If you enjoy Christmas with the same enthusiasm as Buddy the Elf, you’re probably no stranger to the twinkly, tinsel-draped holiday pop-up bars serving eggnog in kitschy Santa mugs while Mariah Carey tunes play on repeat. But now sidling up to a Santa-themed bar can be a part of your holiday travel plans if you happen to be flying through the Mile High City this year: Denver International Airport claims to be the first ever airport to create a holiday pop-up bar.

Ahead of the busy holiday travel season—and decked to the nines with super-sized holiday inflatables, red and green lights, and Christmas trees—Santa’s Layover Lounge just opened. But you’ve got to know where to look for this somewhat hidden holiday bar: It’s hovering above Concourse B on the airport’s mezzanine level where there are no gates, but a collection of restaurants and shops. (If you’re headed to your gate, you might spot the candy cane and ornament inflatables hung from the rafters and the “Sleigh the Layover” sign.

The holiday lounge, a partnership between DEN and Skyport Hospitality, will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m daily until Jan. 5, 2025.

“We’re always looking for ways to create surprises for passengers—things that are unexpected in an airport,” Stacey Stegman, head of communications at Denver International Airport, said in an interview at the pop-up bar. “We want people to walk through and go ‘Wow’ I didn’t know I could see that an airport.”

Santa’s Layover Lounge is temporarily taking over the Lounge 5280 Wine Bar. The pop-up serves flatbread pizzas named after Santa’s reindeer as well as a holiday turkey sandwich with cranberry jam and gravy and a butternut squash soup with chopped bacon and croutons.

As for the drinks, you bet there’s punny cocktails like the Pa Rum Pa Rum Punch and the Polar Expresso Martini. Some of the cocktails headlining the holiday menu are spiked with local liquors, like a gingerbread old fashioned made with Family Jones rye whiskey and a Mule-tide Carol with Breckenridge Distillery’s Bourbon, cranberry juice, orange bitters and ginger ale.

For kids (and those with a sweet tooth), the Ghirardelli hot chocolate bar comes stocked with sweet additions like peppermint, gingerbread, or caramel syrup as well as toppings like candy cane pieces, mini marshmallows, Butterfinger candy pieces, and red-and-green sprinkles.

With 77.8 million passengers passing through Denver International Airport annually, the airport ranks as the No. 6 on the list of the busiest airports in the world. While holiday travel can no doubt be stressful, Stegman says she hopes the airport’s fun-spirited bar creates joy for passengers.

“We’ve seen a lot of Christmas bars in downtown areas, but you’ve never before seen one at an airport and what better way to ease the stress and anxiety of travel than to create this space where people can take a breather and enjoy the holiday spirit,” Stegman says.

In past years, Denver International Airport has become creative with its holiday programming by operating an ice skating rink. The rink isn’t open this year, but holiday decor, piano players playing holiday music in the Great Hall, and wandering carolers dressed in old fashioned outfits and appearances by Santa.

Skyport Hospitality is partnering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and is matching every guest contribution dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000.

Traveling this holiday season? Here’s 10 tips for travel experts to make your holiday travels go smoothly.

Morning drivers can expect icy roads and light snow along the Interstate 70 Corridor in the mountains on Tuesday morning, National Weather Service forecasters said.

Summit County and other high-elevation areas could see another 1 to 3 inches of snowfall Tuesday morning, bringing the total snow count up to 4 to 8 inches, NWS forecasters said.

“Lesser amounts to the north, but a nice bonus for ski country,” forecasters said.

The snow could still make its way to the Denver area before 11 a.m. Tuesday and Aurora, Centennial, Golden, Highlands Ranch, Littleton and Parker could see less than an inch of snow accumulation, according to NWS snow forecasts. Snow isn’t expected to stick anywhere else in the metro area.

Denver and the Eastern Plains are also forecast to see windy, cold weather throughout Tuesday as temperatures drop 10 to 15 degrees below normal, forecasters said.

The Denver area is forecast to see temperature highs in the mid-30s Tuesday before dropping into the teens overnight, according to NWS forecasters.

“Temperatures will fall to the coldest readings so far this season tonight across southern Colorado,” NWS forecasters said.

In areas of the Eastern Plains not covered by snow, fire danger will be elevated Tuesday due to the gusty winds and dry air, NWS forecasters said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook.

Strong winds of up to 60 mph will continue Wednesday over the Front Range and foothills and dry weather will continue through Saturday, forecasters said in the outlook.

Starting Sunday, multiple storm systems will bring snow to Colorado that could last through mid-week — prime time for Thanksgiving-related travel.

How much snow will fall ahead of Thanksgiving, how long it will last and whether it will stick mostly in the mountains or spread across the Front Range and Eastern Plains remains unknown, forecasters said.

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Originally Published: November 19, 2024 at 7:09 AM MST