Ice Castles 2024/25

Disclaimer: Our visit to Ice Castles was hosted. All photos and opinions re my own.

Colorado’s most magical Winter experience is back, and this year there’s twice the magic!

That’s right - Ice Castles have returned for another season of wonder and awe with not one, but two Colorado locations. The spectacular structures made from ice crystals return to the tiny mining town of Cripple Creek, just two hours south if Denver, along with a new location in the mountain town of Eagle.

We recently checked out the Cripple Creek location and I’m sharing this awe inspiring Winter wonderland with you today. Prepare for lots of sparkly ice crystals photos along with all the tips you need to know for a visit of your own. Plus, a discount code!

Let’s check it out…

Ice Castles 2023/24

 Ice Castles are back baby!

Everyone's favorite Winter wonderland is back for another season in Colorado after a two year hiatus. This year, Ice Castles make the teeny tiny mining town of Cripple Creek, two hours south of Denver, their home. A new location, but with all the same wonder and jaw dropping beauty that makes Ice Castles simply magical.

We recently visited and I'm so excited to share it all with you today. Read on for lots of pics (you know I always go a little overboard with the photos!) and some handy tips for visiting...

22+ Holiday Events in Denver 2023

The holiday season is upon us, and Denver sure knows how to celebrate!

There's something extra magical about the holidays here in Denver. The city lights up with twinkling lights, there are immersive displays and exhibitions, fun events for all ages, holiday markets, and so much more.

Today I'm sharing more than 20 of my favorite family friendly holiday activities in and around Denver. In this post you'll find details for:

🎄 Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens

✨ Trail of Lights at Chatfield Gardens

❄️ Christmas at Gaylord Rockies

🎄 Camp Christmas

✨ Luminova Holidays at Elitch Gardens

❄️ Zoo Lights at Denver Zoo

🎄 Denver's Mile High Tree

✨ Krampus: Fright Before Christmas

❄️ Christmas in Color

🎄 Denver Christkindl Market

✨ A Hudson Christmas

❄️ Denver's Union Station

🎄 Parade of Lights

✨ Downtown Denver Rink

❄️ Light the Lights at Denver City Council Building

🎄 Lights throughout Denver

✨ Winter Wanderland at Cherry Creek

❄️ Light up the Holidays in Boulder

🎄 Louisville Parade of Lights

✨ Olde Golden Christmas

❄️The Polar Express at Colorado Railroad Museum

🎄 Ice Castles

 

Let's take a look and make sure to read through to the end for a Winter favorite that makes a return this year! 

Ice Castles 2020/21

 Happy new year! 

Today I'm sharing our last adventure of 2020 with you. Our trip to the Ice Castles in Dillon.

If you've been here a while you'll know that the Ice Castles are always one of our highlights of the Winter. This was our third year visiting the Ice Castles, and even though we know what to expect each time, it's always a magical wonderland that leaves us awestruck. I mean, just take a look at those pictures below! Aren't the ice structures simply stunning? Don't they look like they're made of pure magic? Like little ice fairies waved their wands and the ice crystals formed together to create the most wondrous and otherworldly castle imaginable. I like to think that's how they're made! Actually, I'm pretty sure that's exactly how they're made. 

Ok, so maybe there's a little more science involved rather than fairy magic, but it's all still wonderful and like nothing else I've ever experienced. 

I just can't get enough of the Ice Castles - and that's why I took a gazillion photos to share with you!

As always, I really struggled to narrow down the photos. So go grab yourself a hot cocoa (perfect for this icy adventure) and prepare to enter a world of wonder...

Oh, and make sure to read through to the end as I've got a discount code for Little Hiccups readers!

10 Ways to Celebrate the Holidays in Denver

Now that the spooky season is officially over it's to start thinking about the holidays. I'm not usually one to do anything too festive before December, but with all that 2020 has thrown at us, I think we all need a little holiday magic in our lives right now. 

So, today I'm sharing some of the fun holiday events that will be happening around the Denver area. Some of these are events that we've attended in the past, while others will be new for us this year. Some of the holiday events that we've attended in the past will not be happening this year due to covid restrictions, but the events listed below are all going ahead with precautions in place. As with anything, please make sure to check event requirements before attending any of these events. Many require that you book timed tickets in advance, and masks will most likely be required for all attendees over the age of two or three. 

Ice Castles: Day and Night

Last month I shared our recent visit to the fabulous Ice Castles in Dillon, Colorado. If you've been following along on Instagram you'll know that this wasn't our first visit to the Ice Castles. We also visited the Ice Castles when we came to Colorado on vacation over Winter break 2018/19.

Today I'm sharing that first visit to the Ice Castles for two reasons. First, because I never got around to sharing it before and I have lots of fun photos. Second, and more importantly, our first visit took place later in the day and we were able to experience the colorful lights on the ice structures. Our most recent visit was only during the day (I prefer the natural ice colors), so I wanted to share our earlier visit so that anyone planning on going later in the day or in the evening will know what to expect.