This week, Colorado events offer opportunities to experience live music, view exhibitions, learn about different art forms and celebrate Juneteenth.
McNichols Building Development
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Denver Arts & Venues unveiled an ambitious plan Wednesday to transform the historic McNichols Civic Center Building into a cultural hub featuring a new museum that will showcase the history and culture of the city.
The McNichols Building, originally a Carnegie Library, was renovated into an events and exhibition space in 2012 by DAV. This new project aims to create a unique, immersive space for locals and tourists alike to learn about and engage with the rich heritage of the Mile High City.
The McNichols Building's first and second floors will undergo renovations to house the museum, while the third floor will continue to offer public art, programming, and event spaces. Read more about the project here.
Juneteenth Events
The Annual Juneteenth Music Festival in Denver's Five Points neighborhood commemorates the day the last enslaved people in the U.S. learned of their emancipation. What began as a local observance has grown into a nationally recognized celebration, featuring a parade, street festival, concerts, and other events.
The festival's location in the Five Points neighborhood is significant, as this area was once known as the "Harlem of the West" and has long served as the vibrant cultural heart of Denver's African American community. Attendees at this weekend’s festival, and other events around the city, can immerse themselves in the rich history and resilience of Black culture through music, art, food, and community gatherings.
The Juneteenth Parade, Denver's longest-running parade dating back to the 1950s, kicks off the Juneteenth Music Celebration. The parade starts at 11 a.m. Saturday and goes along 26th Avenue from Williams St. to Welton St. in the Historic Five Points.
A series of Juneteenth events hosted by Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and Colorado Black Women for Political Action center around themes of "Hip-Hop & Politics" and community empowerment. The schedule includes panel discussions, performances, an awards ceremony and after-parties. The groups are also offering voter registration and homeownership workshops, emphasizing a commitment to civic engagement alongside cultural celebration.
The Juneteenth “Hip-Hop and Politics” events are scheduled for June 14 and 15 and take place at both the Cleo Parker Robinson Theater and at the Juneteenth Music Festival on Welton Street.
MCA Juneteenth Celebration
MCA Denver is the place for a Juneteenth celebration hosted by Color of Fashion and The Black Girl Social Club. Attendees are encouraged to embrace the spirit of the occasion by wearing red, yellow, green, or a combination thereof. The event offers a chance to enjoy music, drinks, and socializing while exploring the museum's new summer exhibits.
MCA Denver’s Juneteenth Celebration runs from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Friday, at 1485 Delgany St. Parking validation available for the LAZ parking garage on 16th Street.
Find more Juneteenth events here.
POTUS Colorado Premiere
Carbondale’s Thunder River Theatre presents the Colorado premiere of the comedy “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive” from June 14 to 30. The play, written by Selina Fillinger and directed by Kate Gleason, is about seven women who help the president navigate an outrageous PR crisis.
“POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive,” opens Friday at 7:30 p.m. and runs Thursdays through Sundays at the Thunder River Theatre in Carbondale.
Poison
A new exhibition at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science entitled "The Power of Poison" allows visitors to explore the intriguing — and sometimes contradictory — nature of poisons found in the natural world. The exhibition features interactive elements like live performances and dioramas that illustrate how poisons impact human lives through themes of illness, magic, and death.
The Power of Poison is free with museum admission. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be free on Wednesday, June 19, in honor of Juneteenth.
Friday, June 14
Work the Runway
Denver Arts & Venues hosts “Cultura Runway: Click, Clack, Squeak.” The event showcases shoe designs from different cultures and time periods. Before the show, attendees can participate in a pre-show event outside on 13th and Champa streets with food, drinks, and vendors. The runway show takes place on the Buell Theatre stage.
Cultura Runway: Click, Clack, Squeak starts with a pre-show event at 5 p.m., followed by the runway show at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre in Denver’s Performing Arts Complex.
Juneteenth celebration
MCA Denver is the place for a Juneteenth celebration hosted by Color of Fashion and The Black Girl Social Club. Attendees are encouraged to embrace the spirit of the occasion by wearing red, yellow, green, or a combination thereof. The event offers a chance to enjoy music, drinks, and socializing while exploring the museum's new summer exhibits.
MCA Denver’s Juneteenth Celebration runs from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Friday, at 1485 Delgany St. Parking validation available for the LAZ parking garage on 16th Street.
Saturday, June 15
Kaleidoscope Inclusive concert
The Arvada Center, the Baroque Chamber Orchestra and Jefferson County’s Standley Lake Library present "Kaleidoscope," a collaborative concert featuring a mixture of original music, poetry, and improvisation centered around the theme of gender.
