COLORADO, USA — Summer festivals are back in Colorado as celebrations of family, friends and music are happening this weekend in Denver, Lakewood, Brighton, Johnstown, Greeley and Fruita.
Grab your fishing rod and a cooler of soda, you can fish anywhere in Colorado this weekend — no license required.
Country music icons Brooks and Dunn are set to play Denver's largest arena and the talented U.S. Women's National Team is back at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
Colorado is known for terrific festivals, concerts, sporting events and the arts. Celebrate the season this weekend by experiencing the unique culture, food and geography that makes our state so special.
Outside Festival
DENVER — The first-ever Outside Festival will be held Friday to Sunday in Denver. The weekend schedule features more than 11 musical headliners taking over the mainstage in Civic Center Park including Thundercat, Lettuce, Fleet Foxes, Andrew Bird, and The Heavy Heavy. There will also be more than 20 films and 25 outdoor speakers featured at the Denver Art Museum, plus downtown park experiences. Throughout the weekend, major downtown Denver roads including Broadway and 14th will be open to foot traffic with more than a dozen experience zones filling Civic Center Park, The Big Gear Show and (e) Revolution Show taking over Veterans Memorial Park, and Film x Ideas Series at the Denver Art Museum. Tickets for this weekend's festival are on sale at TheOutsideFestival.com.
Thorntonfest
THORNTON — Thorntonfest will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Carpenter Park fields at 108th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. There will be entertainment, arts, crafts, a vendor marketplace, disc dogs, car show, police canine demos, a beer garden and ninja warrior course. Live music will be provided by Vinyl Nation, Guardians Band, Boogie Machine, and That Eighties Band.
Summerfest
BRIGHTON — Brighton’s largest community festival returns to Carmichael Park on Saturday. Summerfest will include kids activities, food vendors, live music and more. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The entertainment stage will feature performances by Marshall Charloff and the Purple Xperience, the world's premier tribute to Prince, at 3 p.m.
Rockin’ Block Party
LAKEWOOD — Lakewood will kick off the summer season with its Rockin' Block Party on Saturday at Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park. The evening features far out and funky tunes honoring 1970s icons Fleetwood Mac and supergroup Bad Company. The summer blockbuster "Jaws" will screen at 9 p.m. Saturday. There will also be a beer garden and food trucks.
Denver Chalk Art Festival
DENVER — The annual Denver Chalk Art Festival is a free, two-day street painting festival. Talented artists will spend the weekend turning Denver streets into works of art. Scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, the festival is located two blocks south of Civic Center Park at 12th and Bannock.
U.S. Women's National Team vs. Korea Republic
COMMERCE CITY — The U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT) is coming back to Colorado this weekend for a match against South Korea. The friendly will be played Saturday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City where the team's new head coach Emma Hayes will make her coaching debut. Tickets are sold at Ticketmaster.com.
Since their first match in 2008, the USWNT has gone unbeaten in eight matches at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The team was last in Commerce City on June 25, 2022, in a 3-0 win over Colombia when Colorado's Sophia Smith scored two goals.
Tesoro Indian Market
MORRISON — The Tesoro Cultural Center holds its 23rd annual Indian Market and Powwow on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Fort in Morrison. Native American artists will be selling their wares and crafts in a juried show. Entertainment includes performances, music, demonstrations of live hawks and eagles and exhibits from Denver Museum of Nature and Science and History Colorado. The market is open to the public for $15 and children 12 and under are free.
Brooks & Dunn
DENVER — Country Music Hall of Famers Brooks & Dunn are back in Colorado this weekend. The best-selling duo of all time will perform at at Ball Arena in Denver on Friday. David Lee Murphy and ERNEST will provide support. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com for Friday night's "Reboot 2024 Tour" performance.
Johnstown BBQ Day
JOHNSTOWN — Johnstown’s annual community tradition is back. Johnstown BBQ Day kicks off Saturday at 5 a.m. with a pancake breakfast. A parade steps off at 10 a.m. at Rolling Hills Ranch Boulevard and 3rd Street. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be games, activities, vendors, live music and more along Parish Avenue between downtown and Parish Park. More than 20 food trucks will be providing BBQ throughout the day followed by fireworks at 9 p.m.
Greeley Blues Jam
GREELEY — The Greeley Blues Jam is back. The two-night family-oriented blues experience features great food, drinks and merchandise vendors. The music starts Friday in downtown Greeley at the 9th Street Plaza and at over 18 venues. The Greeley Blues Jam continues Saturday at the Island Grove Regional Park from 11 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Bring your lawn chair or blanket and enjoy food, beverages, shopping and blues music. Tickets can be purchased at GreeleyBluesJam.org.
Mike the Headless Chicken Festival
FRUITA — For more than 20 years, the Mike the Headless Chicken Festival has celebrated the legend of a Mike, a chicken that lived for 18 months without his head back in 1945. Scientists at the time determined that the axe meant to kill Mike missed his jugular vein and a clot prevented him from bleeding to death.
To remember Mike, the Mike the Headless Chicken Festival will be held Friday and Saturday. Entrance to the festival is free and includes live music from Courtney Grieger, Lost Junction Band, Martha Spencer and the Wonderland Country Band, and Tyler Reese Tritt. Festivities include a 5K race, car show, food and merchandise vendors, games, and Peep-eating and wing-eating contests. For more information, visit miketheheadlesschicken.org.
Erie Pride Celebration
ERIE — Nonprofit community organization Being Better Neighbors is hosting the 3rd annual Erie Pride Celebration on Saturday. This event will be held in downtown Erie on Briggs Street from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The free celebration will include live entertainment, food trucks, a beer tent, vendors and activities.
