Five Things to Do for Free in Denver Today

If you're willing to venture out into the heat, you'll be rewarded by several free festivals and other events in and around metro Denver.

Wellness in the Park
Sunday, June 12, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sloan's Lake Park
CHOW, aka Culinary Hospitality Outreach and Wellness, is hosting an event pushing its pioneering initiative for hospitality professionals. There will be health and wellness activities, substance abuse recovery and mental health tools, and even some fun! Find out more here.

27th Annual Philippine Festival
Sunday, June 12, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Filipino-American Community, 1900 Harlan Street, Edgewater
The Filipino-American Community of Colorado knows how to feed a crowd, but that’s not the only reason to pull up a chair at the 27th annual Philippine Festival, a celebration commemorating Philippine Independence from Spain more than 120 years ago. It’s a community-minded effort by volunteers, who wrap each lumpia by hand and prepare favorite dishes and snacks, man the booths, and perform traditional music and dance. The fest is free, but you’ll want some pocket money; find more information here.

Boulder Jewish Festival 2022
Sunday, June 12, 11 a.m. to midnight
Pearl Street Mall, Boulder
The Boulder Jewish Festival, a tradition for more than 25 years, returns to in-person status this year on the Pearl Street Mall, boasting Jewish cuisine, from bagels and deli fare to Middle Eastern standards; an artisan market with a Judaic touch; and a world of music blending folk, klezmer, art music and liturgical melodies. It doesn’t get any more Jewish than that, but you don’t have to be Jewish to join in and dance into the night. Admission is free; find details here.

A Taste of Puerto Rico Festival
Sunday, June 12, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Civic Center Park
When this Puerto Rican festival’s organizers mention a “taste,” they're talking about cocina criolla, a cuisine based on a cultural mashup of Indigenous, Spanish and African inroads, plus a modern touch of American influences. The food at A Taste of Puerto Rico Festival in Civic Center Park is going to be smashing, mixing dishes that rely on a basic foundation of plantains both sweet and savory, rice, beans, yautia (a root vegetable similar to yuca or taro), pork and chicken. Add a few big helpings of island music, from salsa to reggaetón, and dancing, and your day is made. Find more info here.
Warm Cookies of the Revolution: Community Almanac: Food and Branches
Sunday, June 12, 1 to 3 p.m.
McNichols Building, 144 West Colfax Avenue
Warm Cookies of the Revolution is back to work as Denver’s only civic health club, getting people together to talk over community issues, learn how to exact change through the proper channels, be good neighbors and consume warm cookies together. This Sunday’s Community Almanac program at the McNichols Building starts with a short video by Mary Grace Legg and a talk by experts Asia Dorsey and Michelle Gabrieloff-Parrish on how to tighten up the community food chain and get everyone fed. Admission is free (or a $5 donation at the door); learn more here.

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