Denver Westword | The Leading Independent News Source in Denver, Colorado

Colorado Burlesque Festival is Back for Thirteenth Year of Glitter and Glam

By Toni Tresca

Jul 9, 2025

"There's always something very chaotic that happens on stage or off during the Colorado Burlesque Festival."

An actor rehearses a scene for an immersive performance at Meow Wolf in Denver.

Enter the Flickerwerm: Meow Wolf’s Phenomenomaly Comes Alive This Summer

By Toni Tresca

Jun 20, 2025

An exclusive look inside Denver's newest looping, immersive performance, which runs from June 21 to August 9 at Meow Wolf.

Hot Times Ahead: Things to Do Around Colorado This Summer

By Westword Staff

Jun 10, 2025

The coolest events during Denver's hottest season.

The Narrators Marks Fifteen Years of Stories

By Toni Tresca

May 21, 2025

No one screens the stories. There’s no scoring system. And there sure as hell isn't any consistency.

Denver Creates: City Announces New Cultural Plan

By Patricia Calhoun

May 14, 2025

Five years and a pandemic after Imagine 2020 expired, Denver Arts & Venues just announced a road map for the next ten years.

HOLDTIGHT Serves Up Arty Food Experiences at Two Local Restaurants

By Toni Tresca

May 1, 2025

Nourishment, opening May 2 at Stowaway Kitchen, "is exploring what nourishes you — literally, as in the food you eat, but also mentally, artistically, emotionally and spiritually."

Inside Drag at Meow Wolf Turns Emotions Into Unforgettable Art

By Toni Tresca

Apr 30, 2025

The House of L’Whor explores adult emotions in a dazzling, immersive drag parody of Inside Out at Meow Wolf on May 1.

The Greatest Comedy Show in the World is a Chaotic, Local Variety Show

By Toni Tresca

Apr 24, 2025

Every fourth Saturday of the month, sketches, standup and surprise acts light up Rise Comedy with original Colorado comedy.

Peak Performance: Meet Five Adventurers Who Dared the Impossible on Colorado Fourteeners

By Abigail Bliss

Apr 23, 2025

Daredevils, athletes, a chef and even a concert clarinetist share what inspired their unique feats.

The Yuk Stops Here: Professor Phelyx's Live Comedy Tuesdays Get an April Encore

By Toni Tresca

Mar 26, 2025

"My hometown, Denver, deserves a true culture again, and however small, I hope to play a role in its restoration.”

Fear, Tears and Unexpected Laughter Collide in This Live Show

By Toni Tresca

Mar 21, 2025

Life: A Delightful Show About Fear and Grief uses comedy, poetry and storytelling to tackle life's hardest moments.

Warm Cookies Finds New Ways to Connect with Communities Through Atlas of the Future Event Series

By Tim Weighart

Feb 28, 2025

An event on March 2 in Westwood will showcase traditional Aztec art forms and open conversations about education.

Sixteen-Year-Old Colorado Magician Competes on Penn & Teller: Fool Us Reality Show

By Hannah Metzger

Feb 20, 2025

"This is it," Liam Abner says. "Magic is going to be my life."

A mirroring game is played by two people in a parking lot.

Control Group’s Field Trip Turns Colfax into a Living, Breathing Archive

By Toni Tresca

Feb 14, 2025

A radical, interactive three-part performance that explores Colfax Avenue's mad, queer and disobedient histories blurs the line between activism and performance.

A drawing of a person with their arms crossed

The Newspaper Trail That Led Me to the Westword Culture Editor Gig

By Kristen Fiore

Feb 11, 2025

Being in a buzzing newsroom with an arts scene to cover is where I feel at home.

A woman sits in an old-fashioned chair, reading a book, while her image is projected behind her.

Grapefruit Lab's Queer Jane/Eyre Is Back With a Band and New Political Resonance

By Toni Tresca

Jan 10, 2025

"We realized how important it was to tell this feminist, queer story about women claiming agency in the face of oppression while remaining joyful and fun."

Spice Up Your Holiday With "Little Sprinkles of Striptease" From Denver Burlesque Group the Rhinettes

By Justin Criado

Dec 11, 2024

Add some sugar and spice to your holiday with a trio of burlesque shows that bring new meaning to Christmas songs.

Calling All Sideshow Freaks and Magicians: This New Venue Aims to Shake Up Golden

By Jason Heller

Dec 9, 2024

The owners of the Gnarly Toybox are bringing their warped, wonderful sense of fun to downtown Golden.

Denver’s Newest Comedy Festival Comes to RISE

By Toni Tresca

Oct 16, 2024

Producers Katie Congrove and Connor Schuck bring together local and national talent for Denver’s first-ever sketch comedy festival.

The Shows Must Go On: Immersive Art Keeps Evolving in the Mile High

By Toni Tresca

Sep 16, 2024

How Denver became an immersive hub, from Lonnie Hanzon's pioneering work to the growth of Off-Center and Meow Wolf.

Performance Art

Slay, Queenz (& Kings): Colorado Drag Royale Back for Fourth Season

Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson Dies

Performance Art

Slay, Queenz (& Kings): Colorado Drag Royale Back for Fourth Season

Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson Dies

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