Tuesday. Celebrate the first birthday of the Mordecai Children’s Garden at the Denver Botanic Gardens. It’s also a party for Digger, the marmot mascot for the Children’s Garden, so get ready to eat some birthday treats. Activities like planting sunflowers and playing music will keep youngsters busy during their visit. As a special party favor, admission to the Children’s Garden is free during the birthday bash – just head for the top level of the Gardens’ parking structure. 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday. Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St.; 720-865-3500. Admission is free. botanicgardens.org

Saturday-Sunday. Salute Scottish culture at the Scottish Festival and Highland Games in, fittingly, Highlands Ranch. Clans will gather for dancing, singing and lots of competitions like stone put and caber toss. Four stages of music will keep things lively, including a Saturday concert by Celtic rockers Seven Nations. Don’t forget to taste some haggis, jam to a pipe band and please do wear a kilt. 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Highland Heritage Park, 9651 S. Quebec St., Highlands Ranch. Tickets are $17 for adults; $12 for active military, seniors age 60 and older and kids ages 7 to 11. scottishgames.org

Saturday. Close out the summer at Chautauqua with a family concert, “21st Century Energy Superheroes.” Musicians Jeff Kagan and Paige Doughty, along with a full band, present an interactive program that doubles as a CD release party. Watch out for crazy costume changes, a “Fossil Fuel Fashion Show,” groovy vegetables and more. Don’t worry about sitting still – dancing will be encouraged. 4 p.m. Saturday. Colorado Chautauqua, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder; 303-442-3282. Tickets are $5 for Chautauqua members, $8 for nonmembers. chautauqua.com

Saturday. Spend a day in the park to support AIDS patients and service organizations at AIDS Walk Colorado. The north side of Cheesman Park will be filled with events, featuring a 5K run and walk and a volleyball tournament. The day starts with the 5K, traveling through Cheesman and the surrounding neighborhood. Then, the real fun begins: The Celebration of Life festival brings together live entertainment, tasty food, beer and all sorts of vendors for a late-summer shindig. Bring a pair of heels to join in the Diva Dash fun run, a “.5K” scramble – though it may be better for some just to watch. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, opening ceremony starts at 9 a.m. Cheesman Park, 1599 E. 8th Ave. 5K run registration is $35; walking is free, though fundraising is encouraged. aidswalkcolorado.org

Through August 21. There’s just a little more than a week left to catch “Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship” at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. According to the DMNS, the exhibition’s Denver stop has hosted more daily visitors, on average, than any of the tour’s previous cities – and this is the grand finale. To accommodate the most guests, the museum is extending the hours for “Pirates” until 9 p.m. as one last hurrah. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily through August 21. Last entry time is 7:30 p.m. Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.; 303-370-6000. Tickets, which include museum entry, are $22 for adults, $16 for seniors, $13 for juniors/students. Museum members receive a discount. dmns.org

Kathleen St. John