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

Welcome, March — or is this June? The temperature is predicted to hit 70 degrees today! So it’s no surprise that there are some hot events during the first week of the month, including 303 Day celebrations (commemorating the state’s first area code), free admission to the Molly Brown House and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and a big First Friday.

For more options around town, check our list of activities worth the price of admission. Now keep reading for free things to do in Denver (and beyond) this weekend.

Ongoing

SCFD Free Days
Locations and dates vary
Thanks to the sales tax you pay into the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, many arts institutions around the metro area offer occasional free days and programs. Next week, you can visit the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave for free on Wednesday, March 4, as well as the Molly Brown House Museum for free from 4 to 7 p.m. on March 5 and all day on March 8. And there’s no admission charge at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science on Friday, March 6! For more bargains, check the SCFD site.

Ruby Hill Rail Yard
Daily, 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Ruby Hill Park, South Platte River Drive and West Jewell Avenue
How many cities have their own terrain parks? Since 2007, Denver Parks & Recreation and Winter Park Resort have teamed up to provide urban skiing and snowboarding at Ruby Hill; Rail Yard opened for the season on February 1, with newly designed rails, boxes and configurations to accommodate skill levels from beginner to advanced. Fair warning: the lights are out, so beware if you’re recreating after dark.

America 250 – Colorado 150
Through 2026
Around the state
Happy 150th birthday, Colorado! On August 1, 1876, Colorado became a state, and there will be celebrations all year — at the same time this country is celebrating its 250th anniversary. You can find a full list of the activities at Am250CO150.org, but don’t miss the already-open exhibits at the History Colorado Center: Moments That Made US, 38th Star: Colorado Becomes the Centennial State, and the new John Fielder show, Majestic Mountains.

Thornton Yesterday, Thornton Today, Thornton Tomorrow
Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thornton Arts & Culture Center Annex, 9211 Dorothy Boulevard
When Sam Hoffman purchased the land that would one day become the City of Thornton and began building homes in 1954, he envisioned a thriving community that could stand on its own — a dream realized just two years later when Thornton officially became a city in 1956. Thornton is celebrating its seventieth anniversary with Thornton Yesterday, Thornton Today, Thornton Tomorrow, an exhibit that opened January 5 and runs through the year.

Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Photography Exhibit 
Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sangres Art Guild’s 3^rd Street Gallery, 59000 Highway 69, Westcliffe
Start your celebration of Colorado’s sesquicentennial with a visit to Westcliffe, which just opened a show of 52 photographs taken along Colorado’s Scenic and Historic Byways. Frontier Pathways, Custer County Tourism and the Sangres Art Guild are hosting the Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways exhibition through April 19, with a Welcome Spring reception on March 21. Learn more at visitwetmountainvalley.com.

“We Are the Land”
Denver’s YouTube
On February 7, Landmark Preservation staff and the American Indian community celebrated the culmination of more than three years of work to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of Denver’s current American Indian population, as well as Tribal Nations with cultural and historic ties to the land that is now Denver, with the oral history project “We are the Land: American Indian Life, Legacy and Future in Denver.” The project includes an accompanying documentary produced by Off the Road Productions, “We Are the Land,” which is now available on Denver’s YouTube channel.

Free Salsa Classes with Jesús Muñoz
Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.
Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, 1750 13th Street, Boulder
This eight-week series will examine the relationship between the movement, music, history and culture of salsa dancing. The classes include live music and instruction in Cuban Popular, Cuban Folkloric and Afro-Cuban dances. All levels welcome, and you can attend one or all of the sessions.

This Week

Fillmore Street Arch Lift: A Small Business Adventure
Monday, March 2, 7 to 9 p.m.
Colfax Avenue at Fillmore Street
Join the Colfax Bus Rapid Transit project team for a new kind of arch-lift viewing experience! Meet at Pizza Cucina (2934 East Colfax Avenue), grab a Fax Pass, a free slice of pizza and a map to guide you as you visit businesses along this stretch, collecting stickers as you stop. At 8 p.m., watch the arch-life action at Fillmore. At 9 p.m., return to Pizza Cucina to show off your stickers and possibly claim a prize. RSVP here.

303 Day
Tuesday, March 3, 5 to 9 p.m.
Number Thirty Eight, 3560 Chestnut Place
Join Indie 102.3 is it celebrates 303 Day — honoring Colorado’s first area code — with a big, loud party featuring three favorite Local 303 artists of 2025: Bruha, Graveyard Choir and Cheap Perfume. There will also be Indie swag (including a custom, limited-edition 303 Day poster by Ink Lounge), and a chance to win a Victrola Eastwood record player. The show is all-ages (but some bands may use profanity, organizers warn). RSVP here.

Buy Colorado Day: Meet the Leaders Behind Your Favorite Brands
Tuesday, March 3, 5 to 8 p.m.
Stranahan’s Whiskey Distillery & Cocktail Bar, 200 South Kalamath Street
Two years ago, Denver native Ricardo Baca turned what had been the unofficial 303 Day celebration (honoring the state’s first area code) into Buy Colorado Day, and started a statewide initiative to elevate Colorado brands. At this gathering, you can meet leaders behind favorite Colorado brands, including Annelise Loevlie, CEO of Icelandic Skis and Jake Gardner, CEO of Westbound & Down Brewing Co. Space is limited; RSVP here.

CCU for Israel: 505 Days in Captivity
Tuesday, March 3, through Thursday, March 5
Colorado Christian University, Anschutz Student Center, 8787 West Alameda Avenue, Lakewood
Join the Centennial Institute and Colorado Christian University for CCU for Israel, three days of programs. At 6 p.m. on March 3, Omer Shem Tov will discuss his 505 days in captivity after he was taken hostage by Hamas forces at the Nova Music Festival in October 2023. Get the full schedule here.

