Free Things to Do in Denver (and Beyond) This Weekend

We’re heading for fall, and the forecast is for fun this weekend, with Oktoberfests across Colorado, and plenty of outdoor concerts. But with the tragedy at Evergreen High School this week, Saturday’s Day of the Arts fest at the Center for the Arts Evergreen has been canceled. Instead, the center is organizing a community art project: creating wooden hearts to hang around town.

Check our weekly list for one-off activities worth the price of admission. Now keep reading for free things to do in Denver (and beyond) this week:

Ongoing

SCFD Free Days
Locations and dates vary
Thanks to the sales tax you pay into the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, many art institutions around the metro area offer occasional free days and programs. You’ll get free admission to the Air & Space Museum today, September 12, and to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science on September 15.  For more upcoming bargains, check the SCFD site.

Civic Center EATS
Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Civic Center Park
For over a decade, food trucks have rallied at Civic Center for lunchtime fun that often includes live entertainment. The fall session started September 10.

Skyline Beer Garden
Wednesday through Sunday
16th and Arapahoe streets
Experience summer the Denver way at this outdoor beer garden with food, drinks, games and live entertainment all summer long. Find the complete schedule here.

Upper DownTUNES
Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.;  Thursday and Friday, 4 to 7 p.m.
Outer Space, 16th and Welton streets
Liven up your lunch at Upper DownTUNES, a free live music series in Upper Downtown Denver.

This weekend

Denver Gem & Mineral Show
Through Sunday, September 14, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
National Western Complex
The Gem & Mineral Show is the largest mineral, fossil, gem and jewelry show in the country, with twelve miles of tables and 600,000 square feet of selling space. There are over 500 plus dealers showing an amazing array, and admission is free.

Hardrock Summit 2025
Friday, September 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Westin Hotel, Westminster
Lovers of minerals, fossils, gemstones, jewelry and natural sciences won’t want to miss the Hardrock Summit. Museums and renowned private collectors will present other one-of-a-kind specimens; there will also be lectures, interactive exhibits and hands-on experiences.

Denver Design District Annual Showroom Sale
Friday, September 12, noon to 5 p.m.
Denver Design District, 595 South Broadway
Ever wonder what goes on in that area off South Broadway by the big yellow sculpture? The Denver Design District is n ow holding its Annual Showroom Sale, and it’s open to the public. You’ll find one-of-a-kind items, as well as discounts on luxury furniture, fabric, art, accessories, kitchen and bath items and more.

Game On
Friday, September 12, 3 to 6:30 p.m.
Room & Board rooftop, 222 Detroit Street
This monthly game night series is designed to bring people together just for fun. The September lineup includes Apples to Apples, Trivial Pursuit, We’re Not Really Strangers and Cards Against Humanity; Die Die Must Try will be slinging Boba and The Ambrosian Pantry will provide complimentary snacks. And there’s free parking in front of the store! RSVP here.

Denver Seminary 75th Anniversary Celebration
Friday, September 12, 4 to 9 p.m.
Clement Park, Littleton
This celebration marks 75 years of Denver Seminary; it will feature bestselling author Philip Yancey and Andy Byrd of Youth With a Mission; worship led by renowned Christian artist Kim Walker-Smith and her band; Aaron McClain of Encounter Collective, a vibrant gospel choir ensemble; and reflections from Dr. Mark Husbands, the Seminary’s new president. There will also be food trucks and games for all ages.

New American Arts Festival: ICE Baby/Inside Colfax East
Friday, September 12, and Saturday, September 13, 7 p.m.; Sunday, September 14, 2 p.m.
Healing Arts Sanctuary, 9709 East Colfax, Aurora
Organized by Roshni, the New American Arts Festival is on its fifth iteration; this year’s theme is “Confluence – Move as One, Excluding None.” The lineup includes performances of Ryan Makepeace’s ICE Baby/Inside Colfax East, an original play about a dancer and a community leader. Events continue through September 21; get the full schedule here.

Jaipur Festival
Saturday, September 13, and Sunday, September 14, 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Boulder Public Library, 1001 Canyon Boulevard, Boulder
The eleventh edition of JLF Colorado is a sibling of the world-renowned Jaipur Literature Festival. JLF Colorado brings together acclaimed authors, thinkers, and changemakers from Colorado and around the globe for inspiring discussions.

Second Saturday: Colorado Food Innovation Showcase
Saturday, September 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
CSU Spur, National Western Center
Find Colorado food entrepreneurs (and try free samples!) at this special Second Saturday at CSU Spur. The Food Innovation Center is hosting a showcase that will include more than two dozen up-and-coming local businesses. There wil also be interactive, hands-on activities ranging from trying virtual reality demonstrations in the Vida building to playing all sorts of instruments in the Hydro building’s Music Lab. There will also be an outdoor market along the National Western Center Riverfront.

Park Hill Open House
Saturday, September 13, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Hiawatha Davis Recreation Center, 3334 Holly Street
Denver Parks & Recreation and Denver Community Planning & Development is hosting an open house to discuss both the Park Hill Park and the Park Hill Community Action Plan. Stop in anytime during the three-hour session to see what’s in the works.

