Saturday-Sunday. If there’s one Cinco de Mayo party to hit this week, it’s the 23rd annual “Celebrate Culture” festival at Civic Center Park. The huge fiesta runs all weekend, packing the park with food, entertainment and shopping. Three stages of entertainment will be running each day, featuring a variety of live acts from rock bands to traditional dancers. Music groups on the bill include Conjunto Atardecer, The Paris Escovedo Project, Dotsero and Kizumba. When dancing isn’t enough, kids can get some thrills at the Children’s Carnival, too. As always, the food is a huge attraction — dozens of vendors will set up shop, serving tasty Mexican treats as well as the usual carnival snacks. For the third year, the festival will also include a green chile cookoff on Saturday, pitting local restaurants against each other for the grand prize. Best of all, festival goers can help sample the chiles on offer and vote for the People’s Choice award. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Civic Center Park, Broadway and Colfax Avenue. Admission is free. For more information, visit cincodemayodenver.org.
Friday-Saturday. If Mom is a chocoholic, this Mother’s Day might be the best ever: The Colorado Chocolate Festival is taking over the Denver Merchandise Mart. Boasting “30,000 square feet of chocolate heaven,” the festival is filled with free samples of chocolate in all its forms. Candies, cakes, cookies, brownies, fudge — if it’s got chocolate in it, it’s probably here. Chocolate-themed activities and speakers abound, too, including a market of Mother’s Day gifts. Tonight’s kickoff event is a classy soiree with a cash bar, live music, wine tastings and more. 6-10 p.m. tonight and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Denver Merchandise Mart, 451 E. 58th Ave.; 800-289-6278. Admission for tonight is $12. Saturday admission is $7 for adults, $3 for kids ages 5 to 12. Kids younger than 5 are free. Learn more at chocolate-festival.org.
Saturday. Help a kid’s wish come true at the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Race for Wishes. Presented by MAW’s Colorado chapter, the race raises money to grant wishes for sick children. Run the 5K, a qualifier for the Bolder Boulder, walk it, or gather the gang for a 1K fun run/walk around Ferril Lake. Everyone who finishes gets a goodie bag and a coupon for two-for-one admission to the Denver Zoo on Saturday. Post-race partying includes kids’ activities, food and live music. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, race starts at 9 a.m. City Park, 17th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. Race-day registration is $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, $30 for teens ages 13-18, $15 for kids age 12 and younger. The whole family can register for the fun run for $25. Learn more at wishcolorado.org.
Saturday. Everyone’s invited to the Centennial Spring Fling, an outdoor romp for the whole family. Jam on the karaoke stage, see the Colorado Disc Dogs and check out the “Come Out and Play Pavilion” and The Game Zone. Join in a life-sized game of checkers, chess or Chutes-and-Ladders, too. Little ones will especially enjoy the balloon sculptors and face painters, plus a special “Tot Town” area. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. deKoevend Park at Goodson Recreation Center, 6315 S. University Blvd., Centennial. Admission is free.
Saturday-Sunday. Get ready for a goofy good time at the Colorado Railroad Museum’s Galloping Goosefest. Named after the now-retired “Galloping Goose” trains of the Rio Grande Southern fleet, the highlight of Goosefest is taking a ride on one of the strange-looking railcars. Of course, there’s plenty more to do, too: special Mother Goose activities for kids, a Wild Goose Chase and touring the rest of the museum’s collection. Since it’s Mother’s Day weekend, moms get in free. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Colorado Railroad Museum, 17155 W. 44th Ave., Golden; 800-365-6263. Admission is $5 for children ages 2 to 16, $10 for seniors over age 60, $12 for adults. A family package for two adults and children under 16 is $25. Learn more at crrm.org.
-Kathleen St. John
Author: Mile High Mamas
