Ten Things to Do for Free in Denver This Weekend

Did you resolve to get out and about more in the new year? This weekend is a great time to make good on that resolution, with free events all over metro Denver, both inside and out (and online). The Boulder NAACP is kicking off six weeks of events celebrating Black History Month today, and for those with the day off Monday, the MLK Jr. Marade has returned!

Keep reading for ten of the best free events in town this week.

Wonder Celebration
Through Sunday, January 16
Beaver Creek Village, Avon
A walkable playground of selfie-friendly, oversized sculptures has been on view in Beaver Creek Village throughout the holiday season, but now it’s time for the art installations to really shine. During the three days of Beaver Creek Wonder, you can explore the interactive artworks and learn about them on interpretive art walks; after dark, enjoy live music, light and fire spinners and other performers while playing among installations of ski-shaped mirrors, a giant snow globe, a cookie truck and more. Skiing can be expensive, but this après-ski pastime is free; learn more here.

2022 New Year's Clothing Swap
Sunday, January 16: Clothing drop-off, 9 to 11 a.m.; early-bird entry for clothing contributors, noon to 1 p.m.; general admission, 1 to 4 p.m.
Grant-Humphreys Mansion, 770 Pennsylvania Street
The 2022 New Year's Clothing Swap, already postponed once, is back — no matter what — for its sixth year, moving from History Colorado to the elegant Grant-Humphreys Mansion, a beautiful setting for what’s essentially a big, inclusive girl party with a bring-something, take-something theme. You can drop off gently worn clothing, shoes and accessories to trade beginning at 9 a.m. in order to be eligible for an hour of early-bird shopping; starting at 1 p.m., anyone can join in the hunt. It’s all free for the giving and taking;
RSVP and look for rules and regulations at Eventbrite.

"Durango 550 — Path of the Ancestral Puebloans"
Sunday, January 16, 10 a.m., online
The Colorado Department of Transportation will debut the documentary "Durango 550 - Path of the Ancestral Puebloans," which depicts how CDOT worked with archaeologists and regional Native American tribes to document, study and ultimately share the discoveries unearthed near Durango before work on the US 550-US 160 Connection South project broke ground in 2020. “This documentary shows the unique collaboration of all entities involved, laying the groundwork for a new approach to archaeology, blending Western science with traditional cultural beliefs,” says CDOT Archaeologist Greg Wolff. Watch it on RMPBS; it's also available on the station's website and mobile app; find out more here.
Walk With Me
Opening Sunday, January 16, 1 to 5 p.m.
Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut Street, Boulder (and online)
NAACP Boulder County is hosting "Walk With Me," a series of events celebrating Black History Month. The centerpiece is the Walk With Me exhibition, with more than 100 historical photographs documenting the lives of African-Americans across the South in the 1950s and 60s by prominent photojournalist Ernest Withers, from the Withers Collection Museum and Gallery in Memphis. Rosalind Withers, daughter of Ernest Withers, will offer the keynote at 1:30 p.m. and officially kick off Walk With Me; there will be other speakers and performances, as well as a chance to see the exhibit. You can also catch a livestream here. The series continues through February 27; get the full schedule here.

Friendship Circle Colorado Kickoff Party
Sunday, January 16, 3 p.m.
6100 East Belleview Avenue, Greenwood Village
Friendship Circle Colorado, a nonprofit that coordinates free events for special needs kids and their families, is hosting a kickoff party in person with a magic show, balloons, snacks and an opportunity to learn more about Friendship Circle Colorado, which plans to continue holding family-friendly activities every other Sunday. RSVP here.

Undoing the Noble Crusade
Sunday, January 16, 7 p.m.
The celebration of Black History Month continues at the Dairy Arts Center, which is offering virtual screenings of two films in a program inspired by a passage from Martin Luther King's 1963 book, Why We Can’t Wait: “We are perhaps the only nation which tried as a matter of national policy to wipe out its indigenous population. Moreover, we elevated that tragic experience into a noble crusade.” A short film by Alan O’Hash commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the Native American Rights Fund, which was established in the spirit of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The second documentary is “Beyond Sand Creek,” about the efforts of the Arapaho tribe to undo stereotypes, renew their language and culture and tie those to their traditional homeland in Boulder. Register here.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Marade
Monday, January 17, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
City Park
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day Marade — a combination of March and Parade — is back in person in 2022. Participants in the 37th Marade will gather at City Park for speeches and head to Civic Center for more community activation, followed by a park cleanup at 1 p.m. Find out more here.
Ongoing:

Vida Building at CSU Spur
Daily, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
National Western Complex, 4800 North Bettie Cram Drive
This amazing new Colorado State University animal-care facility opened in time for the National Western Stock Show, and admission is always free. (Stock Show parking is free, too, but you might have a bit of a walk.) Inside, you can see cat and dog surgery, watch a mock kids' vet clinic, and experience virtual reality. Find out more here.

Night Lights Denver
Tuesdays through Sundays through January, 5:15 to 11:59 p.m.
Clocktower, 1601 Arapahoe Street
The January program of the "people's projector" is up and running, with new works from artists Danielle Cunningham. Joseph Toney and Mario Carrillo illuminating the side of the Clocktower; Clayton Kenney's crowd-favorite "Snow" from 2019 has also returned. The light shows continue daily (except Monday) through January; find out more here.

ARTcade
Wednesdays through Sundays through January, noon to 8 p.m.
Understudy, 890 C 14th Street
The latest project at the Denver Theatre District’s cozy arts incubator space, Understudy, has all the fixings of a traditional arcade — except that they’ve been souped up by a long list of participating local artists. Even the prizes are artist-made: Grab a masterpiece from a claw machine, or redeem coupons for enamel pins, coloring books, miniature paintings, jewelry, tea towels, art prints, small sculptures and more. ARTcade will be open Wednesdays through Sundays through the end of January to accommodate Stock Show visitors; find out more here.

Know of a great free event in town? We'll be updating this list through the week; send information to [email protected].