Events

Stay in the know of family-friendly Colorado events with our weekly event round-up. Published every Wednesday.

Event Round-up: Get Out Expo, Jazz Fest and More!

Saturday-Sunday. Groove to jazz music and exercise your eye for art at the Estes Park Jazz Fest and Art Walk. Galleries around town will be open to the public—guests can stroll about at their leisure. Starting at noon each day, Performance Park hosts live jazz from artists like The Chris Lee and Colleen O’Brien Band, Purnell Steen and Le Jazz Machine, Roberta Gambarini and Eric Gunnison and Wake Up Call. Pack a blanket and a picnic lunch and set up a sunny, springtime spot on the lawn. Art Walk: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Various locations. Concerts: Noon to 3:55 p.m. Saturday, Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Performance Park, 417 W. Elkhorn Ave., Estes Park. Admission to all events is free. estesnet.com Saturday-Sunday. The springtime sports season is just heating up—catch up on your o...

Yummy summer! Statewide food festivals begin

There are two surefire cures for cabin fever: road trips and food festivals. So why not combine the two? Colorado’s edible bounty stretches to every border, across diverse terrains and ecosystems. From Olathe’s sun-kissed cornfields to the monsoon-swept ridges of Telluride’s mushroom country and the myriad other flavors that flourish in the state, food fetes are a perfect excuse to navigate the landscape. This guide to some of Colorado’s delicious destinations can help adventurous (or just plain hungry) travelers eat their way across the state. Just one note: Admission and event packages vary, so check each festival’s website for the particulars. 1. May 20-21 Mike the Headless Chicken Festival Mike was a Depression-era chicken that just wouldn’t die. Eve...

Cinco de Mayo – Festivities and Crafts for Kids!

Any day is a day to celebrate, but tomorrow is an official day of celebration – it’s Cinco de Mayo! So, get out your party hats (or sombreros) and put on your dancing shoes, and get ready for some Latin fun. This type of cultural lesson is one big party – especially if you celebrate in the Mile High City!

Event round-up: Cinco de Mayo, Elitch, Mother’s Day & More!

Saturday. It’s Opening Day at Elitch’s and the coasters will be rolling once again. The park is under new management again this year, but expect to see all your old favorites. Days and hours are sporadic over the next few weeks, but the doors open daily starting Memorial Day weekend. The water park at Elitch’s will open that weekend, as well—keep your bathing suits in the drawer just a few more weeks. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Elitch Gardens, 2000 Elitch Circle; 303-595-4386. Tickets: $37.99 for guests 48 inches tall and over, $27.99 for guests under 48 inches. Seniors age 62 and older are $27.99. Kids age 3 and younger are free. elitchgardens.com Saturday-Sunday. Cinco de Mayo was officially on Thursday, but that was just a warm-up: Join thousands of revelers i...

Let your kids’ entrepreneurial skills soar with Lemonade Day

Mobs of metro-area kids will be out to show that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, during Lemonade Day on May 22. Hordes of lemonade stands throughout metro Denver — the goal is to set up 5,000 small businesses — will participate in the community-wide event dedicated to teaching children how to start, own and operate their own business through the time-tested act of building and running a lemonade stand. Lemonade Day, which started in 2007 in Houston, has expanded to 28 cities nationwide. Last year, the event served an estimated 3 million

Happily ever after: Princesses rule, thanks to imaginations, merchandising

Kate Middleton will turn into a princess Friday. For little girls across America, she’s living the dream. A familiar one. Youngsters have bonded with tiara-wearers for generations. But today — with entire aisles of big- box stores devoted to princess bling, with princess-themed parties and movies — the path from commoner to coronation has become a routine fantasy. For them, princess is a way of life. “They dress up as princesses on a daily basis when they get back from school,” said Donna Coker, a Highlands Ranch mother with two princess-loving girls: Lauren, 7, and Kelsey, 3. “My husband calls them ‘My lady.’ ” Does she appreciate that her daughters are modeling something akin to “The Real Housewives of Windsor” rather than successful,...

