Ten Things to Do in Denver When It's (Almost) Dead This Weekend

Summer may be winding down, but this town's cultural activities are just winding up. The Kirkland Museum will reopen next week; in the meantime, you can welcome back the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls & Toys. Itchy-O will be offering a drive-in extravaganza; meanwhile, a parking lot in the Golden Triangle has been transformed into a walk-in movie theater.

Keep reading for ten things to do this weekend — some virtual, some in person, some free, some paid — and all worth your time:

Boulder Fringe Festival
Through August 23
The 2020 Boulder Fringe Festival has a new look, with a mix of virtual and live, socially distanced performances and some live, socially distanced shows; tickets range from $3 to $15 per show in advance here.

Sans Souci Dance Festival
Through August 24
The seventeenth season of the Sans Souci Dance Festival is the second collaboration with Grupo Dançaberta (Campinas, SP, Brazil); there will be four virtual screenings and a series of lectures, workshops, discussions and more with a wide variety of contributing artists and experts in the field. All events are free, and all but one — a drive-in movie — are online. Find the full schedule at sanssoucifest.org.

Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls & Toys
Daily (except Sunday), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
830 Kipling Street, Lakewood
Good things come in small packages. Two years after leaving its longtime home in City Park West, the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls & Toys has officially reopened. Regular summer hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day but Sunday, when hours are noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $5, and tickets are required; get yours here.

Summer Trail Run #3
Through Sunday, August 16
Arapahoe Basin
Preview Arapahoe Basin’s newest hiking trail and enjoy a break from the heat by taking a run in the mountains. This is the final race in A-Basin’s summer trail run series; participants will run to mid-mountain, where they can explore a portion of the scenic Half Moon Vista Trail, a new hiking trail that should open to the public by the end of August. The route is 4.2 miles, with an elevation gain of 830 feet; runners will use Strava to track their run and compete for a virtual win. Entry is $15, and the run must be done by Sunday; find out more here.

Dog! A Science Tail
Now open 
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard
The dog days of summer are really here: Dogs! A Science Tail, a new touring exhibit from the California Science Center in Los Angeles, is stopping in Denver. The family-friendly show will shed light (not fur!) on the science of being a dog, with interactive stations where you can explore how canine senses differ from ours, play a knowledge game of Jeopawdy!, learn how to train a pooch or post a pic of your own pet on a photo wall. Timed tickets for Dogs! ($7 to $9) and regular museum admission ($13.95 to $19.95) must both be purchased in advance at dmns.org.

Sypherlot: Drive-in Radio Bath
Next three weekends
Mission Ballroom parking lot, 4242 Wynkoop Street
Itchy-O is back! The avant-garde percussion troupe has worked with Denver Film to create Sypherlot, a series of performances that launch on August 14 and run for three weekends. Tickets start at $100 per car; find out more here.

Global Fest
Saturday, August 15, 11 a.m. to noon
Aurora's Global Fest, an annual celebration of international cultures and traditions, returns as a free, virtual event on the city’s Facebook page. Performers at this year’s Global Fest include Bella Diva World Dance, the Colorado Ethiopian Community, Ballet Sol de Mi Tierra, and the National Martial Arts Academy. The celebration will also include a virtual Parade of Nations, featuring photos submitted from residents with flags that represent their heritage (one in five residents of Aurora is from another country), and a virtual International Fashion Show, featuring collections of images from past Global Fest events of residents in cultural attire.

Block Party to Block Racism: Building Bridges to Property Ownership
Saturday, August 15, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Plaza 28 at Lowell Boulevard
While kids enjoy family-friendly activities, Keller Williams Realty Urban Elite's Equality Task Force will offer help with payment assistance programs and loan pre-approval as well as other real estate services; there will also be discussions of fair housing awareness and how to create a more equitable world — along with plenty of music, food and drinks. Admission is free; reserve tickets here.

Morbid Curiosities Carnival
Saturday, August 15, noon to 6 p.m.
Stampede, 2430 South Havana Street, Aurora
HearseCon 2020 is on, COVID-19 or no, and it’s come a long way from its early days as a car club meetup for hearse, ambulance and limo drivers. Most of the four-day event is closed to the public, but all are invited to join in the culminating car show and Morbid Curiosities Carnival on Saturday, August 15, when vehicle owners show off their vintage beauties in the lot at the Stampede, 2430 South Havana Street in Aurora. Admission, $15 in advance at eventbrite.com, also includes vendors, music, cruising, the Hearse Girls and a Burning of the Corpse ceremony.

Motus Theater at Netroots Nation
Saturday, August 15, 3 p.m.
Motus Theater will open the Saturday keynote session at Netroots Nation 2020, when Alejandro Fuentes-Mena will present his autobiographical monologue titled Deport Me, sharing the stage with some of the biggest social justice names of our time, including Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter; Representative Ilhan Omar; Rashad Robinson of Color of Change; and Nick Tilsen of the NDN Collective. Other speakers include Senator Elizabeth Warren, Stacey Abrams of Fair Fight Action and Congressman Joe Neguse. The keynotes are free; find out more and register here.

Know of a great event around town? Send information to [email protected].