On a budget? Check 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
Sci-Fi Film Series: Gattaca
Wednesday, July 23, 6:30 p.m.
Series through Wednesday, July 30; Screenings at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays
Sie FilmCenter, 2510 East Colfax Avenue
This weekly series is a collaboration between Denver Film and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, showcasing a classic sci-fi film followed by discussions led by museum scientists examining the intersections of science and cinema, debunking or proving the film science against real facts and theories. This week's movie is Gattaca, with a post-film discussion with Holly Lutz, associate curator of mammalogy and earth sciences at DMNS. Series passes are $40 for Denver Film members and $50 for non-members; individual film tickets are $12 for Denver Film members and $15 for non-members.
Bright Nights at Four Mile Historic Park's ladybug lantern installation.
Courtesy of Bright Nights at Four Mile
Wednesdays through Sundays, July 23 through October 5
Four Mile Historic Park, 715 South Forest Street
Bright Nights at Four Mile returns for its third year, transforming the park into a glowing dreamscape of interactive art, oversized lantern sculptures and immersive storytelling. Jennifer LaGraff, CEO of Four Mile Historic Park, promises that "every inch" of the park will be filled with lanterns. Tickets range from $19 to $48.
Arapahoe County Fair
Thursday, July 24 through Sunday, July 27
Arapahoe County Fairgrounds and Park, 25690 East Quincy Avenue, Aurora
The 119th Arapahoe County Fair returns with carnival rides, showcases of the county's agricultural and Western heritage, live entertainment, food and more. Tickets are $25, and kids under 36 inches tall get in free.
Wheelchair Sports Camp has an artist takeover event coming up at the Denver Art Museum.
Wheelchair Sports Camp
Friday, July 25, 6-10 p.m.
Denver Art Museum, 100 West 14th Avenue Parkway
Wheelchair Sports Camp and a cast of contributing creatives will present a program of art and performances during an artist takeover at the Denver Art Museum. The theme of the night is "A Real Spectacle: Fit in with the Freaks," and audiences can the script and join the (dis)play in an interactive evening inspired by the museum's Modern & Contemporary art collection and in celebration of Disability Pride Month and the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Tickets start at $22.
Colorado Springs' own Instagram star, That Cat Pluto, will be meeting fans all day.
@thatcat_pluto
Saturday, July 26, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Norris Penrose Event Center, 1045 Lower Gold Camp Road, Colorado Springs
Browse cat-themed vendors, meet celebrity cats, try kitten yoga, adopt cats and much more at Cat Fest hosted by Dana Cain events. Admission is $20.
Mile High Flea Market
Saturday, July 26, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
7007 East 88th Avenue (off I-76), Henderson
Shop till you drop at the Mile High Flea Market, which not only includes local eats and market finds, but a Denver Museum of Nature and Science mobile learning lab, face painting and balloon art, pro wrestling and rides. Admission is $3. Attendees can also purchase an all-day ride wristband for $15. Learn more at milehighfleamarket.com.
A Rockabilly Hair Story: Hair, Fashion & Car Show and Fundraiser
Saturday, July 26, 3 p.m.
Subjective Coffee, 3695 West 72nd Avenue, Westminster
Great balls of fire, there’s a rockabilly hair, fashion and car show happening! Shine up that kustom car, do up your hair and get ready to go back in time on Saturday, July 26 for a “Rockabilly Hair Story.” Skye | Aire fashion designer/stylist Skye Barker Maa and show producers Angela Castro and Rebecca Accardi of Tranquility Salon will lead a cool kid gang of local hair and makeup experts to bring you an afternoon of classic 1950s styling in the perfect retro setting of the Subjective Cafe. The event is a fundraiser for The Family Tree, an organization dedicated to supporting people affected by child abuse, domestic violence and homelessness. Think greasers and pinup girls and a show of classic car clubs in the parking lot. Expect a whole lot of shakin’ goin’ on! Tickets are $7.18 to $97.88. For more info, go to @SkyeAireOfficial.
2025 Colorado Book Awards
Saturday, July 26, 5:30 p.m.