Kaleidoscope at 7:30 p.m. at the Arvada Center’s Main Stage Theater. Attendance is free but tickets should be reserved in advance.
Blues at Dusk
The Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra presents Blues at Dusk, an outdoor concert featuring musicians David Starr and Erik Stucky at Two Rivers Winery and Chateau. Attendees are invited to bring their own chairs and relax on the lawn. Reserved seating is also available.
Blues at Dusk, from the GJSO, starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Two Rivers Winery and Chateau in Grand Junction.
Leftapalooza
The Left Hand Brewing Foundation presents a full roster of tribute bands for this year’s Leftapalooza music festival, including Chili Powder (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Frosting (Cake), Cryptic Writings (Megadeth), Glitter in the Air (P!nk), Fat Bottom Boys (Queen), and Shotgun Opera (Linkin Park). The event also features the winner of the 2024 Tryout Series and the 2023 Lefta winner. The event is open to all ages and children 12 and under are free.
Doors open at 11 a.m. Saturday for the Leftapalooza Music Festival at the Garden at Left Hand Brewing in Longmont.
Giordana Pop-Up
Giordana Cycling hosts a group gravel ride and party in Boulder. Riders will cover 20 to 30 miles, and afterward, there will be tapas, gelato, and music at the Giordana Pop-Up shop on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall. The event is sponsored by Pacha Mama, Giordana and Gravl Dnkys.
The ride starts at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Giordana store at 939 Pearl St. in Boulder.
Pride in Estes Park
Pride in the Park is a family-friendly event at The Bull Pin bowling alley and sports bar in Estes Park. This free event, hosted by Pirate Face Productions, encourages attendees to embrace a "Love Boat" theme by coming in nautical or luau attire. The celebration aims to foster unity and support for the LGBTQ+ community, with live music, guest speakers, a "Pride Port Punch Card" pub crawl and resource tables.
Pride in the Park runs from 12 to 7 p.m. at The Bull Pin in Estes Park.
Sunday, June 16
Father’s Day in Windsor
The Treasure Island Demonstration Garden hosts a free Father’s Day event this weekend. Visitors are invited to tour the garden with their fathers and admire the "many colors of flowers in bloom, plants of all shapes and sizes, and many types of yummy vegetables." The event is free to attend.
Free Father’s Day event, Sunday, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at at Treasure Island Demonstration Garden in Windsor.
Traditional Irish Music
CopperMuse Distillery in Fort Collins hosts Molly Higgins, an Irish band for an afternoon of traditional music. The band's acoustic sound includes fiddle, tin whistle, accordion and guitar. Attendees can enjoy the music alongside the distillery's craft food and drinks.
Molly Higgins band performs Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. at CopperMuse Distillery in Fort Collins.
All Weekend
Self-Guided Garden Tour
Explore the beautiful gardens of Longmont, Colorado, on the Longmont Symphony Orchestra Guild’s garden tour. This self-guided itinerary includes six different locations throughout the city, showcasing private residences and community gardens.
LSO Guild Garden Tour Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at various locations. Tickets are required.
Creative Connections
The Louisville Public Library hosts Creative Connections, celebrating artists and entrepreneurs with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The event features a pop-up market, artist meet-and-greets, and crafting workshops. Registration is required for the workshops. The library's Coal Creek Gallery will also host artwork from featured artists throughout June.
Creative Connections runs Saturday and Sunday at Louisville Public Library. Find a full event listing here.
Hear/Say
The BRDG Project Gallery in Denver hosts “Hear/Say,” an art exhibition sponsored by the University of Colorado School of Public Health and focused on artists' interpretations of the effects of high-concentration cannabis.
“Hear/Say” will be on display through July 14, with an opening night reception this Friday from 6 - 9 p.m. and an artist panel discussion on Saturday from 4 - 6 p.m. at BRDG Project Gallery in Denver’s Highlands neighborhood.
Other arts and culture events around Colorado
- Denverite Things to do in Denver this weekend
- KRCC community calendar for Southern Colorado
- CPR Classical concert calendar
- Indie 102.3 calendar
- Your complete guide to summer music festivals in Colorado
How we pick our events: CO Arts Spotlight highlights events around the state to give readers a sense of the breadth of Colorado’s arts and cultural happenings, it is not — and can not possibly be — a comprehensive list of all weekly events. Entries are not endorsements or reviews. Each week’s list is published on Thursday and is not updated. Some groups that appear on the list may also be financial sponsors of CPR, but have no input into our editorial choices.
Editor's Note: Some groups mentioned in the Spotlight may be financial supporters of CPR News. Financial supporters have no editorial influence.
