Enjoy Holiday Events with the New Colorado Historic Opera Houses Circuit

(LEADVILLE, COLO, Oct. 27, 2022) – Festive holiday performances are happening this winter on the Colorado Historic Opera Houses Circuit. This is the first winter for the Circuit, which connects five mountain opera houses built from 1878 to 1913. They offer live entertainment in unique historic settings in picturesque mountain towns. The new ColoradoOperaHouses.com offers a calendar and tips to make trip planning easy.

Visitors can combine world-class arts and entertainment with Colorado’s exceptional skiing, tours of historic downtowns, and local holiday shopping.

Holiday events are on tap at the Sheridan Opera House (Telluride), Wheeler Opera House (Aspen), and Wright Opera House (Ouray), with tours available at the Central City Opera House (Central City). The Tabor Opera House is closed for the season, with Leadville, Colo., welcoming guests to enjoy snow sports, museums, local history, and more.

Central City Opera House, Central City, Colo.

The intimate 550-seat jewel-box Central City Opera House, built in 1878, is open for tours during the holidays and year 'round through the Gilpin Historical Society.

  • December – Tour Central City Opera House
  • Dec. 1-4 – Central City’s Tommyknocker Holidays, with a parade, tree lighting and carols, and holiday bazaar with food, crafts, and contests.

In the winter months, Central City Opera presents events across the region. Let them whet your appetite for Central City Opera’s summer opera festival, held in the opera house in Central City, only 35 miles west of Denver.

  • Nov. 18-19 - L’Esprit de Noël Holiday Home Tour, in Englewood
  • Dec. 11-18 - Amahl and the Night Visitors, in Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Denver

Sheridan Opera House, Telluride, Colo.

Guests to the Sheridan Opera House can see details such as restorations of the theater’s original decorative stenciling while taking in these shows:

  • Dec. 2-4 – Young People's Theater presents Disney's Beauty and the Beast: kid's theater, 6 p.m.
  • Dec. 10 – Jerry Joseph: jam-rock, 9 p.m.

Plus a week-long Holiday Concert Series:

  • Dec. 26 – Murder! at the Sheridan Opera House: murder mystery theater, 8 p.m.
  • Dec. 27 – Kiltro: Latin indie rock, 8 p.m.
  • Dec. 27 – Dinner with Jewel: private dinner and concert ticket for the 28th with Grammy-nominee singer/songwriter, 6:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 28 – Jewel: Grammy-nominee singer/songwriter, 5:30 p.m. and 8:30p.m.
  • Dec. 29 – The PettyBreakers: Tom Petty tribute band, 8 p.m.
  • Dec. 30 – Yonder Mountain String Band: progressive bluegrass, 9 p.m.
  • Dec. 31 – New Year's Eve Galaxy Gala with Yonder Mountain String Band, 10:30 p.m.

Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colo.

  • Nov. 26 – The store at the Tabor Opera House will be open for Shop Small Saturday.

While Tabor tours and events have ended for the season, Leadville welcomes guests to enjoy snow sports, museums, local history, and more.

Wheeler Opera House, Aspen, Colo.

Leading into the holidays, the Wheeler Opera House presents Tejano music, a film on the 10th Mountain Division heroes, comedy acts, and a magician in this long-standing center for Aspen culture.

  • Nov. 13 – Los Chicos del 512: The Selena Experience, 5 p.m.
  • Dec. 14 – Mission Mt. Mangart film, 7:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 17 – Becky Robinson: Heavy Pour Tour, 7:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 28 – Belly Up Aspen and Wheeler Opera House present An Evening with Kevin Nealon, 7:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 31 – Justin Willman, 6 p.m.

Wright Opera House, Ouray, Colo.

The Wright Opera House offers movie nights and a gala to celebrate the holidays. Visitors can also admire the famed Mesker iron facade on this building that won a 2022 historic preservation award.

  • Nov. 30 – The Aeronauts, 7 p.m.
  • Dec. 3 – Yule Night Celebration
  • Dec. 14 – Cyrano, 7 p.m.
  • Dec. 16 – A Christmas Story *More-Than-A-Movie-Event*, 7 p.m.
  • Dec. 18 – Ouray International Film Festival Holiday Community Celebration, 6 p.m.

Moving into the new year, Circuit opera houses will feature boy bands, classic rock, operatic arias with art songs and spirituals, bluegrass, a comedy festival, dance, kids' theater, folk and Americana, experimental music, indie and soul, and even an acrobatic troupe. Winter lineups are available on the calendar at ColoradoOperaHouses.com.

About the Circuit

The following organizations are Circuit partners:

  • Aspen Chamber Resort Association
  • Central City Opera House Association
  • City of Central City
  • City of Ouray
  • Gilpin Historical Society
  • Lake County Tourism Panel
  • Sheridan Arts Foundation
  • Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation
  • Wheeler Opera House
  • Wright Opera House

The project is funded by $40,000 from the Colorado Tourism Office, through its Marketing Matching Grant, and a collective partner contribution of $20,000.

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Media Contact:
Donna Childress
703-862-0313
Donna@ChildressCommunications.com