Kick-Off Memorial Day in Aurora!
May 23, 2019
The official first day of summer isn’t for a few weeks, but that doesn’t stop Denver from celebrating the real kick-off to summer: Memorial Day Weekend! The kids are off school on Monday and everyone is ready to get out and have some fun in the sun! The first street festival of the season is happening on Sunday and Monday; Elitch Gardens is setting off their Memorial Day fireworks extravaganza, and it’s the Day of Rock in Downtown Denver, with live bands performing all day long on five stages!
Thursday-Saturday, May 23-25
POLITICAL WISE-CRACKER
If sharp, witty, on-the-nose political humor is your kind of comedy, you won’t want to miss stand-up comedian Hari Kondabolu when he appears on stage this weekend in Denver. The New York Times calls him “one of the most exciting political comics in stand-up today.”
Fans of NPR’s Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me will recognize him as a frequent participant, and he has also appeared on many other radio shows and podcasts, including Fresh Air with Terry Gross, WTF with Marc Maron, 2 Dope Queens, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Studio 360, and Bullseye. He’s no stranger to late-night TV, having appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live, John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up Show, @midnight, and he even has his own half-hour special on Comedy Central.
Comedy Works-Downtown, 1226 15th St., Denver
Thurs., 8:00 p.m.; Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
Tickets: $18-$26
Phone: 303-595-3637
Thursday-Sunday, May 23- 26
FINAL WEEKEND FOR SWEAT
Don’t miss this timely and relevant play that was named the “#1 Play of the Year” by Time Magazine. Sweat takes you inside a local factory in a small working-class town, where friendships are forged and generations of family members work side by side. When the company starts laying off workers, the town is ripped apart as co-workers are pitted against one another in the struggle for economic viability.
Space Theatre/DCPA, Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St., Denver
Thurs., 6:30 p.m.; Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30 p.m.
Tickets: $40-$75
Phone: 303-893-4100
CATCH THE WITCHES BEFORE THEY DISAPPEAR!
The blockbuster Broadway musical Wicked is the story of what happened before Dorothy showed up in Oz, and the heroine of this story is an emerald-skinned beauty who has been judged unfairly. This show is family-friendly and great fun for kids and adults alike!
With a fantastic music score, imaginative sets and costumes, and a story with a great big heart, Wicked will have you rooting for the underdog and better understanding all the events and characters the next time you watch The Wizard of Oz!
Buell Theatre/DCPA, Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St., Denver
Thurs./Fri./Sat./Sun.,7:30 p.m.; Sat./Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $49-$214
Phone: 800-641-1222
Friday-Sunday, May 24-26
COLORADO SYMPHONY FINALE
The Colorado Symphony ends its season with a true spectacle and powerhouse performance that includes the Colorado Symphony Chorus, Colorado Children’s Chorale, and a cast of soloists! Carmina Burana is Carl Orff’s 20th-century masterpiece exploring love, lust, and the perils of earthly pleasures. Also on the program is Adam Schoenberg’s American Symphony, a beautiful work reminiscent of Copland and Bernstein as it reflects the hope of America’s potential.
Boettcher Concert Hall/DCPA, Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St., Denver
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15-$89
Phone: 303-623-7876
Saturday, May 25
LOCAL MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION
Aurora’s very own Memorial Day celebration honors Colorado military personnel and their families who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country. The 6th annual Colorado Remembers Ceremony features a helicopter flyover, music by the Mile High Normandy Chorus, a traveling museum from the Rocky Mountain Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, several vehicles from the Military Vehicle Collectors Club of Colorado, and tours of the Colorado Freedom Memorial.
Come early to enjoy the FREE pancake breakfast from 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. with a musical performance by the Beverly Belles. Other music includes the Sound of the Rockies during the remembrance ceremony from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Colorado Freedom Memorial, 756 Telluride St., Aurora
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 303-739-7170
SHARE A CUPPA JOE
Head over to The Lakehouse this Saturday for a cuppa Joe and some adult conversation! Meet your neighbors, sip your coffee and enjoy a yummy donut at the Lakehouse Pub.
The Lakehouse, 27151 E. Lakeview Drive, Aurora
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
FREE
PUT YOUR KIDS TO WORK!
