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Denver Fun / Events

23 things to do in Denver this weekend

23 things to do in Denver this weekend

We’re entering the final weekend of the National Western Stock Show. Other fun events include the Colorado Indian Market, Sesame Street Live, Buckaroo Breakfast and free days. See our event calendar for additional details. 

Sensory-friendly Rodeo at Denver Coliseum 
Jan 18, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Sensory Friendly Rodeo Featuring Westernaires presented by Sunward Steel & Frontier Airlines Mutton Bustin’.

National Western Presents an Evening of Dancing Horses at National Western Complex 
Jan 18 – 19
The wine and roses event of the National Western Stock Show, An Evening of Dancing Horses ® brings the best equestrian talent together in front of live music. Enjoy an evening full of formal dressage, reining, liberty and other talent from around the world.

Colorado Indian Market and Southwest Showcase 
Jan 19 –21
Dazzling displays of art and continuous world class performances. Now in its 37th year!

Free Day at Denver Zoo 
Jan 19 – 20 
Explore the Denver Zoo for free two days in a row.

Family Magic Show 
Jan 19, 7 – 8 pm
Do you want amazement and laughter? Join us for a magical night of honest family entertainment with Matthew Brandt. This family-friendly magic show is fun and interactive – as magicians get the audience involved with the show. Children 2 and under free but must sit on parent’s lap.

Buckaroo Breakfast at Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus 
Jan 20, 8 – 10:00 am
Grandparents – grab your grandkids and join us for a rootin’ tootin’ good time at this year’s Buckaroo Breakfast! Lasso up some fun with a morning of private play throughout the Museum, a cowboy breakfast and wild-west inspired activities. Cowboy attire is encouraged. Yeehaw!

Engineers Morning Out for Families at Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Jan 20, 8:00 – 11:00 am
Get your build on first thing in the morning! Let out your inner engineer by designing buildings, bridges, and more. Once you’ve built all you can, enjoy a special screening of Dream Big 3D in Phipps IMAX Theater. Includes continental breakfast, activities, and movie.

Family Fun Days | STEAM Fest at CU South Denver 
Jan 20 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
How does nature solve different survival challenges? We’ll look to plants and animals for inspiration for how to blend together science, technology, engineering, art and math to create exciting sustainable solutions to different challenges.

Frosty’s Frozen Five and Ten 
Jan 20, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Frosty’s Frozen Five & Ten is a flat and fast 5 mile and 10 mile race held each January in Littleton, Colorado. The race starts and finishes at Hudson Gardens and the course travels the paved Platte River Trail. An innovative technical running shirt, chip timing, and a great finish line expo make this epic winter race the best in Colorado!

Free Day at Molly Brown House Museum 
Jan 20, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Free admission for the residents of: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties – must show ID. January 20, March 28, June 3, August 1 (Colorado Day), September 22, and November 10 (Veteran’s Day). On a free day, please consider making a donation according to your ability. 

Winter Fun Day at Mount Vernon Canyon Club 
Jan 20, 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Bundle up for a fun afternoon of hay rides around the Mount Vernon Canyon Club grounds, lunch on the grill including burgers and brats, and a hot chocolate bar. Sledding and snow painting will commence if the weather allows. This all ages event is open to the public, giving non-members a rare opportunity to enjoy an afternoon with the entire family at MVCC’s beautiful Lookout Mountain location! Register in advance by calling 303-526-0616.

Sesame Street Live! Let’s Party at Bellco Theatre 
Jan 20 – 21 
Jump to the beat with your friends on Sesame Street! Introducing an all-new, interactive show that unfolds on one of the world’s most famous streets at the funniest, furriest party in the neighborhood… get ready for Sesame Street Live.

Ongoing Events and Exhibits

Storyland at CU South Denver
September 23, 2017 – January 28, 2018, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Step into the pages of beloved children’s books and enter a world of early literacy adventures! Storyland: A Trip Through Childhood Favorites™ immerses children and adults in favorite picture books, from the gardens of The Tale of Peter Rabbit to the urban snowscape of The Snowy Day and the tropical island of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Designed for children from birth through eight years old and adults, Storyland engages visitors in storylines and literacy activities that lead them to discover that it’s never too early to develop a love of reading.  https://southdenver.cu.edu/events/event/storyland/

Backstory: Western American Art in Context at the History Colorado Center
March 18, 2017-February 11, 2018, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
The exhibition is a masterful pairing of world class art and unique artifacts. Visitors will be captivated by the beauty, wonder and rich stories waiting to be uncovered. http://historycoloradocenter.org/

