Free things to do in Denver (and beyond) this week, June 22-28

Suddenly, it’s summer! To celebrate the season, the Sunset Cinema will return to Sculpture Park in the Denver Performing Arts Complex tonight, with a sci-fi fashion show and screening of “The Fifth Element.” But don’t stay out too late: Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day, with free pancakes on 16th Street. And then you can roll over to Civic Center EATS.

For more options, check our Summer Guide, with hundreds of events for the months ahead, as well as our list of activities worth the price of admission this week. Now keep reading for free things to do in Denver (and beyond):

This week

Sunset Cinema: The Fifth Element
Tues., June 23, 6:30 p.m. (doors at 6)
Sculpture Park, Denver Performing Arts Complex
The city’s Sunset Cinema series kicks off with “The Fifth Element,” Luc Besson’s 1997 sci-fi classic. Before the screening, there will be a sci-fi-themed runway event with Denver Fashion Week. There will be food trucks and more fun, too. Admission is free; reserve a spot here.

Revelry, Live: Poetry Reading & Book Signing
Tues., June 23, 6:30 p.m.,
Boulder Bookstore, 1107 Pearl St., Boulder
J. Claire will host a poetry reading to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the release of “Revelry,” an award-winning poetry collection. Admission is $5, but includes a $5 voucher for the first book purchased at the store that day.

Pedal for Pancakes
Wed., June 24, 6:30 to 9 a.m.
Skyline Park, 16th and Arapahoe Streets
June 24 is Bike to Work Day, and the Downtown Denver Partnership will host its annual Pedal for Pancakes breakfast station, complete with free coffee and pancakes. You can also make your own smoothie with a bike-powered blender, and there will be a live DJ to keep things moving.

Evergreen Parks Summer Concert Series
Wed., June 24, 4 p.m.
Dedisse Park at Evergreen Lake, Evergreen
The 2026 EPRD Summer Concert Series contiues with a free concert and community gathering at Dedisse Park featuring the Copper Children. Family Recipe opens.

World Cup Watch Party and Mixer
Wed., June 24, 5:30 p.m.
Camelia Modern Mexican Cuisine, 1051 Broadway
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is hosting this mixer and watch party. Networking begins at 5:30 p.m., with the kickoff for Mexico vs. Czechia at 7. The first 75 guests each get a complimentary drink; register here.

Lagoon Concert and Drone Show
Wed., June 24, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
West Plum Street and Meridien Avenue, Colorado State University Campus, Fort Collins
A 500-drone light show will illuminate the sky above Colorado State University as part of a free celebration marking America’s 250th anniversary and Colorado’s 150th year of statehood. The 14-minute show follows a concert from Las Vegas-based Patrick & the LVB. There will also be family-friendly activities during breaks in the action, including food trucks.

“Wearing, Wearing”
Thurs., June 25, 6 to 8 p.m.
Union Hall, 1750 Wewatta St.
Felicity Wong curated “Wearing, Wearing,” a new group exhibition exploring the afterlives of clothing through artworks engaging fast fashion, counterfeit luxury, garment labor, environmental decay, and the racialized systems embedded within contemporary fashion culture. The show runs through August 8.

Sunset Silent Disco
Thurs., June 24, 7 to 9 p.m.
Washington Park Boathouse
CiferNoise — with Silent D. and Standard F. — and Standard Frequency are linking up for this silent disco that will move through the park. This is the first in a free monthly series; get details here.

The Spicy Pickles
Thurs., June 25, 7 p.m.
Festival Lawn, 1 E. Memorial Pkwy, Northglenn
Northglenn’s summer series continues with the Spicy Pickles, an eight-piece band with jazz roots and funky pop grooves.

Ongoing

FIFA World Cup Live at McGregor Square
Through July 19
McGregor Square, 1901 Wazee St.
Catch the world’s game the way it’s meant to be seen: loud, proud and surrounded by fellow fans. McGregor Square is showing FIFA World Cup matches live on the 66-foot screen, turning downtown Denver into a full-blown watch party. Although Mexico and USA games are ticketed, admission is free to other matches. Learn more here.

Soccer Celebration at Skyline Park
Through July 19
Skyline Park, 16th St.
This block of Skyline Park is being turned into a free soccer central, with massive outdoor screens featuring match broadcasts for fans. And Biker Jim will be selling his hot dogs!

SCFD Free Days
Locations and dates vary
Thanks to the sales tax you pay into the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, many arts institutions around the metro area offer occasional free days and programs. Friday, July 26, is a free day at Four Mile Historic Park; for other upcoming bargains, check the SCFD site.

Plaza on the Park
Daily through September 30, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Denver International Airport
Have extra time at the airport? Activities return to Plaza on the Park, the space between the Jeppesen Terminal and the Westin Hotel. The nine-hole mini golf course is back; the space also hosts occasional special events and performances.

Music in the Gardens
Weekdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
17th Street Community Gardens, 17th and Wewatta streets
After a cold start to its first week, the sixth annual Music in the Gardens lunchtime music series continues with live performances every weekday lunch in the Union Station neighborhood. Get the schedule here.

Westracks Shuttle
Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Various stops in Jefferson County
The Westracks Shuttle Pilot Program will run free buses from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays through Labor Day, connecting riders to key destinations from the Jefferson County Government Center/RTD Golden Station, from Matthews/Winters Park, the Martin G. Lockley Center at Dinosaur Ridge, the Red Rocks Trading Post, Downtown Morrison, and the Morrison Natural History Museum.

Civic Center EATS
Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
1400 Block of Bannock St., Civic Center Park
On Wednesdays and Thursdays through mid-October, Denver’s summer food truck rally will return to Civic Center Park. Although the location has shifted toward Bannock Street because of renovations in the park, there will still be at least a dozen trucks to choose from, as well as civic booths and live music from Youth on Record. Get the full lineup in our story (and note that there’s no EATS on 7/1, 7/2, 8/12, 8/13, 9/2 or 9/3).

Colorado State Capitol Tours
Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
200 E. Colfax Ave.
The legislative session is over, but the Capitol remains open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and free guided tours are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Check in at the Visitor Information Desk, which opens at 9 a.m.

America 250 – Colorado 150
Through 2026
Around the state
Happy 150th birthday, Colorado! On August 1, 1876, Colorado became a state, and there will be celebrations all year — at the same time this country is celebrating its 250th anniversary. You can find a full list of the activities at Am250CO150.org.

“We Are the Land”
Denver’s YouTube
Denver documented the history and culture of the city’s current American Indian population, as well as Tribal Nations with cultural and historic ties to the land that is now Denver, with the oral history project “We are the Land: American Indian Life, Legacy and Future in Denver.” The project includes an accompanying documentary, “We Are the Land,” produced by Off the Road Productions, which is now available for free on Denver’s YouTube channel.

Do you know of a great free event? We update this list throughout the week; send information to editorial@westword.com.