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The overflowing crowds at this month’s Grandoozy music fest not your thing? Worry not. This fall, Denver is packed with a dizzying variety of other cultural events. Just follow our prompts to find your next artsy occasion.
If You Take Your Art With a Side of Hiking, Try This: Orpheus Music and Arts Festival
Spend a weekend at Sunlight Mountain Ski Resort soaking in both mountain air and music from up-and-coming Colorado artists. Genres at the inaugural festival/campout include jazz, rock, electronica, and more. (Hike all you want; just make sure you’re back to hear neo-soul group Sol Burial’s dynamic cover of “Valerie.”) August 31 to September 1
If You Would Happily Spend Hours Wandering a Museum, Try This: Tara Donovan: Fieldwork
A collage made of plastic straws. An ink print of Slinkys. A mountain of index cards tall enough to ski down. For the first time, MacArthur Genius Grant winner Tara Donovan’s wall-based and site-specific works will be together in one place: the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. Each piece reminds viewers that everyday objects have extraordinary potential. September 21 to January 27
If You Geek Out Over Foreign Films, Try This: CineLatino Film Festival
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave the Denver Film Society a $10,000 grant to blow out its fourth annual celebration of Latin cinema. That means nine feature films (such as the documentary Devil’s Freedom), one shorts package, and Q&A sessions with filmmakers. September 6 to 9
If You Like Your Theater With a Side of Politics, Try This: The Cake
Making its regional debut at Denver’s Curious Theatre Company, The Cake is inspired by the real-life Colorado baker who famously refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. The play was penned by Bekah Brunstetter, also a writer for NBC’s This is Us. Prepare to feel all the feels. September 1 to October 13
If You Can’t Stop Belting Showtunes, Try This: Dear Evan Hansen
Broadway audiences fell in love with the story (and soundtrack) of a teenager struggling with social anxiety and a lie spiraling out of control when it premiered in 2016. Now, the Tony Award–winning musical kicks off its first-ever national tour at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Buell Theatre. Pro tip: Bring lots of tissues. September 25 to October 13
