Five Things to Do for Free in Denver Today

Entertainment day and night.

May 13, 2022

Raise a glass to a new RiNo location. Denver BAZAAR

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

The BAZAAR is back, although at a new home in RiNo, and food trucks are rallying in Northglenn. You can also celebrate Asian culture and Chicano/a poetry.

Keep reading for five of the best free events in and around Denver today:

Spring BAZAAR
Sunday, May 15, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
3501 Wazee Street
BAZAAR returns to Zeppelin Station for Spring BAZAAR, which will take over three blocks in RiNo. The outdoor market will feature 100+ curated vendors, DIY craft workshops, live DJs, craft cocktails, an indoor food hall and more. Admission is free (but bottomless mimosa deals are available); find out more here.

Food Truck Carnival
Sunday, May 15, noon to 5 p.m.
E.B. Rains Park and Civic Center Campus, Northglenn
The Northglenn Food Truck Carnival is back after a two-year hiatus. This fifth edition will showcase twenty-plus food trucks, as well as live music and amusement park rides. Admission is free, as are all performances. Purchase food directly from trucks and drinks from the bar; you can buy carnival passes or pay per ride. Find out more here.

Salida Film Festival: Extra Frames
Sunday, May 15, 11:30 a.m.
SteamPlant Theater, Salida Creative District
While the Salida Film Festival, which runs through May 15, is full of ticketed events, there are also some free programs. Independent Look Wth SeriesFest will show three independent pilots from the recent SeriesFest: Season 8 Competition slate on Sunday morning. Following the screening, there will be a conversation with Randi Kleiner, SeriesFest co-founder and CEO, and film/TV producer Britta Erickson. Find out more here.

Culture Collab
Sunday, May 15, 1 to 4 p.m.
Pagoda Lab, 1000 South Grove Street
Pagoda Lab, a small-business incubator and subscription box service providing services to small businesses, has partnered with ACEL (Asian Corporate Entrepreneur Leaders) to showcase Asian culture and food from local vendors. Admission is free; find out more here.

The Evolution of Chicano/a Poetry
Sunday, May 15, 2 to 5 p.m.
The Bar at Plaza38, 3550 West 39th Avenue, #98
The Colorado Alliance of Latino Mentors and Authors (CALMA) will gather for a panel discussion with local poets Ramon Del Castillo, Laura Soto, Margie Domingo and Jose "Jozer" Guererro, who will also share readings of their work, showing that Chicano/a poetry is evolving right here in Denver. It has a long history reaching back to Lalo Delgado’s “Stupid America,” a classic protest poem from 1969 that helped inspire Denver’s Crusade for Justice. The discussion and reading is free; find info 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].

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.