14 W E S T W O R D F a l l A r t s G u i d e 2 0 2 5 westword.com FALL ARTS CALENDAR EVENTS September 12: Le Diner en Blanc: The blooming ele- gance of flowers inspires this secretive soirée, where guests dressed in white will enjoy gourmet picnic bites and glasses of champagne. Friday, September 12, 6 p.m., $14 membership fee plus $67-$85 participation cost. Venue shared upon registration, denver.dinerenblanc.com. September 12: Mile High Q & Groove: An ’80s-themed fundraiser supporting the Tennyson Center for Chil- dren, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the mental health of kids and families impacted by trauma. Friday, September 12, 6-10 p.m., $110. Mile High Station, 2027 West Colfax Avenue, tennysoncenter. org. September 12-14: Spirit of Japan: Join a delightful culinary journey celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Japan. Friday, September 12, 6-10 p.m.; Saturday, September 13, noon-9 p.m.; and Sunday, September 14, noon-5 p.m. (weekend premium tickets grant entry at 11 a.m.), $45-$85 general admission, $65-$100 VIP. Sakura Square, 1255 19th Street, spirit-jpn.com. September 12-14: Snowmass Balloon Festival: More than thirty colorful hot air balloons will take to the skies during this fiftieth annual event. Friday, Sep- tember 12, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday, September 13, and Sunday, September 14, 7-9 a.m., free. 2000 Brush Creek Road, Snowmass Village, gosnowmass.com. September 13: Centennial Chalk Art Festival: Nearly a hundred talented artists will transform the pavement into stunning chalk art masterpieces during this event featuring live music, local merchants and a children’s entrepreneur market. Saturday, September 13, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., free. The Streets at SouthGlenn, 6851 South Vine Street, Centennial, centennial-art. org. September 13: Foothills Animal Shelter Fall Market: An event featuring craft vendors, food trucks and family entertainment in support of adoptable shelter pets. Saturday, September 13, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., free. Jeffco Fairgrounds, 15200 West Sixth Avenue, Golden, foothillsanimalshelter.org. September 13-14: Community Roots Arts Festival: Celebrate and support BIPOC creatives during this event featuring diverse performances and art displays, plus local food and drink vendors. Saturday, September 13 and Sunday, September 14, 12 to 6 p.m., free, $19-$49 suggested donation. VisionQuest Brewery, 2510 47th Street, Boulder, communityroot- sartfestival.com. September 13-14: Denver Orchid Society Show and Sale: Shop from breathtaking orchid displays, vibrant colors and exotic blooms. Saturday, September 13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, September 14, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., free. Nick’s Garden Center and Farm Market, 2001 South Chambers Road, Aurora, denverorchid- society.org. September 14: Denver Zine Fest: More than 85 independent zine creators will collaborate, share their work and build community during this annual event. Sunday, September 14, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., free. Denver Public Library Central branch, 10 West 14th Avenue, denverzinelibrary.org. September 14: Taste of Ethiopia Festival: Experience the food, music and culture of one of Colorado’s largest immigrant communities. Sunday, September 14, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., free. City Park Pavilion, 2001 Steele Street, tasteofethiopia.org. September 18: Spice Detective: Journey to the World of Middle Eastern Spices: Enjoy live cooking demonstrations with delectable tastings and engaging stories about the region’s most essential seasonings. Thursday, September 18, 7-9 p.m., $18- $36. Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center, 350 South Dahlia Street, jccdenver.org. September 18-20: High Plains Comedy Festival: Laugh along with high-profile national acts including Kyle Kinane, Mo Welch, Sean Patton and Eddie Pepi- tone, plus new faces and returning favorites. Thursday, September 18, to Saturday, September 20, $160. Multiple venues on South Broadway, highplainscom- edyfestival.com. September 19: Cornucopia 2025: Nourish What Matters: Attend this annual fundraising dinner for Metro Caring, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing access to nutritious, culturally relevant food. Friday, September 19, 6-9:30 p.m., $80-$100. Mile High Station, 2027 West Colfax Avenue, metrocaring.org. September 19: Fiesta en el Mercado: Kick off Hispan- ic Heritage Month at this night market offering diverse street food, cocktails and aguas frescas, handcrafted wares and Latin beats. Friday, September 19, 5-10 p.m., free. Civic Center Park, Broadway and Colfax Avenue, civiccenterpark.org. September 19-21: Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival: This harvest-season celebration will host a jala- peño-eating contest, a Chihuahua parade, a chili and salsa showdown, a balloon festival, live music and more. Friday, September 19, 3 p.m.-midnight; Saturday, September 20, 10 a.m.-midnight; Sunday, September 21, 10 a.m-5 p.m., free. Historic Down- town Pueblo, pueblochilefestival.com. September 19-21 and 26-28: Denver Oktoberfest: Don your lederhosen for this annual event featuring keg bowling, stein hoisting, a long dog derby race and polka performers. Friday, September 19/26, starting at 2 p.m.; Saturday, September 20/27 and Sunday, September 21/28, starting at 11 a.m., free. 21st and Larimer streets, thedenveroktoberfest.com. September 20: Fall Horseshoe Market: Find hand- made goods, vintage treasures, unique apparel and culinary delights at this artisan craft and flea market. Saturday, September 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., free. Regis University, 3333 Regis Boulevard, horseshoemarket. com. September 20: Front Range Fantasy Festival: A mar- ket with whimsical performances, interactive quests and magical merchandise, followed by an immersive fantasy ball where guests will help a familiar fairy tale heroine rewrite her fate. Saturday, September 20, 10 a.m.