Denver is the place to be for the long holiday weekend, June 30–July 4, 2023. You’ll be treated to fireworks, blockbuster museum exhibitions, delicious cuisine from farm-to-table restaurants on expanded patios and outdoor activities galore.

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Plan Your 4th of July Weekend in Denver

Denver Municipal Band Concert and Fireworks

WHEN: TBA 2023
WHERE: Cranmer Park

For more than 100 years, Denver Municipal Band has been bringing free concerts to Denver's most beautiful parks, and they're kicking off this year's 4th of July weekend with a stirring concert and fireworks display.

Independence Eve

WHEN: July 3, 2023
WHERE: Civic Center Park

The fireworks show at Civic Center Park is back! Experience the sweet sounds of the Colorado Symphony and other local artists, a spectacular light show on the City and Country Building and a fireworks finale unlike any other show in the country. Food trucks will be on-site. Gates open at 4 p.m., music starts at 6 p.m., and fireworks blast off between 9:15 and 9:30 p.m.

Stars and Stripes Forever: Concert and Fireworks

WHEN: TBA 2023
WHERE: Farm House at Breckenridge Brewery, Littleton

Enjoy fantastic music from the Arapahoe Philharmonic and food and drinks from Breckenridge Brewery! Celebrate Independence Day with symphonic classics like the "1812 Overture" and "Stars and Stripes Forever" and film and TV favorites including the theme from "The Mandalorian." End the evening with a thrilling fireworks display!

Outdoor Activities

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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!

City Skate at Skyline Park 

Roll into summer like never before. City Skate is your go-to spot for summer fun. Featuring downtown's first-ever roller rink and the return of the Skyline Beer Garden, City Skate is the place to be in downtown Denver. With free mini golf, local food and beer, and events throughout summer, City Skate is sure to let the good times "roll" through Oct. 2, 2022.

Water World

Beat the heat, relax in the park's beautifully landscaped 64 acres — and ride some serious waterslides.

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre

Carved from towering red rock monuments, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre in Morrison is one of the world's most renowned concert venues. The surrounding park has hiking trails that weave in, around and over the colorful red rocks.

Farmers' Markets

The Mile High City's more than 20 farmers' markets aren't 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 donation 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. Memorial 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.

Lesser-Known, Hidden-Gem Parks

If you’re looking for a quiet spot to have a picnic, take in great views or experience a different side of the city, check out these lesser-known Denver parks.

How to Explore the South Platte River by Bike

Take a two-wheeled tour through the heart of the city along this beautiful river. You'll cruise by some of the city's biggest attractions. 

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 actually no need to head into the mountains when Denver's regional trail system encompasses hundreds of miles for all ages and abilities to explore. 

How to Explore the Colorado Trail in Waterton Canyon

Many people think that Denver’s prettiest, closest and most accessible bit of mountain scenery is Waterton Canyon. This is the start of the famous Colorado Trail, one of the great long-distance hikes (or mountain bike rides) of the Rocky Mountains.   

Pet-Friendly Denver

Denver is home to dozens of pet-friendly activities and destinations, including dog-friendly hotels and dog parks. Find the best on-leash and off-leash fun for your best friend. 

Art & Museum Exhibitions

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ReVisión: Art in the Americas

WHEN: Thru July 17, 2022
WHERE: Denver Art Museum

This thematic presentation will explore land, people and place by linking ancient and contemporary artworks that address political and social issues at the heart of the region’s cultural heritage as well as expand the narrative through voices that include women artists and contemporary voices that speak to the diversity of the Americas.

Malinalli on the Rocks

WHEN: Thru July 23, 2022
WHERE: Museo de las Americas

Malinalli on the Rocks will provide opportunities for Colorado artists to explore and re-discover one of the most enigmatic historical figures of the Americas: La Malinche.

The Family Dog Experience

WHEN: Thru July 27, 2022
WHERE: Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, Greenwood Village

Journey through Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre and discover the poster artwork from The Family Dog, Denver's premier concert venue that launched Denver's rock music scene. Dressing rooms have been created in the style of the legendary bands that played the venue.

Brick & Soul // Armando Geneyro

WHEN: Thru July 30, 2022
WHERE: History Colorado Center

Local photographer Armando Geneyro connects the build environment with the people who shape its meaning. A versatile photographer, Armando specializes in events coverage and photojournalism. His passion for street photography allows him to connect to his subjects and immerse himself in different cultures.

Seeing the Invisible

WHEN: Thru Aug. 1, 2022
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens

Seeing the Invisible presents virtual works that engage with existing features of the natural landscape. The augmented reality exhibition features new works by international artists including Ai Weiwei, El Anatsui, John Gerrard, Ori Gersht, Mohammed Kazem and Sigalit Landau — including several artists’ first works in AR. Beyond the boundaries of what is possible with physical artworks, many of the works created for the exhibition address themes of nature, environment, sustainability and the intersection of the physical world with the digital one.

