Colorado Tiny House Festival
July 28-30, 12-6 p.m.
Wild Animal Sanctuary
$10
As daily life grows increasingly connected and complicated, the idea of streamlining and simplifying becomes more and more appealing. Ponder the tiny life with a tour through yurts, shipping-container homes and an adorable array of unique structures at the First Annual Colorado Tiny House Festival. Stretched over two days, this delightful event welcomes guests to Keenesburg's Wild Animal Sanctuary — always worth a visit — to learn about the pragmatism and sustainability of compact living structures. With guest speakers, specialized vendors, food, drink and other entertainment, the Tiny House Festival is a great opportunity to get small and have a ball. Single-day adult passes start at $10 from Eventbrite.

Highlands Square Summer Sidewalk Sale
July 28-30, 10 a.m.
Highlands Square
Free
Prices in the upscale Highlands neighborhood typically keep destitute Denverites away, but bargain hunters are in luck this weekend, when the Highlands Square Summer Sidewalk Sale takes over. Enjoy up to a 70 percent discount on fashion, beauty products, jewelry and housewares from neighborhood boutiques all weekend long. If you're feeling peckish, the district abounds with critically acclaimed restaurants that shoppers can visit for sips and nibbles. It all gets started at 10 a.m on Friday, July 28, and continues through Sunday. Visit the Facebook event page to find out more.

Bordello Waiting Room Comedy Showcase
Saturday, July 29, 8 p.m.
WestFax Brewing Company
Free
Brewery-based comedy shows come and go faster than the seasons, so it's easy for a good one to fly under the radar until it's managed to build a consistent following. Local comedians John Combs, Ken Cornell, J.J. Jones and John Davis — who conjure up a queasy image with troupe name Bordello Waiting Room — have been producing barn-burning comedy showcases over the past few months, presenting Denver comedy's best and brightest to a loyal crowd for the unbeatable admission price of free. WestFax Brewing Company, which shares a massive parking lot with Lakewood landmark Casa Bonita, has a particularly open and inviting taproom in the warmer months and is also often handily food-truck-adjacent. Saturday's lineup includes Katie Bowman, Mike Hammock and Zac Maas. Find out more on the Facebook events page.

Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair
July 29-30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
McNichols Building
Free
Admission may be free, but the Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair has enough shopping treasures in store that attendance might be precarious for your pocketbook. With over 150 vendors bringing forth their best handmade wares, the fair is an ideal way to stock up on utterly unique photography, accessories, fashions, kid-friendly products and more. Guests can also make their foray into the crafting game with DIY workshops while enjoying beverages from a full bar and bites from nearby food trucks. Visit the Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair's Denver event page – it also spearheads a sister event in Pasadena, California – for more details.

Fifth Annual Cheesman Park Artfest
July 29-30, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Cheesman Park
Free
Idle, late-July afternoons in Cheesman Park are a Denverite's birthright. Though the expansive lawns were famously built over hastily dissembled burial grounds, it's an altogether livelier scene these days, even more so at the Fifth Annual Cheesman Park Artfest. On Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m to 6 p.m., the Cheesman grounds will abound with a juried selection of more than 130 painters, potters, glass-blowers, sculptors and jewelers vying for your coin and eyeballs in a lively pop-up marketplace stretching across the inviting walkways. With goods to suit every price range, even paupers can be patrons of the arts as they take a stroll, boogie to live music or dine at yet another food truck. Go to Dash Arts Denver to see a comprehensive list of artists and vendors, or sign up to volunteer.

Looking for more to do in Denver? Go to Westword's calendar!