Things to do in Denver this week, July 20-26

Dig into some fried food at the Arapahoe County Fair, socialize with dogs and humans at Yappy Hour, find some humor at RISE Comedy Festival or swap some books in Aurora. Choose your own adventure with this list of things to do around Denver, which is refreshed every Wednesday and Friday.

Bookmark this page for weekly events in and around the Mile High City.

On a budget? Check out our list of free things to do. But for now, stick around for events worth the price of admission in and around Denver:

This week

Repro Fund-Rager
Wednesday, July 22, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Bierstadt Lagerhaus, 2875 Blake St.
Rewire News Group presents a night of drag, community and celebration in support of reproductive freedom. Expect multiple drag performances, queer cheerleaders, a sex-advice kissing booth, face painting, vendors and more. Tickets are $12.51.

Sci-Fi Film Series: “Princess Mononoke”
Wednesday, July 22, 6 p.m.; series runs at 6 p.m. Wednesdays through July 29
Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave.
As part of Denver Film and Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Sci-Fi Film Series, the Sie FilmCenter will host a screening of the Studio Ghibli film “Princess Mononoke.” Inflicted with a deadly curse, the young warrior Ashitaka heads west in search of a cure and stumbles into a bitter conflict between Lady Eboshi, the proud people of Iron Town, and the enigmatic Princess Mononoke, a young girl raised by wolves, who will stop at nothing to prevent the humans from destroying her home and the forest spirits and animal gods who live there. Stick around after the film for a discussion with Emmy Dawson, research assistant in anthropology at DMNS. Get tickets here.

Arapahoe County Fair
Thursday, July 23, through Sunday, July 26
Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, 25690 E. Quincy Ave.
Head to the Arapahoe County Fair for some good old axe throwing, carnival rides, a petting far, mutton bustin’ and fried food. General admission is $34.

Yappy Hour: Dawgs & Dogs
Friday, July 24, 4 to 6 p.m.
OTC Sunken Plaza, 14697 Delaware St., Westminster
Enjoy some music, a drink and socialization with human and dog friends at this month’s Yappy Hour at the Orchard Town Center. The event takes place in the sunken plaza in Town Square outside of Windfall.

RISE Comedy Festival
Friday, July 24, through Saturday, Aug. 1
RISE Comedy, 1260 22nd St.|
The RISE Comedy Festival returns for two weekends of of improv, stand-up, workshops, classes, parties and more. See the schedule and purchase tickets here.

The Friendship Mixer: Fits & Friends
Saturday, July 25, 4 to 7 p.m.
Blend.Co, 2246 Larimer St.
Have an outfit you’ve been saving in your closet but have never had the occasion to wear it? Wear it to this friendship mixer, where there will be conversations to be had, vendors to browse, discounted drinks to enjoy and more. Tickets start at $17.85.

Book Swap
Sunday, July 26, noon to 2 p.m.
Queen City Collective Coffee, 1380 N. Uvalda St., Aurora
Bring a book (or several) to swap, lay it on the designated table, browse the books and grab up to four to take home with you at this Aurora Book Swap Society event. Tickets are $6.54.

Plan ahead

Sci-Fi Film Series: “Project Hail Mary”
Wednesday, July 22, 6 p.m.; series runs at 6 p.m. Wednesdays through July 29
Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave.
As part of Denver Film and Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Sci-Fi Film Series, the Sie FilmCenter will host a screening of “Project Hail Mary,” in which science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light-years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. Stick around after the film for a discussion with research astrophysicist and planetary scientist Kimberly Ennico-Smith. Get tickets here.

Saving Birds to Save the Planet: An Evening with Scott Weidensaul
Thursday, July 30, 7 p.m.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.
Learn about how bird conservation is an important part of saving the planet at this presentation by New York Times bestselling author and naturalist Scott Weidensaul, whose new book, “The Return of the Oystercatcher,” explores the conservation success stories helping birds — and the ecosystems we all depend on — recover. Tickets are $21 or $57 with a book included.

Untitled: Artist Takeover with featured artists Elle Hong and Lilian Lara
Friday, July 31, 6 to 10 p.m.
Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave Parkway
Explore a night of art, pop-up moments, live music, performances and art-making at this summer’s Untitled: Artist Takeover at the Denver Art Museum Martin Building, featuring artists Elle Hong and Lilian Lara. Tickets are $25.

