DENVER — Summer fairs return this weekend in Denver, Greeley, Evergreen, Grand Junction, Walden, and Calhan.
The "Daddy of 'Em All" is back in Cheyenne for a 128th year. Turnpike Troubadours, Jason Aldean and Jelly Roll help kick off the annual Western celebration Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Cat, art, tattoo, and wood-carving festivals, concerts and live events are also planned this weekend.
From festivals and fairs to expos and runs, there's lots to do, see and explore in Denver and Colorado this hot July weekend. Remember to share your weekend photos with the "Near Me" feature on the 9NEWS app.
Cheyenne Frontier Days
CHEYENNE — The 128th annual Cheyenne Frontier Days opens Friday. The 10-day western celebration has a packed festival schedule of rodeos, parades, pancake breakfasts and concerts with Jelly Roll, Jason Aldean, Machine Gun Kelly, T-Pain, Ludacris, Thomas Rhett, Lainey Wilson and more. The centerpiece of the celebration is the world's largest outdoor rodeo which draws the top professionals who compete for more than $1 million in prize money. Here's what to know about the 2024 Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Tennyson Street Fair
DEVNER — Tennyson Street Fair returns Saturday with more vendors, extended hours, and an expanded footprint down the beloved North Denver street. The free neighborhood block party, to be held from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., extends down the vibrant Tennyson Street from West 41st Avenue to West 43rd Avenue. More than 100 Tennyson businesses and breweries as well as other local businesses (from soap to jewelry to art) will set up shop on the street alongside food trucks and live music at the free event. A portion of proceeds from Tennyson Street Fair will benefit the Tennyson Berkeley Business Association.
Weld County Fair
GREELEY — The 107th annual Weld County Fair is a free, annual event in Greeley open to the public with music, food, displays, car show and more. Youth and adults in Weld County will be exhibiting their skills in agriculture, livestock, natural resources, engineering, consumer and family, fine arts, horticulture and family living. The Weld County Fair is open Saturday through Monday, July 29, at the Island Grove Regional Park.
El Paso County Fair
CALHAN — The El Paso County Fair in Calhan rolls on this weekend with a demolition derby, junior livestock sale, roping and racing events. The fair runs through Saturday. General admission tickets can be purchased at ElPasoCountyFair.com.
Park County Fair
FAIRPLAY — The Park County Fair continues this weekend in Fairplay. The fair schedule includes 4-H shows, livestock shows, carnival, live music beer garden, kids’ activities, exhibits and parade. The fair continues through Sunday, July 21.
Mesa County Fair
GRAND JUNCTION — The annual Mesa County Fairis back on the Western Slope through Saturday, showcasing the best of the Grand Valley, form peaches to livestock. Bbull riders are scheduled for Thursday and a demolition derby is set for Saturday night. This year's fair has a carnival, shows, food and drink vendors and livestock auction. For show tickets and a complete fair schedule, head to MesaCountyFair.com.
Lavender Festival
LITTLETON — Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Farms will host its Lavender Festival on Saturday and Sunday. With more than 2,000 lavender plants, the family-friendly celebration will have products made by local growers and artisans, demonstrations, live music, kids’ activities, farm tours, vendors and more. Tickets for the celebration are sold at BotanicGardens.org.
First look at Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital
WHEAT RIDGE — Community members can get their first look inside the new Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The hospital is celebrating with a pre-opening event free and open to the public at the new site at 12911 W. 40th Ave. The event will feature tours of the new hospital including the emergency department, labor and delivery, neonatal intensive care unit and more. There will also be visits with hospital caregivers to learn about the services they provide, a community paint-by-number, scavenger hunt with prizes, a collective tapestry loom, face painters, children’s games, food trucks and entertainment.
RTD 60th anniversary of Civil Rights Act celebration
DENVER — The Regional Transportation District (RTD) is hosting an event to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. The celebration will be held Saturday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Studio Loft in downtown Denver. The public is invited to attend and see the unveiling of RTD’s wrapped bus designed by the winner of RTD's Bus Design Contest. The Civil Rights Act legally ended discrimination and promoted equal opportunities in transit, employment and public facilities.
