Free for All: The Five Best Free Events This Week

The weekend may be over, but the free fun is just beginning for thrifty and adventurous Denverites. From a magician's open mic to a dive-bar crafts fair, there are plenty of delightful entertainment opportunities around town for anyone willing to seek them out. Keep reading for the five best free events in metro Denver this week.

Magic Open Mic Night
Monday, April 16, 7 p.m.
Mutiny Information Cafe
Open mics are wellsprings of inspiration and laboratories for failure. No matter what sort of performer takes the stage, audiences can witness both the purity of extemporaneous creation as well as the widespread heartbreak that occurs when a performer's ambitions exceed their talents. Mutiny Information Cafe's Magic Open Mic Night is unlike anything else in the city. At 7 p.m. on April 16, you can see the city's best magicians hone their skills, try out their newest tricks and dabble in the dark arts. Find more details on Mutiny's Facebook events page.

Literary Trivia Night: Game of Thrones
Tuesday, April 17, 7:30 p.m.
BookBar
While Game of Thrones won't return to HBO airwaves until 2018 — and George R.R. Martin is more likely to hatch dragon triplets than ever complete his A Song of Fire and Ice series — fans can still test their mettle at BookBar's GOT edition of Literary Trivia Night on April 17. If you know your Qartheen from your Dothraki, and have a workable knowledge of Westerosi house lineage — or can merely elect a champion who does — a place on the Iron Throne as Ruler of Nerds awaits. Hosted by trivia master Michael Wray, the night's questions will hew to the canon set forth in Martin's books, including characters, plot lines and settings not included in the show. Visit BookBar's events page to learn more.


The Laugh Night on Earth
Wednesday, April 18, 8 p.m.
Barfly
Bringing cinema fans and comedy nerds together is a specialty of the Alamo Drafthouse, and it's been a boon for Denver's comedians and audiences alike. Hosted and curated by hardworking comic and Phone It In Film Festival producer Zac Maas, the Laugh Night on Earth is a monthly standup showcase at Barfly, the box office-adjacent lounge at Alamo Drafthouse Sloan's Lake. Maas has assembled a particularly fine lineup for the April 18 show, which includes a trio of local favorites, including Katie Bowman, Derrick Stroup and headliner Al Jackson. Admission is free, but seating is limited; we recommend arriving early. Find more details on Barfly's Facebook events page.


Concert and Symphonic Band
Wednesday, April 18, 7:30 p.m.
Macky Auditorium Concert Hall
Celebrate the talented musicians at the University of Colorado's College of Music at a grand dual performance by the CU Concert Band and the CU Symphonic Band on April 18. Made up of music majors and non-majors alike, the Concert Band maintains a busy performance schedule that pulls from a repertoire of traditional and contemporary band tunes, while the Symphonic Band boasts over seventy of the finest orchestral musicians on campus. Visit the CU Presents events calendar for more details, including how to live-stream the performance.

Crafts & Drafts
Thursday, April 19, 7 p.m.
3 Kings Tavern
Feeling crafty? If you've got a yen for yarn and a need for knickknacks, 3 Kings Tavern's Crafts & Drafts is precisely the event you're been looking for. Bringing in local vendors with larders full of handmade art, jewelry, vintage goods and more, the April 19 Crafts & Draft is a boozy bazaar that unites creators, collectors and crust punks alike at one of Broadway's few remaining dives. The evening also includes performances by Gordon Leadfoot, Jazz Spiders and Starjammer. Visit 3 Kings Tavern's Facebook events page to learn more.

Have an event that you think deserves a spot on this list? Send information to [email protected].