WorldDenver International Women’s Day Celebration 
Friday, March 6, 9 a.m.
Seawell Ballroom, Denver Performing Arts Complex
Prior to a ticketed luncheon honoring Water for People and Elize Woloson, with a keynote from Laura Chinchilla, the first woman president of Costa Rica (2010-2014), WorldDenver will present a free expert community panel, CEOs Building a Global Future. Panelists will include Antoinette Gawin, president & CEO, Terumo BCT; Maria Gonzalez, founder & CEO, Adelante Community Development; and Priscilla Asante, founder & CEO, Rosswood Ltd. The panel will be moderated by April Cobb, Google Cloud Consultant, Google.

Purse as a Portal Exhibit Opening
Friday, March 6, 5 to 9 p.m.
CHAC Gallery, 834 Santa Fe Drive
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC Gallery) and the Women’s Caucus for Art – Colorado Chapter are presenting Purse as a Portal, a collaborative exhibition that explores what women carry—physically, emotionally, socially and ancestrally. Using the purse as both a literal object and a powerful metaphor, participating artists reveal the often-invisible treasures women hold every day: memory, identity, resilience, responsibility, magic, and survival. There will be an artist talk March 21.

Denver Art Society First Friday
Friday, March 6, 5 to 9 p.m.
Denver Art Society, 734 Santa Fe Drive
In addition to showing original artwork by 150 Colorado artists, DAS will present live music on First Friday. The lineup: Undershakers, Travels, Spit Shine, eSonny Masicampo and Brew Glass. The Tree House will feature DJ Zobain – MOOSGH – Federal Bureau of Funk, and Underground Studios will have Elephant in the Room.

Kink Scene Negotiation, Communication, and Planning
Friday, March 6, 6 to 8 p.m.
The Sexploratorium, 1800 South Broadway
This free class is designed to help prepare you for the negotiation process and improve using your words with others when you enter the kink scene.

Shoshanna Raven
Friday, March 6, 6 to 9 p.m.
Union Station Terminal, 1701 Wynkoop Street
Join author Shoshanna Raven for a book launch celebrating her new release, The Limit Does Not Exist: Unreasonable Joy, Shameless Wealth and a Life Beyond Your Vision Board. Drawing on her own journey from heartbreak to multi-millionaire entrepreneur, she shows how to break the limits that hold you back, get noticed for your ideas, and build a life that’s bigger, bolder, and entirely your own.

Leadville Ski Joring
Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8, noon start
Harrison Avenue, Leadville
An iconic winter tradition returns with the 78th annual Leadville Ski Joring fest. The high-energy competition features horses pulling skiers through a course of gates, jumps and rings. The fest opens at noon on Saturday, followed by open, sport and novice divisions; an awards ceremony follows. Kids can also simulate ski joring by ski,ng behind a snowmobile after the racing concludes.

International Women’s Day
Saturday, March 7, 10 to 4 p.m., and Sunday, March 8, noon to 4 p.m.
Center for Colorado Women’s History, 1310 Bannock Street
There’s no admission charge on the weekend marking International Women’s Day. View the historic house, take part in a historical scavenger hunt, and celebrate the accomplishments of women both past and future. While there, you can see the current exhibit, Domestic Bliss.

Blarney on Belmar
Saturday, March 7, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Belmar Plaza, 439 South Upham Street, Lakewood
Celebrate the first St. Patrick’s Day festival of the year in downtown Lakewood: the fourth annual Blarney on Belmar. The family-friendly fest includes Irish music, traditional dancing, the Lucky Clover Market, and food and drink. Headlining the festival is The Elders, Kansas City’s legendary Celtic rock band; Tadhg Ó Meachair, an award-winning Irish pianist and accordionist will also perform, as will the MileHighlanders Pipe Band.

Mutiny Celebrates Terror Firma
Saturday, March 7, noon to 4 p.m.
Mutiny Comics & Coffee, 3483 South Broadway
Matthew Klickstein will sign copies of the new 4K Ultra Blu-Ray version of the 1998 Troma cult classic Terror Firmer; he contributed an essay to the 40-page “liner notes” booklet. There will also be the month comics auction.

Horseshoe International Women’s Day Market
Sunday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Arch, 3001 Walnut Street
The Horseshoe Market returns with the first event of 2026, this one celebrating International Women’s Day.

Niwot Native Art Market
Sunday, March 8, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Niwot Hall, 195 2nd Avenue, Niwot
This intimate, curated market features local Native artists — Haudenosaunee, Cherokee, Native Hawaiian, Cheyenne, Apache, Navajo and Lakota — who’ll be showing baskets, beadwork, jewelry, prints, original paintings and pottery.

Canopy Yoga Free Classes
Sunday, March 8, 1 p.m.
Canopy Yoga, 2525 15th Street
Canopy Yoga is partnering with Alo on two free classes for International Women’s Day: a Feel Good Flow with Rebecca @rebeccaniziol at 1 p.m., and a prenatal yoga class with Kelsey @native.roots.yoga & Emily @emily_harpster from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Terror Firmer
Sunday, March 8, 6 to 10 p.m.”
Gnarly’s, 1224 Washington Street, Golden
After a showing of Terror Firmer, Lloyd Kaufman will do a remote, live Q&A and discussion with Zack Beins of the Talkin’ Troma Podcast.

Plan ahead

St. Patrick’s Day Parade: “Stars, Strips & Shamrocks”
Saturday, March 14, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
19th and Wynkoop Streets
The 64th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at 9:30 a.m. from the corner of 19th and Wynkoop, turns left on 17th Street to Blake Street, then marches east on Blake and ends at 27th and Blake at the Coors Field parking lot. Find the schedule of parade week events here.

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