Clyfford Still, Art, and the Young Mind

WHEN: Thru Aug. 7, 2022
WHERE: Clyfford Still Museum

Discover new perspectives in this groundbreaking exhibition, co-curated by young children, for all ages. Explore your imagination with vibrant and immersive works and make your own artistic creations. 

Collective Nouns: MSU Denver Faculty and Staff Exhibition

WHEN: Thru Aug. 13, 2022
WHERE: 
Metropolitan State University of Denver - Center for Visual Art
Collective Nouns brings together diverse and distinguished artists working across a wide variety of media representing each artist’s unique experiences, influences, and interests. This exhibition offers a peek into the studio art and design practices of MSU Denver’s art faculty and staff, celebrating our vibrant visual art community.  

Tania Candiani: For the Animals

WHEN: Thru Aug. 26, 2022
WHERE: 
MCA DENVER — Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
This exhibition explores the interrelationships between human, animal and non-biological sounds and the rich and fragile nature of the acoustic fabric around us. This solo exhibition at MCA Denver presents artist Tania Candiani's mesmerizing three-channel video For the Animals, 2020, as well as sculpture, prints and video related to this project. 

Modern Women/Modern Vision: Works from the Bank of America Collection

WHEN: Thru Aug. 28, 2022
WHERE: Denver Art Museum

Modern Women/Modern Vision: Works from the Bank of America Collection presents more than 100 images by women artists. The traveling exhibition celebrates the bold and dynamic contributions of women to the development and evolution of photography in the 20th century. Diverse in style, tone and subject, these images range from spontaneous to composed, detached to empathetic, monumental to intimate. 

Clarissa Tossin: Falling From Earth

WHEN: Thru Aug. 28, 2022
WHERE: 
MCA DENVER — Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
Clarissa Tossin’s MCA Denver solo exhibition presents recent and newly commissioned artworks that explore the causes and effects of rising temperatures on Earth and humankind's rapidly evolving aspirations to explore territories on the Moon and Mars. Looking at our climate crisis through the lens of 21st century Space exploration, Tossin draws connections between signs of environmental distress on our planet and the projected future of the Earth's outer atmosphere and beyond. 

Guadalupe Maravilla: Purring Monsters with Mirrors on Their Backs

WHEN: Thru Aug. 28, 2022
WHERE: 
MCA DENVER — Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
Guadalupe Maravilla is a transdisciplinary artist, healer and activist, born in San Salvador, El Salvador, who utilizes his practice as a forum for collective healing. Anchored by the integration of his autobiographical experiences with issues of migration, displacement and illness, Maravilla’s work centers communities that have historically been marginalized. Maravilla uses art to shed light on the collective traumas of undocumented immigrants and cancer survivors and empowers them with the tools to assist with their process of healing.

The FRIENDS™ Experience

WHEN: Thru Sept. 4, 2022
WHERE: Cherry Creek Shopping Center

Fans of the "Friends" TV show shouldn't miss this interactive experience, featuring 12 nostalgia-packed rooms filled with original props and costumes, set re-creations, a retail store and more! Fans will have the opportunity to explore the show’s history, re-create favorite moments and learn behind-the-scenes information.

Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs

WHEN: Thru Sept. 5, 2022
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science 
Experience the spheres of everyday life in one of the most storied and enduring civilizations in human history—the private, public and secret space—through hundreds of artifacts, stunning artwork and engaging interactives for insights into ancient Egypt’s enduring impact on our own modern cultures.

The Dr. Seuss Experience

WHEN: Thru Sept. 5, 2022
WHERE: Centennial Promenade
The Dr. Seuss Experience is an imaginative and interactive immersion into the wondrous world of Dr. Seuss! This Seuss-tacular sensory spectacle takes each guest on an awe-inspiring journey through nine different Dr. Seuss books, allowing each visitor a chance to magically step into the pages of each of the books.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition

WHEN: Thru Sept. 5, 2022
WHERE: National Western Center
This immersive 20,000-square-foot experience is based on one of the biggest blockbusters in cinema history. Visitors will walk through the world-famous “Jurassic World” gates, encounter life-sized dinosaurs and explore richly themed environments. Get an up-close look at a Velociraptor, stand in awe under a towering Brachiosaurus and encounter the most fearsome of them all, the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex. 

