Saturday-Sunday. Set sail for Sloan’s Lake for the 11th annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival. The celebration of Colorado’s Asian heritage has lots of new activities this year, including a Health and Wellness Village and the ImaginAsian collaborative art project. This year’s theme is “Gambare Japan,” a tribute to the Japanese people after the March earthquake and tsunami. The festival grounds will be decorated in origami cranes and Japanese red, and a Saturday performance of the traditional Obon dance will honor the victims of the March disaster. As always, the Chinese dragon boat races on the lake are a highlight, running throughout the fest. Don’t forget the food, too – in addition to the Taste of Asia vendor area, this year’s fest brings in a variety of food trucks. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Sloan’s Lake Park, 25th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard. Admission is free. cbdf.org

Through Sunday. Golden salutes one of its most famous former residents at Buffalo Bill Days. Anold-fashioned Western shindig, Buffalo Bill Days starts Friday with a free concert by local rockers Chris Daniels and the Kings. The fun starts early on Saturday with a pancake breakfast hosted by the Golden Fire Department at 6 a.m., followed by the Best of the West parade at 10 a.m. After that, it’s good times all weekend: Mutton bustin’, car shows, Old West demonstrations, food, rides and more. Concert begins at 5 p.m. Friday. Parfet Park, 10th Street and Washington Ave., Golden. Festival: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Downtown Golden. Admission is free. buffalobilldays.com

Saturday-Sunday. Nederland celebrates its mining-town past at Miners’ Days, a weekend of contests and community spirit. The festival’s centerpiece is the Miner’s Competition, where men, women and teens test their mining skills in events like spike driving, mucking and jackleg drilling. Younger kids can participate in age-appropriate games like water-balloon throwing, burlap bag races and a gold hunt. Each day begins with a pancake breakfast, plus food vendors, a silent auction and a Saturday parade. It all wraps up with a mighty kids-versus-adults game of tug-of-war on Sunday afternoon. Approximate times: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 8:45a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. nederlandmuseums.org

Saturday. Join the “Noizemakers” when Doctor Noize plays the Parker Mainstreet Center. Multi-instrumentalist DoctorNoize – a.k.a. Cory Cullinan – plays family friendly rock with an interactive twist: While performing, he records the show live, and invites audience members to sing along and join in the show. His fans, naturally, are the Noizemakers. Based in Lone Tree, Cullinan released his first Doctor Noize album, “The Ballad of Phineas McBoof” in 2010, and tours throughout the United States. 2 p.m. Saturday. Parker Mainstreet Center, 19650 E. Main Street, Parker; 303-805-3364.Tickets are $7. doctornoize.com

Saturday-Sunday. Have a historic weekend in Central City during Central City Days. The two-day party combines festival fun with education and art: guided hikes, backcountry mountain biking and geocaching, plus historical tours and casual performances from Central City Opera. Foodies will flock to “foraging” tours and tastings, and a lineup of food trucks will serve up street chow. Times and locations vary; visit centralcityopera.org for a full schedule. One-day passes are $15 for adults, $10 for kids ages 4 to 12; family four-packs are $45. Two-day and VIP passes available, too. Some tours require reservations – sign up when buying a pass. For more information, call 303-292-6700.

Kathleen St. John