Ten Things to Do for Free in Denver (and Beyond) Today

March has come in like a lion, with the Month of Photography and International Women's Day activities on the calendar. You can also catch illuminating events in downtown Denver and RiNo, or head for the hills for concerts in Aspen and ski joring in Leadville.

Keep reading for ten of the best free events today:

International Women’s Month Mujer Mercado
Sunday, March 5, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
RISE Westwood Campus, 3738-3800 Morrison Road
Westwood’s Mujer Mercado is back in force for International Women’s Month, with plenty of new merch to prove that Denver’s Latina makers are tough, crafty and one-of-a-kind in all the best ways. In addition to the vendor booths, the Rise Westwood campus will be brimming with kids’ activities, brunch specials at the cafe, free mimosas and an art showcase for women artists in the gallery. ¡Que vivan las mujeres!

Audi FIS Ski World Cup
Through Sunday, March 5
Aspen and Snowmass
You might shell out a lot of cash for a weekend in Aspen, but there are plenty of free events connected with the World Cup, including concerts and the change to watch the raches themselves. Get the details here.
Leadville Ski Joring and Crystal Carnival Weekend
Through Sunday, March 5
Harrison Avenue, Leadville
At the 75th Leadville Ski Joring and Crystal Carnival Weekend, experience the unique sport of ski joring (horses and skis...what could go wrong?), join mountain bike and Nordic ski races, enjoy live music and dancing, and take part in more winter fun. The horses and skiers will race from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday; you can bid on teams. There's more free fun on this closing day; find out more here.

2023 Casa Bonita Art Show
Sunday, March 5, noon to 5 p.m.
Next Gallery, 6501 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood
Every year, Next Gallery celebrates Casa Bonita, the beloved pink eatertainment palace that towers over the 40 West Arts District. The kitschy indoor circus known for its sopaipillas, cliff divers, puppet shows, grimy grottos and other tawdry entertainments closed in 2020 and was eventually bought by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who plan to reopen in May. In the meantime, you can see the largest-ever Casa Bonita exhibition, with more than seventy works by local and national artists; get details here.

Mercury Poetry Slam
Sunday, March 5, 6 to 11 p.m.
Mercury Cafe, 2199 California Street
For the past 25 years, the Mercury has hosted Jam B4 The Slam', an open mike and poetry slam. Admission is free, find out more here.
Side Stories
Through Sunday, March 5
Five locations in RiNo
Side Stories, the large-format outdoor film installation festival, returns to the RiNo Art Distroct for its fifth year. Five artists — Alejandra Abad, Andi Todaro, Jank Films, Payson Wick and Waveform Experiential —have been selected to create site-specific, five-minute films that align with this year’s theme of “What Moves You,” a nod to movement of all forms and interpretations.  Each film will illuminate one of five exterior walls throughout the RiNo Art District over the course of ten nights. Admission is free; find out more here.

Night Lights Denver
Through March 31 (except Mondays) 6 p.m. to midnight
Clocktower, 1601 Arapahoe Street
This month's illuminating program is dedicated to the Month of Photography. Colorado Photographic Arts Center's Samantha Johnston has curated this display of work by sixty photographers that now plays after dark all month. Alert: Times will change next Sunday with Daylight Savings Time; find out more here.

Ongoing:

"Reclaiming Denver’s Chinatown"
Online 24/7
To celebrate the Lunar New Year, Denver's Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships has released the #IAmDenver documentary “Reclaiming Denver’s Chinatown,” produced by the Denver Office of Storytelling. The documentary premiered to a sold-out audience at the Denver Film Festival in November, and plans are in the works for community screenings and talkback events. In the meantime, watch it online.

Dr. King Jr. and the Radical Roots at the Heart of Justice
Online 24/7
Motus Theater is sharing the Martin Luther King Jr. performance from January 16, which featured nationally acclaimed and regionally loved singers The ReMINDers; Dr. Reiland Rabaka, director of the CU Boulder Center for African and African American Studies; and Motus monologist Colette Payne, director at the Women’s Justice Institute. You can watch the full event here for free here.

Ruby Hill Rail Yard
Daily 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. (lights on until 9 p.m.)
Ruby Hill Park, South Platte Drive at West Florida Avenue
Denver Parks & Recreation and Winter Park Resort have again teamed up to offer free skiing and snowboarding at the urban terrain park at Ruby Hill, complete with rails, snow features and boxes of varying configurations and skill levels. Admission is always free, but on Thursdays (4 to 9 p.m.) and Saturdays (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.), equipment is free, too. Find out more here.

Do you know of a great free event in Denver? Send information to [email protected].