Things to Do in Denver This Weekend

This week in Denver, try your hand at tarot reading at the monthly Denver Tarot Workshop at The Pearl, attend a live comedy album recording at Comedy Works Downtown or listen to vinyl while you tune up your skis at Waldschänke Ciders + Coffee. Meanwhile, the National Western Stock Show is in full swing, and we have made an ultimate guide to the event.

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:

Things to Do in Denver This Week

Spelling Bee(r)
Thursday, January 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
River North Brewery, 3400 Blake Street
Drink some beer and spell some words at this month’s Spelling Bee(r), where participants win a three-ounce beer for every three rounds of correct spelling. Tickets are $10, and proceeds from the event benefit hands-on literacy work in Colorado.

A Life Among Elephants: Film & Lecture
Thursday, January 15, 7 p.m.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard
Join George Wittemyer, chief scientist of Save the Elephants, and Holly Lutz, associate curator of mammals at DMNS, for a screening of A Life Among Elephants, featuring Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder & president of Save the Elephants, and his relentless fight for elephants. Douglas-Hamilton passed away on December 8. A short panel discussion will take place after the film. Tickets are $18.

Ski // Board Tune & Vinyl Night
Friday, January 16, 4-8 p.m.
Waldschänke Ciders + Coffee, 4100 Jason Street
Get your skis tuned up and ready while listening to some records and having a drink at Waldschänke Ciders + Coffee. Tickets are $33.85.

Lumonics Immersed
Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m.
Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery, 800 East 73 Avenue
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, 7:45-8:45 a.m.
Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 West 104th Avenue, 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.

Introduction to Shibari
Saturday, January 17, 5 p.m.
Sexploratorium, 1800 South Broadway
Learn about the art of Japanese rope bondage in this beginner-friendly class, where participants will learn the fundamentals of rope handling, basic knots and simple ties that can be practiced at home while focusing on trust and communication between partners. Tickets start at $60.

Denver Tarot Workshop
Sunday, January 18, noon
The Pearl, 2199 California Street
Seasoned tarot readers and beginners alike are invited to this monthly tarot gathering at The Pearl to share insights, explore the cards and connect with others in a supportive setting. Tickets range from $11-$44.

Sunday Night Swing Dance Class
Sunday, January 18, 6:30 p.m.
The Pearl, 2199 California Street
Swing out every Sunday at The Pearl (formerly the Mercury Cafe) for live music and swing dance lessons. Each week, swing dance basics and a few other tricks are taught, and drop-ins, singles, couples, families and groups of all sizes are welcome. Tickets are $18 for this week’s Shim Sham event.

Ben Roy’s Live Album Recording
Sunday, January 18, 7 p.m.
Comedy Works Downtown, 1226 15th Street
Comedian Ben Roy, known for his Bill Hicks-esque, passionate, ranting approach to standup, will be recording his sixth album at Comedy Works Downtown. Tickets are $15; buy tickets and learn more here.

Plan Ahead

Sip & Craft: January Vision Board Making
Wednesday, January 21, 6:30 p.m.
Spirit Hound, 3622 Tejon Street
Come to Spirit Hound’s Monthly Crafternoon with Abigail to make vision boards. This hands-on crafting session is meant to help participants visualize the year ahead. The $15 ticket includes all crafting materials, and drinks will be available.

Digital Earth 100th Show Celebration
Wednesday, January 21, 6:30 and 8 p.m.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard
Voyage through time and space at the DMNS’s planetarium for a living story, weaving together themes from the past seventeen years and the story of how humans evolved on Earth. This is Dr. KaChun Yu and Bob Raynolds’s 100th presentation of the Digital Earth program. Get tickets here.

Ongoing Things to Do in Denver

Holiday Afternoon Tea
Through January 25, various times
The Brown Palace, 321 17th Street
Celebrate the season with a festive tea at the Brown Palace, a tradition at the hotel for more than a century. Each table is served a pot of expertly steeped English tea, presented alongside an elegant assortment of freshly baked scones with house-made preserves and Devonshire cream, delicate tea sandwiches filled with seasonal flavors, and an array of handcrafted pastries that capture the spirit of the holidays. Reservations range between $40-$95 per person.

The Secret World of Elephants
Through Sunday, January 25, 2026
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard
The latest temporary exhibition at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, The Secret World of Elephants, opens this week, giving visitors the science behind the loveable giants. Through hands-on interactions, feel the low-frequency rumbles elephants use to communicate, explore how they reshape their environments and come face-to-face with some of their ancestors, including dwarf elephants. Get tickets and see pricing information here.

Silverthorne Ice Castles
Through Saturday, February 21
125 Stephens Way, Silverthorne
Reserve your spot to enjoy all things ice in Silverthorne, from ice sculptures and slides to tunnels, caverns and even an ice bar. Peak ticket pricing is $23-$30 while off-peak pricing is $16-$22. See dates here.

Dinos Alive Immersive Experience
Through Sunday, March 29
Exhibition Hub, 3900 Elati Street
Taking up the space previously occupied by Titanic: An Immersive Voyage is Dinos Alive, a prehistoric playground with 35 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs and a VR experience. “With Dinos Alive, from the time you first enter all the way to the time you leave, the space is completely consumed by this feeling of being in a sort of Mesozoic-era Jungle,” says executive producer John Zaller. “We’ve got theatrical lighting throughout that’s creating this scene that’s transitioning from day to night, as though you’re going through the whole day with the dinosaurs.” Tickets are $18.90 to $34.90.

Brick Planet
Through Sunday, May 3
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard
Brick Planet: A Magical Journey Made with LEGO Bricks is a massive display of LEGO artistry at the DMNS. The new traveling exhibition by acclaimed LEGO artist Sean Kenney transforms ecosystems from around the globe into vivid, playful environments made from more than 1.5 million colorful bricks. The exhibit is included with general admission to the museum.

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