The calendar may say summer is winding down, but not in Denver, Colorado! Summer in the Mile High city is still in full swing with live entertainment, outdoor adventure and more. Although Labor Day Weekend is the unofficial end of summer, the fun doesn’t stop there. Below is a list of activities and events for the whole family to get the most of out of the last days of summer.
Attend can’t-miss festivals and events
Dashiki Fest (Aug. 31, 2024 at the Levitt Pavilion Denver) – Dashiki Fest will be a vibrant and entertaining festival. Performances will feature local artists, dances and other renowned African artists of this generation. Guests can explore a variety of food from various African vendors, African art and fashion vendors, and many interesting stands for small businesses.
Denver Food + Wine Festival (Sept.r 4–7, 2024, The Tivoli Quad, Auraria Campus) – Don’t miss a multi-day extravaganza of food, wine and spirits. Festival events feature the best of metro Denver’s restaurant community, the finest wine and spirits, educational seminars and the culminating signature Grand Tasting.
51st Birthday Bash, (Sept. 6, 2024, Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus) – This year’s theme is inspired by backyard expeditions and starry skies, scraped knees and muddy shoes, secret clubhouses with your best friends, and all the things that fill childhood with wonder and joy.
Flock Party 2024 (Sept. 7, 2024, Denver Zoo) – Now in its fifth year, this colorful annual benefit is a movable feast with live music, unforgettable animal experiences, on-the-spot fashion illustrations, craft cocktails and artisan eats — all in the company of real party animals! Proceeds benefit the zoo’s beloved animal family and support their wildlife conservation work in Colorado and worldwide.
See great performances
Red Rocks Amphitheatre by Padraig O’Flannery – Unsplash
‘DARKFIELD’ (thru Sept. 1, 2024, The Bird Lot | RiNo Art District) – Making its U.S. premiere in Denver this summer following sold-out runs in the UK, Australia, Asia and Mexico, DCPA Off-Center and Realscape Productions present a spine-tingling collection of immersive audio experiences inside custom-built shipping containers — and in complete darkness. DARKFIELD utilizes its signature 360-degree audio along with sensory effects and hyper-realistic sets to place you in the middle of intense narratives that will leave you questioning reality. Step inside three uniquely captivating worlds — SÉANCE, FLIGHT or COMA — and find out who you really are when the darkness sets in.
‘Waitress’ (Aug. 30–Oct. 13, 2024, Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities, Arvada) – Jenna is a waitress and expert pie-maker trapped in a small town and a rocky marriage. Faced with an unexpected pregnancy, Jenna fears her dreams are out of reach – until a baking contest and a handsome doctor offer up a sweet taste of happiness. Based on the 2007 film by the same name, “Waitress” features original music and lyrics by Grammy-winning musician Sara Bareilles (“Love Song,” “Brave”) and a book by Jessie Nelson.
‘Kimberly Akimbo’ (Sept. 1–29, 2024, Buell Theatre in the Denver Performing Arts Complex) – Kim is a bright and funny New Jersey teen, who happens to look like a 72-year-old lady. And yet her aging condition may be the least of her problems. This musical about growing up and growing old (in no particular order), was named best musical by the New York Drama Critics Circle, The Drama Desk Awards, The Lucille Lortel Awards and The Outer Critics Circle Awards.
Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre Concerts – No summer in Denver is complete without at least one — or two, or five — trips to the awe-inspiring Red Rocks Amphitheatre, just 15 miles from downtown Denver. More than 70 million years in the making, the 9,450-seat venue is flanked by enormous 300-foot red sandstone rock formations and always boasts a star-studded musical schedule. Upcoming shows include – Aug. 27–28, 2024: Khruangbin with Peter Cat Recording Co; Aug. 29, 2024: Lamb of God & Mastadon with Kerry King, Malevolence; Aug. 30, 2024: REZZ Rocks VI; Aug. 31, 2024: Dierks Bentley: Gravel & Gold Presented by Jersey Mike’s; Sept. 1–2, 2024: Gregory Alan Isakov with Passenger; Sept. 3–4, 2024: Human Musical Group Sensations Glass Animals: Tour of Earth.
Levitt Pavilion Concerts – The Levitt Pavilion is a state-of-the-art amphitheater in Ruby Hill Park that was created as a gift to the community. This outdoor venue hosts a slew of free concerts every summer, and a few ticketed events, too. Upcoming shows include – Aug. 29, 2024: Kurt Vile and The Violators (Ticketed); Aug. 30, 2024: Alternative TentaclesFEST hosted by Jello Biafra featuring Tsunami Bomb with Kultur Shock, Wheelchair Sports Camp and Dead Pioneers (Free); Sept. 6, 2024: Mariachi Sol de Mi Tierra, the Fiesta Colorado Dance Company & Baile Caliente with El Javi (free).
Visit exciting museum exhibits
Light and mirrors at the Denver Art Museum by Clay Banks – Unsplash
Hand in Nature (thru Sept. 1, 2024, MCA DENVER — Museum of Contemporary Art Denver) – Gala Porras-Kim is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work questions how knowledge is acquired and tests the potential for artworks and objects to function as meaning-makers outside of traditional museum contexts. For this exhibition, Porras-Kim extends lines of questioning into conservation, preservation and care within institutional contexts to the broader natural world and lived environment.
