Six More Things to Do in Denver This Weekend...and Beyond

It's Labor Day, and you won't have to work hard to find fun all over town. You can check out the revamped Taste of Colorado or the Cherry Creek Arts Festival (they're on our list of free things to do here) or catch the last day of the Colorado State Fair.

Keep reading for other options for today, as well as more things to do in the week ahead.

Colorado State Fair
Through Monday, September 6
State Fairgrounds, Pueblo
The state fair is back, and there's something for everyone at this 149th annual edition: big musical acts, the All American High Dive team, duck and pig races, a petting zoo, the Motorcycle Thrill and Stunt Show, a demolition derby, animal auctions and rodeos, and a special Colorado Tourism Office staycation display showing how much more there is to see in Colorado. Governor Jared Polis has also started the Governor's Plate, a contest among food trucks. “Colorado has so much to be proud of, and there’s no better way to celebrate our state than by visiting the state fair. From our top-notch food products to our award-winning livestock, Colorado is a leader in agriculture,” Polis says. “I’m thrilled to kick off the first-ever Governor’s Plate competition and watch some of Colorado’s top chefs compete to cook the best possible dish made with grown-in-Colorado ingredients.” General admission is $12; get the complete schedule (including free days) here.

Down in Denver Fest
Monday, September 6, 1 to 9 p.m.
Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer Street
Down in Denver plays to the home crowd. The music festival, created by local musicians to lift up and show off their peers, is jam-packed with talent on two stages over three days — a feat well worth the $15 daily price tag, or, even better, a $30 pass for the entire weekend. Scan the lineup and schedule here; purchase tickets online here.

FORTitude 10K
Monday, September 6, 8 a.m.
Fort Collins
Go Fort and conquer! The 10K returns to Fort Collins on Labor Day, with plenty of COVID-19 precautions. But after the race, there will still be an opportunity to party at the FORTitude festival. Race-day registration is $62; find out more here.

Madelife Artist Pop-Up Art Fair
Monday, September 6, 5 to 8 p.m.
Madelife, 2691 30th Street, Boulder
While Boulder’s Street Wise Mural Festival still has a week to go as artists complete their wall works, you can still drop in now by topping your lazy Labor Day off with some shop-local fun at Madelife. Not only are there Street Wise murals being painted on Madelife’s new building, but a pop-up market will host work by local artists and food-truck dining. Come back on the following Sunday — September 12, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.—for the Madelife Artist Pop-Up Apparel Fair, for second round featuring locally produced streetwear, shoe resellers and more. Admission is $10 to $15 on Eventbrite; find info here.

Obsessed with: Disappeared
Monday, September 6, 7:30 p.m.
Oriental Theater, 4335 West 44th Avenue
True-crime TV series and podcasts have become so popular that Discovery has its own dedicated Discovery: Investigation channel. Best friends, amateur sleuths and national podcasters Patrick Hinds and Ellyn Marsh, who are enamored of DI’s missing-persons investigation series Disappeared, will appear live to recap one of their favorite episodes on Labor Day evening at the Oriental. Whether the audience is so quiet you can hear a pin drop or laughing hysterically, it’s bound to be a good time; find tickets, $30, at Hold My Ticket.

Before You Go
Through September 19, and online
Miners Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington Street, Golden
John Ashton's play inspired by his own family debuted at Miners Alley last weekend, and while you can see it at the theater, you can now watch it on demand, too. Three siblings wind up back home for an unexpected family reunion. “There are parts where there are laughs and parts where we tug at heartstrings and parts where I think I’m saying something significant," says Ashton. "Also, opportunities to feel insecure and that you’re not dealing well." (Read more in Juliet Wittman's interview with Ashton.) On-demand tickets are $15 here; get the in-person performance schedule and buy tickets here.

And plan ahead:

Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys 40th Annual Fall Show and Sale
Wednesday, September 8, through Sunday, September 12
Public Show and Sale: Saturday and Sunday, September 11 and 12, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily
Doubletree by Hilton DTC, 7801 East Orchard Road, Greenwood Village
Every September, the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys hosts a big, weeklong celebration of all things small filled with sales, workshops and special events for hard-core miniatures collectors and artisans. The public is welcome at the last two days of the show — for a fee of up to just $8. Find details and more registration options offered here.

Street Wise Film Screening: All the Streets Are Silent
Wednesday, September 8, 7 p.m.
Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut Street, Boulder
The Street Wise Boulder mural festival is keeping its fans busy almost daily, with panels, art shows, tours, workshops and parties, while the participating artists are hard at work on their murals. This special event connects the subcultural dots between hip-hop and skateboarding, which grew up side by side with graffiti writing and the evolution of today’s street art and murals. Get the backstory with All the Streets Are Silent, narrated by Zoo York co-founder Eli Gesner with an original score by hip-hop’s Large Professor. Tickets are $12 here.

Sojourners Project: Busing
Wednesday, September 8, through September 26; Thursdays through Sundays, 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 4 p.m. matinees

Rear Parking Lot, Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church, 1500 South Dayton Street, Aurora
Lisa Young of IDEA Stages and Patrick Mueller of Control Group Productions, masterminds from two different performing-arts worlds (Black theater and immersive dance theater) got together to collaborate on the Sojourners Project: Busing, an intergenerational retelling of a divisive piece of history in the Denver Public Schools: The story of Rachel Noel’s fight for busing to end school segregation in Denver — and its aftermath. And the immersive part? It’s told outdoors in a parking lot with a real school bus used as an important element. Read more here, and buy tickets, $10 to $40, here.

Know of a great event in Denver? We'll be updating this list through the weekend; send information to [email protected].