Ellie Caulkins Opera House Studio Loft, 908 14th Street
Join Colorado Humanities for the 2025 Colorado Book Awards for an evening honoring the state's best literature published in 2024. This year, the annual celebration of the accomplishments of the state's authors, editors, illustrators and photographers has been turned into a fundraiser with a silent auction and sponsorships due to Colorado Humanities' loss of its NEH funding. Tickets range from $37.50 to $1,000, and the event includes speakers, a silent auction and more.
Drone Show at Water World
Saturday, July 26, 7 p.m.
Water World, 8801 North Pecos Street, Federal Heights
Hundreds of drones will light up the sky at Water World's Thunder Bay for a choreographed drone show. General admission is $40.99; visit the "Day Tickets" section of the Water World website, click “Save by Choosing a Visit Date,” select July 26 and choose the 7 p.m. ticket option.
Aquatica: An Immersive Theme Party
Saturday, July 26, 6-11 p.m.
Champagne Tiger, 601 East Colfax Avenue
Dive into a queer underwater fantasy at this theme party event, which includes live music, performances, a scavenger hunt, food and drinks, a vendor market and more. Tickets are $23.18 and a portion of the proceeds will benefit YouthSeen to support programs for LGBTQ+ youth. An afterparty takes place at 11 p.m. at X Bar; entry is free with an Aquatica wristband.
Plan Ahead Things to Do in Denver
Sci-Fi Film Series: Fantastic Voyage 
Wednesday, July 30, 6:30 p.m.
Sie FilmCenter, 2510 East Colfax Avenue
This weekly series is a collaboration between Denver Film and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, showcasing a classic sci-fi film followed by discussions led by museum scientists examining the intersections of science and cinema, debunking or proving the film science against real facts and theories. The last movie in the series is Fantastic Voyage, with a post-film discussion with Bridget Chalifour, a Genomics scientist at DMNS. Individual film tickets are $12 for Denver Film members and $15 for non-members.
Ongoing Things to Do in Denver
As you round the corner to the end of History is Painted by the Victors, you'll be met with "The Great Mystery," which shows Miss Chief on horseback with her shoulders raised in a shrug.
Denver Art Museum
Through Sunday, August 17
Denver Art Museum, 100 West 14th Avenue Parkway
Kent Monkman's new exhibit at DAM is an emotional rollercoaster of an exhibit about indigenous experiences, both historical and modern. Monkman's larger-than-life, vibrant acrylic paintings look at themes like indigenous gender, sexuality, action and joy and the impact of governmental policies, residential and boarding schools, specific historic events, the mass institutionalizing and incarceration of Indigenous people, forced urbanization and more. The exhibit is included with general museum admission.
Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep
Through Sunday, September 7
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard
Explore the deep blue sea at a new temporary exhibit at DMNS, which takes guests back 200 million years to experience a prehistoric underwater world. Engage with fossils, hands-on activities and more. Tickets range from $7 to $9, plus museum admission, which ranges from $21 to $26. Buy tickets at dmns.org.
China and silverware from the Titanic's sister ship, the Olympic. "The Olympic went on until it was decommissioned after World War II, so lots more exists of it because it’s not at the bottom of the ocean," Malcomb says.
Kristen Fiore
Through Sunday, September 21
Molly Brown House Museum, 1340 Pennsylvania Street
The Molly Brown House's new Titanic exhibit offers an intimate look at the aftermath of the Titanic for Margaret Brown and how she became known as the "Heroine of the Titanic." The exhibit includes several newly acquired artifacts that tell the story of Brown's role in forming and leading the Titanic Survivors' Committee and helping those pulled to safety on the Carpathia — particularly the immigrants and Titanic crew members who lost everything with the sinking of the "Unsinkable Ship." The exhibit is included with general museum admission and there are related event slated for those who want to dive deeper; learn more at mollybrown.org.
Exhibition Hub executive producer John Zaller says people can expect to experience the Titanic story as if they are onboard the ship during Titanic: An Immersive Voyage.
Immersive Voyage
Through Sunday, September 21
Exhibition Hub Art Center Denver, 3900 Elati Street
Want to feel like you're literally on the Titanic? Including the part where the ship crashes into an iceberg and sinks? Then this exhibit is for you. Walk through the "unsinkable" ship's construction to its fatal end, including a virtual reality option that takes participants down to the wreck site to see the Titanic's remains. Tickets range from $19-$26.
Do you know of a great event in Denver? We'll update this list throughout the week; send information to [email protected].