Fashion Designs of Carla Fernández

WHEN: Thru Sept. 5, 2022
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
This is the first exhibition to fully explore the career of Mexican artist and fashion designer Carla Fernández, founder of the eponymous fashion brand. The acclaimed Mexico City-based fashion brand Carla Fernández (established in 2000) is a couture house that aims to bring new meaning to the luxury world as an agent of social and ethical change and innovation.

Age of Armor: Treasures from the Higgins Collection at the Worcester Art Museum

WHEN: Thru Sept. 5, 2022
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Age of Armor examines the historical context of armor and the pragmatic functions it served, as well as the ideological sentiments about armor throughout time, from the Middle Ages into the modern era. The exhibition will feature more than 80 objects from the Higgins Collection, supplemented by several pieces from the DAM’s own collections. These works will encourage visitors to consider how the legacy of armor and the cultural meanings it reflects have endured through time, influencing modern artwork, and, in some cases, challenging traditional histories and ideals.

Building Denver: Visions of the Capital City

WHEN: Thru Sept. 6, 2022
WHERE: History Colorado Center

Tour this time-traveling exhibition with a captivating expert and see The Mile High City in a whole new light! Building Denver: Visions of the Capital City explores the growth, urban development and architecture of Denver from 1860 to today. Throughout 3,000 interactive square feet, the exhibition reveals how civic leaders, designers and residents have steadily worked to bring their own visions for Denver to life.

Ursula von Rydingsvard: The Contour of Feeling

WHEN: Thru Sept. 11, 2022
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens

This is an ambitious celebration of one of the most influential sculptors working today! Von Rydingsvard is renowned for her towering cedar and bronze public outdoor sculptures; this exhibition provides a unique, indoor opportunity to experience a large collection of cedar sculptures and works on paper. Additionally, one outdoor sculpture made of resin will be presented. 

Verse: The Art of the Future

WHEN: Thru Sept. 15, 2022
WHERE: Denver Pavilions
Verse: The Art of the Future is an exhibition featuring augmented reality holograms and artwork. Fully immerse yourself in the people, technology and stories surrounding the NFT world! The experience uses the Microsoft HoloLens 2, a powerful mixed reality headset that allows you to see your surroundings and fellow guests while innovative augmented art comes to life around you.

Mazes & Brain Games

WHEN: Thru Sept. 25, 2022
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS)

Maneuver your way through mind-bending adventures, 3-D puzzles and full-body games. Wind through dozens of experiences that inspire exploration and ingenuity. Test your perception to navigate the maze of illusions, run a marathon with your fingers on the finger mazes and become a "webmaster" by climbing through an intricate web of ropes without getting tangled. In Mazes & Brain Games, you’ll conquer puzzling challenges and discover new ways of problem-solving around every corner.

Heroine of the Titanic

WHEN: Thru Sept. 25, 2022
WHERE: Molly Brown House Museum

Join the Molly Brown House Museum to commemorate 110 years since the sinking of the "Titanic." Discover a heroine’s story through rare artifacts and never-before-seen family documents. The exhibit brings survivors’ memories of that fateful night to life – including those of Margaret Brown. She was not known as “Unsinkable” during her lifetime, but instead as the “Heroine of the Titanic.”

Georgia O’Keeffe: Photographer

WHEN: Thru Nov. 11, 2022
WHERE: Denver Art Museum

Georgia O’Keeffe: Photographer brings a trove of newly identified photographs by the groundbreaking artist to Colorado in an exhibition organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) with the collaboration of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe. The presentation reveals a new aspect of the modernist artist’s career through nearly 100 photographs.

By Design: Stories and Ideas Behind Objects

WHEN: Thru Dec. 30, 2022
WHERE: Denver Art Museum

A series of thematic installations drawn primarily from the architecture and design collection, this exhibition illustrates the abundance and versatility of approaches to design. How does it come into being? Who creates it and for what purpose? What trends inspire it? And how does it serve society?

Fantastic Brush: Twentieth-Century Chinese Ink Art from the Robert and Lisa Kessler Collection

WHEN: Thru Dec. 30, 2022
WHERE: Denver Art Museum

The 23 ink paintings featured in this exhibit showcase some of the most important artists in twentieth-century China, including Zhang Daqian, Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong, Wu Changshuo and Wu Guanzhong. The collection includes examples by teachers and students, friends and colleagues. The artists come from very different backgrounds: some traveled to Europe to study Western art, some went to Japan to study Japanese art and Western art as filtered through Japanese experience, and others never went abroad. Nevertheless, all were well versed in traditional Chinese ink art.

Gio Ponti: Designer of a Thousand Talents

WHEN: Thru Jan. 1, 2023
WHERE: Denver Art Museum

Gio Ponti was one of the most inventive Italian architects and designers of his time. For more than 60 years, Ponti’s exuberant approach found expression in public and private commissions from buildings, interiors and furniture to glass, ceramics and flatware, influencing international design for more than 50 years. 