If your kids have some great ideas for making money, bring them to the Kid Entrepreneur bazaar at The Lakehouse where they can mix and mingle with other young enterprisers! It will also be the opening day of the pool, so there will be plenty of customers! If your child would like to come and sell some crafts, baked goods or whatever else they may have in mind please register in advance so your kid has a space.
Aurora Family YMCA/Southshore, 27151 E. Lakeview Drive, Aurora
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
FREE
Register: lwalker@denverymca.org
STUDENTS PERFORM GISELLE
Colorado Ballet students enrolled in Levels 1 through the Pre-Professional Division will perform the romantic classic, Giselle. These talented young dancers will impress you with their skills and artistry! This ballet masterpiece has never gone out of production since it was created more than 160 years ago.
Ellie Caulkins Opera House/DCPA,
1:00 and 6:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15-$20
Phone: 303-837-8888
DENVER DAY OF ROCK
This Denver event has become a favorite tradition of the Mile High City, entertaining the community with a diverse range of music styles and kicking off the unofficial summer season! Bring the whole family down to the 16th Street Mall, where five stages of live music offer a full day of FREE entertainment!
This year’s lineup includes the Eli Young Band, Austin Young Band, Wild Belle, Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, AMZY, Austin Plaine, Dearling, Lilly Hiatt, Hello Moutain, Mary Louise Lee Band, The Foxies, and many more!
16th Street Mall Pedestrian Mall, Denver
1:45 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
FRESH AND FUNNY
You may not know Ali Wong’s name now, but just wait! This up-and-coming brilliant comedian has already begun to acquire a diverse fan base who fell in love with her breakout Netflix special, Baby Cobra, which she filmed when she was 7 months pregnant.
Since then, she has thrown out the first pitch at a Giants game, walked the runway at New York Fashion Week, appeared on Ellen, and co-wrote and co-starred in her first feature film, Always Be My Maybe, which premieres on Netflix this year. She voices the co-lead of the upcoming Netflix animation show, Tuca and Bertie, alongside Tiffany Haddish. See her live on stage!
Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Denver
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: $43
Phone: 802-255-1826
Saturday-Sunday, May 25-26
A MODERN PLAY ABOUT A MOSQUE
An important original work by Jihad Milhem, Mosque will be performed by the Black Actors Guild and Emancipation Theater Company in the newest neighborhood theatre. Don’t miss this compelling drama about a young Muslim man and his family as they are forced to deal with the challenges of living in a post-9/11 America. When the local community is torn over rebuilding a mosque that’s located near ground-zero in Manhattan, deep resentments and prejudices are stirred and threaten to explode.
The People’s Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora
7:30-9:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15-$20
Phone: 303-805-6800
Saturday-Monday, May 25-27
KICKOFF TO SUMMER
It’s a family-friendly street fair to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend! The 40th Annual Memorial Weekend Festival on South Gaylord Street features FREE live entertainment, delicious food, local vendors, and so much more! If you can’t wait for the summer street fair season to begin, you don’t have to! This historic neighborhood in Washington Park is home to locally-owned art and fashion boutiques, restaurants, and unique gift shops—all participating in the summer kick-off party!
1000 South Gaylord Street, Denver
Sat., 4:00 – 9:00 p.m.; Sun., 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; Mon., 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Information: FREE
Sunday, May 26
FIREWORKS AT ELITCH’S
Welcome the unofficial start of summer at the quintessential Denver amusement park that the entire family loves! Elitch Gardens will light up the Downtown Denver skyline with a dazzling fireworks display, starting at park closing time. The event is free with any park admission or Season Pass.
Elitch Gardens, 2000 Elitch Cir., Denver
Park hours: 10:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.; Fireworks at Closing Time
Tickets: FREE with park admission ($39-$59)
Phone: 303-595-4386
Memorial Day in Southshore!
On three-day weekends especially, there’s no shortage of things to do near the master-planned community of Southshore! You get the tranquility of lakeside living with easy access to your favorite urban activities. Stop by and see for yourself how great Life at the Lake can be! With beautiful model homes from Toll Brothers, Century Communities, and Richmond American Homes, it’s easy to picture yourself in your own new home, priced from the upper $400s to the $700s.