Denver will host first and second round games of the men’s 2025 NCAA tournament.
March Madness is soooo close, and if your team is lucky enough to be sent to Ball Arena in Denver for the first and second rounds of the 2025 NCAA tournament, then you absolutely must go.
And if you don’t have a favorite team but you are a college hoops fanatic, then you can’t go wrong with spending the weekend in Denver while watching some great basketball.
We don’t really like to brag — ok, yes we do — but we have everything here. Great weather, a ginormous variety of restaurants, bars and cafes, and just soooo many parks, museums and things to do that you’re going to want to take a week. Trust me.
Before we launch into all the things to do besides watching basketball, a word of warning on the weather – be prepared for anything. The third week in March could as easily hit 75 as it could bring in a blizzard and drop to 25. You just never know. And your weather app doesn’t either. Check it, for sure. But don’t trust it. Dress in layers and have shorts … but also a hat and gloves.
So let’s start with the obvious…
Best eats before the game
There are so many places to eat in downtown Denver, and just walking through “LoDo” can be a goldmine for all things food, but an iconic spot you have to see is Sam’s No. 3 (and even if you don’t go there to eat, promise me you’ll at least check out their website — the splash page features a 1950s style fast food sign with changing sayings that prove there are geniuses behind the marketing as well as the food: “If you believe in anything, believe in cheeseburgers,” or “Today’s soup: Whiskey,” and my favorite, “We are unable to quit as we are too legit.”) They are pros.
The historic diner started in Denver in 1927 when Greek immigrant Sam Armatas opened on Curtis Street (another shout-out to the website – the “timeline” of the restaurant opening is a great mini historical tour of the development of Denver and the United States!)
The current downtown diner opened in 2003 across the street from the original Curtis Street locale. Sam’s No. 3 was featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in 2012 and has had several mentions over the year including from NBC Sunday Night Football, MSNBC Morning Joe and USA Today. Not to mention visits from Flea of The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jack Black from Tenacious D.
You really gotta go.
If your team wins, go to…
Society Sports and Spirits where you can relive the magic while watching your team’s best highlights on one of the sports bar’s bazillion large-screen TVs.
With all the expected cuisine of a sports bar like wings, burgers and onion rings and fried pickles, plus some unexpected delights such as pierogies, crispy brussel sprouts and cheese curds (yes, cheese curds) you will not be disappointed.
And then there’s the beer and cocktails menu.
Come to think of it, even if your team loses, you might want to head over here too.
Just don’t sit by a TV.
If your team loses, go to…
The Inventing Room for a fun, whimsical distraction. Although its website looks like one I might have created in 10th grade in the 80s, the experience is too fun to miss. The only downside is you have to get tickets in advance and it’s already sold out through March 14, so you may want to just plan on it regardless of a win or loss.
But if you snag one of the $16 tickets, you’ll get six effervescent treats including Really, Really Cold Cheetos, Nitro “Moon Rocks,” “Orange Julius” cubes, and Oreo Space Foam plus your choice of a liquid nitrogen ice cream sundae and time in the black light room with glow-in-the-dark sweets.
And if you’re like me and that kind of outing requires way too much planning ahead, Little Man Ice Cream at the 16th Street Mall (also a great place to walk around while in Denver) is for you.
Housed in a giant milk can-shaped shop, the experience harkens back to a golden era of the great American road trip where roadside monuments memorialized our favorite fast foods — hot dogs, donuts and ice cream.
But Little Man is also about supporting the community, so buying ice cream there also helps its Scoop for Scoop program that gives a portion of all ice cream sales to education, child welfare and hunger relief programs
Where the diehard Denver fans chill
If you are a sports lover through and through and just can’t get enough of all things sports while you’re in town, you can get your fix at The DNVR Bar.
DNVR Bar was started by the founder of DNVR sports media conglomerate so it is the ultimate place for anyone who loves Denver sports AND sports media. They host watch parties for all the local favorite teams – from the Denver Broncos to the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche as well as the CU Buffaloes and CSU Rams. The DNVR studios are located in the bar, so you might even see a live post-game broadcast or podcast recording.
It’s a bit farther away from Ball Arena but is close to the Denver City Park, which has several great sights to check out like the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Denver Zoo and the city golf course. All worth a stop if you have time.
Finally, if you’re in Denver, Colorado…
You cannot visit the Mile High City without going to Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater just a few minutes (OK, about 30) outside the city center.
The breathtaking rock formations, panoramic views, and hiking trails make it an unforgettable experience. You can walk around the iconic amphitheater, take in the stunning scenery, and even get in a little workout on the famous steps. You may even want to recreate U2’s famous “With or Without You” video filmed there for its “War” tour in 1983. OK, you may not want to, but I certainly do.
If beautiful rocks (aka, mountains) are not your thing, some other very cool things to do in the city are running up the Capitol steps to “mile high” marker at exactly 5,280 feet, going to the Meow Wolf experience or checking out one of the hundreds of fantastic city tours.
You can tour beer gardens, art exhibits, see city by bike, check out the city by foot…there’s literally something for everyone. Last summer I did a “craft beer and graffiti tour” in the RiNo District. Fabulous. Highly recommended.
Whatever you do while in town for March Madness, don’t just stay in your hotel room.
So. Much. To. See.
