It's another hot weekend full of cool events, including Roots Radical at RedLine and still more celebrations of South Park's 25th anniversary.
Keep reading for ten of the best free events in Denver this weekend:
Roots Radical: 48 Hours of Socially Engaged Art & Conversation Summit
Saturday, August 13, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Redline Contemporary Art Center, 2350 Arapahoe Street
Don't miss this year's arts, culture and social justice-focused summit at RedLine. The 48 hours are filled with Indigenous-led artist talks, performances, workshops, readings, art markets, live music, dancing, food trucks and more! Today's events include a market that runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a keynote by artist Gregg Deal at 2. Admission is free; get the details here.
The South Park 25th Anniversary Experience
Saturday, August 13, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
McGregor Square, 1901 Wazee Street
Did you miss the South Park 25th Anniversary Concert at Red Rocks? Comedy Central is bringing the South Park 25th Anniversary Experience, an immersive exhibit featuring iconic pieces of memorabilia from the show's 25-year history, to McGregor Square, where you can explore never-before-seen scripts, memorabilia from the show's archive, rare collectibles and much more. Admission is free, but there will be plenty of limited-edition #SouthPark25 merchandise items only available at McGregor Square. Find out more here.
Book Drive and Shred-a-thon
Saturday, August 13, 9 a.m. to noon
Bank of Colorado, 275 Union Boulevard, Lakewood
Got books? Too many books? Donate those gently used volumes during the Jefferson County Library Foundation’s Book Drive and Shred-a-thon! The JCLF will also accept donations of CDs, DVDs and vinyl records; the donations will be sold at the semi-annual Whale of a Used Book Sales and also at the Whale’s Tale Books & Gifts shop in Colorado Mills mall. Proceeds benefit Jefferson County Public Library programs such as Early Childhood Literacy and the annual Library Summer Challenge. At the same event, you can bring up to six boxes of personal documents and have them shredded on site, courtesy of Altitude Docushred. (A donation of $10 is suggested for that service.) Get more details here.
2nd Saturday at Spur
Saturday, August 13, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
CSU Spur, National Western Complex
Every second Saturday of the month, CSU Spur opens for a day of family-friendly fun as educators and scientists share hands-on activities. If you haven't seen this addition to the National Western Complex, giddyup! Admission is free.
Swallow Hill Music Open House
Saturday, August 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Swallow Hill Music, 71 East Yale Avenue
At this open house, you can learn about what Swallow Hill does — and what it can do for you. Attend an info session, bring your instrument and pop into a workshop. Get the scoop on upcoming concerts and how to snag free tickets. The event is free, but registration is required here.
Horseshoe Market Summer Series in RiNo
Saturday, August 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Denver Central Market, 2669 Market Street
The last in the Horseshoe Market's Summer Series comes to the Denver Central Market on Saturday. You'll find more than forty curated artists, jewelers, designers and vintage vendors; the first fifty shoppers get a shopping tote from Doug Yetman & West and Main Homes. Admission is free; find out more here.
Lou Bunch Day
Saturday, August 13, noon to 8 p.m.
Central City
Celebrate the 48th annual Lou Bunch Day, devoted to the old mining town's most notorious madam. The festivities start at noon, with a parade at 2 p.m., the brass bed race down Main Street at 3 p.m., and then an old-time country dance. There will be live music and other activities throughout the day; get the full schedule here.
Progressive BBQ
Saturday, August 13, 4 to 6 p.m.
The Hub at 40 West, 6501 West Colfax Avenue
If you haven’t been to the Hub at 40 West, now two First Fridays into the Lakewood art scene, here’s another reason to check it out: The multi-gallery community that’s now happily at home in the large, renovated building that once held the Denver Drumstick is hosting a free, family-friendly Progressive BBQ, with different dishes — and art bites, too — at each space. Find more info here.
South Park 25th Anniversary Concert
Saturday, August 13, 8 p.m., Comedy Central
Did you miss the South Park anniversary concert at Red Rocks this week? Or did you just want to catch it again? Comedy Central will show the entire show at 8 p.m. August 13; starting August 14, you can stream it on Paramount+.
Their Party: August
Saturday, August 13, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Tracks Denver, 3500 Walnut Street
Mind your pronouns at Their Party, a monthly event and safe space for the trans and nonbinary (and any other brand of non-gender-conforming) crowd. DJs Markie and Blaque Gurl will handle the decks, while Endi Patriarchy, Harry Pickle, Gucci and Minerva dish up all manner of drag performances for everyone; all party-goers have to do is dance, cheer, vogue at the photo station and smile. Admission is free for the first hour, and a $10 cover switches on after 10 p.m.; learn more here.
Do you know of a great free event in Denver? We'll be updating this list through the week; send information to [email protected].