DENVER — Estes Park is honoring Bigfoot this weekend with a popular annual festival and the Denver Nuggets are back at Ball Arena for Mile High playoff basketball.
The Rapids and Rockies are back in the state this weekend while Colorado Ballet wraps up its 2023-24 performance season. With less than 100 days until the summer Olympics in Paris, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs is hosting full-day celebration.
Check out one of these fun events across Colorado this weekend and don't forget to share your photos with the Near Me feature on the 9NEWS app.
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Bigfoot Days
ESTES PARK — The Estes Park Bigfoot Days celebration returns this weekend. The annual event begins Friday with the ticketed Bigfoot BBQ dinner. The Bigfoot Days outdoor festival is Saturday in Bond Park. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with appearances and talks from television Bigfoot celebrities and experts, live music, outdoor-themed activities for the family, craft and food vendors, a Bigfoot calling contest, area Bigfoot tours and more. Check out the schedule online.
100 Days Out Celebration
COLORADO SPRINGS — The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum will host a celebration event on Saturday in the countdown to the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. The full-day event kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday with a range of activities and experiences, allowing guests to feel the spirit and excitement of the Games in Olympic City USA. All of the festivities are included with the purchase of a museum ticket.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets
DENVER — The NBA champion Denver Nuggets are ready to defend their championship. The NBA playoffs begin for the Nuggets on Saturday at Ball Arena in Denver. The Nuggets host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers beginning Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com.
The Nuggets will hold a playoff pep rally at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at McGregor Square, next to Coors Field. The rally will include live performances from Paws The Music, the Skyline Drumline, and the Denver Nuggets Dancers. In-arena host Kerry Anne will keep the show rolling and Altitude talent will provide a playoff preview. Wednesday's rally is free and fans can RSVP to receive more information.
Baby Animal Days at Centennial Village Museum
GREELEY — Baby. Animals. That's what the whole family will enjoy at the Centennial Village Museum this Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. You'll be able to learn about the baby animals that have arrived for the season while meandering the grounds and gardens of the museum. The museum says the goats, lambs, calf and chicks are “irresistibly adorable.” You can learn more at GreeleyMuseums.com.
Colorado Rockies
DENVER — Wins have been few and far between so far this season for the Colorado Rockies. The baseball club looks to get back to winning with a nine-game homestand at Coors Field. The Rockies kick off the homestand with a three-game set against the Seattle Mariners beginning Friday at 6:40 p.m.
FC Dallas vs. Colorado Rapids
COMMERCE CITY — The Colorado Rapids are back at home at Dick's Sporting Goods Park this weekend. The Rapids clash with FC Dallas at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Commerce City.
Arvada BEER FEST - 90s Party
ARVADA — Arvada Beer Fest will be held Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the parking lot and patio of Freedom Street Social. The party will feature 15+ breweries, canned cocktails, and craft spirits pouring unlimited tasters for thirsty attendees while they get crunk in their 90s best. Throughout the festival, shop a curated selection of vendors, lawn games and photo opportunities.
Long Live Tattoo Festival
BLACK HAWK — Long Live Tattoo Festival, a Denver-based tattoo convention, will be held Friday to Sunday at Ameristar Black Hawk Casino in Black Hawk. The festival will feature world-renowned artists with live art, tattoo contests and joint-rolling seminars. Tickets are available online.
Arts Week Kick Off
WESTMINSTER — The City of Westminster will kick off its Arts Week at The Orchard Town Center on Saturday. The seven-day event, spanning various neighborhoods, including Westminster's downtown and Historic Westminster, will showcase local makers, creators and artists. The kick-off event, at the Orchard Town Center on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., will include live music performances, pottery demonstrations, a painting project, chalk art and a community mural.
Polar Plunge and 5K
COLORADO SPRINGS — This weekend is your last chance to plunge this season. Special Olympics will host a Colorado Springs Polar Pool Plunge and 5K run and walk on Saturday. The plunge will be held at Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site at Garden of the Gods. An After Splash Bash is planned at Red Leg Brewing. Registration can be completed online.
Five Star 5K and Wellness Festival
BRIGHTON — The annual Five Star 5K and Wellness Fair is Saturday at Riverdale Regional Park. The Five Star 5K is inclusive of all so you can run/walk/roll the certified track as well as check out the free wellness festival. There will be a DJ, food, door prizes and special appearances.
MJ
DENVER — Michael Jackson's unparalleled artistry is showcased in the new musical "MJ" at Denver's Buell Theatre. The new Tony Award-winning musical is centered around the making of the 1992 "Dangerous World Tour." Created by Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, "MJ" offers a look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status. "MJ" is startin’ somethin' in Colorado through Sunday, April 28.
Ballet MasterWorks
DENVER — Colorado Ballet concludes its 63rd season with "Ballet MasterWorks." This program features the return of George Balanchine’s "Rubies" choreographed to the music of Igor Stravinsky and Yoshihisa Arai’s "Boléro, set to the score by Maurice Ravel. The 2023-2024 season's repertory production will also feature a new commission choreographed by Lauren Lovette, former principal dancer with New York City Ballet. "Ballet MasterWorks" at Ellie Caulkins Opera House runsthrough Sunday. For tickets and showtimes, visit ColoradoBallet.org.
