Denver Nativity Scene: Jesus, Mary and Joseph will have short stay at City and County Building

Just as traditional as its tackiness is the duration of the annual holiday display at the Denver City and County Building: Mary, Joseph, the Baby Jesus and that weird Santa Helper Hoedown always stick around through the Stock Show, to stun and amaze every visitor to town. But not this...

By Patricia Calhoun

December 9, 2010

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Just as traditional as its tackiness is the duration of the annual holiday display at the Denver City and County Building: Mary, Joseph, the Baby Jesus and that weird Santa Helper Hoedown always stick around through the Stock Show, to stun and amaze every visitor to town. But not this year.

Although the lights -- an LED set that was installed last year -- will remain on until after January 23, when the Stock Show ends, this display on the front steps will disappear after January 15. According to Suzi Latona, city facilities manager, that's to make way for Denver Big Air, the snow show that is coming to Civic Center Park January 25-26.

Too bad: We'd love to know what the hipsters heading to Big Air would make of Denver's annual orgy of bad taste, a conglomeration of kitsch that satisfies all legal requirements, but very few aesthetic ones.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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