Top Things to Do in Denver This Holiday Season
Are you visiting Denver this holiday season or live close to the area? Explore all the festive events and FREE activities going on during December and through January in The Mile High City! From stunning light displays to outdoor activities, there’s plenty of options for you. Take the family out for a weekend of fun or make it a romantic weekend with your significant other. One thing is for sure, the list of Denver holiday events makes it the place to be this season!
Holiday Lights
Something about Christmas lights in the cold, crisp air inspires a magical and joyful feeling that you can’t find any other time of the year. Here in Denver, there are several light displays to enjoy like the new Mile High Tree display! Suitable for all ages, there is no shortage to twinkling displays that are sure to entertain the whole family. Every light display has its own, unique theme and style, so there is never a worry of seeing the same thing twice.
Kick-off the holiday season by attending the annual parade of lights on December 6th & 7th in downtown Denver. Once the parade is over, check out the new Mile High Tree standing at 110 feet tall! Both of these Denver Christmas events are FREE to the public and are sure to offer a great time for the whole family!
In search of more light displays to help you capture the glow of the Christmas spirit? Stop by the Denver Zoo to view their Zoo Lights, a tradition that has been going on for 29 years! Or visit the Denver Botanic Gardens to enjoy their Blossom of Light display, featuring dazzling color-changing lights. Both events require tickets, but the few extra dollars are well worth it. Other light displays in the Denver area include Night Lights Denver, Christmas Lights of Denver, Light the Lights, Grand Illumination, Christmas in Color, and more!
Festive Events
If you are looking for something to do during the day or inside, there is no shortage of holiday activities. Start off your day with full bellies by enjoying a delicious brunch from The Original Pancake House. Then make your way to one of the many indoor Denver holiday events. Camp Christmas at the Stanley Marketplace is one of our favorites. From 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., escape the cold by walking through a winter wonderland of history and rituals. The whole family is sure to enjoy this event, it offers a little something for everyone! You can also book tickets to “A Christmas Carol” the musical starting December 5th until December 22nd. Don’t forget to take a stroll through one of the Christmas Markets to pick up presents for all the special people in your life, and make sure you make time for the big man himself…SANTA!
Other events and activities include:
- The Polar Express Train Ride
- 1940’s White Christmas Ball
- Denver Pavilions’ Holiday Carousel
- Santa’s Flight Academy
- Santa’s Village at Chatfield Farms
Continue your favorite family traditions for Christmas in Denver, or explore our list to find new ones to add to your list!
Outdoor Winter Activities
The Mile High City has plenty of outdoor holiday activities for you and the family to enjoy. A popular favorite is ice skating which can be found throughout the city. The most popular location is in downtown Denver at Skyline Park. If you are flying into the Denver National Airport, make a quick pitstop before heading into town by enjoying complimentary ice skating.
If you are looking to get out of town and into the mountains, you’ll find plenty of winter activities.
- Channel your inner child and set up a day of sledding at Snow Mountain Ranch or The Meadows at Elk Camp, Snowmass.
- Visit one of Colorado’s famous ski resorts and spend the day on the mountain skiing or snowboarding.
- Enjoy some outdoor exercise while cross country skiing or snowshoeing.
- And lastly, take a drive out to Estes Park to take in the stunning mountain views.
No matter what activity you decide to do this Holiday season, one thing is for sure… starting off your day with a delicious breakfast meal is essential! The Original Pancake House offers breakfast and brunch from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Denver Tech Center and Cherry Hills. Stop by and let our friendly staff welcome you to Denver this holiday season.
Happy New Year: Our Top 5 Favorite Breakfasts of 2016
Over the past year we’ve shared many scrumptious breakfast recipes and ideas on our blog. Some are our own and some are recipes that we like to make for our families at home. Since 2016 has truly been a year of amazing breakfasts, we’d like to share with you our top 5 breakfasts from the past year.
- Maybe because it ‘tis the season, but our Ho Ho Ho Pancakes top our list of favorite
breakfasts! With Red and Green M&M’S inside our made from scratch buttermilk pancakes are topped with our fresh whipped cream and sprinkled with red and green Elf dust. You just can’t get more festive than that! - From our Back to School Breakfasts post we love the Banana and Nutella “Sushi” recipe. It is so quick, so delicious, and so portable; it remains our go-to for mornings on the run!
- As they say…”When in Denver…” order a Denver Omelette! Our fluffy oven-baked omelette filled with diced ham, green and red peppers, onion and aged Tillamook cheddar cheese. It’s a perfect hearty breakfast for those days when you need to fill your belly!
- For a breakfast at home that is sure to impress, our favorite recipe this year is for an
Asparagus and Prosciutto Strata. Comforting, homey, delicious, and fancy enough to serve to your mother-in-law, we pull out this recipe every time we have friends over for brunch! - Whenever we take our friends out to breakfast in Denver at The Original Pancake House, we always order an Apple Pancake for everyone at the table to share. This mountain of granny smith apples and pure Sinkiang cinnamon glaze is just too sweet a treat to pass up!