Denver Tattoo Arts Festival
DENVER — The 7th annual Denver Tattoo Arts Festival runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Colorado Convention Center. The show features tattoo experts, celebrities and businesses from across the country. Tickets are sold at the show or online.
93rd Annual Bazaar
DENVER — Now in its 93rd year, the Our Lady of Mount Carmel's Annual Bazaar is one of Denver's oldest Bazaars. The event will run Saturday and Sunday at 3549 Navajo Street. You can expect live music, Italian food, Italian vendors featuring salami, cheeses and imported items, Italian-style ceramics, Colorado peaches to order, games, a grand raffle, bingo and bazaar food including pizza, pizza fritta, sausage, sandwiches, pies with ice cream, root beer floats, wine, beer, meatball sandwiches, corn, fruit kabobs, hot dogs and more. A procession will follow Sunday's 2:30 p.m. Mass. More information is available at OurLadyMountCarmel.com and Facebook.
Cat Fest Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS — Cat Fest Colorado — the ultimate celebration of all things cat — is at the Norris Penrose Event Center on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Attendees can expect a day jam packed with feline fun including celebrity cats, costume contests, cat trivia, art show, on-site adoptions, face painters, and cat-themed vendors.
Chainsaws and Chuckwagons
FREDERICK — Some of the most talented chainsaw carvers in the country will be in Colorado this weekend for a carving competition that pits the best against the best. The Chainsaws and Chuckwagons competition will take place on Main Street in downtown Frederick. Artists will turn giant logs into beautiful works of art starting Wednesday. There will be live music and food trucks on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The completed wood carvings will be on display on Saturday at Centennial Park.
Festival in the Clouds
ALMA — Now in its 26th year, Festival in the Clouds brings three days of music and art to Alma, the highest incorporated town in the USA. The festival — which runs from Friday to Sunday — includes 25 musical acts, 40 regional artists, food, beer garden, children’s activities, dancing and more. Admission to Festival in the Clouds is free, but the festival serves as a fundraiser for area community projects as well. A complete schedule is available at AlmaFoundation.com.
Bright Nights at Four Mile Historic Park
DENVER — Four Mile Historic Park has transformed into a glowing landscape that immerses visitors with larger-than-life lantern installations that include a mythical dragon that blows smoke, Colorado wildlife and flowers, a crystal forest with unicorns, and creatures from Chinese mythology. The Bright Nights series kicks off with a VIP night at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and opening night is set for Friday. Bright Nights will be open until Sept. 29. Proceeds from the 11-week installation go to help pay for animal care at the park, as well as maintain the historic museum, the oldest standing structure in Denver.
Pearl Street Arts Fest
BOULDER — The 44th annual Pearl Street Arts Fest will be held in downtown Boulder on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A celebration of visual art, the festival includes many varieties of art from whimsical to modern sculptures to watercolors, oils and more. The festival runs from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Pearl Street Arts Fest will be held on Pearl Street Mall and admission is free.
Downtown Aspen Art Festival
ASPEN — The Downtown Aspen Art Festival returns to Aspen’s Paepcke Park for its 21st edition. The 2024 festival will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The free outdoor art festival offers a wide-range of creations in sculpture, photography, glass, paintings, ceramics, one-of-a-kind jewelry and mixed media. Paepcke Park on Main Street is located near downtown Aspen shops and restaurants.
Lake Dillon Arts Festival
DILLON — The 18th annual Lake Dillon Arts Festival will have dozens of artists showing fine work in painting, jewelry, ceramics, sculpture, metal and woodwork, fiber and more this weekend. The art show in Summit County runs Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday Night BAZAAR
LITTLETON — Saturday Night BAZAAR: Downtown Littleton is a shop-and-sip market hosted by Denver BAZAAR. Saturday's event will be open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., taking over Denver Beer Co.'s downtown Littleton taproom and surrounding streets. There will be more than 60 makers and craft vendors, street food trucks, fashion trucks, live music, and pop-up bars with craft brews and cocktails.
AJR
DENVER — AJR brings "The Maybe Man Tour" to Denver this July weekend. The pop-music trio will be at Ball Arena on Thursday and Saturday. AJR is comprised of brothers Ryan Met, Jack Met, and Adam Met. Apple Music named AJR’s hit “Weak” one of the Best Alt Songs of the 2010s. The group is also known for their singles “Bang!,” “Burn The House Down,” 100 Bad Days,” “Sober Up,” “I’m Ready” and “The Good Part.”
