The Art of the Force Celebration, January 21

Celebrate Denver Art Museum’s Star Wars and the Power of Costume exhibit in the presence of quite a few local stars at this futuristic-themed soiree. In honor of the Denver Art Museum’s young philanthropist group Culturehaus’ 20th anniversary, its founder (and the Colorado governor) John Hickenlooper will give a speech to open the evening. Gallery-goers can expect to mingle with Culturehaus alums and plenty of Storm Troopers as the Denver Young Artists Orchestra performs songs from the Star Wars movie score. Bonus: Suggested attire is intergalactic cocktail. Sat 7:30-11 p.m.

The Craftsman & Apprentice: Reclaimed Wood Serving Board Workshop, January 20

Heather Mullins, the founder of Relevant Reuse, which fashions handmade products out of reused and recycled materials, will take you through a two-hour workshop during which you’ll craft your own reclaimed wood serving board. Get your hands dirty with bandsaw and sander (instruction will be provided), and walk away with a homemade artisanal piece that’ll add flair to your collection of kitchen appliances. Fri 7 p.m.

As We May Think, January 20

Groundbreaking curator Di Xiao Wei comes to the Rockies for this transnational show. Wei will display his own paintings alongside those of artists discovered by his Art Gangster Club, an online community that seeks to make art curation in China more accessible. The collaborative exhibit, done in exchange with Denver-based artists’ collective Hyperlink brings cutting-edge works from Beijing to Denver and from Denver to Beijing, giving both communities an intimate look at fresh talent from art communities usually separated by tens of thousands of miles. Fri 6-9 p.m.

Family Fun Day: Tropical Vacation, January 21

Trade snowy slopes for sandy beaches and lush rainforests at this educational day in paradise. Your kiddos will get the chance to see live animals from tropical habitats and talk to real marine biologists from the Ocean First Institute about their favorite equatorial creatures. Then, they’ll make tropics-themed crafts, such as a “beach in a jar” or an underwater watercolor, and enjoy hula dance lessons from the Kalama Polynesian Dancers. Sat 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

An Evening with Sandra Dallas: The Last Midwife, January 24

At this free event, acclaimed and prolific historical fiction author Sandra Dallas will discuss both her inspiration for and the plot of her riveting murder novel, The Last Midwife. Set in the Centennial State in the late 1880s. A 5280 review described the book, set in the Centennial State in the late 1880s, as “part love story, part mystery, and all beautiful, textured depiction of Colorado’s early mining history,” so don’t miss this inside look at your reading list’s latest addition. Tue 6:30 p.m.

—Image courtesy of Zhang Xiao Wei