Frank Lloyd Wright: Inside the Walls

WHEN: Thru Jan. 8, 2023
WHERE: Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art

This exhibition will explore the relationship between Wright’s architecture and decorative art. Wright believed in the concept of “a total work of art,” with the accessories and furnishings of a building complementing the architecture to create a unified whole.

Disruption

WHEN: Thru Jan. 23, 2023
WHERE: Denver Art Museum

Works from the Vicki and Kent Logan Collection presents about 50 artworks including paintings, sculptures, photographs, mixed-media works, and several artworks never before displayed at the museum. This outstanding collection features many works by noted North American and international contemporary artists including Kent Monkman, Yang Shaobin, Zhang Dali, Elmgreen and Dragset, Agustina Woodgate, Glenn Ligon, and Jenny Saville.

Memory Mirror

WHEN: Thru March 5, 2023
WHERE: Denver Art Museum

Lares Feliciano's Memory Mirror is an immersive installation that invites visitors to explore their relationship with memory through animation, dioramas and interactive storytelling. Designed to evoke the memory of a relative's living room, this exhibition will transform the museum's Precourt Family Discovery Hall into a surreal domestic den that is both familiar and fantastic.

Music, Comedy & Performing Arts

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Blues Traveler

WHEN: July 4, 2023
WHERE: Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, Morrison

Blues Traveler will perform live with Cory Wong and Robert Randolph.

'All's Well That Ends Well' by William Shakespeare

WHEN: July 20–21, 24 and 29–30; Aug. 5–6, 2022
WHERE: University Theatre, Boulder

Since 1958, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival has delighted audiences with professional theatre on the CU Boulder campus. Complete your Colorado summer with a smart and sexy coming-of-age romp set in elegant 1950s France. "All’s Well That Ends Well" introduces audiences to Helen and Bertram — one, a brilliant but poor physician’s daughter, the other, a wealthy, roguish soldier — as they grow up and grow into themselves in order to find love.

'The Book of Will' by Lauren Gunderson

WHEN: July 14–15, 20, 23–24 and 29–30; Aug. 5–6, 2022
WHERE: Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre, Boulder

Since 1958, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival has delighted audiences with professional theatre on the CU Boulder campus. An evocative love letter to one of theatre's greats, "The Book of Will" tells the heartfelt and hilarious true story of the artists and friends who undertook the herculean effort to publish the Bard's plays in the wake of his death.

'Welcome to the Regular Valley'

WHEN: Thru Oct. 4, 2022
WHERE: The Jester’s Palace

It’s the improv show the refuses to die, no matter how hard we try to kill it. One of the weirdest comedy shows in the city returns with a vengeance. The performers apologize in advance for anything they break during the course of the evening.

'Until the Flood'

WHEN: Thru Aug. 11, 2023
WHERE: Virtual/Online

After the death of Michael Brown, The Ferguson Unrest shook the nation to its core and put a spotlight on police brutality and discrimination. Using extensive interviews she conducted herself, Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Dael Orlandersmith created eight fictional characters to represent the broad spectrum of perspectives that continue to define and divide our country at large.

Urban Adventure

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Street Art

Denver street artists have been busy brightening (and enlightening) the urban landscape for decades by making canvases of the city’s alleyways, building exteriors, warehouses, garage doors and storefronts. Grab your camera and take a stroll past some of the city's favorite murals. 

Outdoor and Patio Dining

There’s no better way to soak up summer than on one of The Mile High City’s splendid patios. From skyward rooftop terraces to lushly landscaped gardens, these are the ultimate spots to eat and drink alfresco in Denver.

Denver Beer Trail

Denver is a mecca for craft beer. But with 100 brewpubs, breweries and tap rooms in the metro area, where do you begin? Let the Denver Beer Trail be your guide with this sampling and interactive map.

Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

WHEN: July 1–3, 2022
WHERE: Coors Field

Cheer on the home team and enjoy the views at Coors Field.

The Colorado Summit Ultimate Disc Home Games 

WHEN: July 2, 2022
WHERE: Peter Barton Stadium
, Colorado Springs
Pro Ultimate Disc has come to Colorado! Join the state's newest professional sports team, the Colorado Summit, at their home games at Peter Barton Stadium for their inaugural season. All games have pre-game tailgating activities along with musical acts.

The Ascendant at TPC Colorado

WHEN: June 27–July 3, 2022
WHERE: TPC Colorado, Berthoud

The Ascendant at TPC Colorado will return to Berthoud, Colo., for the fourth annual PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour golf tournament. Tickets and volunteer registration can be found at theAscendant.com.

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