Fazal Sheikh: Thirst | Exposure | In Place (thru Oct. 20, 2024, Denver Art Museum) – This exhibition was created from three projects photographer Fazal Sheikh made on the Colorado Plateau from 2017 to early 2023. Sheikh’s portraits and landscapes of displaced communities and marginalized people shed light on the far-reaching consequences of extractive industry and climate change.
Winter Warriors: The 10th Mountain Division in World War II (thru Nov. 12, 2024, History Colorado Center) – Using photos, video and first-hand personal accounts from the troops themselves, Winter Warriors: The 10th Mountain Division in World War II explores the history of the U.S. Army’s first winter warfare division from its training at Camp Hale in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains through their crucial breakthrough against the Nazi German Army in the mountains of Italy.
Orcas: Our Shared Future (thru Nov. 15, 2024, Denver Museum of Nature & Science) – Trace the evolution of our beliefs about orcas, from fear to admiration and awe, as we discover their stunning intelligence and complex social structures. Meet a life-sized replica of an orca family as you listen to their soothing harmonies in an immersive underwater environment. Deepen your appreciation for the art of the Indigenous peoples of North America’s Northwest Coast.
Museum of Illusions (thru Dec. 31, 2024, Museum of Illusions) – Discover a brilliant collection of perspective-changing rooms, enthralling installations, and spellbinding images. The mesmerizing exhibits will teach you that nothing is ever quite as it seems, especially in the Museum of Illusions Denver.
Dialogue and Defiance: Clyfford Still and the Abstract Expressionists (thru Jan. 12, 2025, Clyfford Still Museum) – This exhibition considers the nuanced ways in which Clyfford Still was part of an artists’ community in the late 1940s and early 1950s, despite his protestations to the contrary, and how his paintings, through their scale and composition, promote ideas of community.
Vanity & Vice: American Art Deco (thru Jan. 12, 2025, Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art) – Vanity & Vice: American Art Deco explores the dynamic designs that emerged during the rebellious years of 1920–1933.This exhibition invites visitors into two distinct spaces occupied by a progressive Prohibition-era woman: her boudoir and a speakeasy. Explore the Art Deco objects that filled these rooms and how they reflect a time of freedom and change.
Rumors of Bloomers (thru March 30, 2025, Center for Colorado Women’s History) – Rumors of Bloomers explores women’s experiences as expressed through undergarments. Using rarely displayed objects – such as corsets, bloomers, swimming costumes, petticoats and Mother Hubbard gowns – the exhibition highlights the ways “unmentionables” have given form and shape to bodies, while also expressing identity, autonomy, agency and protest.
Pop-up: Anthony Quinn (Aug. 2–Sept. 22, 2024, Museo de las Americas) – Born in Mexico and raised in East Los Angeles, Anthony Quinn, a two-time Oscar winner, was a legendary actor. This pop-up exhibition offers a glimpse into his lesser-known passion for drawing, painting and sculpting, highlighting his legacy as a prolific visual artist focused on themes of identity and vocation.
Enjoy outdoor fun
Enjoy the mountains around Colorado by Michael Marcagi – Unsplash
Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park – Head to the only downtown theme and water park in the country for roller coasters, water slides, family entertainment and much more! Look for fireworks at 9 p.m. (as the park closes for the day) on Sept. 1, 2024.
Water World – Beat the heat, relax in the park’s beautifully landscaped 64 acres — and ride some serious waterslides.
Farmers’ Markets – The Mile High City’s more than 20 farmers’ markets are not just about locally grown produce, delicious baked goods and prepared foods — though you’ll find those in abundance! Each market is a festive, weekly street fair, many with live entertainment and family-friendly activities.
Denver Zoo – With over 3,500 animals on 84 gorgeous acres, Denver Zoo is an amazing experience year-round. Your proceeds helps to provide world-class care for the lions, giraffes and elephants, as well as other wild animals and wild places, from the Rockies to Mongolia.
Denver Botanic Gardens – One of the top five botanic gardens in the nation, Denver Botanic Gardens is an oasis in the city, offering year-round events, a children’s garden, lifelong-learning opportunities and research to preserve Colorado’s precious natural resources. Meanwhile, Chatfield Farms, located in nearby Littleton, takes pride in its exemplary nature preserve and gardens. Located on 750 acres, this picturesque site includes display gardens and a historical farm with a rustic barn.
City Parks – No matter where you find yourself in The Mile High City, you’re likely only a few steps away from a lush and relaxing green space. Labor Day weekend is the perfect time to explore Denver’s more than 5,000 acres of traditional parks and parkways, as well as an additional 14,000 acres of spectacular mountain parks in neighboring counties that are maintained by the City and County of Denver.
Denver’s Best Urban Hikes – Denver is a city with boundless outdoor fun and has an ideal location next to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. While The Mile High City is conveniently close to major peaks for hiking, there’s no need to head into the mountains when Denver’s regional trail system encompasses hundreds of miles for all ages and abilities to explore.
Catch a sports game – Kick off the holiday weekend at Coors Field as the Colorado Rockies take on the Miami Marlins, Aug. 26–29, 2024. The Rockies also play against the Baltimore Orioles Aug. 30–Sept. 1 and the LA Dodgers on Sept. 27th. Additionally, before the Broncos’ regular-season schedule arrives, Denver will host a pair of preseason games as part of its three-game preseason slate. Denver will welcome the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals to Empower Field at Mile High in Week 2 and Week 3 of the preseason (Aug. 18 and 25).
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