Lights Fantastic

I don't know about you, but the holiday lull after Christmas simply screams "Go look!" And I must obey by bundling up the family to go cruise the mysterious streets in search of the flashiest holiday lights in town. I'm even Jewish, but what the hell; it's probably some deeply embedded pagan/wild-animal thing that makes me feel this way, but the lights are a part of Christmas that I'm more than happy to share.

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More About

• Littleton
• Englewood
• Denver Botanic Gardens
• University of Colorado at Boulder

I have my favorite little turn-ons; for instance, the Kloewer family's spectacular and slightly crazed Rosebud Railroad display at 4990 South Elati Street in Englewood, and the tastefully lit streets of Main Street in downtown Littleton. But most people agree that you can't go wrong by starting at the top: I'm forever a total sucker for Blossoms of Light at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1005 York Street, where one million lights are artfully draped over and under the barren winter flora each year, with breathtaking results. Blossoms is open nightly from 6 to 9 p.m., including both New Year's Eve and Day, through January 20; admission, $4 to $9, includes mistletoe-ready kissing spots, the use of magical HoloSpex glasses, and this year, some impressively lit South African Chapungu sculptures, to boot. Call 720-865-3500.

And if it's too cold to venture outdoors, you can always catch the annual indoor light show at Fiske Planetarium on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus, where the last Laser Nutcracker program of the season begins pulsating with many-colored visions of sugar plums at 1 p.m. Tickets range from $3.50 to $6; plan ahead, as this popular show is likely to sell out. Call 303-492-5002, or visit http://fiske.colorado.edu for details.
Dec. 1-Jan. 20, 2007