We wish you a very Happy New Year Denver! Thank you for visiting us in 2016 and we look forward to seeing you at our breakfast table in 2017 because Tradition is Delicious! Bon Appetite!
Holiday Traditions: The Nutcracker
We’re nuts about the holidays! Some of our favorite holiday traditions include enjoying the beautiful music from The Nutcracker Ballet. While listening to the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, we decided to do a bit of research on Nutcrackers. Here are a few fun facts:
- Nutcrackers originated in the Erzgebirge region of Germany, which is a mountainous region with many
mining communities - Miners in the area created these wooden crafts as a way of supplementing their income. Nutcrackers are often sold in the Christmas markets around Germany and are often given to children as Christmas presents.
- German legend says that a nutcracker in a home will bring good luck to all that live there, and also to the home itself.
- The largest collection of German Nutcrackersin the world has 4,334 of them in one place. This is a nutcracker museum and is owned by the Loschner Family in the town of Neuhausen, Germany.
Cool! Of course all this research makes us a bit hungry for nuts! To satisfy your next nut craving, be sure to stop by The Original Pancake House when you are out for breakfast in Denver this holiday season. Our Pecan Belgian Waffle or our Cinnamon Almond French Toast will fulfill your nuttiest dreams!
Happy Holidays!
‘Tis the Season to Spread Pancake Cheer!
This time of year we like to think back upon the past twelve months a give thanks to all the amazing customers, 
staff, and friends who support us at The Original Pancake House and who help spread “Pancake Cheer” all year round. We also like to enjoy a bit of pancake cheer at home and bring the holidays to our breakfast table even on the days we can’t enjoy a breakfast out in Denver.
If you are making breakfast for a crowd this holiday season – try our favorite homemade Snowman Pancakes. Simply create your favorite pancake mix and spoon three dollops of the batter onto your griddle in the shape of a snowman. We like to add blueberries or chocolate chips for the eyes, nose, and buttons. You can even try sticking pretzels in the batter for the arms – just be careful when you flip the pancake! These sweet Snowman Pancakes are sure to bring smiles to your family and will certainly impress any visiting in-laws!
Also, don’t forget, if you are looking for a thoughtful and easy stocking stuffer or gift for co-workers, friends, or anyone you’d like to send an end-of-year thanks, we have gift cards! You can spread the gift of pancake cheer to those you love and check off almost every name on your list.
Warmest wishes for the holiday season from your friends at The Original Pancake House in Denver!
Hippity Hoppity, Easter Is On Its Way!
One of our favorite Easter traditions is to take our family out to a nice breakfast in Denver to celebrate the holiday. But, on the years that we stay home, we love to make a bunny pancake breakfast for our family and neighbors. Bunny pancakes, plus all the rest of the traditional Easter breakfast fixings, are an easy way to add a little hippity-hop to your breakfast or brunch spread. Here are a few ideas to bring the Easter Bunny to your breakfast table.
- Begin with your favorite pancake recipe and create batter.
- Determine if you have had enough coffee to have a steady hand when spooning out the batter. Bunny pancakes can be made either by dolloping the batter into a bunny face (circle) and ears (two ovals attached to the face), or by simply creating the bunny face and then adding ears using pieces of fruit once the pancake has cooked.
- When creating the bunny face, place two blueberries or chocolate chips in the liquid batter as soon as you have spooned it onto your frying pan. You can also add a nose and whiskers using various fruits and chopped fruit shapes. Get creative! If you are adding batter bunny ears, let the face (circle) set for a minute or two on the pan before you attempt to add each ear. Gently spoon batter into an elongated ear shape on each side and connect to the bunny face. Be careful when flipping!
- If batter ears sound too challenging, try using cantaloupe, pineapple, or bananas for the ears. Arrange your bunny pancake face on the center of the plate and add the fruit to create ears. Try using strips of bacon or sausage to create whiskers.
- Serve and enjoy!
If you are too exhausted after your Easter egg hunt to make your own bunny pancakes, join us at Original Pancake House for a scrumptious brunch. With almost thirty egg dishes, plus pancakes, waffles, and crepes, we have plenty of choices for a delicious, traditional Easter brunch. Happy Easter Denver!
Celebrate the Season with Special Holiday Breakfast Treats
‘Tis the season for family, celebrations, and of course many delicious, traditional holiday meals. Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, or Festivus, you are likely planning to join friends and loved ones for at least a couple holiday feasts. At Original Pancake House, we like to make the season bright with special morning treats. Here are a few holiday breakfast recipes that we like to cook for family and friends.
Christmas “Make-Ahead” Egg Casserole:
This breakfast dish is wonderful because you can prepare everything the night before and simply pop it in the oven on Christmas morning!
