Things to do in Denver this week, June 8-14

It’s Pride Month, and there are plenty of ways to celebrate in Denver, from watching a Denver Gay Men’s Chorus concert to attending a smutty scholastic book fair. Plus, the Colorado Renaissance Festival opens this weekend!

This list is refreshed every Wednesday and Friday. Bookmark this page for weekly events in and around Denver.

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 weekend

Lit Fest
Friday, June 12, to Friday, June 19
Lighthouse Writers Workshop, 3844 York St.
This eight-day celebration of writers and readers includes workshops, panels, craft seminars and other events with in-person and virtual options. Browse individual events or buy a pass here.

Denver Gay Men’s Chorus Pride Month concerts with Madam Hair
Friday, June 12, and Saturday, June 13, 7:30 p.m.: King Center, 855 Lawrence Way
Sunday, June 14, 3 p.m.: Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada
Centering on the legacy of hair entrepreneur A’Lelia Walker, daughter of Madame C.J. Walker and staunch advocate of Denver’s queer community, Madam Hair, celebrates the beauty and significance of hair – a vital part of gender expression, identity, and culture for many, especially within the LGBTQIA+ community – with the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus. Expect songs that celebrate hair, identity, culture, and the power of expression to shape and unite our diverse community. Get tickets here.

Backcountry Offroad Expo
Friday, June 12, through Sunday, June 14
Douglas County Fairgrounds, Castle Rock
The weekend kicks off Friday, June 12, with “The Greatest Road Trip on Earth,” a live storytelling presentation from Peter and Kathy Holcombe about their travels across the Americas. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. Admission is $20, or $10 with expo registration. The expo runs June 13 and 14, bringing together off-road vehicles, camper vans, trailers, outdoor gear brands, food trucks, live music, educational talks, a raffle benefiting Humane Colorado, and onsite camping. General admission starts at $3, and camping passes are $95 per vehicle.

Colorado Renaissance Festival
Saturday, June 13, to Sunday, August 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.

Denver Lesbian, Bi, Trans & Queer Speed Dating
Saturday, June 13, 1 to 3 p.m.
Prodigy Coffeehouse, 1640 Sherman St.
Meet LGBTQ+ singles at this speed dating event, which will include up to 10 5-minute dates and contact information for your matches after the event. Tickets are $28.52.

Smutty Scholastic Book Fair
Saturday, June 13, 5 to 9 p.m.
Dry Clean Only, 3358 York St.
Miss the days of the Scholastic Book Fair? Now you can experience a special Denver Pride adult version. Live out your grown-up book fair fantasy at this interactive experience where spicy literature meets steamy demonstrations and live performances. Tickets are $15.

Mile High Showdown
Sunday, June 14, 11 a.m.
National Western Complex, 4655 N. Humboldt St.
Check out the hottest lowriders from across the U.S. at the Mile High Showdown. Tickets are $33.77.

Denver Pride Comedy Showcase
Sunday, June 14, 6 to 8 p.m.
Lady Justice Brewing, 3242 South Acoma Street
Local queer comedians Rya Fisher, Terrence Dobbs, Lady Godiva, Ava Troop and Kendoll Clitzone will perform at Lady Justice Brwing for a Denver Pride Comedy Showcase. Early bird tickets are $15.71.

Plan ahead

Their Art Your Words: Poetry Writing in the Gallery
Monday, June 15, 6 to 8 p.m.
Curtis Center for the Arts, 2349 E. Orchard Road, Greenwood Village
Blend your love of art with your own poetic words at this workshop led by poetry guide Nancy Levenson, held during the Curtis Center’s Watercolor Society exhibit. The event will include a mixture of examples, discussions, prompts and the chance to respond to selected works of visual art through your own poetry. There will also be optional group sharing and an open mic. Tickets are $15.

DACA 14th Anniversary Celebration
Monday, June 15, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Ollin Cafetzin, 9529 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora
Juntos Community hosts a summer party celebrating 14 years of DACA with live music and dancing, coffee, drinks, food, art, games, and community connection. Every ticket purchased supports the goal of raising $60,000 by June 15 to fund DACA renewals for community members who may otherwise struggle to afford the renewal fee. Individual tickets are $12.51, couples $21.05, and family passes for four or more are $28.52.

Arts Thornton Music Series: Inside the Orchestra 
Friday, June 19, 11 a.m.
Trail Winds Recreation Center, 13495 Holly St., Thornton
Juneteenth is a day for joy, history, and coming together, and music has always been at the heart of it. Inside the Orchestra invites families to celebrate with a 45-minute interactive concert featuring the works of three Black composers, designed especially for children 10 and under. After the performance, kids can meet the musicians, explore the instruments, and discover the stories behind each piece. Tickets are $11 for youth and seniors and $13 for adults.

1940s Ball
Saturday, June 20, 6:30 to 11:30 p.m.
Boulder Airport, 3393 Airport Road
Put on your best 1940s attire and dance under the stars to the nostalgic tunes of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Attendees can also see vintage cars and planes. Tickets are $105.87 and selling out quickly.

To Gladden the Heart: A Summer Solstice Celebration
Saturday, June 20, 8 p.m.
High Fidelity Plaza, 633 17th St.
Join this Summer Solstice celebration featuring performances by The Practicing Body (Julie Davis of Bluebook), M O R S K A, Jaimie Henthorn, MG Bernard, and Regan Linton. The event begins with a sunset ritual and culminates in performances on the 30th floor. Tickets are $39.19.

Profs & Pints Denver: Governing AI
Wednesday, June 24, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Woodie Fisher Kitchen & Bar, 1999 Chestnut Place
In this segment of Profs & Pints, learn about debates in Colorado and other states over how to prevent artificial intelligence from being an instrument of harm, with Stefani Langehennig, assistant professor of the practice at the University of Denver, lead director of its Center for Analytics and Innovation with Data, and scholar focused on the intersection of data science, public policy, and law. Learn more and purchase tickets here; advance tickets are$14.77.

Ongoing Denver events and museum exhibitions

The Garden of Grief and Gladness
Select dates through June 14
3401 Blake St.
Explore ten immersive rooms designed to evoke the experience of ‘walking through’ the realities of grief. Some rooms are literal, some abstract. Select a date and get tickets here.

“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, August 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, September 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 October 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 October 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.

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.