited Denver with the intention of immersing ourselves in the holiday spirit and we accomplished our mission. Ryan and I arrived in the city around 1 p.m. and checked in early to our hotel, the brand new Le Méridien in downtown

Santa Claus is Coming to Town 3 Santa Festivals in Colorado Photo credit Crested Butte Mountain Resort Santa Ski Crawl

‘Tis the season for holiday-themed festivals and while craft shows and Christmas parades abound, here are a few unique events where you get to join in the fun. Crowds of Santas Spotted in Breckenridge and Crested Butte, Colorado There’s something particularly amusing about being surrounded by hundreds of Santas; boy Santas, girl Santas, tall Santas, short Santas, fat Santas, skinny Santas, pantless Santas (it happens). Here are two Colorado mountain

Kristopher's Culinaire and Hotel Ouray, Ouray, Colorado. HeidiTown.com

I’ll be the first to admit that I love online shopping. I’m also going to admit that when I visited Ouray this past weekend for Wine, Chocolate & Cheese Festival, I had no intention of Christmas shopping while in town except to maybe find something for my nieces at Ouray’s excellent toy store. After a satisfying breakfast at Backstreet Bistro, now located on 7th Avenue, we crossed the street to

Skip the Christmas Parade, Elf Crawl Littleton

I started writing for a small Colorado newspaper in 2006. A year later, I started HeidiTown, as well as my magazine writing career. Therefore, I have written dozens of articles and posts about Santa Claus coming to town and Christmas parades. I realize that it’s important to get the word out about these traditional holiday happenings, however, I’ve grown tired of writing about them. With that in mind, I asked

christmasmarket_horses-courtesy-visit-clear-creek-county

We have 44 days of fall left, but the beautiful fall drives are over, so how do we continue to celebrate this shoulder season? I’ve got a few suggestions. A Late Fall Getaway in Colorado November isn’t a big getaway month for most people, but the “shoulder season” is a wonderful time to travel in Colorado. There are less cars on the roads, and unless you’re traveling on Thanksgiving, you’ll

Spend Christmas in Ouray, photo by Dan Navakowski

There are still 144 days until Christmas, so please don’t panic, however, it’s never too soon to plan holiday travel. And after this summer heatwave we’ve been experiencing, a cool down in the beautiful village of Ouray, Colorado sounds heavenly. Imagine spending a wintry weekend surrounded by snowy peaks in Ouray, Colorado. Snowshoe on a local trail, enjoy a delicious meal or cozy up with a warm whiskey drink at

Fort Collins DBA St. Patrick's Day Logo

Full disclosure: As a redhead with an Irish grandmother, I’m a big fan of St. Patrick’s Day. BIG. Last year I finally attended the Lucky Joe’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Fort Collins, Colorado, and it’s a heck of a good time. This is one of Fort Collins’ biggest parties of the year, with half the town coming out to witness the huge parade and after party in Old Town