Niall Horan
DENVER — Niall Horan is bringing his slow hands back to Colorado. The solo popstar and former member of One Direction will perform a concert at Ball Arena in Denver on Friday. The tour is Horan's biggest tour yet and first headline run since 2018's "Flicker World Tour." Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com.
Punk In Drublic Festival
DENVER — Punk band NOFX hosts the Punk in Drublic music and beer festival on Saturday and Sunday. The festival will be held at The Stockyards near the National Western Complex.
Jason Aldean
COLORADO SPRINGS — Before driving north to Wyoming for Cheyenne Frontier Days, Jason Aldean will perform at a stadium in Colorado Springs on Friday. The country music superstar will be at Weidner Field on Friday with special guests Shaboozey, Tucker Wetmore, and Runaway Jane. Concerts at Weidner Field feature stadium seating and on-field standing room at the home of the Switchbacks FC soccer club.
Red Rocks
DENVER — There is no better venue for live music in the country than Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The Red Rocks 2024 concert schedule (announced so far) is still growing and this spring and summer looks to be one for the record books.
- Wednesday, July 17 - Lindsey Stirling
- Thursday, July 18 - Dr. Dog
- Friday, July 19 - Vampire Weekend
- Saturday, July 20 - STS9
- Saturday, July 21 - Lake Street Dive
- Sunday, July 22 - A Day to Remember
- Tuesday, July 23 - Norah Jones
Donor Dash
DENVER — The 25th annual Donor Dash is Sunday at Denver's Washington Park. The dash is a 5K run/walk to honor the lives of organ and tissue donors, celebrate the lives of organ and tissue recipients and recognize those who continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant. Race day registration begins at 7 a.m. and the walk and runs are scheduled to start at 8 a.m. To register for the 2024 Dash, head to DonorAlliance.org.
The Hero's Journey 5K
AURORA — The Hero's Journey 5K relates to any person who faces a challenge, encounters struggles to overcome it and returns home a hero. The 5K run/walk makes its way through Aurora's City Center and culminates in the 7/20 Memorial Reflection Garden. For those over 21, this race includes admission into the 7/20 Foundation's annual beer festival. Proceeds go towards the Zack Golditch Opportunity Scholarship. The run/walk begins at 8 a.m. Saturday.
Tough Mudder
FORT CARSON — The Tough Mudder mud run and obstacle course is back in Colorado this weekend. The event is being held at Fort Carson on Saturday and Sunday. Mudders from all walks of life can come tackle Tough Mudder's famous obstacles, enjoy a post-race beer, and relax at the recovery zone. Register at ToughMudder.com.
Rocky Mountain State Games
COLORADO SPRINGS — The Rocky Mountain State Games is a multi-sport festival for athletes of all ages and athletic abilities. About 30 sports competitions will be held this weekend at various locations in Colorado Springs. Some sports require a small ticket fee to attend, but most are free for spectators. Head to RockyMountainStateGames.org and click on a sport to see when and where the competition is being held.
San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies
DENVER — The Colorado Rockies return to Coors Field on Friday. The Rockies have back-to-back three-game series at home. First, the San Francisco Giants come to town Friday through Sunday. The Boston Red Sox are at Coors Field on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado Rapids
COMMERCE CITY — The battle for the Rocky Mountain Cup is on. The Colorado Rapids are at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday to face rival Real Salt Lake. The showdown begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Ticketsmaster.com is the place for tickets.
Crested Butte Wildflower Festival
CRESTED BUTTE — The 36th annual Crested Butte Wildflower Festival continues through Sunday. The festival offers opportunities for hiking and walking, photography and art workshops, birding and butterfly outings, geology, geobotany, garden tours, cooking classes and backcountry Jeep tours. To learn more about the festival or to register for one of the many offerings, head to CrestedButteWildflowerFestival.com.
Music in the Mountains
DURANGO — Durango's Music in the Mountains has been home to one of the premiere classical music festivals in the country for more than 30 years. The music festival has free and ticketed rehearsals, lectures and concerts. Music in the Mountains has concerts scheduled through Sunday, Aug. 4. Tickets are available at MusicintheMountains.com.