Sunnyside Music Festival
Saturday, September 13, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Chaffee Park
The Sunnyside Music Festival returns with a day of free fun, ranging from yoga to an artisans’ market to a kids’ activitie area to food vendors. And a lot of music, of course.

Ethiopian Day Celebration 2025
Saturday, September 13, noon to 7 p.m.
Aurora Municipal Building, 15151 East Alameda Parkway, Aurora
Colorado is home to one of the largest Ethiopian populations in the Rocky Mountain region, with an estimated 30,000+ Ethiopian-Americans living in the metro area alone. At this free celebration, the community will gather to celebrate the Ethiopian new year, with highlights including live music, dance performances, traditional food and artisan vendors.

Colorado Black Equity Study Community Listening Session
Saturday, September 13, noon to 2 p.m.
History Colorado, 1200 Broadway
Join the Colorado Black Equity Study team at History Colorado for a community listening session; learn about the study’s progress, and share your own experiences.

Hi Points Festival
Saturday, September 13, 1 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Welton Street in Five Points
Don’t miss the inaugural Hi Points Festival, a multi-venue celebration of music, culture and community along the Welton Street corridor that honors the Five Points neighborhood’s jazz legacy. Over twenty live performances spanning jazz, hip hop, house, funk, punk, R&B and more will fill venues ranging from Cousins Plaza to Spangalang, the Marigold, the Fifth and 715 Club.A centerpiece of the event is a tribute to Charles Burrell, led by Purnell Steen, Carl Jackson and the Park Hill Project. “The debut of Hi Points Festival is as much about renewal as it is about music,”s ays Norman Harris, executive director of Five Points Business Improvement District. “On Welton Street, we’re recreating the energy of a historic corridor-filling it with life and thriving businesses-while also celebrating how new genres have been recreated from the roots of jazz. This festival shines a spotlight on our community, honoring legends like Charles Burrell and showing how Five Points continues to inspire both tradition and innovation in Denver’s music scene.” See the full schedule here.

Oktoberfest: Denver Philharmonic Free Season Opening Party
Saturday, September 13, 7 to 10 p.m.
Diebolt Brewing Company, 3855 Mariposa Street
Join the Denver Philharmonic for its season kickoff with a night of music, brews and Bavarian bragging rights. Meet new maestro Scott O’Neil and enjoy live brass in the beer garden; there will also be stein-holding, and other Oktoberfest traditions. Although admission is free, a donation of $7.80 (in honor of season 78) is suggested.

Taste of Ethiopia Festival
Sunday, September 14, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
City Park Pavilion and Bandshell
Celebrate Enkutatash, the Ethiopian New Year (which actually starts September 11), at Colorado’s eleventh annual Taste of Ethiopia Festival, now in City Park. “This is more than a festival; it’s a shared New Year’s celebration with our entire Colorado community,” says Nebiyu Asfaw, chairman and co-founder of the Taste of Ethiopia Heritage Foundation. “Moving to City Park and aligning with Enkutatash allows us to share the true meaning of this holiday – renewal, community, and joy – on a grander scale than ever before.” The lineup includes food, live music and dance, and a cultural market, as well as family activities.

Denver Zine Fest
Sunday, September 14, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Denver Central Library, 10 West 14th Avenue Parkway
The Denver Zine Library has been a Denver treasure for two decades. Its annual zine fest is bigger and better than ever this year, with a prime spot at the DPL. Read all about it in Kristen Fiore’s story.

Weenies & Mimosas Dachshund Meetup
Sunday, September 14, 11 a.m.
McGregor Square, 1901 Wazee Street
McGregor Square is nosting its first-ever Weenies & Mimosas. Bring your dachshund to meet their new best friends, with pup cups and weenie swag provided by Sploot vets!

Block Party and Youth Music Festival
Sunday, September 14, 1 to 6 p.m.
Youth on Record, 1301 West Tenth Avenue
Youth on Record’s eleventh annual Block Party and Youth Music Festival brings together hundreds of all-ages music lovers for powerful performances from emerging artists, food trucks, community vendors and free activities.

Viva Southwest Mariachi
Sunday, September 14, 5 p.m. (doors at 4)
Levitt Pavilion, 1380 West Florida Avenue
Viva Southwest Mariachi celebrates the richness of mariachi music, with students from across Colorado – an all-state youth group known as Mariachi Estelares de Colorado – opening for headliner Lupita Infante, a critically acclaimed Mexican-American singer-songwriter and granddaughter of legendary Pedro Infante. She’s redefining ranchera music for a new generation, blending traditional and modern mariachi.

Ongoing:

Plan ahead

Colorado Startup Week
Monday, September 16, through Thursday, September 18
Downtown Denver
Colorado Startup Week is a free, community-driven celebration of bold ideas and entrepreneurial spirit – across Colorado and beyond. As the largest event of its kind in North America, CSW brings together over 10,000 founders, investors, creatives, and changemakers for a week of learning, inspiration and connection. Find the full schedule here.

Do you know of a great free event? We update this list through the week; send information to editorial@westword.com.