LEADVILLE
In Leadville, visitors can escape the rush for a peaceful, old-fashioned holiday weekend getaway. The Victorian Homes Tour and Parade of Lights and an Ugly Sweater Party offer small-town charm, as does browsing Leadville’s shops for local handmade gifts. Visitors can catch the holiday spirit, peace, and fresh snow on 100 miles of winter trails.

Leadville Holiday Victorian Homes Tour and Parade of Lights: Leadville’s popular Holiday Victorian Homes Tour returns with a Parade of Lights at sunset on Friday, Dec. 2, 2016. Santa and Mrs. Claus will entertain children, and free cookies and hot chocolate will warm visitors. A tour of historic homes and City Hall happens Saturday, Dec. 3, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Each home will be decorated in holiday finery and offer appetizers and punch ($25 per person). That night, Leadville’s speakeasy and absinthe bar, Wilde’s Green Hour, will offer a six-course Victorian holiday-themed dinner and live music for $50/head. The Alps Motel is offering lodging specials: Tour ticket plus one night at $75 and two tickets for $100.

New Oxygen Bar, Ugly Sweater Party, and Holiday Brews: Periodic Brewing celebrated its one-year anniversary in mid-November—and opened a new location and oxygen bar, O2, at 401 Harrison Avenue. Holiday merriment and made-in-Leadville brews will be on tap at the 2nd Annual Ugly Sweater Holiday Party and Food Drive on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016, from 6 to 10 p.m.

Made-in-Colorado Gifts/Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26: Leadville’s downtown, designated a National Historic Landmark District of Victorian architecture, offer unique gifts and a relaxing shopping experience. Shops are open on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26, to encourage everyone to shop local.

Winter Trails: To escape the rush and catch the holiday spirit, visitors to Leadville can enjoy nearly 100 miles of trails that are groomed for cross-country skiing, skate skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking, and snowmobiling. A complete map of winter trails is in process, and @LeadvilleTrails posts frequent status reports on Twitter so that winter enthusiasts can hit the trails when conditions are best.

• Overview map (shows locations of trail networks)
• Mining District roads
• Mineral Belt Trail (map)
• Colorado Mountain College Timberline trails