Kate Russell for Meow Wolf
Audio By Carbonatix
What a weekend! The snow is gone, and in a sure sign that summer is coming and that some things are returning to normal – or what now passes as the new normal – Elitch Gardens is reopening. Red Rocks is back in business, too, with Lotus starting the season. If you missed out on snagging those tickets, you can still celebrate the venue’s eightieth anniversary in person for just eighty cents!
Here are the ten best ticketed things to do this weekend and beyond (and don’t miss our list of free activities):
Scream Screen Presents: Welcome to Amityville!
Through Sunday, April 25, 11:45 p.m., online
Scream queen Theresa Mercado is changing the routine for a new Scream Screen horror-film screening -actually a “streaming” – by doing a four-film series marathon style, broadcasting “live” from the dark and spooky haunted Black Monarch Hotel in Victor. The twist? You have to guess which films will be showing, and Welcome to Amityville! is a not very useful clue, considering that the Amityville franchise has passed the twenty-film mark. You have from Thursday evening until late Sunday to watch all four, and that guessing part? If you’re right, there will be prizes. Learn more and get tickets, $20 ($15 Denver Film members) here.
Zen and the Art of Profit
Through Sunday, April 25, online
Luke Sorge’s Zen and the Art of Profit premiered in a production before a small audience at Miners Alley on April 2, and is now offering on-demand livestream tickets through the weekend. The play features two knockout performances by Bill Hahn (Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune) and Heather Lacy (Fun Home). Sorge’s play explores a question at the very heart of capitalism: Do the ends justify the means? Get more info and tickets here.
Elitch Gardens Opening Days
Saturday, April 24, and Sunday, April 25
Yes, after a year on hold, Elitch Gardens is finally reopening – with some new safety guidelines, of course – and if you’re a season-ticket holder, you can get in on the fun…if you can snag a reservation. Season passes start at under $70; get yours here.
We the People: True Stories About Race
Saturday, April 24, 6:30 p.m., online
Boulder’s Story Slam returns to the virtual stage but departs from its standard monthly format for an evening of true, personal-narrative stories about how race has played a part in the lives of eight storytellers who participated in an eight-week workshop. Now they will tell their seven-minute stories from the heart, and from living rooms across the country. “We know the power that stories have to heal, to help us make sense of how we fit into the bigger story of being human, and to learn more about what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes,” says Boulder’s Story Slam founder and co-host Johanna Walker, “which is essential in the work of dismantling racism.” Admission is a suggested donation of $5 to $25; proceeds will go to the Chinook Fund; get tickets here.
Denver Botanic Gardens Spring Plant Sale
Monday, April 26, through Thursday, April 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., online
The Denver Botanic Gardens is again offering its spring plant sale online, with a broad selection of plants for gardeners of every skill level, with an inventory that includes annuals, aquatics, Container Garden in a Bag, Grown at the Gardens, herbs, houseplants, roses, vegetables and Water-Smart options. The $25 early-access tickets for April 26 are sold out (you can try the waitlist); the online store is open to all starting April 27. Find out more here.
And plan ahead:
Red Rocks 8 O’Clock Howl
Wednesday, April 28, 6:30 p.m.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison
The community event that was supposed to open the iconic venue’s eightieth-anniversary season was postponed because of snow, but it will still be a special event, honoring those who have kept the music playing during the COVID-19 pandemic from their front porches, churches, yards and hospitals. Performers include the police and firefighters of the Emerald Society Bagpipers who played nightly in communities across Colorado;
Intensive Care Unit nurse Emily Worthem, who sang for patients at UC Health; and Dove Award-winning vocalist JoFoKe, trumpeter Shane Endsley and pianist Adam Waite, who performed gospel and jazz online. Mayor Michael Hancock will welcome the crowd – 2,500 capacity! – and at 8 p.m., Shelsea Ochoa and Brice Mauirro, who created the howling heard ’round the world, will lead a special howl. Tickets are just eighty cents; get them here.
Know of a great event? We’ll be updating this list through the weekend; send information to editorial@westword.com.