Be the Astronaut at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
October 1, 2017 – March 31, 2018; Monday – Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm Sunday: 12 pm – 5 pm
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum (Wings) enthusiastically announces the arrival of Be The Astronaut, an interactive pod-based exhibit that thrusts visitors into a world of space discovery.  Broken down into three interactive parts, Be The Astronaut first places “explorers” at a NAV (Navigation) Station to explore basic concepts of the universe. Second, guests move to a SCI (Science) Station that reinvents the way users think about the science and technology needed to thrive in outer space. Finally, participants move to the FLY Station. The FLY Station puts guests in control of a variety of spacecraft, including a lander, a rover and an interplanetary spaceship, on a wide variety of extraterrestrial missions. http://wingsmuseum.org/

Becoming Butterflies at CU South Denver
June 7, 2017-June 2, 2018, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: CU South Denver
Becoming Butterflies is a fascinating look at some of the world’s most captivating insects throughout their entire life cycle. A successful journey means overcoming natural enemies, evading predators and transforming from a tiny egg to creeping caterpillar to delicate winged flyer. Learn how butterflies impact our lives and the role we play in their survival. http://southdenver.cu.edu/events/event/becoming-butterflies/

Dream Big 3D: Engineering our World at Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS)
February 17, 2017 – February 15, 2018, 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Dream Big 3D will transform how you think about the E in STEM. This adventure takes you around the world to explore engineering marvels both large and small, ancient and modern. From the Great Wall of China to the high-tech Shanghai Tower, from underwater robots to solar powered cars, you will see how human ingenuity pushes the limits of innovation. Dream Big celebrates engineers who build, invent, and shape our world, and inspire the youth of today who will be the great minds of tomorrow. http://www.dmns.org/imax/current-films/dream-big-3d-engineering-our-world/

Denver Puzzling Adventure at Civic Center Park
Puzzling Adventures™ are a cross between a scavenger hunt, an informative self-guided tour, and The Amazing Race®. Each adventure consists of a series of locations that you are guided to where you are required to answer questions or solve puzzles to receive your next instruction. http://puzzlingadventures.com

Downtown Denver Rink at Skyline Park
November 21, 2017 – February 14, 2018, 11 a.m-7 p.m.
Ready. Set. Skate. Skyline Park is the place for fun this holiday season. The Downtown Denver Partnership invites you and your family to join us for FREE skating at the Skyline Rink, located at 16th & Arapahoe in Downtown Denver. Ice skating is free! You may bring your own skates or rent a pair for just $6-$8. http://www.downtowndenver.com/

Eyes On at Denver Art Museum
December 3, 2017 – July 8, 2018, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Xiaoze Xie has a lifelong passion for books. In his worldview, books are conveyers of prestige and signifiers of collective cultural knowledge: repositories of historical meaning, cultural conflict, and political strife. For Eyes On: Xiaoze Xie, the artist has created still-life paintings of books, videos, and installations based on banned and forbidden books in China. http://denverartmuseum.org/exhibitions/eyes-on-xiaoze-xie

Ice Skating at the Pond
January 4 – February 19, 2018
Come join the Shops at Southlands at The Pond for some ice skating. https://www.shopsouthlands.com/event/ice-skating-at-the-pond/2145483706

Past the Tangled Present at the Denver Art Museum
November 14, 2017 – October 28, 2018, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
This interactive and immersive installation by Denver artist Jaime Molina was born of imagination and the joy of discovery. Step into a different world where the paintings on the wall flow into 3-D objects that Molina created for the space. Sit on boxes painted with faces and play in a garden of fabricated cacti. http://denverartmuseum.org/exhibitions/past-tangled-present

Creatures of Light at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (upcoming)
February 23- June 10, 2018
They light up our lives, but have you ever wondered how? Delve into the world of living things that blink, glow, flash, and flicker, from tiny fireflies to strange creatures in the ocean depths. The new exhibition Creatures of Light explores the mysterious world of bioluminescence and biofluorescence, visible light emitted by living things. This enlightening experience features larger-than-life models, engaging immersive environments, fun activities, and real animals, fungi, and minerals that get their glow on. http://www.dmns.org

Amber Johnson
Author: Amber Johnson

Amber is the founder and editor of Mile High Mamas, travel writer and former columnist for The Denver Post. She is a passionate community builder and loves the outdoors. She has two awesome teens and is happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin.

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Amber is the founder and editor of Mile High Mamas, travel writer and former columnist for The Denver Post. She is a passionate community builder and loves the outdoors. She has two awesome teens and is happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin.

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