-midnight, $10 market admission, $50 ball tickets. The Forge Event Center, 815 14th Street, Loveland, larkspurevents.com. September 20: Hop Festival: Learn about hops, sip samples from local craft breweries and enjoy live acoustic performances. Saturday, September 20, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., $32. Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms, 8500 West Deer Creek Canyon Road, Littleton, botanicgardens.org. September 21: Festival del Sol: Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month at this bilingual festival featuring live music, global fare, guided hikes, Latin dance lessons and family activities. Sunday, Sep- tember 21, noon-5 p.m., free. Outside Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder, chautauqua. com. September 21: Down to Earth Mile High V: View more than 300 show cars inside and outside the Broncos’ stadium during this automotive event. Sunday, Sep- tember 21, noon-6 p.m., $25 adults, free for children under twelve. Empower Field at Mile High, 1701 Bryant Street, autolnkusa.com. September 25: Babi Yar Commemoration: Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and acclaimed violinist Sandra Wong will appear at this event commemorat- ing one of the largest mass killings of the Holocaust. Thursday, September 25, 3 p.m., $5. Mizel Museum, 400 South Kearney Street, mizelmuseum.org. September 25: Exposed Storytelling: Five storytellers will bare their darkest secrets on stage, inviting guests to journey into their struggles and triumphs. Thursday, September 25, 7 p.m., $18-$30. The Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo Street, exposedstorytelling.com. September 25-28: Doors Open Denver: The Denver Architecture Foundation will explore this year’s theme, “Architecture and Nature in Harmony,” through special events and guided tours inside iconic local landmarks. Thursday, September 25, through Sunday, September 28, times vary, free and ticketed events. Multiple locations, denverarchitecture.org. September 26: Afterglow: Radiance in Community: Hosted by The Center on Colfax, this fashion-forward celebration will feature glam red-carpet arrivals, candid interviews with featured talent and striking runway presentations that highlight queer style. Friday, September 26, 6-9:30 p.m., $125 general admission, $165 VIP ticket. Rook Rooftop at the Catbird Hotel, 3770 Walnut Street, lgbtqcolorado.org. September 26: Unsent Show: Sex Edition: Ten brave readers will share unsent messages about sex during this cathartic, wild and hilarious night. Friday, Septem- ber 26, 6-9 p.m., $28.52. Town Hall Collaborative, 525 Santa Fe Drive, unsentshow.com. September 26-27: Street Wise Mural Festival: Watch the installation of vibrant new murals across Boulder during this two-day event with walking and biking tours, workshops and panel discussions. Friday, Sep- tember 26, and Saturday, September 27, 10 a.m.-10 p.m., free. Multiple locations, streetwisearts.org. September 26-27: Tarantula Fest: During their annual mating season, hundreds of hairy spiders skitter through the southeastern town of La Junta. Come celebrate their journey on Friday, September 26, 1-8 p.m., and Saturday, September 27, 9 a.m.-11 p.m., free. Multiple locations, visitlajunta.net. September 26-28: Colorado Tattoo Convention & Expo: Live tattooing from world-renowned artists, ink competitions, barber battles, a custom car and motorcycle show and more will take place during this tenth annual event. Friday, September 26, through Sunday, September 28, noon-10 p.m., $30.68- $38.20 general admission ($53.91 weekend ticket). National Western Complex, 4655 Humboldt Street, coloradotattooconvention.com. September 27: Barktember Fest: Bring your four- legged friend to this event featuring dog games, a treat bar, pet gear vendors, weiner dog races and more. Saturday, September 13, noon-3 p.m., free. Belmar Plaza, 439 South Teller Street, Lakewood, foothillsanimalshelter.org. September 27: Aurora Mini-Con: Celebrate comics, co- splay and all things pop culture at this family-friendly event. Saturday, September 27, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., free. Aurora Municipal Center Great Lawn, 15151 East Alameda Parkway, Aurora, auroragov.org. September 27-28: Central Park Artists Open Studios Tour: View the creative spaces of 25 local artists on this self-guided tour through the Central Park neighborhood. Saturday, September 27, and Sunday, September 28, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., free. Multiple loca- tions, centralparkartists.org. September 27-28: Estes Park Elk Fest: Local musi- cians, Native American dancers and bugling contests will appear at this annual event coinciding with the region’s elk rut. Saturday, September 27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, September 28, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., free. Bond Park, 170 MacGregor Avenue, Estes Park, visitestespark.com. September 28: Boulderthon: Experience new marathon and half-marathon routes during the state’s largest running event of the season. Sunday, September 28, 7 a.m., $31.03-$191.53. 18th and Pearl Street, Boulder, boulderthon.org. September 28: Colorado Domestic Duck Rescue 5k Run to Rescue: A fun run that builds awareness around proper domestic duck care and supports the rehoming of those abandoned in the wild. Sunday, September 28, 8:30-11 a.m., $35. Berkeley Lake Park, 4601 West 46th Avenue, sites.google.com/ view/colorado-duck-rescue. September 28: Sustainable Living Association An- niversary: Riverside eats and beats at the Mishawa- ka to honor the 25th year of this climate-conscious nonprofit. Sunday, September 28, free (suggested donation of $25). 13714 Poudre Canyon Road, Bellvue, sustainablelivingassociation.org. September 28: VegFest Colorado: A celebration of plant-based living, with vegan food trucks, artisan vendors, live music, morning yoga and more. Sunday, September 28, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., $10, free for youth under twelve. Tivoli Quad, Auraria Campus, 1000 Larimer Street, vegfestco.com. October 2: Gather ’Round: An annual fundraising gala for Denver Urban Gardens, featuring a continued on page 16
