Things To Do In Denver ... Before Or After COAA Connect Fall 2022

by: Ashley Dale, COAA Marketing & Communications

COAA Connect Fall 2022 is happening November 14-16 in beautiful Denver, Colorado. While the conference is reason enough to make the trip, there’s no shortage of other things to do in the city and nearby areas.  Add a few to your to-do list if you choose to arrive early, stay after, or both!

Below are a few highlights in a laundry list of things Denver has to offer:

Blue Bear 

"I See What You Mean," or better known as "The Big Blue Bear," on 14th and California streets is 40-foot-tall sculpture that looks into the Colorado Convention Center . This only-in-Denver icon is ready for his closeup - he looks good from all angles. He's also right next to the Embassy Suites where COAA Connect is taking place.

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre  

Just 15 miles west of Denver, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre is the only naturally occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheater in the world. While Red Rocks is universally recognized for its star-studded concert roster, it also features awe-inspiring hiking and biking trails in the surrounding park. 

Craft Your Own Craft Beer Tour

If you’re a beer lover, you’ve basically just arrived in beer-lover-heaven. Denver (and Colorado in general) is consistently ranked high for craft breweries per capita, and the world’s largest brewery (Coors) is headquartered there. You can do a self-guided stumble by curating your own craft tour using the Denver Beer Trail as a resource. Or let someone else do the hard part for you and take one of many pre-arranged Denver brewery tours.

Lakeside Amusement Park

It’s not Disney, but it’s a family-friendly, affordable, historical and fun adventure. Lakeside Amusement Park is centrally located on the corner of the I-70 and Sheridan and is like a carnival in a time machine giving off the 40s or 50s vibe. Opened in 1908, this place has been around longer than most of us have been alive and is one of the oldest in the country still operating. It’s a throwback to a simpler time, with all the modern safety requirements met and rides well maintained. People have been coming back for literally generations. You can score some great deals on Groupon or other internet searches.

The Buckhorn Exchange

Founded by gold miners in 1858, Denver is in the heart of the Wild West.  There is a lot of history to see and experience and no better place to do it than a visit to The Buckhorn Exchange. Established over 100 years ago, it’s one of the first businesses erected in Denver that still exists today and it’s the first official bar to be issued a liquor license in Colorado! Not just a bar, The Buckhorn Exchange gives customers a huge selection of outstanding food. The call themselves a steak house but that is only part of what they offer. They have become known for their wild game dishes including elk, quail, duck, alligator, Cornish game hen, and even rattlesnake.

Other things to do around Denver include the regular can’t-miss destinations like Estes Park (quaint, beautiful, artsy, amazing), Boulder (funky, hip, eco-friendly), and venues like Coors Field (home of the Colorado Rockies) and Ball Arena (home to the Nuggets, Avalanche and Mammoth), shopping galore, nature, history, culture, and so much more!

A great resource for details on all things Denver is the CVB website: Denver.org.  Happy travels!