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Denver on display in New York's Times Square

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper today unveiled the Mile High City’s window display on ABC News’ “Good Morning America.”  Denver was one of three cities selected (along with Atlanta, Ga., and Kansas City, Kan.) to decorate a window at the ABC Studios, located in Times Square at 44th and Broadway. The window was sponsored by VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau, and will remain in view to passersby through December 30, 2008.

While Mayor Hickenlooper unveiled the display in New York, a festive pep rally with more than 200 participants dressed in ski and snowboard gear was staged in Denver’s Union Station from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. The event also included performances by the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders, TUBACHRISTMAS, the original Dickens Carolers with Cherry Creek Shopping Center, and dozens of others. The “Good Morning America” broadcast cut back and forth from New York to the local crowd in the station throughout the morning, showcasing Denver’s festive spirit and city pride. 

“This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Denver and Colorado to a national television audience and to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and holiday visitors,” states VISIT DENVER President and CEO Richard Scharf.

Designed by Keita Usuda, senior designer at Condit Exhibits, Denver’s window stylistically interprets the Mile High City’s holiday season, and was inspired by the commercial Art Deco ski posters of the 1930s.

The window showcases a series of Denver architectural and holiday icons, from a moving Ski Train that circles the window to dozens of speeding skiers who ski down a three-foot mountain representing Winter Park Resort. Additional Denver icons within the display include:

  • The new Hamilton Building at the Denver Art Museum, designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. The display features an exact replica of the building made from original plans.
  • Union Station, decorated with holiday lights, also serves as home to The Ski Train, which starts its 69th season on December 27, 2008. Day trips will be available from Denver to Winter Park on Saturdays and Sundays until March 29, 2009. The train will also run on Fridays beginning February 6, 2009, and Thursdays beginning February 19, 2009. The Ski Train passes through 34 tunnels and climbs 4,000 feet, dropping skiers literally at the foot of Winter Park Resort ski lifts. 
  • Winter Park Resort, which is owned by the City of Denver, functions as the only ski resort owned by a city. The four mountains of the resort receive 30 feet of snow a year and offer a 3,000-foot vertical drop from top to base.  There are 25 lifts and 145 trails, making it one of the largest ski resorts in Colorado.
  • The Colorado Convention Center, which features a seven-acre exhibit floor and 63 meeting rooms, also showcases Blue Bear, a 40-foot public-art piece created by Denver artist Lawrence Argent. 
  • The 16th Street Mall illuminates the Parade of Lights, which will be held on December 5-6, 2008, with eight marching bands and more than a dozen elaborately lit floats and giant balloons. 
  • Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the 9,000-seat arena carved out of 300-foot  red rock boulders, has hosted everyone from the Beatles to Bruce Springsteen.
  • The City & County Building, which has one of the largest holiday lighting displays in the nation, highlights its more than 600,000 lights.
  • The prominent sun in the west illustrates Denver’s more than 300 days of sunshine a year – more annual hours of sun than San Diego or Miami Beach. 
  • The skiers schussing down the slopes show Denver’s love for winter sports, which are only minutes away from the city. 
  • VISIT DENVER also enlisted 20 destination ambassadors in Times Square wearing colorful ski caps and handing out Denver visitor information during the unveiling.