Santa Claus knows when your furry family members are being naughty or nice. Make them part of all your holiday traditions, including getting a photo with the big guy. Both Petco and PetSmart are hosting events for pets to meet Santa. Santa is making an appearance at Petco at select locations on Dec. 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. On Dec. 16 and 17, PetSmart is hosting its Paws & Claus photo event from noon to 3 p.m. (Hours may vary by location at both stores, so check first.) Reservations are required at PetSmart. The Shops at Northfield (I-70 and Central Park Boulevard) in Denver are hosting a meet-and-greet with Santa on Dec. 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. petco.com; petsmart.com; shopsatnorthfield.com/events
Target gift cards
This weekend is right on target for holiday savings. On Dec. 2 and 3, get 10 percent off Target gift cards in-store or online. The offer is only available to Target Circle members. The one-time-use discount is only valid for a single transaction, so make sure all of the gift cards (in whatever denominations) are purchased at the same time. target.com/circle
Snarf’s SAMta event
Snarf’s Sandwiches is offering customers a chance to meet SAMta. Who? Sam is part of the trio (including Bev and Chip) that make up the popular local sandwich shop’s famous mascots. The 9-foot-tall Sam is making his first appearance as at Snarf’s Sandwiches (1490 S. Broadway) in Denver on Dec. 3 from 1 to 5 p.m. Each child will receive a free gift bag; the first 100 children will also go home with a free Snarf Scarf. Plus, a photographer will be on-site taking free photos to share. For more places around town to meet Santa Claus, visit milehighontheheap.com/meet-santa-denver-boulder. eatsnarfs.com
Holiday Pie Palooza
The Holiday Pie Palooza is Dec. 7 at the Kitchen Network. (Armando Rafael/The New York Times)
Sample, sip and shop your way to a tasty solution for the perfect holiday treat or gift. The Holiday Pie Palooza is Dec. 7 at the Kitchen Network (1895 Quebec St.) in Denver. From 5 to 8 p.m., the evet includes free tastings from local dessert businesses, beverage tastings, food trucks, a pie eating contest (with prizes!), a DJ and performances by students from the Denver School of the Arts. Participating vendors include Hinman’s Pies, D-Bar, Dirt Coffee, Bully Boy Baking, The Helping Hen, Totally Nutz and others. Tickets are $10 at the door or $7 online. Kids 5 and under get in for free. Proceeds benefit the Denver School of the Arts. eventbrite.com
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Visit the Village
The Arapahoe County Fairgrounds and Event Center (25690 E. Quincy Ave.) in Aurora is the site of Visit The Village on Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Holiday revelers of all ages can spend the day strolling through a Village Marketplace with local craft and artisan vendors; enjoy make-and-take crafts; meet with Santa; take horse-drawn carriage rides; and participate in lots of children’s activities (including a petting farm). Treats available for purchase. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased onsite. Children 2 and under are admitted for free. One member per family can get in for free by donating a new, unwrapped gift for any age. arapahoecountyeventcenter.com/visitthevillage
Boulder’s Freezie Fest
Celebrate winter and all things snowmen in Downtown Boulder (1300 Pearl St.). This year’s annual Freezie Fest is on Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy visits with Santa, train rides on the Snowflake Express, holiday crafts and loads of festive family activities along the Pearl Street Mall and beyond. Freezie Fest is also the last day to play Find Freezie. Find as many Freezies as you can in downtown Boulder businesses for a chance to win a gift card. boulderdowntown.com/light-up-the-holidays/events/freezie-fest
Superior Winter Festival
The Superior Winter Festival is a two-day extravaganza on Dec. 9 and 10 at the Superior Community Center (1500 Coalton Road) from 1 to 5 p.m. each day. The weekend celebration will offer something for everyone — naughty or nice. Shop local vendors (including food) at the Winter Market. Plus, families will enjoy meeting Santa, a reindeer encounter, riding The Polar Express, live music and more. Admission is free. superiorchamber.com/winter-festival
Teriyaki Madness BOGO
Dylan McCurry adds Teriyaki sauce to chicken teriyaki bowl before serving it to a customer at Teriyaki Madness on May 12, 2021 in Firestone. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Chicken teriyaki lovers should get ready to be “bowled over.” Teriyaki Madness is celebrating National Chicken Teriyaki Day with a sweet (and savory) deal. On Dec. 11, buy a Chicken Teriyaki Bowl and get another bowl for free at the eatery. The offer is only available for Mad Rewards members. Join on or before Dec. 10 to enjoy the discount. Plus, every loyalty member who places on order on Dec. 11 will be entered to win free bowls for a year, with up to 25 winners. There are 12 locations in Colorado. teriyakimadness.com/national-chicken-teriyaki-day
TubaChristmas
Hundreds of tubas, euphoniums and other low-register brass instruments spread holiday cheer on Dec. 17 at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. The holiday music is in the air from 11 a.m. to noon as part of TubaChristmas 2023, a nationwide series of free concerts performed by local, volunteer musicians. Afterward, jump on the free 16th Street Mall shuttle and explore downtown for holiday shopping and more festive fun. Thankfully the event is on Sunday because metered parking is free in Denver that day. tubachristmas.com
Comfort Dental
Many people fear the dentist not because of pain, but because of the expense. Comfort Dental is giving a generous gift to those who otherwise cannot afford care. On Dec. 23, the dental network is hosting its annual Care Day with free services from 7:30 a.m. to noon. Patients are assisted first-come, first-served, so plan accordingly. Choose from a variety of basic dental services, from a cleaning to an extraction. More serious issues are handled individually at the staff’s discretion. There are dozens of locations throughout Colorado. comfortdental.com/care-day
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Recycle holiday lights
If you have broken, burned-out or impossibly tangled sets of holiday lights, don’t just throw them away in the trash. Recycle them for free instead. Thanks to Denver’s recycling program, locals can recycle holiday lights from Dec. 1 to 31 at two different locations – Cherry Creek Recycling Drop-Off (intersection of S. Quebec and E. Cherry Creek South Drive) and Blue Star Recyclers (953 Decatur St.). Days and hours vary by location. Light strings and wires for incandescent, LED, and icicle lights are all acceptable. Bubble (liquid-filled) or neon lights are not accepted. denvergov.org
More freebies, discounts and deals at MileHighOnTheCheap.com. Send tips to info@milehighonthecheap.com 14 to 21 days in advance.
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After waiting 10 games due to injury, Vlatko Cancar finally made his return to the Denver Nuggets on November 15. Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, he only played a grand total of three games before suffering an injury again.
To make matters worse, it sounds like Cancar’s knee injury was a serious one. According to Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, Cancar will be out for the foreseeable future.
“Not necessarily (season-ending). It could go a couple different ways. We’re still gathering information, letting the knee calm down a little bit,” Malone said. “So I don’t want to get doom and gloom. But he’s out for the foreseeable future”
Vlatko Cancar weighing options for left knee. Malone: “Not necessarily (season-ending). It could go a couple different ways. We’re still gathering information, letting the knee calm down a little bit. So I don’t want to get doom and gloom. But he’s out for the foreseeable future”
Two seasons ago, Cancar played 60 games for the Nuggets and averaged 5.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 48/37/93 shooting from the field. He didn’t play a single game last season due to injury and has only played four games this season due to injury. It’s’ been an incredibly rough two seasons for Cancar with how many major injuries he’s sustained.
“I’m not gonna go into all the details, but some different options will be on the table for Vlatko, and we’ll try to educate him,” Malone said.
Coach Malone gave an update on Vlatko Čančar at Nuggets practice and says “he will be out for the foreseeable future.”
You can feel how bad Malone feels for the bad luck that has gone Vlatko’s way. pic.twitter.com/iBMMlWsUM0
The Denver Nuggets are still missing Nikola Jokic due to personal reasons, and Aaron Gordon due to a right calf strain. The team has been shorthanded, but still has a record of 8-5.
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Dogs like Bailey — the former Dog of the Week in The Denver Post’s Adventurist newsletter — will be in good company at the first Denver Dog Fair this weekend. (Provided by Barbara Ellis)
Denver Dog Fair
Saturday-Sunday. Woof! If the last few weeks have left you panting, why not surround yourself with unconditional love? The first Denver Dog Fair takes place on Nov. 22 and 23 with the promise of unending poochie goodness. There will be dog adoption booths, “celebrity” dogs, performances and tricks, a dog-fashion show, vendors, a dozen food trucks, kids’ bounce house, crafting, and more.
