Saturday-Sunday. With grinding gears, squealing tires and growling motors, the “Monster Jam” truck show zooms into the Pepsi Center this weekend. The show features 12-foot-tall monster trucks competing in ferocious race and freestyle events. The huge vehicles are capable of flying 35 feet in the air and soaring over rows of cars, daredevil-style — it’ll be a hit with gearheads of all ages. Before Sunday’s show, ticketholders can join the “Party in the Pits” and get an up-close look at trucks like “El Toro Loco,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle” and “Grave Digger.” The drivers will be hanging out, too, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Party in the Pits, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. Pepsi Center, 1000 Chopper Circle; 303-405-1100. Tickets are $20-$50 for adults, $10-$12.50 for kids. Kids’ discount does not apply for front-row and Gold Circle tickets. Passes to the Party in the Pits are available at local Ford dealerships, or for $5 at the Pepsi Center box office before the show. For more information, visit monsterjam.com.
Sunday. Roar into the Year of the Tiger at the Denver Zoo’s Lunar New Year Celebration. The day’s activities mark the Chinese new year with live entertainment, craft projects and animal demonstrations. The party starts with colorful Chinese lion dancers at the zoo’s gate, followed by taiko drumming performances. Learn about little changes you can make at home to make a difference for animals in Asia, and make an origami tiger to take home as a souvenir. Throughout the event, meet the real animals of the Chinese zodiac up close and personal in special presentations. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St.; 303-376-4800. Activities are free with admission: $9 for adults, $7 for seniors age 65 and older, $5 for kids ages 3 to 11. For more information, visit denverzoo.org.
Saturday. It’s a fiesta for the whole family at Copper Mountain’s “En Fuego.” A free street party that marks, well, nothing in particular, En Fuego features a BMX stunt show, ice skating, fire jugglers and bonfires scattered about the resort village. The resort-wide revelry ends with a fireworks display over West Lake. Confidential to romance-minded parents: Free childcare is available Saturday evening with a $30 purchase for each child — call 970-968-2318, ext. 38101, for full details. 4-7 p.m. Saturday. Copper Mountain Resort, 209 Ten Mile Circle, Copper Mountain; 888-219-2441. Admission is free.
Monday-Tuesday. Breckenridge is a long way from New Orleans, but that doesn’t stop the ski town from celebrating Mardi Gras in grand style. It all starts Saturday with the grownups-only Bacchus Ball, which crowns the town’s Mardi Gras Rex and Queen for the year. Next up is a special “Lundi Gras” concert on Monday starring the Inner City All Stars and their New Orleans-inflected funk. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Wounded Warrior Family Ski Week. The main event comes on Tuesday: A full-on Mardi Gras parade through town, complete with floats, beads and roving costumed characters. Concert, 4:30 p.m. Monday. Riverwalk Center, 150 W. Adams Ave., Breckenridge. Admission is $5. Parade, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Downtown Breckenridge. Free. Learn more at gobreck.com.
-Kathleen St. John
Photo: Carl Scofield, Breckenridge Resort Chamber
Author: Mile High Mamas
