Neal Stephenson at Tattered Cover LoDo (Friday, free) It should be pretty clear we're big fans of Stephenson's new book, Reamde, since we've already interviewed him and offered up a free copy of his book, so hopefully this is already on your itinerary. If not, it should be, because Reamde is one of the smartest thrillers to hit the stands in a long time. Plus, he has an awesome, gigantic goatee.
Horeshoe Craft & Flea Market at Moore Olinger Howard Chapel parking lot (Saturday, free) Denver loves craft swaps and flea markets, and the Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market is one of the biggest. If you're looking to buy or sell handmade goods, this is the place to do it this weekend. It's also probably your last chance to hit up an outdoor swap this year, so make good use of it. Chicken Coop Tour at Denver Botanic Gardens (Saturday, Four tickets/$20) The pricing is a little weird on this one, but you can get in for $20 for a group of four people, which works out to just five bucks a pop. Once you're in, you'll be able to check out some fancy chicken coops, learn how to do some proper urban chicken raising yourself and find out about the ordinances and rules you'll need to follow to do so. We think you should probably go, that milk crate in the back yard with some sawdust in it can't be chicken friendly. Zombie Dash at The Gin Mill (Saturday, free to watch) You'll need to pony up $40 if you want to actually race, but this is one of very few races that's going to be just as fun to watch happen as it is to race in. As you've probably already gathered from the name, it's all about dressing up like a zombie and running. Hopefully your survival instinct won't kick in and force you to book it down the street yourself.Robot Pursuit in Downtown Denver (Saturday, free) Do you like robots? Do you like geocaching or puzzle solving? Cool, that makes you the target audience for Robot Pursuit. All you'll need to do is visit the website on Saturday morning with a GPS device, plug in some coordinates, then you'll be on your way.
You're Not Getting Out Alive at The Bug Theatre (Saturday, $10) Paper Cat Films is showing off its feature-length comedy-horror film, You're Not Getting Out Alive at 8 and 10 tonight. We don't know much about the film itself, other than it's directed by Kris Hipps and features a bunch of actors stuck in the woods being stalked by a maniac. We love watching actors get killed in movies, especially when it's actors playing actors.
Chuck Close: A Couple ways of Doing Something at Loveland Museum/Gallery (Saturday, free) Chuck Close is a well known painter, but he's also an accomplished photographer. Here, his photography will be on display, each accompanied by poems from Bob Holman. It doesn't hurt that these aren't just any old portraits either, the subjects include the likes of Philip Glass, Cindy Sherman and Andres Serrano.Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield: Corn Maze at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield (Sunday, $10) You know what's awesome about corn mazes? The idea that you could possibly get lost inside one, then die of starvation and thirst. It's not likely, but it's possible, and that should be enough to get your blood moving.