Ingredients:
12 large eggs
1/2 loaf day old bread (sourdough is best)
1 package Polidori Italian sausage
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions: At least 2 hours and up to 12 hours before cooking, assemble ingredients. Grease large casserole dish. Beat all 12 eggs until fluffy, set aside. Tear day-old bread into bite-sized cubes, set aside. Cook ground sausage, breaking up meat into small pieces as it cooks, set aside and let cool. Pour eggs and bread cubes into casserole dish, ensuring bread becomes submerged and soaked in eggs. Add cooled sausage and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover casserole dish and refrigerate overnight. On Christmas morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover casserole and place in oven, cook for 30 minutes or until eggs are set. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over top of casserole and return to oven for additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve warm with a side of salsa or hot sauce.
Overnight Egg-nog French Toast
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter (melt the butter while the dish is baking), melted
7 large eggs
2 cups eggnog
1 1/2 ounces rum (optional)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1 inch slices
Powdered sugar
Directions:
Beat together eggs, eggnog, rum, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Dip both sides of each slice of bread in this mixture and place them side by side in a greased casserole dish. Pour any remaining mixture over the slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake in 450 degree oven on bottom rack for 20-25 minutes (watch the bottom doesn't get too brown). Place on rack to cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with Canadian maple syrup and the melted butter.
Gingerbread Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups water
Directions:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon in a bowl; set aside. Beat the egg in a separate mixing bowl with the vanilla and molasses until smooth. Whisk in the water until completely incorporated. Stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until just combined -- a few lumps are okay. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.
Don’t forget to treat yourself this holiday season as well. Join us for the best breakfast in Denver and be sure to try our scrumptious holiday specials, which include Egg Nog French Toast, Ho! Ho! Ho! Pancakes, Holiday Link Sausage and Eggs, and the Holiday Plate.
From all your friends at Original Pancake House, we wish you and your family a very happy holiday season.
Tis the season for Pancake Cheer!
Join us in spreading the Pancake Cheer this holiday season! During the month of December, we’d like to share the joy our pancakes bring with you and your loved ones. Each week in December we will invite you to participate in our #PancakeCheer promotion on Facebook. As a thank you, by commenting and sharing on our weekly #PancakeCheer posts, you will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a one of four gift cards. The first three weeks of December, our fans have the opportunity to win $25 gift cards and the fourth week in December, we will give away a $50 gift card to one lucky participant.
Helping us share this message is as easy as…
- “Liking” and “Following” us on Facebook and Twitter
- Participate in our weekly #PancakeCheer promotion to be entered in to a gift card raffle
Happy Holidays!
Rules: One winner per gift card. Winners will be contacted via Facebook’s messaging platform to obtain mailing address information where gift card prizes will be sent. Gift cards are only redeemable at one of our two Denver restaurants. Contest begins December 1, 2014 through December 24, 2014.
Holiday Stocking Stuffers!
It’s that time of year! The hustle and bustle of the holiday season has us bundled up and running around town finding little things to bring joy to our family and friends. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite stocking stuffer ideas! 
For the forgetful spouse
– Trying to get to your favorite Denver breakfast spot and they can’t find their keys…again? This key fob locater may be just the gift! Now they just have to remember to attach it to their key chain!
For the eco-conscious friend
– For the tree-hugger in your life, Carbonfund.org offers several gift options. Choose between offsetting their carbon footprint or planting trees, for as little as $10 you can make your green friend a happy camper!
For the over-worked
– She canceled your Saturday morning Denver breakfast date again because she had to work? Brighten up her cube with some fun games from officeplayground.com. This fun website offers little gadgets such as mind bender games, stress balls, and even solar powered flowers for her desk.
For the techie
– For the family member or friend who is attached to their new iPhone, these gloves are just the gift. The North Face E-Tip glove has full palm conductivity so you can stay connected and active on your touch screen without exposing fingers to the frosty elements.
!For the Foodie – Give the gift of Pancake Cheer! Did you know The Original Pancake House Denver offers gift cards? Share the joy of a delicious breakfast with co-workers, friends and family! Nothing says love quite like the gift of a warm and delicious breakfast in Denver.
Happy shopping and Happy Holidays from your OPH Denver Family!
Share your Pancake Cheer!
Join us this Holiday Season in sharing Pancake Cheer! During the month of December, we'd like to share the JOY that our pancakes bring to you and yours. 
Helping us share this message is as easy as...
1. Snap a photo of you and friends or family enjoying breakfast.
2. Upload your photo to Facebook and/or Twitter to share the JOY!
3. Tag @OPHDenver and include #PancakeCheer in your post (we don't want to miss your photos!)
And what is better than sharing Pancake Cheer? We'll randomly select two winners from #PancakeCheer photos on social media to receive $25 gift cards to The Original Pancake House!
Happy Holidays!