Getaway: 20 Reasons to Visit Denver This Summer

The Denver Botanic Gardens / Photograph by Morahan Visuals

I’ve been to Denver seven times in the past eight years — it helps to have a friend who lives there — and I’ve discovered something new each time. My most recent visit saw a concert at the iconic Red Rocks, a stay at an eco-forward hotel, and, as always, really good food. (Denver’s dining scene is fresh and inventive.) It’s laid-back, it’s full of life, and it’s a breath of fresh air — the Mile High City feels like a home away from home, and that never gets old.

Day One

A four-hour direct flight — plus a $10 train ride from the airport — puts you in the heart of downtown Denver. Head across the street from Union Station to Wynkoop Brewing Company for crisp craft beer and friendly competition at the pool tables. If you want to brewery hop — Denver is known as the “Napa Valley of beer,” with more than 150 breweries in the metro area — join the folks behind Denver Microbrew Tour, who’ll take you to other standout spots. (Really love a cold one? The city’s annual Great American Beer Festival is set for October 10th and 11th.) Later, wind down at the two-year-old Populus Denver (rooms from $221). The soaring property, designed to look like an aspen tree both inside — the hallways evoke the hollow of a tree — and outside (the eyes!), is the nation’s first carbon-positive hotel, as it aims to remove more CO₂ from the environment than it emits. Hit Stellar Jay, the hotel’s flora-laden rooftop restaurant and bar, for simple but inventive cocktails — I recommend the Golden Hour gin martini — before dinner at Safta, in the city’s River North Art District (aka RiNo). The upbeat Israeli restaurant from chef Alon Shaya, who grew up in the Philly ’burbs and attended Harriton High School, serves must-try dishes like duck confit tagine with candied almonds and pickled apricots.

The hibiscus pavlova at Safta / Photograph courtesy of Safta

Day Two

Start with breakfast at Pasque, on the ground floor of Populus. Expect a menu filled with seasonally inspired, farm-sourced ingredients, like the smothered green chili pork-filled breakfast burrito. The rest of your day is all about art. Stroll the lush grounds of Denver Botanic Gardens or wander the Denver Art Museum, home to more than 80,000 works. Or consider Meow Wolf, a trippy, immersive art space that’s like a real-life fever dream with a cosmic catacomb-inspired room and a candy-colored spired Gothic cathedral. And in the evening? A concert at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, the famous, sprawling National Historic Landmark 20 minutes outside of downtown Denver. The venue, situated among breathtaking red sandstone formations, hosts outdoor yoga every Saturday through the end of August and various artists and bands from March to November. Philly natives Mt. Joy are on the bill this summer.

Populus Denver / Photograph by Yoshihiro Makino

Day Three

Any trip to the Mile High City is incomplete without eating your way through Denver Central Market; it’s similar to Reading Terminal — smaller, but great vibes and food. Add to your list the brioche French toast from Izzio’s, the donburi rice bowl from Lunchboxx, and a box of Temper’s chocolate bonbons to take home. Continue the fun with a baseball game at Coors Field. If the Rockies are away, tour the stadium instead for a behind-the-scenes look at the ballpark, including the row of purple seats that’s exactly one mile high. (Bonus: The Savannah Bananas will be in town on August 14th and 15th for family-friendly fun.) The perfect send-off is a meal at Michelin-starred Alma Fonda Fina — where chef Johnny Curiel delivers the bold flavors of his Guadalajara roots — and post-dinner agave cocktails and a piece of tres leches cake at sister restaurant Mezcaleria Alma, right next door.

Turn It Up!

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre / Photograph by Stevie Crecelius

Heading to Red Rocks for the first time? Here’s what I learned to keep visits stress-free.

1. Avoid driving or relying on rideshares — getting to the venue is fine, but getting out can be hellacious. Instead, book Red Rocks’ shuttle. For $65, you’ll get round-trip transportation that’ll pick you up at a designated meeting spot (most of which are downtown) before doors open, and drive you back 30 minutes after the music ends.

2. Denver’s weather can change rapidly — 90 degrees might become 60s and drizzly an hour into the show. Bring a rain jacket, another layer, and a poncho, and wear comfortable (ideally waterproof) shoes.

3. Unless your event notes otherwise, most seating is first-come, first-served — on wooden, backless benches. Be prepared to shift around. You can’t be precious about aisle seating!

4. There are several food stalls around the perimeter — I liked Birdcall’s fried chicken sandwich — but you’re allowed to bring in your own food. (Soft-sided coolers are permitted.) If you’re planning to drink, order through the Red Rocks app, so you can get your bev without the wait.

Published as “Rock This Way” in the July 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazzine.