Camp Christmas. Photo by Adams VisCom.

In 2019, DCPA Off-Center partnered with Lonnie Hanzon of Hanzon Studios to create an all-new holiday lighting destination for the Denver metro area. This fanciful (some might say quirky) experience immersed audiences in an extravagant assemblage of holiday decorations that Hanzon amassed over his 40+ year career as an installation artist.

Camp Christmas originally opened in the Stanley Marketplace in November 2019, welcoming nearly 70,000 holiday revelers to pun trees, popup bars, thousands of lights, and, of course, the pink room. This over-the-top, self-proclaimed “selfie palace” was just the place to leave your cares behind and be reinvigorated with holiday spirit.

Despite pivoting to an online experience during COVID, Camp Christmas came back in 2021 and 2022, turning its indoor playground into an outdoor campsite at Lakewood Heritage Belmar Park — complete with bonfires, Merry Badge scavenger hunts, and visits with Santa.

One more year back at Stanley Marketplace, and then the entire show just up and moved to Dallas. The nerve!

But now…it’s back! Back for the holidays in metro Denver. Back to Stanley Marketplace. Back with lights, pun trees, and more seasonal cheer than you can possibly stuff into your stocking.

While it’s back…it’s also different. Yet again, Hanzon has updated, upleveled, and uplifted the place that merry makers consider their Christmas home. “This year, Camp Christmas is taking over Stanley Marketplace,” Hanzon explained. “Many of the components of Camp will be free and can be found throughout the Marketplace and at our three bar partners (Local Drive, Denver Biscuit Company, and Traveling Mercies), which I will be transforming with decorations.

“We’ll have a larger Camp Gift Shop with lots of fun holiday gifts for every budget. And we’re launching the new Camp Christmas Express, a ten-minute walk-through tune-up for your holiday spirit.” The Camp Christmas Express is a 15-minute immersive journey that takes patrons through six cycles — from Pre-Soak to Fluff & Buff — after which they will emerge renewed, glittering, and ready to embrace the season. The Camp Christmas Express is $10 per person, walk-up only on Tuesdays through Sundays from November 21-December 24 during marketplace hours.

Camp Christmas. Photo by Adams VisCom

Plus, the ever-popular pun trees and free visits with Santa every Saturday and Sunday from 11am-1pm will round out the experience.

For those who think they’ve seen Camp Christmas before, Hanzon has one emphatic reply. “Nobody has experienced Camp Christmas this way before! You can make an evening of it strolling through the public spaces at Stanley Marketplace, enjoying drinks at the three themed bars, and completing the Merry Badge Scavenger Hunt throughout the Marketplace. And, of course, the all-new Camp Christmas Express is going to be a lot of fun.”

“This is our seventh year of Camp Christmas, and each year has been unique,” explained Hanzon. “This [year] is turning out to truly be a community event. It is exhilarating to be collaborating with so many businesses and community members in the Marketplace. This will be our third time at Stanley, and it’s great to be back and to be a part of making the Marketplace the best family spot for the holidays.”

DETAILS
Camp Christmas Takeover at Stanley Marketplace
Nov 15-Dec 24 • Stanley Marketplace at 2501 Dallas St., Aurora
More Info