Free for All: The Five Best Free Events in Denver This Week

Colorado may be an expensive place these days, but most residents would agree that the Centennial State's natural and cultural riches make living here worth every penny. While a pleasant autumn hike is nearly always free, residents can also fill their evenings with music, laughter and knowledge presented for free at a variety of entertainments. Keep reading for the five best free events in Denver this week.


Lamont Symphony with Violinist Linda Wang
Tuesday, October 9, 7:30 p.m.
Lamont School of Music, Newman Center for the Performing Arts
A violin prodigy who made her stage debut with the New York Philharmonic at the tender age of nine, Linda Wang has toured the world, winning acclaim as she performed with an impressive array of esteemed collaborators and recorded six solo albums. Currently fostering the next generation of talent in her role as string chair and professor of violin at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, Wang joins some of her protégés to honor the centenary of great American composer Leonard Bernstein with a performance of "The Serenade, after Plato's Symposium," followed by Ludwig van Beethoven's “Eroica”  Symphony No. 3 in E Flat Major, Op. 55. The auspicious pairing is an ideal presentation of Wang's virtuosic string skills and her pedagogical influence, not to mention a bit of kingly entertainment at peasant-friendly prices. Admission is free, but reserving a seat costs a worthwhile $5. Find out more on the Newman Center for the Performing Arts events calendar.

Ice Cold Comedy
Tuesday, October 9, 8 p.m.
Chillers Bar & Grill
Venture north to the Land of Love for one of three outstanding comedy shows in the days ahead at Ice Cold Comedy, which brings the best of Denver's standup scene to Loveland. Hosted and curated by Jeff Albright, Ice Cold Comedy offers a crackerjack lineup that includes Piper Shepherd, Grayson Nite, Terri Barton Gregg, feature act Rick Bryan and headliner Sam Tallent. Northerners, take note: Don't miss one of the week's best opportunities to laugh the night away without fighting I-25 traffic. Find more information on Chillers Bar & Grill's Facebook events page.

We Still Like You
Wednesday, October 10, 8 p.m.
The Comedy RoomRoom
Leave the cries of "Shame!" to the High Septas of the Faith Militant (you're welcome, Game of Thrones nerds):  We Still Like You is here to forgive your misdeeds. A clearinghouse for embarrassing anecdotes and stifled regrets and an exercise in mass catharsis, the show invites storytellers to regale audiences with tales of their most humiliating experiences before basking in said audience's acceptance as its members collectively chant "We still like you" — hence the title. The show may have originated in Chicago, but its local spinoff has thrived under the stewardship of Pussy Bros. co-founder Rachel Weeks, who recently anointed fellow comics Kira MagCalen and Allison Rose as her replacement hosts when she moves to Los Angeles in a few months. Join the crowd for one of We Still Like You's few remaining Weeks-hosted editions; the lineup includes local comics Brian Flynn, Elise Kerns, Dan Jones, Stephanie McHugh and Mitch Fatel. Artist Becca Waugh will also be on hand to provide live interpretive doodles of each story. Visit the Comedy RoomRoom's Facebook events page for more details.

Kickback Comedy
Wednesday, October 10, 9 p.m.
Call to Arms Brewing Company
Keep the laughter rolling right along when Katie Bowman's Kickback Comedy returns to Call to Arms Brewing Company's cozy stage with a giggly antidote to the midweek doldrums. In addition to local mirth merchants Ben Bryant and Lizzy Wolfson, October's edition of Bowman's beery and cheery showcase proffers a trio of comics from around the country, including Austin's Sam Noorani, New York City's Cara Weinberger and Los Angeles's Danny Palumbo. Chow down on cross-cultural culinary treats at the adjacent Mas Kaos Pizzeria + Taqueria before guffawing the night away at one of Denver comedy's most welcoming shows. Visit Kickback Comedy's Facebook events page to learn more.

Intelligent Robotics: Creating our Future Autonomous Teammates
Thursday, October 11, 7 p.m.
CU Boulder Engineering Center
Despite pop-culture-engendered fears of a robot uprising, artificial intelligence has the potential to make a profound — and benevolent — impact on the future of labor. Dr. Brad Hayes, assistant professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Colorado Boulder and director of the Collaborative Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Lab, is a suitably brainy guide to this bold new reality, and he'll be sharing his expertise-shaped vision at "Intelligent Robotics: Creating Our Future Autonomous Teammates," a boundary-pushing lecture presented by CU Boulder's Engineering Center and TEDxMileHigh. Admission is free, but seating is limited. Register and find out more on CU Engineering's Eventbrite page.

Know of a free event that belongs on this list? Email information to [email protected].