25 family-friendly events in Denver this week

 Don’t miss the Bubble Dash, Jeffco Fair & Festival, free days and more. See our event calendar for full listings and don’t miss our Denver summer activity guide with 150+ ideas.

Free Movie at the Park: Spider-Man at Huston Lake Park 
Aug 8, 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Come and watch a FREE movie with the family. There will be prizes and lots of fun. Party starts at 7pm, movie starts at dusk.

2019 Jeffco Fair & Festival at Jefferson County Fairgrounds 
Aug 9 – 11
Lasting for 3 days, it’s Jeffco’s biggest celebration of the summer happening August 9 – 11, 2019 at Jeffco Fairgrounds. Mark your calendars now to join the celebration this summer at the 4th annual Jeffco Fair & Festival! Keep your eye on CelebrateJeffco.com to learn about all of the exciting events, happenings and entertainment taking place at our 4th annual event! Special ticket packages will go on sale in May 2019.

A Mile in My Shoes at Tail Tracks Plaza 
Aug 9, 0:00 am – 4:00 pm
The 2019 Biennial of the Americas Festival, in partnership with Riverfront Park Community Foundation, Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, and I Am Denver, will launch Empathy Museum’s “A Mile in My Shoes” exhibition on August 9 in Tail Tracks Plaza (on 16th Street between Wewatta Street and Wynkoop Street).

16th Street Fair 
Aug 9 – 10 
The 11th annual 16th Street Fair is an annual celebration of fine art, handcrafted goods, and the 16th Street Mall in Downtown Denver.

Free Day at Four Mile Historic Park 
Aug 9, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Discover this tranquil, 12-acre historic oasis and the site of Denver’s oldest house. Tour the museum, stroll the gardens and grounds, pan for “gold”, and visit our farm animals. Exhibits, demonstrations, and special programming compliment cultural and natural history to enrich your park experience.

Brick Fest Live Lego Fan Experience at Denver Mart Drive In 
Aug 10 – 11 
Brick Fest Live® LEGO® Fan Experience at the Denver Mart on August 10-11, 2019. Over A MILLION LEGO® Bricks are On Display and Ready for Play.

Free Day at Longmont Museum 
Aug 10, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Longmont Museum, housed in a distinctive contemporary building, features changing exhibits in history, art, and science, as well as the award-winning Front Range Rising, a long-term exhibit on the history and culture of this region.

Free Day at Denver Firefighters Museum 
Aug 10, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Free admission to Denver Firefighters Museum!

Bubble Bash at the Orchard at Orchard Town Center 
Aug 10, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Bubble Bash is a FREE one-of-a-kind exclusive event that you will only find at The Orchard on August 10th from 11am to 1pm! Kids of all ages (0 to 99!) will have access to a dozen different bubble stations where they’ll learn about the science behind bubbles, make their own creations, explore chemistry, and even place themselves in a giant bubble…just to name a few!

Colorado Rapids vs. San Jose Earthquakes at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park 
Aug 10, 7:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Come see the Colorado Rapids as they square off against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Opera in the Park at Boulder Bandshell Park
Aug 10, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Join Boulder Opera for a FREE concert of your favorite opera highlights at the park! This family-friendly concert will feature some of Boulder’s most talented rising young artists, performing classics by Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, and more.

Low-sensory Morning at Downtown Aquarium 
Aug 11 – 12 
For our guests that prefer a calmer and more sensory-friendly environment join us for a special morning. We will open early at 8:30am, turn up the lights and turn down the ambient sounds in the exhibits.

Family Tour at Clyfford Still Museum 
Aug 11, 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Engage with Still’s artworks, share your ideas, and connect with family on these tours designed for children ages 5–10 and their caregivers. Every tour features games, interactive looking, and an art project to take home. During Artists Select: Jonas Burgert, families will explore opposites by playing with size, color, and shape.

Hangar 2’S Summer Sundaes at Rocket Ice Cream 
Aug 11, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Soak up the sun and all of the fun with a free event for families at Lowry Beer Garden and Rocket Ice Cream. On August 11th, kids will enjoy face painting, balloon art, break dancing, a bounce house, and kids trivia. Admission and activities are FREE!

Face to Face at Acres of Opportunity Ranch 
Aug 11, 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm
The Healing Hoof Foundation presents FACE Vocal Band in concert at a local ranch to benefit veterans with PTSD and abused children in our community. Family fun day featuring animals, food trucks, locals marketplace, face painting, temp tattoos and more…Healing Hoof is a non profit operating out of Boulder -funding local equine therapy for those who need it but cannot otherwise obtain it.

Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field – Home of the Colorado Rockies 
Aug 12 – 14 
Enjoy exciting major league baseball and come out to this series between the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Movie Madness: Princess Bride at Infinity Park Event Center 
Aug 12, 6:30 – 10:30 pm
Infinity Park has been transformed into one of Colorado’s largest outdoor movie theaters, continuing the decade long tradition of Monday Movie Madness. Attending a movie under the stars could not be easier or fun to attend! Pack a picnic, blankets, chairs and bring the whole family for a free family-favorite movie.

Create Playdate at Denver Art Museum 
Aug 14, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Drop in with your little ones, ages 3 to 5, and meet up with other tots and their grownups for story time, artmaking, and more! Create Playdates are included with general admission, which is free for kids 18 and younger. No reservations are required. Meet in the Hamilton Building Level 3, near A Walk In The Woods for program location.

ONGOING EVENTS

Summer@DEN Series
May 24-Sept. 2
Denver International Airport is brimming with free family-friendly activities all summer. DEN Park on the Plaza will include gardens featuring native Colorado trees and plants, live music, lunchtime fitness classes and family activities. Each Wednesday, join a free, weekly lunchtime workout. Fitness classes include yoga, Pilates, Krav Maga, Zumba and more! Each Friday, enjoy a variety of free, fun, cultural and family-friendly activities and performance and from June 14-July 14 you’ll find free 18-hole mini golf course! Test your putting skills while you wait for your flight or simply as a fun outing. www.flydenver.com/events

Colorado Shakespeare Festival: Twelfth Night at Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre
June 7 – August 11, 2019
Ring in the summer season with an uproarious comedy about thorny love triangles, mistaken identities … and a pair of twins lost at sea. When Viola finds herself shipwrecked and her brother drowned (or so she thinks!), she begins to dress as a man named Cesario. Since 1958, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival has delighted audiences with professional theatre on the CU Boulder campus. Complete your Colorado summer with Shakespeare under the stars in the historic Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre—complimentary seatbacks included. cupresents.org

Butterflies at Chatfield Farms
May 25 – September 2
$4, $2 Gardens or Butterfly Pavilion member, free for children 2 and under
This seasonal habitat is home to hundreds of native butterflies such as swallowtails, monarchs, mourning cloaks and painted ladies. The plants in this house are used as a nectar source for butterfly food and designed to create a whimsical atmosphere for visitors of all ages to enjoy. Learn what types of plants you can add to your garden to attract butterflies and other pollinators. Presented with Butterfly Pavilion.

Serious Play: Design in Midcentury America at the Denver Art Museum
May 5 –August 25
Serious Play: Design in Midcentury America presents the concept of playfulness in postwar American design as a catalyst for creativity and innovation. This exhibition explores how employing playfulness allowed designers to bring fresh ideas to the American home, children’s toys and play spaces, and corporate identities.  The cost is included in general admission which is free for kids 18 and under every day.

Denver Art Museum 
Visit the Denver Art Museum this summer where kids receive FREE general admission every day! There is plenty to do during #SummerofPlay2019 at the DAM including family-friendly artmaking in the galleries and in the Paint Studio (opening June 1). Step into the shining world of the new First Light Family Space (opening June 1) and try hands-on activities inspired by the exhibition The Light Show. Don’t miss this summer’s main exhibition, Serious Play: Design in Midcentury America, opening May 5, where children are invited to play in the Free Play Zone at the end of the exhibition where they can try on bold masks and bring them to life in a colorful theater, climb on a wavy playscape by sculptor Isamu Noguchi and creatively combine the pieces of the Tyng Toy.

Images from the Tracks at the Colorado Railroad Museum
January 28, 2019 – January 5, 2020
One of the foremost photographers to photograph the great American West, William Henry Jackson’s images had an immense influence on the public’s perception of the American West. A portion of those images were captured here in Colorado as Jackson traveled throughout the west by rail. This exhibit not only showcases the Museum’s collection of Jackson photographs but provides visitors with the opportunity to visit the rail car he traveled and lived in – the Denver & Rio Grande Western business car – the Rico.

Marine Biologist for a Day at the Downtown Aquarium
Jan 1- Dec 31, 2019
See if you have what it takes to become a Marine Biologist! Spend a day behind the scenes where all the scientific action happens. Experience close encounters with exotic species from the deep sea to shallow reef and everywhere in between. You’ll even get to dissect a squid! Program includes guided tour, biologist dive show, squid dissection, animal feedings and much more! T-shirts & lunch included.

Friday Night Bazaar
June 7- September 27
Celebrate the return of Friday Night Bazaar as they open on June 7th and pop-up weekly in RiNo, River North Art District all summer long from 5-10 p.m. for your shopping & sipping needs! Weekly features include 25+ Local Makers, Food & Fashion Trucks, live DJ and more.  denverbazaar/fridaynightbazaar

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.