The best events around Denver for 4th of July fireworks

Is there anything more American than baseball? Add in post-game fireworks, and you've got yourself the picture-perfect 4th of July. Grab a loaded frank from Biker Jim's (or if you're feelng brave, some Rocky Mountain oysters) and a cold one and settle in.

The Colorado Rockies will play the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday and Saturday in evening games, followed by a fireworks display that can be seen around the city. If you don't make it to the game, find a rooftop bar near Coors Field where you can see the fireworks from afar.

Amusement parks are synonymous with summer, and at Elitch Gardens, you can get your thrills all day and catch the fireworks show after dark. On the 4th, they're open until 9pm, and the fireworks start after the rides close. Whether you choose to beat the heat chilling in a cabana or floating the lazy river or you're a thrill seeker white-knuckling the Brain Drain coaster (ok, you can also take it easy on the ferris wheel or take a spin in the tea cups), Elitches is the place to celebrate the red, white, and blue.

The Colorado Rapids will return on July 4th for the first soccer match they've hosted at full capacity since March 2020, playing the Seattle Sounders at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City. Their 4th Fest, a tradition since the club started 26 years ago, includes a soccer match at 7pm followed by a fireworks extravaganza. This 2021 match is especially significant because the team will retire Pablo Mastroeni's jersey number during a halftime ceremony.

The town of Avon, about a 10-minute drive west of Vail, has one of the best 4th of July celebrations in the state. The Salute to the USA event, now in its 35th year, will take place on Saturday, July 3rd at Harry A. Nottingham Park starting at 5pm. The family-friendly festivities will feature, face painters, magicians, balloon sculptors, and festival food (think roasted corn-on-the-cob, funnel cakes, and lemonade). Grammy-award winning musician Tab Benoit will take the stage at 6pm, followed by a dazzling 10,000 shell pyrotechnic spectacle of fireworks above the Rocky Mountains.

Pro tip: You can ditch the crowds (and the parking nightmare) by staying at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, where you get the best view of the Vail Valley and the fireworks from the bridge at the resort. Enjoy the holiday in style with cocktails. The resort is also hosting a backyard BBQ on the lawn and a live DJ. 

Just over an hour from Denver, city folk will feel like they're in another world when they head to Brush, a town on the Northeastern plains. Visitors can experience 20 miles of fireworks on the prairie, from Fort Morgan to Sterling. The annual rodeo in Brush is a 4th of July staple, bringing three days of rodeo fun to town as well as a western art show, a parade, mutton bustin' and stick horse races for the kids, Colorado Cowgirls performances, the crowning of the 2022 rodeo queen, and of course, a huge fireworks display.

For more than 70 years, Fairplay, in the foothills outside of Denver, has hosted an Independence Day celebration whose highlight is the World Champion Pack Burro Race (yes, you read that right). In it, teams of pack burros race with their handlers try to "get their ass up the pass," at Mosquito Pass. 

There's also a 5k for humans called the Burro Buster, a dog competition, a parade, food and drink, and an outdoor concert by Narrow Gauge (classic rock). Finish the night with a fireworks show over Fairplay Beach. 

Colorado Springs is urging residents to stay in and enjoy the "Symphony From Your Porch" broadcast on several local radio stations while they watch fireworks that are shot from eight sites around town. 

Guests of the Broadmoor can participate in a celebratory day by the lake with fishing, face painting, carnival games and musical performances with fireworks as the grand patriotic finale.