The first weekend of 2019 approaches. Film buffs, literary types, and arty partiers are in luck as Denver's creative community presents another slew of ways to have a ball while following a budget. Keep reading for the ten best free and cheap events in Denver this weekend.

Participating storyteller Colin Iago McCarthy.

Courtesy of WRITE CLUB Denver

WRITE CLUB Denver: Just Do It! Or Not.
Thursday, January 3, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Syntax Physic Opera
$10
The first rule of Fight Club doesn't apply to WRITE CLUB, whose members very much want you to talk about the group. A "literary thunderdome" and proving ground for prose, the competition pits local authors, comedians and gadabouts against each other in a word-for-word storytelling showdown. January's roster of contestants includes Mark Tebben, Colin Iago McCarthy, GerRee Hinshaw, Alexandra Concentric, Lucky Johnston and Kat Atwell, with an evening of narrative debates united under the resolution-testing banner of "Just Do It! Or Not." Admission is $10 at the door; visit Syntax Physic Opera's Facebook events page for more details.

XicanIndie Film Club: Don Quijote Cabalga de Nuevo
Thursday, January 3, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center
$5
Tilt at windmills along with Miguel de Cervantes's doomed and demented hero, awash in ’70s cinematic splendor, when XicanIndie Film Club returns with a screening of Don Quijote Cabalga de Nuevo. The Spanish and Mexican co-production, directed by Roberto Gavaldón, parodies the literary classic. Screened with a helpful set of English subtitles and a toothsome selection of beverages and snacks (including freshly made tamales), the XicanIndie Film Club's First Thursday screening series is a can't-miss proposition for hungry cinephiles. Admission its $5 at the door; find more information on Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center's Facebook events page.

Chris Ritter Photography

Queen City Companion
Thursday, January 3, 8 p.m.
Mutiny Information Cafe
Free
Fictions and fabrications abound at Queen City Companion, a founding endeavor of the Mutiny Transmissions podcast network. Co-hosted by Jen Kolic and Brian Flynn, the all-false storytelling show welcomes writers, poets and comedians to unleash their imaginations to the delight of the live-in-bookstore audience and listeners at home. January's edition welcomes local standups Meghan DePonceau and Zach Welch, author David Atkinson, and rent-control-advocating flash-fiction purveyor Roseanna Frechette to explore the creative boundaries of make-believe on one of Denver's most underrated live shows for the literary set. Admission is free, but donations for the performers are graciously appreciated. Learn more on Mutiny Information Cafe's Facebook events page.

Courtesy of Museo De Las Americas

Cultural First Friday: Astrological
Friday, January 4, 5 to 9 p.m.
Museo de las Americas
Free
Culture and cosmos collide just in time to seize the hopeful spirit of the new year when Museo de las Americas' Cultural First Friday series continues with "Astrological." Embrace mysticism and optimism alike with interactive performance art by Adriana Rondón-Rivero, peruse handcrafted Native American jewelry from on-site vendor Sentli, or divine the future with a $10 tarot reading at Museo's first heritage-heralding soirée of 2019. Warm up and party down as you fill your gullets and bellies with Cerveceria brews and tamales, champurrado and coffee from La Catrina Grill. Visit Museo de las Americas' events calendar for more information.

Candace Horgan

First Friday "Onesie Funzie"
Friday, January 4, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Tracks
$7 to $10
Indulge in First Friday festivities of an altogether less artsy variety at the city's biggest party for women and the LGBTQ community, a monthly tradition at Tracks. Cut a rug in your coziest clothes at "Onesie Funzie," a chance for belated revelry after a weekday New Year's Eve holiday. From country twang courtesy of DJ Soup to top-forty hits from DJ Markie, DJ Tatiana's diverse repertoire of Latin dance and the hip-hop beats of DJ Blaque Gurl, the evening has tunes to suit every taste, plus a live dance performance from the Wicked Little Girls. Visit the Tracks events calendar for tickets, $7 to $10, and details.

Beethoven’s Nightmare
Friday, January 4, 6:30 to 10 p.m.
The Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House
$10 to $15
Fusing rock and roll with American sign language in performances designed to provide a live concert experience for the hearing-impaired, Beethoven’s Nightmare is a proud pioneer of "Deaf Rock." Vigorous pantomiming accompanies comprehensive sign-language interpretations of heavy-hitting tunes at an evening that proves that the allure of live music transcends auditory restrictions. Despite the band's defiant moniker, we'd like to think that ol' Ludwig himself would approve of these efforts. Admission is $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Buy tickets and discover more on the Denver Performing Arts Complex box-office page.

Markus Byron

Free First Saturday
Saturday, January 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Denver Art Museum
Free
Less than a month after a deranged visitor was caught in the act of defacing its cherished Stampede exhibit, the Denver Art Museum's tradition of opening its doors to the public for free every month continues unabated with another Free First Saturday. Replete with bilingual and family-friendly activities, the museum's programming endeavors to provide inspiration and participatory satisfactions with events like the Cuentos del Arte storytelling hour and the Create-n-Take crafts station. Listen up and get creative before wandering through the non-ticketed exhibitions — sorry, fashionistas, you'll still have to pay up for Dior —scattered throughout a pair of architectural marvels. All the information readers need is available on the Denver Art Museum events calendar.

Colfax Speed Queen

Matthew Novak

Dirty Few Tour Kickoff Concert
Saturday, January 5, 8 p.m.
hi-dive
$7
Wash down plenty of cheap beer and good cheer as a battalion of local bands lays waste to the hi-dive stage in celebration of Dirty Few's upcoming tour. Colfax Speed Queen, Slynger and Amphibious Man round out a rousing lineup full of scenester favorites at a Baker-quaking concert sure to keep Dirty Few's unwashed members homesick for the Mile High. Tickets are $7 at the hi-dive's Ticketfly page; follow the Dirty Few on Facebook for tour updates.

Aaron Thackeray

The Finale
Saturday, January 5, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Beta
$10 to $40
Bid a beat-driven adieu to Beta, a nightclub that once represented the future of electronic dance music and Denver but is now fated to become a fondly remembered relic of its past. Nationally recognized for its top-notch sound system, spacious dance floor and expertly curated roster of in-demand DJs, Beta is ending its reign over LoDo with one final blowout bash. Visit Beta's events calendar to buy tickets, $10 to $40, and find out more.

Brandon Marshall

First Sundays: Looking Forward, Looking Back
Sunday, January 6, 2 to 4 p.m.
Mercury Cafe
$5
Gobble up a rhetorical buffet of First Sunday storytelling along with mouthful after mouthful of earth-friendly cuisine when the Soul Stories squad returns to Mercury Cafe with "Looking Forward, Looking Back." Springing from a theme of renewal rendered all the more poignant by the dawning of a new year, the performance examines the motivational potential of regret and empowers listeners with a heart-rending tale of triumph. A suggested minimum $5 donation will be collected at the door. Get informed and prepared on the Soul Stories Facebook events page.

Do you have an event you want included on this list? Send the details to editorial@westword.com.

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