Free for All: The Five Best Free Events This Week

Autumn has officially arrived, and free entertainments are piling up like fallen leaves in the Mile High. Whether you're eager to expand your mind or have a laugh, Denver's cultural community is rich with variety in the days ahead, hosting events ranging from studious soirées and thoughtful discussions to comedy presented in traditional, cartoon-mocking and puppet talk-show formats. Keep reading for the five best free events in Denver this week.

SCFD Educators Night
Monday, September 24, 6 to 9 p.m.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Overworked and underpaid despite their daily challenges and formative role in shaping young minds, teachers deserve a free night of fun as much (if not more) than anybody. Partying pedagogues can kick off the school week at the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District's Educators Night, a studious soirée unfolding tonight at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Guests can scout SCFD-affiliated institutions for potential student-group learning opportunities while enjoying complimentary refreshments and a cash bar. The festivities also include Space Tours in Gates Planetarium and a 3-D screening of Our Blue Planet in Phipps IMAX Theater. Admission is free but solely for educators; each guest does have a plus-one invite, however, so interested readers can always try befriending a teacher before the day is done. Visit the DMNS events calendar for more details.

Splice It! A Movie Talk Show
Wednesday, September 26, 8 to 11 p.m.
BarFly
A hybrid of panel, chat and game show, Splice It! is a cinephile-driven spin on public-radio mainstay Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! with a colorful cast of puppets. Hosted by Alamo Drafthouse Denver creative director Steve Bessette, the monthly Splice It! introduces audiences to a rotating roster of guests before the brain-teasing games begin. September's panel includes Helix Education's Watson Mulkey, Call of the Void's Alex Pace and BarFly's own Brittney Metheny. Admission is free; visit the Alamo Drafthouse Sloan's Lake events calendar to learn more.

Masterclass: "Surviving The Mile High" with Ru Johnson
Thursday, September 27, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
DIME Denver
Bound for Washington, D.C., and an administrative role at the National Cannabis Festival, Ru Johnson is making her final public speaking appearance at DIME Denver's Masterclass. Celebrated for both chronicling and boosting Denver's hip-hop scene, Johnson began her illustrious career as a music journalist for this very publication before leaving print behind to found Roux Black Consulting, where she could produce and promote her own shows. An inspiring, entertaining and unfailingly candid account of her twelve years as a Denver resident, "Surviving The Mile High" is the story of how Johnson seized the opportunity to shape a city's music community. Visit DIME Denver's Eventbrite page to register and get more information.

Cartoons & Comedy
Thursday, September 27, 10 to 11:45 p.m.
The Black Buzzard
Grab a bowl of Lucky Charms and get ready to giggle when Cartoons & Comedy returns to Denver's Best New Comedy Venue for another joke-filled stroll down memory lane. Hosted, curated and edited by Chris Baker, Cartoons & Comedy invites three comedians to lovingly roast such Saturday morning favorites as Muppet Babies and Garfield in a Mystery Science Theater 3000-style hybrid of nostalgia and irony. With Sam Tallent (Roast Battle), Maggie Maye (Conan) and Tyler Jackson (Late Late Breakfast) on the lineup, one of Denver comedy's most reliably delightful shows is in even finer and funnier form than usual. Learn more on The Black Buzzard's Facebook events page.

Brew-Ha-Ha Comedy Night
Friday, September 28, 7 to 9 p.m.
The Brew on Broadway
Have some laughs with your draughts at Brew-Ha-Ha Comedy Night, a cavalcade of chuckles hosted by local standup Mo Vida. The Brew on Broadway (or BoB, if you're into that whole brevity thing) stands out from the city's numerous brewery-based comedy shows with its great stage and high-quality sound system — a welcome upgrade from the well-meaning but ill-equipped tap houses that simply stick comedians in a random corner with a reedy PA system. Starting out with a guest appearance from Thomas Holland, Brew-Ha-Ha's hilarity continues with local mirth merchants Jose Macall, Georgia Comstock and headliner Bear Quattlebaum. Visit the BoB's Facebook events page to find out more.

If you know of an event that qualifies for this calendar, send it to [email protected].