Free things to do in Denver (and beyond) this week, June 8-14

There are hot times ahead as we speed towards the official start of summer. Today, you can visit the Denver Art Museum and Denver Botanic Gardens (both the York Street and Chatfield Farms locations) for free. Thanks, SCFD!

For more entertainment options, check our list of activities worth the price of admission. Now keep reading for other free things to do in Denver (and beyond) this week and later in June:

This Week

Love Letters to Black Queerness
Tues., June 9, 6 p.m.
Blair-Caldwell African American Research Center, Welton St.
Join a celebration of community pride with Dr. Tara Jae and Black Pride Colorado. The evening will include food, conversation and the creation of a community love letter that will be displayed at the library throughout Pride Month. Learn more about related activities here.

Party on the Platform
Wed., June 10, 7 to 9 a.m.
Olde Town Arvada Station, 5575 Vance St., Arvada
Visit Arvada and community partners are celebrating the return of 15-minute G Line train service with a special “Party on the Platform” event, complete with live music from Carlos Vizzaro and giveaways from local businesses.

Topnotch Colorado Mystery/Thriller Authors Spill Their Secrets
Wed., June 10, 6 p.m.
Tattered Cover Colfax, 2526 E. Colfax Ave.
Five bestselling, award-winning Colorado mystery and thriller authors will reveal how they make their tales so addictive to readers. David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Barbara Nickless, Carter Wilson, Cynthia Swanson and Scott Graham will discuss their storytelling techniques, and a Q&A with the audience will follow. Unlike other Tattered events, this one is absolutely free…but you must register here.

National Outlet Shopping Days
Thurs., June 11, through Sun., June 14
Denver Premium Outlets, 13801 Grant St., Thornton
Denver Premium Outlets, home to over eighty retailers, will have several special events and deals during National Outlet Shopping Days, including Butterfly Pavilion experts teaching about pollinators and the Denver LEGO User Group creating a LEGOS mural with kids on June 14.

Two Creeks Park Ribbon-Cutting
Thurs., June 11, 5 to 6 p.m.
Two Creeks Park, 7540 W. 12th Ave., Lakewood
Join Mayor Wendi Strom for a community gathering to celebrate the opening of Lakewood’s newest park. Two Creeks Park is a 3.8-acre park bisected by Dry Gulch, which features a playground, looping trails, interactive water play and 111 new trees to support the city’s sustainability goals. At the ribbon-cutting, there will be ice cream, bubbles and playtime.

Lafayette Music Fest Kickoff
Thurs., June 11, 6 to 9 p.m.
Acreage, 1380 Horizon Ave., Lafayette
The Lafayette Music Fest kicks off with a lineup announcement that includes live music by Brandywine and the Mighty Fines.

Moth Magic
Thurs., June 11, 7:30 to 10 p.m.
Beech Shelter, Highway 36, Boulder County
This event includes an informal lecture at 8:30 p.m. with moth expert Dr Ryan St Laurent, curator of Entomology at the CU Museum of Natural History. Once it’s dark around 9, the magic begins as you observe moths and other insects up close at illuminated viewing stations. Admission is free, but space is limited; register here.

Ghostbusters
Fri.. June 12, 7 p.m.
Historic Elitch Theatre, 4600 W. 37th Pl.
The Free Family Film Series for the summer starts with Ghostbusters. Each screening includes themed pre‑show activities; for this film, there will be a costume contest at 6:30 p.m. Come as your favorite Ghostbuster, ghost or ’80s icon, and get your picture with the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

Health Care for All Colorado Annual Meeting
Sat., June 13, 9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. via Zoom
Health Care for All Colorado is holding its 2026 annual meeting on Zoom. Colorado’s healthcare study — SB25-045 — is underway, generating an independent, evidence-based analysis of what a universal coverage system would cost, save and deliver for every resident in the state; HCAC will share the latest update from the Colorado School of Public Health and also look at the path to establishing a universal healthcare enterprise. RSVP here.

