September 11—Big Brunch

With Sunday morning comes one of the most important questions of the week: Which brunch spot should you head to for a green chile–smothered burrito and bottomless mimosas? At the inaugural Rise and Dine, you won’t have to choose. This brunch-themed spread—which is part of the Denver Food and Wine Festival—will offer indulgent bites from more than 15 local eateries, including Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen, plus a Bloody Mary bar with 57 garnishes. The best part: You’re told to show up in your pajamas.

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September 17—Urban Recreation

Your favorite mountain pastimes are tantalizingly close—until you add in hours of I-70 traffic. Skip the gridlock and head to Sculpture Park instead for Denver’s first Adventure Fest. Climbers can race up a mobile wall; cyclists can ride fat bikes or compete in fix-a-flat contests; campers can learn hacks for primitive cooking…you get the idea. But our favorite station is one that requires you to exert no energy at all: the Thirsty Village, pouring beers from four local breweries.

September 24—Pixel Party

When strolling past the Colorado Convention Center on 14th Street, you can’t miss the massive LED screens flashing digital advertisements for upcoming plays or concerts. For one day this month, though, those screens themselves will be the event. During Supernova, Denver’s first outdoor digital-animation festival, motion-art pieces from around the world will play for seven consecutive hours on three screens—one at 14th and Champa streets, another at 14th and Arapahoe streets, and the last in the Denver Performing Arts Complex’s atrium. Don’t miss British graphic designer Keiichi Matsuda’s “Hyper-Reality,” which mixes live footage with digital elements to create a sense of virtual reality. “The interesting thing is that most of this material is online,” says Supernova founder and Plus Gallery owner Ivar Zeile. “We’re trying to show that some of the most exciting art that’s being done today, anybody can access.” denverdigerati.com

September 30—Striking A Chord in the Community

Although touring acts have played at Fort Collins dive bar Avogadro’s Number for 45 years, FoCo isn’t in the same league musically as towns like Nashville and Austin—or even Denver. Local nonprofit Bohemian Foundation is trying to change that by launching the Music District, a five-building campus near Colorado State University that will serve as an incubator for musicians. The 57,000-square-foot complex will house practice rooms and performance areas for low rates as well as apartments for resident musicians. Plus, anyone who wants to learn a new instrument or sign up to volunteer at a local festival can go to the Music District to do so, opening the community to more than just professional bands. “Fort Collins has so much going on creatively,” Music District director Jesse Elliott says. “Great music scenes need that kind of vibrancy across the board, and they in turn help perpetuate it.” Visit the innovative space during its free opening event for tours, drinks, and—you guessed it—music from local DJs.