Ongoing Denver events and museum exhibitions

Aurora Fashion Week
Through Saturday, July 25
Various Aurora locations
It’s not really a fashion week, but a fashion month. This July, Aurora will put on several fashion events, including a Concrete Runway, Wild West Runway, a denim event and more. See the event lineup and buy tickets here.

Colorado Renaissance Festival
Weekends through Sunday, Aug. 2
650 W. Perry Park Ave., Larkspur
Wander through a magical village in Larkspur, where entertainment, turkey legs, artisan vendors and creative costumes are plentiful. Tickets can be purchased online, at King Soopers and at the gate, but purchasing tickets in advance is recommended, as this is a popular event.

“Phenomenomaly”
Through Sunday, Aug. 9
Meow Wolf Convergence Station, 1338 1st St.
“Phenomenomaly,” an interactive experience filled with mysterious characters, glowing creatures, giant puppets, and custom music, returns to Meow Wolf Convergence Station for the summer, featuring various local performers on select dates. Learn more and get tickets here.

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
Through Sunday, Aug. 30
Exhibition Hub Art Center, 3900 Elati St.
Step into a Van Gogh painting at Exhibition Hub, which is currently staging Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, which has toured to 70 cities around the world since its creation in 2017. This version of Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience includes several newer additions, such as the Sunflower Room, the Letters Room, and a smaller immersive space that highlights Van Gogh’s life and his fascination with Japonisme. “Van Gogh’s work has a timeless and universal appeal,” says Exhibition Hub CEO Hamza El Azhar. “When you combine that with immersive storytelling and technology, it allows guests to step inside his world rather than simply observe it. This emotional and audiovisual connection is what makes the experience so impactful and widely loved.” The exhibition is designed for a wide audience, including children, adults, artists and non-artists alike. Select a date for your visit and get tickets here.

The World’s Largest Dinosaurs
Through Monday, Sept. 7
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s newest exhibit, The World’s Largest Dinosaurs, opens Friday, exploring “the biology and anatomy of sauropods — the largest land animals to ever walk the Earth.” The exhibit used to tell the story of sauropods includes a towering, life-sized model of a 60-foot-long Mamenchisauru. A special ticket is required in addition to general museum admission.

Conversation Pieces
Through Oct. 11
Denver Art Museum, 100 West 14th Ave. Parkway
Conversation Pieces is a new fashion exhibition at the Denver Art Museum made up of never-before-seen garments from the museum’s fashion archive. It’s also an interesting window into Denver fashion history. “Designers across time utilize a shared lexicon and a shared history,” says Director and Curator of Avenir Institute of Textile Arts and Fashion at the DAM Jill D’Alessandro. “They’re in constant communication with each other, whether they’re contemporaries or separated by eras. There’s a functionality to fashion that means they have the same root problem to work from. They’re responding to the body, to cultural shifts.” Conversation Pieces is included in general museum admission.

Moments That Made Us
Through Oct. 18
History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway
In honor of the U.S.’s 250th anniversary and Colorado’s 150th anniversary, History Colorado has collected fifty artifacts from defining moments in the country and state’s history, from George Washington’s spurs and a tape recorder from the Watergate investigation to historic documents and a firefighter’s helmet from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Get tickets here.

“Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History: Aurora”
Through Nov. 7
Aurora History Museum, 15051 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora
This new exhibit, which opened July 14, is an adaptation of the award-winning Museum of Boulder’s “Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History.” The traveling components focus on statewide history, with the new additions highlighting several of Aurora’s community leaders, educators, musicians, culinary artists and other local figures. The exhibition is composed of wall panels depicting stories and photographs about people, places and events that provide insights about local and state Black American experience. Museum admission is $5 for adults and $1 for children ages 3 to 17.

Lumonics Immersed
Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m.
Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery, 800 East 73 Ave.
Lumonics is a multi-sensory environment intended to bring guests into a state of comfort and expanded awareness. It features interactive art, such as light sculptures, painting, music, water fountains and projection. General admission tickets are $25.

Rainforest Yoga
Saturdays and Sundays, 7:45 to 8:45 a.m.
Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 W. 104th Ave., Westminster
Get your yoga mat and a towel and head to the Butterfly Pavilion for rejuvenating yoga surrounded by butterflies and exotic plants. Registration, which is $18, is required before the class. Register here.

Do you know of a great event in Denver? We’ll update this list throughout the week; send information to editorial@westword.com.