The Mile High Holiday Tree in Denver, Colorado

For this last post of 2019, I bring you the inaugural season of Denver’s new Mile High Tree. The weekend before Christmas, my husband and I visited beautiful Denver dressed in all its holiday bustle and finery. The day was very warm, somewhere in the high 60s, with typical blue skies and sunshine. Though the tree wasn’t lit until 5pm, we came a little early to check it out:

It’s near the performing arts complex, in Sculpture Park, the same field as the Dancers sculpture, which you can see in the background to the left of the tree. If I had to guess, you’ll see the sculpture up close in a future post.

We cooled our heels at a nearby hotel lobby for a while until the sun set. When we returned, we got to see the beginning of the light show, even though it started about 10 minutes early:

In that photo we were approaching from the atrium of the performing arts complex. The tree is an aluminum (it appeared) framework with thousands of LEDs that are programmed into endless moving, morphing patterns. Here are a few:

Here you can see the individual lights from close up:

And here you can see how enormous the structure is – you can actually go inside and see the light show from there:

So, here are some patterns from inside looking up. Keep in mind all the lights and patterns are in constant motion and coordinated with holiday music:

The Mile High Tree is the newest annual holiday tradition in Denver. It’s 110 feet hight! The light shows started on November 30 and runs nightly through the end of January, as do the holiday lights on the City and County Building. I’m sure it will be on similar dates in the coming years. It starts around 5pm, changing to 5:30pm in January, and ends at 10:30pm, changing to 9pm in January. The light show starts over every 30 minutes. Best of all, admission is free!

As we made our way back to our train, I snapped a couple more light features downtown. Here’s the beautiful Daniels and Fisher Clock Tower all lit up for the season on the 16th Street Mall:

And, of course, my beloved Union Station:

Plus the opulent tree inside the station:

My wish is that you and your family are having a wonderful holiday season and that you have a safe, healthy and happy new year! Thank you for joining me on my travels throughout 2019!

Photo for No Apparent Reason: