Brandon Marshall
Audio By Carbonatix
Snowy April has ended, and the calendar is blooming with the promise of new activities around town, including plant sales, May Day festivities and some early Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
Here are five things to do for free in Denver this weekend:
Restore Hyper Wellness & Cryotherapy Grand Opening
Through Sunday, May 2
2561 South Broadway
Denver’s first Restore Hyper Wellness and Cryotherapy studio, a boutique wellness studio, is hosting a grand-opening weekend with deals including VIP tours, raffles, music, food and beverages, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon Saturday, May 1. Find out more here.
Return of the Pelican Plant and Yard Sale
Saturday, May 1, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Lake Middle School, West 18th Avenue and Meade Street
The Sloan’s Lake Neighborhood Association hosts this sale, which salutes May Day as well as the return of the white pelicans to the area. In addition to the plant sales, vendors and residents will sell new and used goods. Actor Michael Shaloub and saxophonist Rico Jones will perform; there will be food trucks on hand. Find out more here.
RISE Westwood
Cinco de Mayo: Peace & Pride Westwood 2021
Saturday, May 1, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
RISE Westwood, 3742 Morrison Road
The increasingly impressive RISE Westwood Collective is pulling together to throw its first annual Cinco de Mayo en Westwood, a family-friendly and non-corporatized fiesta with all the elements, old and new, that represent the true character of the neighborhood – from a lowrider hopping contest and live graffiti art to traditional dancers and lots of really good food. Stroll the vendor booths, listen to live music and appreciate Denver culture; find more info and RSVP here.
Rooted: A Garden Market Downtown Denver
Saturday, May 1, and Sunday, May 2, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dairy Block Alley, 1800 Wazee Street
Denver weather notwithstanding, it’s the time of year to take stock of your winter-ravaged patch of garden dirt and figure out how to make it beautiful and bountiful with blooms. There’s help popping up at the Dairy Block during the first three weekends in May, bringing an array of bedding plants, hanging baskets and herbs from Rebel Gardens to the complex’s outdoor alleyway, where the Poka Lola Social Club will be mixing up spring cocktails for thirsty shoppers. Serious garden nuts can reserve garage parking in advance; get all the details here.
Cinco de Mayo With CHAC at Flourish Art Gallery
Saturday, May 1, noon to 5 p.m.
Flourish Art Gallery, 6851 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood
Displaced by the pandemic, the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council is partnering with other community spaces. On May 1, it will join Flourish Art Gallery in hosting an art exhibition with 25 Latinx artists who have captured the heart and soul of the Mexican-American and Latinx experience. During the opening reception May 1 (repeated May 8), there will be performances by Aztec dancers Huitzilopochtli, as well as food trucks and other activities. The show will stay up through May 30 at Flourish; find out more here. And at 11 a.m. May 1, CHAC will join Metro State University Chicano/a/x Studies and Journey Through Our Heritage and the Colorado Folk Arts Council with a virtual Aztec dance presentation from Mexico City by Flor y Canto Arte Ciencia y Tradición Indígena. Sign up here.
Know of a great free event around town? We’ll be updating this list through the week; send information to editorial@westword.com.