March 20 is the first day of spring, a time of rebirth — and the resurrection of some old issues, including the divide between rural and urban Colorado. Governor Jared Polis's signing of a Meat Out Day proclamation has led to a number of Meat In options around the state, including a free feed in Lincoln County. (See the full Meat In list here.)
But that's just the start of the activities over the next few day, which include numerous online programs, too, including the next TEDxMileHigh. Keep reading for ten things to do this weekend and in the days beyond:
Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery Goodbye Sale
Now through Sunday, March 21, 11 to 6 p.m.
1421 Pearl Street, Boulder
The Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery is one of the oldest artist cooperatives in the United States; it's been a fixture on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall for fifty years, stocking the work of hundreds of artists from Colorado, the Rocky Mountain region and beyond — everything from paintings to prints, photography, jewelry, pottery, woodwork, glass works, sculpture and furniture. But after five decades, it's closing its doors on April 4 and will be offering sales until then. The first round runs through March 21, with a 40 percent discount. Go grab some history; find out more here.
Christie Con: A Virtual Murder Mystery
Saturday, March 20, and Sunday, March 21, 7:30 p.m., with shows continuing through April 4, online
Go interactive and immersive with playwright Jessica Austgen’s Christie Con, the second event from the Arvada Center’s AC Digital Hub, a creative new take on virtual programming. You’ll fit right in if you’re an Agatha Christie fan (and even if you’re not), as you're sucked into a Christie-style plot with a cast of silly snoopers at a creaky bed-and-breakfast in search of clues at a crime-novel convention. And then? We can’t tell you that. Learn more and purchase tickets, starting at $30, here; the Zoom link will be emailed in advance of your performance.
Hunker Down
Saturday, March 20, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 21, 2 p.m.
The Firehouse Theater Company presents this award-winning play by Robert Benjamin, a tale of life during COVID and staying sane while staying safe. The one-hour show will be presented live on Zoom; a talk-back with the actors, director and playwright Benjamin follows. Tickets are on a pay-what-you-can basis for this online fundraiser; find out more here.
Filmharmonic Award-Winning Double-Header
Through Saturday, March 20, online
The Colorado Springs Philharmonic is partnering with Rocky Mountain Women’s Film on a virtual monthly program. The March installment includes Music by Prudence, an Oscar-winning documentary. In Zimbabwe, where disabled babies are often killed at birth, Prudence not only survives, but achieves social acceptance as the lead singer of Liyanal; the film follows a band of people with disabilities who triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds as they perform their "Afro-fusion" music to the global community. The program also includes The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life, in which 109-year-old Aliza Sommer-Herz, the world's oldest Holocaust survivor, tells the story of how music saved her life: both during her time at Theresienstadt concentration camp and in the years after. Once you buy your ticket, $12, you have 48 hours to watch the films; sign up here.
César Chávez Tribute: Si Se Puede
Saturday, March 20, 11 a.m., online
Latino civil rights attorney Maurice "Mo" Jourdane honors the struggle of farm workers in this program hosted by the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC), Colorado Folk Arts Council and Metro State University Chicana/o Studies Journey Through Our Heritage. As a young staff attorney with the California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) organization, Jourdane was charged with protecting farm worker rights through federally supported legal intervention during the early years of César Chávez’s United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWOC). His work at CRLA helped secure several of the farm workers' most significant victories in their campaign for justice during the nation’s civil rights gains of the 1960s and 1970s. He documented his experiences in his books The Struggle for the Health and Legal Protection of Farm Workers: El Cortito, and Waves of Recovery: The Life of an Advocate of Latino Civil Rights. The program is free; find out more here.
Meat In Barbecue
Saturday, March 20, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
507 4th Street, Hugo
In response to Governor Jared Polis's MeatOut Day, Lincoln County cattlewomen and stockmen are planning a free Meat In barbecue at The Garage Coworking & Creative Space, a hip spot in Hugo, the county seat of Lincoln County. Take a ninety-minute drive out on the plains and get a taste of the importance of Colorado's ranching industry; there will be family fun along with the free food. Find out more here.
AAPI Against Racism
Saturday, March 20, 11 a.m.
State Capitol, Veterans' Memorial
AAPI community leaders and local government officials will join the Vietnamese-American community In solidarity to speak against racism and the recent attacks against the Asian community. Find out more here.
Virtual Carnaval!
Saturday, March 20, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Denver Dance Authority, 61 West Flatiron Crossing Drive, Suite 348, Broomfield, and online
Get a move on! Join Samba Colorado, the Brazilian dance school, for a day of in-person workshops on everything from samba for beginners to Brazilian drumming. The classes are followed by an evening of online dance and music performances, all celebrating Carnaval in Brazil. Tickets are $10 to $65; get them and more information here.
TEDxMileHigh: Uncharted
Saturday, March 20, 10 a.m. (yoga) and 5 to 7:15 p.m. (talks), all online
TEDxMileHigh moves online this year. The day starts off with Jordan Smiley of Courageous Yoga hosting "Yoga for the Uncharted" at 10 a.m.; at 5 p.m., the talks will start, with nine speakers talking about everything from world-class poetry and music to the future of urban design. Tune in to listen to Brother Jeff, Big Samir and Leslie Herod, among others. It's all free; find out more and sign up here.
Rebirth: Ars Nova Singers Spring Concert
Saturday, March 20, 7:30 p.m., online
The Ars Nova Singers, Boulder's acclaimed a cappella ensemble, will host a virtual spring concert with newly recorded performances by guest artists Nicholas Phan and Ann Marie Morgan, as well as a selection of previous Ars Nova concert recordings introduced by the Singers themselves. “The sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries were a true ‘Golden Age’ of music for voices,” notes founder and newly named artistic director Thomas Edward Morgan. “The repertoire of Renaissance polyphony in this era is vast and varied, and has been a staple of our programming since our founding. After this long, strange winter, it seems only fitting to share music that’s so close to Ars Nova’s artistic heart. We are thrilled to feature the exceptional Grammy-nominated lyric tenor Nicholas Phan and our dear friend Ann Marie Morgan in this display of creative resilience.” It's free to stream, but a donation of $20 is suggested; find out more here.
And plan ahead:
11th Avenue Hostel Before & After Tour
Wednesday, March 24, 4:30 p.m. (companion Wednesday, June 30, 4:30 p.m.)
1112 Broadway
Explore the historic 11th Avenue Hostel with tour guide Sydney Ilg Malone, marketing director for the hotel-turned-hostel. She'll discuss the building's history and architecture, as well as the plans that she and her father have as they revamp the 118-year-old structure. The before-and-after tour is hosted by the Denver Architecture Foundation, and there are two other paired times available. Tickets range from $40 to $50; find out more here.
Michael Twitty: Passover
Wednesday, March 24, 7 p.m.
African-American Jewish food historian and James Beard award-winning author Michael Twitty will host an interactive lecture in advance of Passover about the shared narratives of diaspora and exodus between the African American and Jewish communities. Tickets are $18 per household; get them here.
Know of a great event in or around Denver? We'll be updating this list through the weekend; send information to [email protected]. And for more free events, see this list.