As Denver moves into a new week, the days ahead have plenty to offer locals who won't let empty pockets scupper ambitious plans. Dancers, drag queens and comedians alike are all offering shows with no admission charge. Talk about a holiday gift! Keep reading for the five best free events in Denver this week.
KOVEN
Monday, December 10, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Gladys: The Nosy Neighbor
Have a very merry (and slightly scary) Krampusnacht when KOVEN returns to Gladys: The Nosy Neighbor with another evening of drag, dancing and the dark arts. While nominally dedicated to Krampus — a child-terrorizing humanoid goat demon that originated in central European and became a permanent fixture of yuletide nightmares — December's edition of Denver's witchiest drag show has nothing but gifts to offer. Host and emcee Novelí presides over a truly wicked stage show with performances from Lisa Frank Cortez, Calder Goodlay, Nixi Theodora Pixi and Heavenly Powers, to name but a few of the queens and queer performance artists on a lineup replete with both new faces and returning favorites. After the show, guests can have their palms read and their tarot cards spread at Neurotika Killz and Josh Darling's Divination Station before hitting the dance floor to get down to the goth/industrial sounds of DJ Dutch Confetti. Admission is free, but donations for the performers are appreciated. Find out more on Gladys: The Nosy Neighbor's Facebook events page.
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble: Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum
Wednesday, December 12, noon to 1 p.m.
Aurora Arts Center
Move your feet to a multicultural beat when the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble presents the highlights of Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum at a special edition of the free Cultural Concerts on Colfax series. Now in its 27th season, the show weaves dance, storytelling and tradition into the vivid tapestry of a grandmother's memories of a fleet-footed youth spent dancing at winter festivals in honor of celebrations like Christmas, Las Posadas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Junkanoo Day and many more. Visit the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble events calendar for details about the production, and call 720-329-0869 to RSVP for a seat at the Aurora Arts Center.
We Still Like You
Wednesday, December 12, 8 p.m.
Comedy RoomRoom
Shame is the name of the game at We Still Like You, a storytelling show that deals in regretful experiences of the disgracefully sordid and squalid variety. Launched in Chicago before inspiring spinoffs in Los Angeles and Denver, the show balances the radical self-disclosure with a decidedly non-judgmental atmosphere and a format that calls upon the crowd to collectively chant "We still like you" after each performer spills secrets. The local edition, co-hosted by Kira MagCalen, Allison Rose and Rachel Weeks, is taking its last skeleton out of the proverbial closet this week to mark yet another milestone for Denver comedy's long, yet not nearly long enough, farewell to El Charrito. This final outing welcomes local comedians Geoff Tice, Georgia Comstock, Piper Shepherd, Michael Isaacs, Cody Spyker and Mike Stanley, who'll embrace their debasement as illustrator Jake Fairly creates live artistic renderings of their tales. Visit the Comedy RoomRoom's Facebook events page to learn more.
Pintastic
Thursday, December 13, 5:30 to10 p.m.
Ratio Beerworks
Pin it to win it at the third annual Pintastic, which has survived the impending closure of Lowbrow's brick-and-mortar location and moved into a new home at Ratio Beerworks, which will rotate hosting duties with Fort Greene on a quarterly basis. Readers can stock up on gifts for the denim and enamel enthusiasts in their respective lives or just add to their own pin collections at a one-day-only event that's arrived just in time for the giving season. Visit Lowbrow Denver's Facebook events page for more information.
JonBenet's Tricycle
Thursday, December 13, 7 p.m.
Boulder Public Library
Twenty-two years have passed since the tragic murder of child beauty-pageant queen JonBenét Ramsey, but the details of the unsolved case still inspire morbid fascination in many Coloradans, including artist, musician and curio-hoarder Andrew Novick. Inspired by the most notorious object in his massive collection of curiosities, a pink tricycle that belonged to Ramsey before she was killed, Novick made his first foray into filmmaking with JonBenét's Tricycle, which uses the titular object as a springboard to examine the public's continued obsession with the investigation, and how the media has distorted Ramsey's memory. Before an official theatrical release at the Sie FilmCenter this weekend, catch a free, early screening of the film at the Boulder Public Library's Canyon Theater. Find out more on the JonBenet's Tricycle Facebook events page.
Know of an event that belongs on this list? Send information to [email protected].