Free things to do in Denver (and beyond) this week, Aug. 10-16

You don’t have to spend money to have fun in Denver. This list is updated multiple times every week with free events going on around the Mile High City.

For even more options, check our Summer Guide, with hundreds of events for the months ahead. Now keep reading for more free things to do in Denver (and beyond):

This week

Queer and Sober Karaoke
Thursday, Aug. 13, 7 p.m.
Sexploratorium, 1800 S. Broadway
Get ready to sing. Whether you’re LGBTQ+, sober, or both, this karaoke night is a space where you can express yourself freely without judgment. Register here.

Music on the Lawn: Last Men on Earth
Friday, Aug. 14, 6 p.m.
Foothills, 215 E. Foothills Parkway, Fort Collins
Enjoy the music of Last Men on Earth, a beer garden, local vendors and more at this free event. Register here.

“The Comedy of Errors”
Aug. 14-16; Aug. 20-23; Aug. 27-30, performances at 7 p.m.
DeKoevend Park at Goodson Rec Center, 6315 S. University Blvd, Centennial
Check out Shakespeare in the Wild’s free performances of “The Comedy of Errors,” Shakespeare’s fastest, silliest, most gleefully chaotic play about two sets of separated twins, one very confused town, and the kind of mistaken-identity mayhem that hasn’t aged a day in 400 years. RSVP here. In bad weather, the show will be moved into Best Buy, 6707 S. Vine St., Centennial.

Morse Park Pool Party
Saturday, Aug. 15, 10 a.m. to noon
Morse Park, 8180 W. 20th Ave., Lakewood
As the oldest and one of the most popular neighborhood pools in the city, the existing pool is reaching the end of its lifespan and will need to be replaced in the next few years, so the City of Lakewood is asking for the community’s help to design a new one. Enjoy a back-to-school pool party and bring your ideas and feedback on pool concept designs. There will be refreshments and pool-themed giveaways.

Wild Spurs: A Community Painting Workshop
Saturday, Aug. 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Golden Hotel’s Clear Creek Pavilion, 800 11th St., Golden
Held during the Golden Fine Arts Festival, this workshop invites community members to stop by and hand-paint Colorado wildflowers onto spurs that will be displayed in the hotel’s newly renovated guest rooms. Patrons can paint freehand, use a stencil, or simply watch and enjoy the community atmosphere — all skill levels are welcome.

Basecamp Exchange
Saturday, Aug. 15, noon to 6 p.m.
Basecamp Market Station, 1641 Market St.
Basecamp Exchange is a free, all-day event that brings together adventure films, outdoor retail and industry conversations in the heart of downtown Denver. Explore immersive film galleries, more than 30 adventure films, chats with participating filmmakers, live music, vendors and more.

Denver Municipal Band at The Savoy Denver
Saturday, Aug. 15, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
The Savoy Denver, 2700 Arapahoe St.
Cool off with this free indoor concert featuring the Denver Municipal Jazz Band. The group has assembled some of the best jazz musicians in the region for a concert featuring dynamic contemporary jazz big band originals and arrangements by Quincy Jones, Bill Holman, Thelonious Monk, Pat Metheny and more.

City Parks Book Club Series: “Abundance & Reciprocity in the Natural World”
Sunday, Aug. 16, 10:30 a.m. to noon
Location TBA
Join Habitat Library for a free in-person book club, this time discussing Robin Wall Kimmerer’s “Abundance & Reciprocity in the Natural World.” Register and get the meeting location by emailing jeff@habitatlibrary.co.site.

Plan ahead

Lily Williams “Exposures” with Holly Grant
Thursday, Aug. 20, 6:30 p.m.
Boulder Bookstore, 1107 Pearl St.
Lily Williams will speak about and sign her new book, “Exposures,” at Boulder Bookstore, in conversation with Holly Grant. “Exposures” is a graphic novel for kids and an account of what it’s like living with OCD, and the courage it takes to confront your deepest fears. Register for free here.

Sensory Friendly Hours at the Air & Space Museum
Sunday, Aug. 23, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Air & Space Museum, 7711 E. Academy Blvd
Families with children, teenagers and adults with processing disorders and other cognitive disabilities are welcome to experience the museum in a low-sensory environment. Register for free here.

First Act at the Arts Complex
Saturday, Sept. 12, 9:30 a.m.
Galleria @ Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1400 Curtis St.
Register in advance for this free performance featuring the Colorado Ballet, the Colorado Symphony, Dazzle, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and Opera Colorado. “First Act” is the kickoff to Denver’s performing arts season, bringing together the organizations that call the Denver Performing Arts Complex home. In addition to performances, there will be workshops, crafts, exhibits and more.

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. Admission to the Denver Botanic Gardens (both York Street and Chatfield Farms) is free on July 1; for more upcoming bargains, check the SCFD site.

Plaza on the Park
Daily through Sept. 30, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Denver International Airport
Have extra time at the airport? Activities return to Plaza on the Park, the space between the Jeppesen Terminal and the Westin Hotel. The nine-hole mini golf course is back; the space also hosts occasional special events and performances.

Music in the Gardens
Weekdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
17th Street Community Gardens, 17th and Wewatta streets
After a cold start to its first week, the sixth annual Music in the Gardens lunchtime music series continues with live performances every weekday lunch in the Union Station neighborhood. Get the schedule here.

Westracks Shuttle
Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Various stops in Jefferson County
The Westracks Shuttle Pilot Program will run free buses from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays through Labor Day, connecting riders to key destinations from the Jefferson County Government Center/RTD Golden Station, from Matthews/Winters Park, the Martin G. Lockley Center at Dinosaur Ridge, the Red Rocks Trading Post, Downtown Morrison, and the Morrison Natural History Museum.

Civic Center EATS
Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
1400 Block of Bannock Street, Civic Center Park
On Wednesdays and Thursdays through mid-October, Denver’s summer food truck rally will return to Civic Center Park. Although the location has shifted toward Bannock Street because of renovations in the park, there will still be at least a dozen trucks to choose from, as well as civic booths and live music from Youth on Record. Get the full lineup in our story (and note that there’s no EATS on 8/12, 8/13, 9/2 or 9/3).

Colorado State Capitol Tours
Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
200 E. Colfax Ave.
The legislative session is over, but the Capitol remains open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and free guided tours are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Check in at the Visitor Information Desk, which opens at 9 a.m.

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