It takes place indoors at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, 25690 E. Quincy Ave. in Aurora, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Tickets: $20, good for both days; 5 and under free. $5 per dog. Price includes all entertainment and activities (minus adoption fees and food/drink). denverdogfair.com
Christkindlmarket and the Mile High Tree
Friday. The annual Mile High Tree at Civic Center park has quickly become a modern classic in Denver, with its 110-foot-tall display of 60,000, color-changing LED lights. Its location next to the annual Christkindlmarket and across from the brightly decorated Denver City & County Building makes it a one-stop shop for free family holiday fun.
At the 24th Christkindlmarket you’ll find local vendors plus Glühwein (mulled spiced wine), German biers and hot chocolate, Bavarian-style pretzels, fresh smoked salmon, Knödel, goulash, Nürnberger sausages, pastries, caramels and European chocolates. The tree’s light-and-music shows run from 5 to 10 p.m. nightly.
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The market and tree both open on Friday, Nov. 22, with the market running through Dec. 23. The market is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday; and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. denver.org/milehighholidays/mile-high-tree or christkindlmarketdenver.com
Charlie Fausette, 6, from Tampa, Fla., ice skates with her father Rob at Downtown Denver Rink in Denver on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
Free ice skating downtown
Through Feb. 2, 2025. Whatever the weather, you can get a bit of holiday fun in by stopping by the popular Downtown Denver Rink. The rink, which basically bisects the 16th Street Mall’s Skyline Park (just outside the Daniels and Fisher Clocktower at 16th and Arapahoe streets), is a public rink where you can rent or bring your own skates.
It’s open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Entry is free; skate rentals are $12 for adults and $9 for kids 12 and under. winterindenver.com/rink
Santa and Mrs. Claus will be ready for photos at the Denver Christmas Show, this year moving to the National Western Complex. (Provided by Michelle Ellis)
A very merry Denver Christmas Show
Friday-Sunday. You don’t have to be in the market for gifts to get something out of the Denver Christmas Show at the National Western Complex. It’s a family-friendly affair, with Santa visits (and photos), daily storytime and hot cocoa with Mrs. Claus, live music, dancing, and more.
Of course, if you want to pick up some candy or chocolate, local gifts, or holiday decor, that will be right there too (with free gift wrapping), as well as plenty of other vendors. Tickets for the Friday, Nov. 22-Sunday, Nov. 24, event are $14 for 14-and-up, and free for 13-and-under. It runs 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at 4655 Humboldt St. in Denver. denverchristmasshow.com
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Dallas Mavericks (8-7, 11th in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (8-5, fifth in the Western Conference)
Denver; Friday, 10 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: Dallas seeks to keep its three-game win streak alive when the Mavericks take on Denver.
The Nuggets are 4-5 in Western Conference games. Denver is fifth in the league with 46.2 rebounds led by Nikola Jokic averaging 13.7.
The Mavericks have gone 6-6 against Western Conference opponents. Dallas ranks sixth in the Western Conference with 17.2 fast break points per game led by Luka Doncic averaging 4.6.
The Nuggets make 46.8% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.1 percentage points higher than the Mavericks have allowed to their opponents (44.7%). The Mavericks average 115.6 points per game, 0.5 more than the 115.1 the Nuggets give up to opponents.
TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Porter Jr. is shooting 47.9% and averaging 18.3 points for the Nuggets.
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Kyrie Irving is averaging 24.3 points and 5.2 assists for the Mavericks.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 7-3, averaging 119.7 points, 45.4 rebounds, 30.7 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.0 points per game.
Mavericks: 5-5, averaging 118.0 points, 44.3 rebounds, 25.5 assists, 7.7 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.2 points.
INJURIES: Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: out (calf), DaRon Holmes II: out for season (achilles), Nikola Jokic: day to day (personal).
Mavericks: Dante Exum: out (wrist).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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