While there's nothing wrong with stuffing your face or your shopping cart, the days following Thanksgiving have more to offer than leftover turkey and Black Friday frenzy. Denver's cultural calendar is packed with concerts, comedy shows, film screenings and art exhibitions that readers can enjoy on the cheap, saving their cash for that all-important holiday shopping. Keep reading for the ten best things to do for $10 and under this weekend, with a bonus on Tuesday.

Light the Lights
Friday, November 23, 3 to 9 p.m.
Civic Center Park
Free
Let there be light! The city continues an 86-year-old tradition with family-oriented activities, including the inaugural Yellow Snow Dog Race, food trucks, a beer garden and live entertainment. Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen, Fire Chief Eric Tade and Sheriff Patrick Firman will do the honor of flipping the light switch this year at 6:15 p.m.

A Hudson Christmas
Friday, November 23, 5 to 9 p.m.
Hudson Gardens & Event Center
$8 to $10.50
Feast your eyes on an abundance of good cheer when "A Hudson Christmas" returns for the season. A stroll through the inviting grounds of Littleton's Hudson Gardens & Event Center is a worthwhile diversion year-round, but the sight of the woods transformed into a shimmering wonderland festooned with merry strings of lights is enough to warm even the Grinchiest of hearts. The festivities begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, November 23, and continue throughout the holidays before closing down until next year on Monday, December 31. Find tickets, $8 to $10.50, and more information on the Hudson Gardens & Event Center's Altitude Tickets page.

Black Sheep Friday: Mr. Rogers' Sweaters
Friday, November 23, 6 to 9 p.m.
MCA Denver
$5
Get bundled up and gather with a neighbor or two when Black Sheep Fridays returns to the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art for a ninth season of cultured tomfoolery. This week's edition honors the memory of Fred Rogers, legendary broadcaster and host of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, with a woolly workshop dedicated to sweaters, the cozy centerpiece of Rogers's iconic wardrobe. Stitch together a one-of-a-kind cardigan that will swaddle its wearer in soft fabric and childhood nostalgia at this ideal opportunity to make gifts and memories alike. Admission is free for members and included in the $5 ticket for everyone else. Capacity and supplies are limited, so don't hesitate. Visit MCA Denver's events calendar to RSVP and find out more.


Friday Night Weird: Deep Red
Friday, November 23, 8:45 p.m.
Boedecker Theater
$6.50 to $12
With an unnecessary remake of Suspiria currently underwhelming movie-goers, there's never been a better time for gorehound cineastes to take a stab at the early films of Dario Argento. Boedecker Theater's Friday Night Weird film series presents just such an opportunity when "Yellow Paperbacks, Black Gloves & Red Herrings: Giallo and Beyond," a month-long tribute to the operatic gore and expressive cinematography of the Italian slasher subgenre, continues with Argento's Deep Red. Widely considered one of the horror auteur's finest hours, Deep Red's slow-burning of atmospheric tension inspires nearly as much terror as the Baroque bloodshed of its death sequences. Buy tickets, $6.50 to $12, and learn more from the Dairy Arts Center box-office page.

The PodSpace Grand Opening
Saturday, November 24, 5 to 9 p.m.
We Are Denver
Free
Denver is bustling with aspiring podcasters, but many creatives lack the resources and guidance required to parlay a great idea into a listenable reality. Luckily, the DIY community is replete with consortiums of self-starting podcasters banding together to cross-promote and share recording spaces. The city's soundscape grows deeper and richer this weekend with the grand opening of the PodSpace, a communal studio dedicated to helping people share their stories. The opening soirée includes studio tours, live podcasting sessions, seminars for aspiring members, and a live performance from kid astronaut. Visit We Are Denver's events calendar for more details.