Fireflies
EVERGREEN — Evergreen Players has opened its new production of "Fireflies" at the Evergreen Players Black Box Theatre. "Fireflies" is a romantic comedy that tells the story of retired schoolteacher, Eleanor. Eleanor lives a quiet life in a tiny Texas town, set in her routines and secure in her position as the town’s most respected woman — until a hole in her roof draws the attention of a smooth-talking drifter intent on renovating Eleanor’s house and possibly her life. "Fireflies" runs through Sunday, April 28.
Oddity & Bizarre Expo
COLORADO SPRINGS — The weird, unusual and bizarre will be featured at this weekend’s Oddity & Bizarre Expo in Colorado Springs. The show has everything from morbid taxidermy, bizarre art, creepy dolls, steampunk items, odd décor, palm readers and more. The expo takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Colorado Springs Event Center. Grab your tickets at OddityAndBizarreExpo.com.
Where Did We Sit On The Bus?
DENVER — Nine-year-old Bee Quijada sits in a suburban classroom. During a history lesson on Rosa Parks, she asks, "Where did Latinos sit on the bus?" What follows in the one-person show "Where Did We Sit On The Bus?" is a theatrical mixtape of Bee’s life. The drama opens Friday at the Singleton Theatre at the Denver Performing Arts Complex and runs through Sunday, June 2. For tickets and showtimes, visit DenverCenter.org.
Emma
DENVER — The Denver Center for the Performing Arts has opened its new Theatre Company production "Emma" at the Wolf Theatre. The production is a new and unconventional adaption of Jane Austen's classic comedy. A bit zany and refreshingly contemporary, playwright Kate Hamill infuses the language and perspectives of today into Austen’s beloved characters. "Emma" will be performed at the Denver Performing Arts Complex through Sunday, May 5.
Noises Off
ARVADA — The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities' final production of the season is the comedy "Noises Off." Get ready for barely-controlled chaos and flying sardines in this play that takes a trip behind-the-scenes of a flop of a play and shows what happens when everything that can go wrong does. "Noises Off" plays the Main Stage Theatre through Sunday, May 5.
FoCoMX
FORT COLLINS — The 156h annual Fort Collins Music eXperiment (FoCoMX) weekend will host more than 400 Colorado bands on more than 30 venues representing a wide variety of genres and styles. This year’s lineup is filled with live music to explore including bands who have made their mark on the Fort Collins’ and Colorado music scene and many new acts for fans to discover. FoCoMX will be held Friday and Saturday.
The Improvised Shakespeare Company
DENVER — The Improvised Shakespeare Company is back at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts' Garner Galleria Theatre. Each night, the company will create a fully improvised Shakespearean masterpiece right before the audience's eyes. The evening of hilarious off-the-cuff comedy uses the language and themes of William Shakespeare, but with no planning, rehearsal or script. Will the play turn out to be a tragedy, comedy or history? Even the actors aren't sure. Tickets for the company's engagement, which runs through Sunday, April 28, are sold at DenverCenter.org.
Red Rocks
DENVER — There is no better venue for live music in the country than Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Owned and operated by the City of Denver, the concert venue at Red Rocks Park has been home to some of the most iconic concerts in history, from artists such as The Beatles, U2, and Sting.
- Friday, April 19 - Ice Cube
- Saturday, April 20 - Wiz Khalifa
- Sunday, April 21 - Key Glock
- Monday, April 22 - Amon Amarth
Georgetown Loop Railroad
GEORGETOWN — A Colorado staple has opened for the season. The Georgetown Loop Railroad offers spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains. The railroad's website says the train transports riders back to a "time where the railroad ruled, mining was a way of life and outlaws littered the land." You can purchase tickets online at GeorgetownLoopRR.com.
Orcas: Our Shared Future
DENVER — The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has opened its newest temporary exhibition: "Orcas: Our Share Future." The exhibition traces the evolution of our beliefs about orcas, from fear to admiration and awe, as we discover their intelligence and complex social structures. At the exhibition, visitors will see a life-sized replica of an orca family, inviting guests to witness their harmonies in an immersive underwater environment. Guests will also learn about the Indigenous peoples of North America’s Northwest Coast, whose respect for orcas is reflected in their art and traditions.
Movies this weekend
Alex Garland’s provocative “Civil War” surpassed expectations to win last weekend's box office in North America. The $25.7 million-opening was the biggest R-rated opening of the year and a record for A24, the studio behind films like “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and “The Iron Claw.”
Opening this weekend
- The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
- Hard Miles
- Abigail
- Chicken for Linda!
Last weekend's box office
- “Civil War,” $25.7 million.
- “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” $15.5 million.
- “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” $5.8 million.
- “Kung Fu Panda 4,” $5.5 million.
- “Dune: Part Two,” $4.3 million.
- “Monkey Man,” $4.1 million.
- “The First Omen,” $3.8 million.
- “The Long Game," $1.4 million.
- “Shrek 2," $1.4 million.
- “SUGA - Agust D Tour ‘D-DAY’ The Movie,” $990,881.
> Would you like to see your favorite Colorado festival, fair, expo, concert, drama, musical, ballet, run or event listed in 9Things? Send it to alexander.kirk@9news.com.
Have an fantastic weekend!
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