The weekend may be just around the corner, but in a city where life gets more expensive every day, many residents may feel like they have to forgo their leisurely pursuits. While it's true that some of the upcoming weekend's marquee events are unattainable for struggling Denverites, Westword has your back. Even the brokest local can attend any of the following ten events for ten dollars and under; eight of them are free. Enjoy a scenic drive out to the mountains for a classic drive-in experience, or head eastward to explore tiny houses. In the city proper, you can sip champagne in poolside luxury, guffaw at free comedy shows, or choose from a staggering variety of local art fairs. Plan a thrifty weekend with the following ten events, listed below in chronological order.

Four Seasons Summer Champagne Series
Thursday, July 27, 6-9 p.m.
Four Seasons Hotel Denver
Free
While sipping champagne from the tony comfort of a rooftop pool is typically the purview of wealthy hotel guests, even the hoi polloi can sharpen up for the Summer Champagne Series at the towering Four Season Hotel. Mingle poolside on the third-floor deck while a DJ entertains the well-heeled crowd. Guests can wet their whistles with a selection of fine cocktails or, of course, champagne. At 8 p.m., the party moves downstairs to the hotel's EDGE Restaurant and Bar. Though admission to the 21-and-up event is free, the beverages are assuredly not, and valet parking – the only option besides street parking or RTD – runs $20. Visit the Facebook event page to learn more.

Cartoons & Comedy Splits Open and Melts
Thursday, July 27, 10 p.m.
The Deer Pile
Free
Cartoons & Comedy returns to the Deer Pile tonight for a brain-melting fun summertime showcase. Spotlighting local mirth merchants Eric Henderson (3 Course Comedy), Caitie Hannan (Designated Drunkard) and Aaron Urist (Comedy Works, Power Move), Cartoons & Comedy boasts all the laughs of a traditional standup showcase, plus a carefully edited selection of animated favorites punctuated by a Mystery Science Theater 3000-style gauntlet of riffs. Hosted and produced by Chris Baker, Cartoons & Comedy has previously included surprise guests like Ron Funches, Eddie Pepitone, Hannibal Buress and Rory Scovel. In case all of that isn't enticement enough, the event will also have a buffet of sugary cereals available. Visit the Sexpot Comedy calendar to learn more.

Daring Debuts: A Reading with Paul Cohen and Courtney Morgan
Friday, July 28, 7 p.m.
BookBar
Free
While the BookBar is a pearl of the Tennyson Arts district and a fine place to buy a book, the shop's commitment to building community and fostering the careers of local writers sets it apart. That tradition continues tomorrow night at Daring Debuts, a reading and signing event showcasing fledgling novelists Paul Cohen — reading from his new book The Glamshack — and Courtney Morgan, reading selections from The Seven Autopsies of Nora Hanneman. Support local authors, expand your personal library and mingle with the literati while enjoying beer, wine and noshes from the BookBar menu. Visit the store's events calendar to learn more.

Golden Triangle Final Friday Art Walk
Friday, July 28, 5-9 p.m.
Walker Fine Art
Free
Denver's Golden Triangle neighborhood, a cultural and transit hub that a huge percentage of its population circulates through on a daily basis, often dies down significantly after the workday crowd heads homeward. It'll be thriving well into the night tomorrow, however, as the Final Friday Art Walk offers an enticing sample of local creatives' contributions to the lively district. Museums, art galleries, watering holes and even salons will be showcasing the beauty and ingenuity they have been fostering within their respective spaces. Gather with the cultured crowd at Walker Fine Art at 5 p.m. before embarking on an artsy odyssey through a neighborhood everyone knows but rarely appreciates. Visit goldentriangleofdenver.com to learn more.


Bogart Night at Blue Starlite
Friday, July 28, 9 p.m.
Little Beach Park Theater
$8
With his short stature and vaguely bunny-like visage, Humphrey Bogart is an unlikely candidate for movie stardom, let alone a romantic icon for Hollywood's golden age. However, it only takes a cursory glance at his magnetic performances in canonic films like Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon to see why his movies have been cherished for so many years. Recapture the magic of these Bogart classics or experience them for the first time at a double feature on Friday, July 28, at Minturn's Blue Starlite Drive-In Theater. Befitting the quirky character of the historic mining town, the Blue Starlite currently holds the record for “highest drive-in in the world,” altitude-wise. Doors open at 7:45 p.m. for the 9 p.m. screening. Visit Blue Starlite online to learn more and see its programming calendar. Prices for drivers and walk-ins start at $8 on Blue Starlite's box-office page.

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