Event round-up: Cinco de Mayo, Touch-A-Truck & Tapir Day!

Saturday. Is it a pig? Is it a hippo? Is it an anteater? Nope, it’s a tapir, and he gets his own holiday: The Denver Zoo celebrates World Tapir Day on Saturday. Visit the zoo’s two Malayan tapirs, Rinny and Benny, and learn all about these thick-skinned grazers from South America and Asia. Also, get a preview of the zoo’s upcoming Asian Tropics habitat, a new, environmentally friendly facility for endangered Asian wildlife. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St.; 303-376-4800. Activities free with admission: $13 for adults, $10 for seniors age 65 and older, $8 for kids ages 3 to 11. denverzoo.org Sunday. The Colorado Symphony Orchestra shows of its sporty side in “Casey At The Bat.” The family oriented concert features a recital of the classic poem by actor Frank Oden, ...

Young food critics cast their vote at Destination Hotels & Resorts (checkout their kid-friendly recipes)

Two of the harshest food critics I know live in my home and are both under the age of 8. It’s a daily struggle to sneak a morsel of something resembling health into their diet and often results in a complete surrender by dinner time. Yet, these two, picky eaters are absolutely thrilled to cast their vote at Friday’s recipe show-down at Destination Hotels & Resorts. This should be fun!

Event Round-up: Bunny Trail EggVenture, Elf Parade & More!

Saturday. The Children’s Museum of Denver will be hoppin’ for the Bunny Trail EggVenture, the museum’s annual spring festival. The fun starts on the museum plaza with music and games from Radio Disney—ride Vern’s Mini Train and pet cute animals from the Urban Farm at Stapleton, too. A springtime wonderland awaits inside the building: Storytime with “The Big Bunny,” live performances and lots of cool, seasonal crafts. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Children’s Museum of Denver, 2121 Children’s Museum Drive; 303-433-7444. Activities are included with admission: $8 for guests ages 2 to 59, $6 for 1-year-olds and seniors age 60 and older. Train rides are $2 each. mychildsmuseum.org Saturday. Celebrate spring—and the May flowers to come—at Boulder’s Tulip Fairy and Elf Parade. Youngsters are encour...

“Young Hands on Opera and Art” is a Great Introduction to the Arts

Do your kids need an introduction to the arts? On Sunday, May 1, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., the Central City Opera Guild will present Young Hands on Opera and Art at the Denver Art Museum. The program is a family event in collaboration with the Denver Art Museum. Children and their families will be captivated by a magical afternoon of opera in the enriched surroundings of the Museum. The Young Hands on Opera and Art will be centered on the world of Maurice Ravel’s The Child and the Enchantments, an opera about a little boy whose misbehavior comes back to haunt him as inanimate objects like teapots and non-speaking animals like

Simple Pillowcase Dress for Easter

A friend recently sent me a photo of a beautifully made pillowcase dress for a little girl and asked if I might be able to duplicate the pattern. She’s expecting and, already having three adorable sons, is thinking she may be having a daughter this time around. If so, she’s anxious to adorn her in lovely dresses and bows!

Event round-up: Cinderella, Elmo’s Healthy Heroes & More!

Sunday. Warm up those pipes—Opera Colorado is coming to the Children’s Museum of Denver. Get a sneak preview of the opera’s upcoming production of “La Cenerentola”, Rossini’s Cinderella tale, through opera shorts and meet-and-greets with performers. Try on real costumes, get your face painted and even take an Italian lesson to get in the spirit. Listen to stories and make fairytale-inspired crafts, too. Activities are included with museum admission. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Children’s Museum of Denver, 2121 Children’s Museum Drive; 303-433-7444. Admission: $8 for guests ages 2 to 59, $6 for 1-year-olds and seniors age 60 and older. mychildsmuseum.org. Through Sunday. What happens when Super Grover loses his superpowers? Find out in “Elmo’s Healthy Heroes” at Magness Arena. The musical “...