Free Fishing Weekend
COLORADO — Get out the fishing rods, Colorado's free fishing weekend is back. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said all anglers can fish without a license anywhere in Colorado on Saturday and Sunday. The annual event during the first weekend of June aims to get families, friends and anglers back into Colorado's outdoors to fish for cold and warm water fish species.
Company
DENVER — The national tour of the Broadway musical "Company" is in Denver. The winner of five Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, the new production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s groundbreaking musical comedy is sophisticated, insightful and hilarious. "Company" features Sondheim’s songs "You Could Drive a Person Crazy," "The Ladies Who Lunch," "Side by Side by Side" and "Being Alive." The musical plays the Buell Theatre through Sunday.
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 plays the Singleton Theatre at the Denver Performing Arts Complex through Sunday. For tickets and showtimes, visit DenverCenter.org.
Manitou Springs Colorado Wine Festival
MANITOU SPRINGS — Wine connoisseurs, rejoice! The Manitou Springs Colorado Wine Festival will be held Saturday at Memorial Park in Manitou Springs. Attendees of the festival will receive tastings from Colorado wineries. There will be live music as well as food and gift vendors. The price of admission includes a wine festival glass and tote bag. Tickets are available online here.
JUCO World Series
GRAND JUNCTION — The NJCAA’s Division I Junior College (JUCO) Baseball World Series concludes this weekend at Grand Junction's Suplizio Field. This year's 10-team, double-elimination tournament, which began last weekend, ends Saturday.
Telluride Balloon Festival
TELLURIDE — Dozens of hot air balloons will rise through the Rocky Mountain air this weekend at the Telluride Balloon Festival. Mass ascensions will take place on Saturday and Sunday at Telluride Town Park. The Main Street balloon glow will take place from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday night. The Telluride Balloon Festival is a free event.
Centennial Airport Runway 5K
CENTENNIAL — Centennial Airport will hold a 5K run/walk community event on its runway. The Centennial Airport Runway 5K will be held Saturday. The course will take runners and walkers on Runway 10/28 and Taxiway D, with the finish line and post-race festivities on the Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight ramp and campus. Organizers said a post-race party will be held amongst Wings Over the Rockies aircraft and new South Metro Fire Rescue striker ARFF trucks. Registration for the 5K is underway at CentennialAirport5K.com.
Flamingo Day 5K
DENVER — The weather in Denver on Sunday will be perfect for a 5K run or walk. Flamingo Day 5K is a terrific reason to get outside for some sunshine and fresh air at Denver's Sloan Lake Park. Waves of runners and walkers will launch every 30 minutes starting at 8 a.m. on Sunday. Register at ColoradoRunnerEvents.com.
Governor’s Art Show
LOVELAND — The 33rd annual Governor’s Art Show & Sale exhibit is open at the Loveland Museum with both in-person and online fine art sales. Recognized as one of the largest juried fine art shows to exclusively feature Colorado artists, this year 61 of the state’s most talented artists will be showcased, including a Legacy Artist. Find the perfect new piece for your art collection, add a statement piece to your home décor, or select a special gift for friends or family – all while supporting Colorado artists. The show is in person at the Loveland Museum or online at GovernorsArtShow.org through Sunday, June 9.
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.
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, May 29 - Lord Huron
- Thursday, May 30 - Lord Huron
- Friday, May 31 - Michael Franti and Spearhead
- Saturday, June 1 - Joe Russo's Almost Dead
- Sunday, June 2 - James Taylor
- Monday, June 3 - James Taylor
Colorado National Speedway
DACONO — Colorado National Speedway is ready for another great season of short-track racing. The paved oval track, just north of the Denver metro area, will host Pro Truck, Super Stock/Pure Stock, Wingless Sprints, Demo X, and Circle Drags this Saturday night beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are sold at ColoradoSpeedway.com.
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.
City Park Farmers Market
DENVER — The City Park Farmers Market has opened for 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 North Pole: Santa's Workshop
CASCADE — Colorado's favorite Christmas-themed amusement park has opened 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.
88 Drive-In Theatre
COMMERCE CITY — The only drive-in movie theater in the Denver metro area reopened for a 48th summer season. This weekend, the Commerce City drive-in theater is showing a double feature. 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.
Movies this weekend
Neither “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” nor “The Garfield Movie” could save Memorial Day weekend, which cruised towards a two-decade low. There are no major movie releases this first weekend of June.
Big releases still on the way this summer are Paramount’s “A Quiet Place: Day One” (June 27), Universal’s “Despicable Me 4” (July 3) and “Twisters” (July 19) and heavy-hitters from Disney: “Inside Out 2” (June 14) and “Deadpool & Wolverine” (July 26).
Opening this weekend
- Summer Camp
- Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle
Last weekend's box office
- “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” $25.6 million.
- “The Garfield Movie,” $24.8 million.
- “IF,” $16.1 million.
- “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” $13.4 million.
- “The Fall Guy,” $5.9 million.
- “The Strangers: Chapter 1,” $5.6 million.
- “Sight,” $2.7 million."
- “Challengers,” $1.4 million.
- “Babes,” $1.1 million.
- “Back to Black,” $1.1 million.
Do you know of a cool, fun Colorado festival, fair, expo, concert, or event you think we ought to mention in this week's 9Things or the future? Send it to alexander.kirk@9news.com.
Have an awesome weekend!
Greeley Blues Jam
> Top stories curated daily just for you! Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTER to get can’t-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
MORE WAYS TO GET 9NEWS
Subscribe to our daily 9NEWSLETTER
Download the 9NEWS APP
iTunes: http://on9news.tv/itunes
Google Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n
ADD THE 9NEWS+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9news" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for F