Free for All: The Five Best Free Events This Week

As the city rebounds from a shivery and snowbound Sunday, expect a fresh flurry of entertainments during the days ahead. Even if monthly billing obligations have devoured your share of discretionary income, the Queen City creative community has your back with another round of shows and celebrations that don't require a cover charge. Bundle up and brave the icy streets for five days of wine-soaked standup comedy, classical music concerts, fine art and and annual tribute to Colorado's most famous Frozen Dead Guy: Here are the five best free events of the week. 


Friends of Chamber Music: Trio Arabica and Tafelmusik
Tuesday, March 5, 6:30 p.m.
South High School
Take an elegant sip of a refined Baroque tradition at the Friends of Chamber Music's Coffeehouse Evening concert, a throwback to an era when customers enjoyed world-class performances along with their caffeine fix. Drawing inspiration from the java-slinging concert halls haunted by eighteenth-century artsy types in places like Leipzig and Damascus, Trio Arabica and members of the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra perform the sounds of centuries past on period-appropriate Arabic and European instruments, accompanied by storytelling interludes from narrator Alon Nashman. The concert also includes a spotlight recital from the South High School Orchestra and, of course, plenty of coffee. Admission is free; find more information on the Friends of Chamber Music events calendar.

Varinia A. Rodriguez's The Jellyfish Dream: Book Release Party
Tuesday, March 5, 7 p.m.
Mutiny Information Cafe
Transport yourself beneath the waves and into the surreal realm of scyphozoans with the painterly verse of Varinia A. Rodriguez, who's in top form with her latest collection, The Jellyfish Dream. Punch Drunk Press and South Broadway Ghost Society join forces to celebrate the fruition of Rodriguez's efforts with a release party hosted by Brice Maiurro and featuring live readings from poet Connor Marvin as well as the author herself.
Admission is free, and copies of Rodriguez's book will be available for $15. Visit Mutiny Information Cafe's Facebook events page to learn more.


Uncorked! Two Year Anniversary
Wednesday, March 6, 7:45 p.m.
Infinite Monkey Theorem Urban Winery
The decanting enchantments are ready to drink at the two-year anniversary of the Uncorked! comedy show, which returns to Infinite Monkey Theorem Urban Winery with a goblet full of giggles. Emcee and sommelier Meghan DePonceau celebrates her show-running milestone with an evening of palate-pleasing pairings including Hannah Jones, Ben Duncan, Anthony Crawford and headliner Nancy Norton. There's no cover charge for the performance, so guests should have plenty of money left to explore Infinite Monkey Theorem's tasting menu. Find more details on 5280 Comedy's Facebook events page.


Dirty Laundry: Elena Gunderson Solo Show
Thursday, March 7, 6 p.m.
Sally Centigrade
Fashion and fine art collide in brilliant color at Dirty Laundry, a solo exhibition from Elena Gunderson at Sally Centigrade gallery. A Rocky Mountain College Art + Design alum who still lives and works in Denver, Gunderson lavishes her portraits with expressive lines, bright hues and whimsical flourishes. Unveiling 38 new canvases for the gallery walls, as well as an array of hand-painted sunglasses and leather jackets, Dirty Laundry kicks off with a runway fashion show and provides guests with plenty of beer from Grandma's House brewery. Visit Sally Centigrade's Facebook events page for more information.


Frozen Dead Guy Days
Friday, March 8, 4 p.m. through Sunday, March 10
Nederland, Colorado
Colorado's quirkiest festival rises once more from the icy beyond when Frozen Dead Guy Days returns for another weekend of merry morbidity. Founded in 2002 to honor the stranger-than-fiction story of Bredo Morstøl — a man who lived his entire life in Norway before getting cryogenically frozen and spirited away to Nederland by his grandson Trygve Bauge, who'd intended to build his own cryonics facility in the scenic mountain town before his plans were scuttled by deportation — Frozen Dead Guy Days is a quintessentially Coloradan celebration. Shuffle through the streets in a slow-motion parade, don your finest attire for a bracing plunge into an icy pool, or compete with other pallbearing haulers in the fan-favorite coffin races during the annual reminder to fill the days of our short lives with as much fun as possible. Admission to festivities is free, but tickets to the live music tents costs $20. Find out more on the Frozen Dead Guy Days home page.

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