Second Saturday at CSU Spur: Eco-Explorers
Sat., June 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
CSU Spur, 4777 National Western Dr.
The Colorado State University Spur campus hosts a day of free, interactive activities every second Saturday that explores the connections between plants, animals, water and people. During June’s “Eco-Explorers,” learn about Colorado’s bugs, jam out in the music lab, watch veterinarians perform surgery on dogs and cats, see live music and check out local vendors at the Riverfront at the Market.

Pride in the City 2026
Sat., June 13, noon to 2 p.m.
Denver Performing Arts Complex Galleria
The Denver Mayor’s Office, Denver Arts & Venues, Denver Human Rights and Community Partnerships, and the Denver LGBTQ+ Commission are hosting this gathering to mark Pride Month. Mayor Mike Johnston will be on hand to greet the community and celebrate its diversity. There will also be family-friendly games and activities, a marketplace showcasing Denver’s LGBTQ+ owned businesses, and light bites. Register here.

Brews & Braids: Dad Hair School
Sun., June 14, 5 p.m.
East Fax Tap, 8001 E. Colfax Ave.
Dads, stepdads, grandpas, uncles and father figures can level up their hair game at this hands-on workshop designed to teach the basics of styling your daughter’s hair. Grab a beer and learn a new skill. Free, but space is very limited; register here.

Ongoing

SCFD Free Days
Locations and dates vary
Thanks to the sales tax you pay into the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, many arts institutions around the metro area offer occasional free days and programs. Both the Denver Botanic Gardens and the Denver Art Museum are offering free admission on Tuesday, June 9. For more upcoming bargains, check the SCFD site.

Plaza on the Park: Mini Golf
Daily through September 30, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Denver International Airport
Have extra time at the airport? Activities return to Plaza on the Park, the space between the Jeppesen Terminal and the Westin Hotel. The nine-hole mini golf course returns on May 30 and is open daily; the space also hosts occasional special events and performances.

Music in the Gardens
Weekdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
17th Street Community Gardens, 17th and Wewatta streets
After a cold start to its first week, the sixth annual Music in the Gardens lunchtime music series continues with live performances every weekday lunch in the Union Station neighborhood. Get the schedule here.

Westracks Shuttle
Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Various stops in Jefferson County
The Westracks Shuttle Pilot Program will run free buses from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays through Labor Day, connecting riders to key destinations from the Jefferson County Government Center/RTD Golden Station, from Matthews/Winters Park, the Martin G. Lockley Center at Dinosaur Ridge, the Red Rocks Trading Post, Downtown Morrison, and the Morrison Natural History Museum.

Civic Center EATS
Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
1400 Block of Bannock St., Civic Center Park
On Wednesdays and Thursdays through mid-October, Denver’s summer food truck rally will return to Civic Center Park. Although the location has shifted toward Bannock Street because of renovations in the park, there will still be at least a dozen trucks to choose from, as well as civic booths and live music from Youth on Record. Get the full lineup in our story (and note that there’s no EATS on 7/1, 7/2, 8/12, 8/13, 9/2 or 9/3).

Colorado State Capitol Tours
Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
200 E. Colfax Ave.
The legislative session is over, but the Capitol remains open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and free guided tours are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Check in at the Visitor Information Desk, which opens at 9 a.m.

America 250 – Colorado 150
Through 2026
Around the state
Happy 150th birthday, Colorado! On August 1, 1876, Colorado became a state, and there will be celebrations all year — at the same time this country is celebrating its 250th anniversary. You can find a full list of the activities at Am250CO150.org.

“We Are the Land”
Denver’s YouTube
Denver documented the history and culture of the city’s current American Indian population, as well as Tribal Nations with cultural and historic ties to the land that is now Denver, with the oral history project “We are the Land: American Indian Life, Legacy and Future in Denver.” The project includes an accompanying documentary, “We Are the Land,” produced by Off the Road Productions, which is now available for free on Denver’s YouTube channel.

Plan ahead:

Talk With a Curator of the Denver Art Museum
Tues., June 16, 6 to 8 p.m.
Denver Book Society, 1700 Humboldt St.
Rory Padeken, the DAM Vicki and Kent Logan Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, will share details on the exhibition co-organized with the Amon Carter Museum of American Art titled “The Statue of Liberty from Bartholdi to Warhol,” which will come to Denver in March 2027. Reserve a spot here.

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