Free for All: The Five Best Free Events This Week

Who says the weekdays have to be boring? If you find yourself stricken with an incurable case of the Mondays following an overnight (and overdue) dusting of snow, take heart, for the days ahead brim with the promise of brighter skies and plenty of entertainment. Science, cinema, song and spoken word dominate the inventory of free events around town. Keep reading to find the five best ways to have a blast and save some cash in Denver this week.


Young People in Recovery Film Screening: Beautiful Boy
Tuesday, February 19, 7 p.m.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Sloan's Lake
Eschewing the sensationalized cliches of recovery narratives in favor of commitment to the authenticity of one family's true story, Beautiful Boy is a profoundly resonant viewing experience for struggling addicts and their loved ones alike. Amazon Studios, which produced and distributed the movie, is collaborating with various Young People in Recovery communities in over twenty cities for free screenings of the 2018 film. The presentation also includes a pre-recorded Q&A session with Nick and David Sheff, author of the memoir that inspired the film. Visit Young People in Recovery's Facebook events page to find out more.


HOLOSCENES / Little Boxes Premiere
Wednesday, February 20, 7 p.m.
Fiske Planetarium
A man stands encased in a glass tank, situated in the teeming center of New York’s Times Square, and tunes a guitar as the tank slowly fills water and eventually transforms into something like a human aquarium. That's just one of many striking images in Lars Jan's HOLOSCENES, a public art installation and experimental film that undergirds its absurdist spectacle with an urgent call to action on climate change. Jan began the project in 2014, and it takes full shape this week at University of Colorado's Fiske Planetarium, where HOLOSCENES / Little Boxes will star on the Science on a Sphere display system, a globe-shaped screen created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to visualize worldwide phenomena. Discover further details on Fiske Planetarium's events calendar.


Holocaust Awareness Week Keynote Address from Survivor Irving Roth
Wednesday, February 20, 7 p.m.
Lory Student Center, Colorado State University
In an era of rising anti-Semitic rhetoric and hate crimes, it's more important than ever to remember the tragic consequences of empowered bigotry. Colorado State University offers a solemn reminder with Holocaust Awareness Week, which includes a screening of Louis Malle’s Au Revoir, Les Enfants on Tuesday, February 19, and a keynote speech from survivor Irving Roth on Wednesday, February 20. Join the ninety-year-old director of the Holocaust Resource Center for a harrowing recount of his experiences in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps, and learn how the lessons of history apply to the struggles of today. Visit CSU's Holocaust Awareness Week events calendar to learn more.

The Narrators: Arms
Wednesday, February 20, 8 p.m.
Buntport Theater
Get ready for another round of well-told true tales when the award-winning storytelling show The Narrators returns to the Buntport Theater stage. Springing from the unifying yet ambiguous theme of "Arms" February's edition weaves together yarns from Haley Driscoll, Brian Flynn, Regan Linton, Bess Scully, Chris Walker, Truman P. Young and host Erin Rollman. The free seats full up quickly, so we recommend showing up early to secure a spot and crack open a couple of the cans provided Great Divide Brewing — available for a small donation. Get more information from the Narrators' Facebook events page.


The Pillars of African-American Art Songs
Friday, February 22, 7 p.m.
Blair-Caldwell African-American Research Library
Denver Art Song Project honors Black History Month with "The Pillars of African-American Art Songs," a tuneful tribute to the legacy of the composers, poets and players who shaped the musical heritage of an entire nation. Curated by Stephanie Ann Ball, the program offers a medley of old classics and new compositions interspersed with narratives of the African-American experience. Visit Denver Art Song Project's Brown Paper Tickets page to learn more about the performance and register for free. Curious readers can also buy tickets, $5 to $10, for performances at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Parish on Thursday, February 21, or at The People's Building on Saturday, February 23; or head north for another free concert at Fort Collin's Gregory Allicar Museum on Sunday, February 24.

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