Give the gift of an experience

0

Instead of buying
your friends and family items that may be quickly stored and forgotten, this
year, consider giving them tickets or a gift certificate for an experience they
will remember. Catering to their interests while also providing something
unique they might not otherwise have a chance to explore.

For the Creative-Type

“Today, people
have more stuff than they need,” says Helen Hand, the president of Colorado
Free University. “Supporting someone’s creativity may be more meaningful than
giving something that they may or may not want.”

Classes are a
way for people to embrace doing things themselves, she says, and also give an
opportunity for them to develop their talents.

Colorado Free
University also offers hundreds of classes to keep the fingers and hands of
those creative types engaged all winter and can be gifted via direct
registration or a gift certificate. The courses include drawing, painting,
floral design, matting/framing, Chinese calligraphy, crochet, knitting,
bead-making, glass-blowing, carpentry, pottery, cooking, dancing, herbal
soap-making, photography and acting, among many others.

The classes also
support local artists, who teach the classes in various studios in the metro
area and on the campus at Colorado Free University.

For a specific
class information or to register someone, call 303-447-0310 or visit freeu.com.

At Boulder’s
paint and wine studio POSH, people have a chance to complete a full-sized
painting while enjoying a glass of wine or a cocktail. A professional artist
gives step-by-step instructions for the painters during these $35 classes, according
to Lloyd Burch, a co-owner of the studio. People often are so proud of the
finished products that they hang them in their homes, he says.

“It’s something
that is very lasting,” Burch says. “At the end of a class, people are really
excited.”

POSH is located
on Pearl Street. For more information call 303-442-7674 or visit
poshsplat.com.

For the Sports/Adventure Buff

The Colorado
Avalanche Holiday Pack includes tickets to four home hockey games, an
autographed hockey puck by either Ryan O’Reilley or Erik Johnson, a pair of
Avalanche gloves and playoff ticket priority. Prices will vary according to
seat selection, and start at $89. The games take place on two weeknights and
two weekend evenings, and also guarantee four really good opponents for the
Avalanche, says Kurt Schwartzkopf, the chief marketing officer for the team.

“We always kick
it off with the team immediately following Christmas Day,” he says.

The first game
will be against the Winnepeg Jets on Tuesday, Dec. 27, and holiday packs will
be available for purchase until then, says Schwartzkopf.

For more
information or to order an Avalanche Holiday Pack call 303-4AVSNHL or visit pepsicenter.com

For
adrenaline-junkies, try a gift certificate for SkyVenture Colorado, an indoor
skydiving company located in Lone Tree and the only indoor skydiving location
in the state. People of all ages are able to experience the rush and thrill of
skydiving without having to jump out of a plane.

“It’s truly
something that the whole family can do together,”
says Bob Burke, a managing partner at
SkyVenture Colorado.

A $100 gift
certificate can be purchased for $90 if a person brings in a gift to be donated
to the Boys & Girls Club, says Burke. The discounted gift certificates need
to be purchased at the location, but other gift certificates also can be
purchased online at skyventurecolorado.com. For more information, call
303-768-9000.

For Foodies

For the
food-enthusiasts in your life, try gift certificates to unique and delicious
restaurants.

One option is
the fondue restaurant The Melting Pot. The Melting Pot offers a four-course
meal consisting of cheese fondue, salad, entrees paired with homemade sauces
and chocolate fondue for dessert.

“The difference
with the Melting Pot compared to other restaurants it that it’s a celebration,”
says Adam Baker, the general manager at the Louisville location. “You get to
take time and relax.”

A typical meal
lasts from one and a half to two hours, which allows for a real dining
experience, Baker says. The Melting Pot also hosts specialty fondue nights,
such as a beer and fondue night that features the Boulder Beer Company, he
says.

The Melting Pot
is located on Main Street in Louisville. For more information call
303-666-7777.

For a special
Boulder dinner, buy a gift certificate to the Flagstaff House Restaurant. The
restaurant offers an elegant dining experience and scenic views of the city,
says Joel Sipe, the restaurant’s dining room manager.

Spruce up the
gift card with a special gift box and chocolates, available to purchase at the
restaurant. For more information, call 303-442-4640 or visit
flagstaffhouse.com.

For Theater-Goers

Boulder’s Dinner
Theatre allows for guests to enjoy a meal while watching talented actors
perform in well-known plays. The actors are also your food servers before the
show and during intermission, providing an intimate and comfortable setting to
relax and enjoy a show.

“It’s a gift
that is good for an entire year,” says Susie Montanez, a publicist for
Boulder’s Dinner Theatre.

Gift
certificates allow for a person to choose which show they want to attend most
next year, she says. Next year’s shows will include the current performance of Phantom,
The Drowsy Chaperone, Cinderella and Avenue Q.

To purchase
tickets, visit bouldersdinnertheatre.com or call 303-449-6000.

For a classic
Christmas gift, buy tickets to the Nutcracker ballet, which will be showing
through Christmas Eve at Colorado Ballet. Boulder’s Ballet Nouveau and Boulder
Ballet also will be performing the show.

For those buying
tickets to the Nutcracker at Colorado Ballet, a “snow promotion” is in effect
which discounts tickets by 25 percent, says Lynn Dolven, the development
director at Colorado Ballet.

If you are
interested in buying tickets for early next year, the Colorado Ballet will be
performing Peter Pan, which is brand new to ballet and will feature new sets
and costumes, Dolven says.

Ballet’s live
music, elaborate costumes and dancing can serve as a break away from
traditional plays, she says.

“We tell a story
without words,” she says.

To purchase tickets, visit coloradoballet.org
or call 303-837-8888.