Eight Things to Do In and Around Denver (and Online) This Weekend

With a new occupant in the White House, change is in the air. Why not get out this weekend and take a deep breath? At the same time, you can catch new exhibits, throw a fruitcake and give thanks for local heroes, including Dr. Justina Ford, the Baby Doctor.

Read on for ten things to do in and around Denver (and online).

Now You Know: A Two-Part Education Series
Now available
Curious Theatre Company just debuted a two-part educational series featuring two short works by Curious New Voices playwrights that examine the pressing issues of white privilege and transgender awareness through a private lens. Watch either BLACK, by Lamaria Aminah, or In Transit, by Holden Thomas; you have a 24-hour window to view a production after paying $10 (click here for In Transit; here for BLACK_. As a bonus, you can also watch productions from the Breath Project for free; click here.

Celebrating the Spirit: The National Western Stock Show
Through Sunday, January 24
Usually at this time, we'd be kicking up our heels at the National Western Stock Show. The celebration has gone virtual this year, with two weeks of entertainment that wrap up with an online replay of the rodeo finals and a "Special Roundup From Pete Coors" on January 24. Register here to get on the entertainment list.

Gratitude Hearts
Sunday, January 24, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Trunk Nouveau, Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas Street, Aurora
Sometimes the smallest gestures are the sweetest, which is surely the case as the Trunk Nouveau boutique at Stanley Marketplace gears up for Valentine’s Day, just a few short weeks away. Shoppers are invited to add Gratitude Hearts, inscribed with the names of people, health workers and local businesses for which they are thankful, to a store display right up to February 14; the staff at Trunk Nouveau will then help spread the love by posting them on social media. It’s free, but Trunk Nouveau welcomes $1 donations to the Stanley’s Denver Feed It Forward GoFundMe for each dedicated heart. Find out more here.

Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company Science Shorts
Through Sunday, January 24
Join BETC for readings of four short plays by Colorado playwrights, as well as four short talks by the scientists who inspired their work. The free Science Shorts will be streaming online starting January 21; at 4 p.m. on January 24, the scientists and playwrights will join in a panel discussion. Register here for the free programming.

Olde Town Arvada Pop-Up Art Market
Sunday, January 24, noon to 6 p.m.
Grandview Avenue, Olde Town Arvada
It’s Christmas in January for the next couple of weekends in the Olde Town Arvada shopping district, which will set up the wooden vendor huts that dotted the area in December, manned by artists, potters, jewelry makers and artisans selling wares on six afternoons in January. Sip a hot chocolate or hot toddy while you stroll, or slip inside Olde Town shops to warm up. Find info here.

Apron Chronicles
Now open
History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway
The traveling exhibition Apron Chronicles will wrap a sixteen-year journey with a final display at History Colorado Center that just opened this weekend. The exhibit includes photography, personal narratives and one-of-a-kind aprons that hold histories from the kitchen and far beyond. Up through May 9, Apron Chronicles is included with admission to the museum; get timed-entry tickets here.

Dr. Justina Ford's 150th Birthday
Sunday, January 24, 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The Black American West Museum celebrated Dr. Justina Ford's contribution to the state with a two-hour livestreamed tribute on January 22, officially Dr. Justina Ford Day in Colorado. The program includes interviews with some of her remaining patients, as well as a re-enactment of Ford's only known interview and the first public display of her handwritten letter to the Colorado Medical Society that documents her delivery of 7,000 babies in her fifty-year career. Watch it on Denver Community Media on Comcast Channel 56 and 57 at 9 a.m. or 6 p.m. on January 24, or on the livestream repeat here.

And an anytime bonus:

In Defense of Justice in Denver, a documentary on the protest leaders charged after they demanded justice for Ellijah McClain, premiered last weekend. You can now see it here, along with a post-premiere Q&A panel with the filmmakers and protest leaders.

Do you know of a great free event around town? We'll update this list through the weekend; send information to [email protected].