Colorado Renaissance Festival
LARKSPUR — Take a magical tour through time and legend at the annual Colorado Renaissance Festival. The village streets of the festival are full of artisans selling original art, fresh baked goods, roasted turkey legs, steak on a stake and much more. There will be jousting, comedy shows and a cast of hundreds walking and performing throughout the faire. The Renaissance Festival runs on weekends through the first weekend of August. Tickets are available at ColoradoRenaissance.com.
City Park Jazz
DENVER — City Park Jazz is back in Denver for a 38th annual summer series. Denver Jazz Orchestra headlines the seventh week of the festival at Denver's pavilion City Park at 6 p.m. on Sunday. The 2024 season will continue each Sunday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. through early August.
City Park Farmers Market
DENVER — The City Park Farmers Market is celebrating its fourth season. The market has more than 100 vendors offering a variety of local Colorado produce and products from area farmers, food producers and agriculture-based brands. The market runs every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through October. Other activations include a run club at 8 a.m., donation-based yoga at 9 a.m. and live music from local acts.
The Power of Poison
DENVER — A new temporary exhibition at Denver Museum of Nature and Science, "The Power of Poison" explores the captivating and often paradoxical world of nature's toxic arsenal. Through live performances and interactive dioramas, this exhibition will take you into familiar and novel tales of illness, enchantment and death by poison. Whether used as a defense against predators, a source of magical strength or a lifesaving medical treatment, "The Power of Poison" is sure to surprise.
Discovering Teen Rex
DENVER — A rare dinosaur fossil is now on display at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. A juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex fossil that was discovered in the North Dakota badlands will be featured at the museum's new temporary exhibit "Discovering Teen Rex." The fossil is one of only a handful of juvenile T. rex skeletons that has ever been found.
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science said the T. rex fossil was discovered by a family on a hike in 2022. The family contacted the museum who returned to the site to excavate the fossil in 2023. The public will be able to see the fossil being prepped in real time at the museum exhibit, as well as an array of dinosaur fossils, including Triceratops and Edmontosaurus.
The North Pole: Santa's Workshop
CASCADE — Colorado's favorite Christmas-themed amusement park is open for the season. Home to Santa's village and the jolly old elf himself, The North Pole: Santa’s Workshop, located at 7,500 feet at the foot of Pikes Peak west of Colorado Springs, traditionally opens the weekend before Memorial Day and remains open through Christmas. With vintage rides and sweet treats, the park as been spreading Christmas cheer since 1956.
Denver Trolley
DENVER — The last operating trolley in Denver has begun summer operations. The Denver Trolley has run along the South Platte River for more than 30 years. This summer, the trolley will operate Thursdays through Mondays beginning at 10 a.m. with the last departure at 5 p.m. The Denver Trolley departs from the home platform at REI/Confluence Park every 30 minutes. Roundtrip rides last about 25 minutes and include a narration about the surrounding area.
88 Drive-In Theatre
COMMERCE CITY — The only drive-in movie theater in the Denver metro area has reopened for a 48th summer season. Tickets are $10 per person, and children under 12 are free. Tickets are sold only at the box office starting at 7 p.m. for that evening's program. This weekend the outdoor theater will have a double feature.
Movies this weekend
“Despicable Me 4” has ruled the box office for two weekends, but fresh competition arrives in cinemas this weekend, a year after the mania of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer."
“Twisters,” which opens in North America on Thursday, began its international rollout last weekend, opening in 38 markets including in Australia, Mexico and Brazil.
In its wake will be “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the first Marvel release of the summer on Friday, July 26.
New movies this weekend
- Twisters
- Oddity
Last weekend's box office
- “Despicable Me 4,” $44.7 million.
- “Longlegs,” $22.6 million.
- “Inside Out 2,” $20.8 million.
- “A Quiet Place: Day One,” $11.8 million.
- “Fly Me to the Moon,” $10 million.
- “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” $4.4 million.
- “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1,” $2.4 million.
- “MaXXXine,” $2.1 million.
- “Indian 2,” $2 million.
- “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot,” $1.3 million.
> 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 a fantastic weekend!
