May the Fourth Be With You!
May 3, 2018
Not-to-be-missed Star Wars® celebrations for adults — as well as for the entire family — are happening on May 4! There are also concerts, theatre, opera, and a derby of mini-horses on this Kentucky Derby weekend! Whether you prefer Kylo Ren (the dark warrior, FORCE-fully strong) or the festivities surrounding a stable of small horses (complete with big hats!), there will be something for you to do this weekend in the Denver/Aurora area!
TODAY/TONIGHT Thursday, May 3
UPCYCLE MIXER
Mix and mingle at a different kind of networking event—one that’s fun! Come in casual attire, ready to dig into the immersive learning exhibits at this exciting teacher resource center! Enjoy an open bar and fantastic food by Sage Hospitality restaurants as you meet business leaders, philanthropists, and top-notch educators who are interested in the power and fun of hands-on learning. Live jazz music by the Keith Oxman Group sets the mood!
This is the primary fundraising event for RAFT (Resource Area for Teaching) as they open the doors to their 30,000 square-foot teacher resource center for a unique immersive, interactive kind of social event. Don’t miss this special opportunity!
RAFT Colorado, 3827 Steele St., Unit C, Denver
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: $50-$80
Phone: 720-242-8833
Thursday-Friday, May 3-4
COLORADO SYMPHONY PRESENTS JURASSIC PARK
You won’t believe how much more thrilling a great movie can be when the musical score is being performed live during the screening of the movie! Imagine watching the ground-breaking Jurassic Park in all its nail-biting glory, while the live chords of John Williams’ iconic score fill the concert hall!
One of the most thrilling science fiction adventures ever made, Jurassic Park transformed the movie-going experience for an entire generation, winning three Academy Awards®. This Stephen Spielberg classic was based on the best-selling novel by Michael Crichton and imagines a world where scientists are able to bring dinosaurs back to life—and put them on display in a tropical island theme park! Even if you’ve seen the movie before, you’ve never experienced it like this!
Boettcher Concert Hall/DPAC, 1000 14th St. #15, Denver
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $25-$99
Phone: 303-623-7876
Thursday-Saturday, May 3-5
LAUGH WITH JOSH WOLF
You may know and love him from E!’s Chelsea Lately, or maybe his New York Times bestselling book about single parenthood—however you know him, comedian, actor, and writer Josh Wolf has become one of the most sought-after personalities in comedy today.
Wolf may be best known for his late-night comedy series, The Josh Wolf Show, which aired for one season. But he’s also written on numerous sitcoms including Yes, Dear, Will Smith’s All of Us, and Cuts. Wolf appeared on the fourth season of NBC’s Last Comic Standing and has had recurring roles on television series’ like My Name Is Earl and Raising Hope.
Comedy Works-Downtown, 1226 15th St., Denver
Thurs., 8:00 p.m.; Fri., 7:30 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.; Sat., 9:45 p.m.
Tickets: $19-$27
Phone: 303-595-3637
Thursday-Sunday, May 3-6
FINAL WEEKEND NATIVE GARDENS
Politics become personal when two sets of neighbors must choose between their closely-held beliefs and the desire to co-exist peacefully. When Pablo and Tania, a young Latino couple, move into a well-established DC neighborhood, long-time residents Frank and Virginia have the best intentions for making the new couple feel welcome next door. But first the two couples must come to terms with their own biases.
At the center of the controversy is a disputed property line which threatens Frank’s long-established prize garden. On the other hand, Pablo feels certain he is being cheated out of what is rightfully his. Both women would rather worry about other matters, but the situation requires everyone to take a hard look at the root of their problems if they are ever to find a way to connect.
Space Theatre/DCPA, Speer Blvd. at Arapahoe St., Denver
Thurs., 6:30 p.m.; Fri./Sat.,7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $37-$72
Phone: 800-641-1222
Friday, May 4
FOOD TRUCK RODEO
This is one of those serendipitous opportunities that requires no planning and no hassles—just show up at the Food Truck Rodeo and treat yourself to a delicious break from your ordinary bagged lunches! A slew of food trucks, all with extraordinary offerings, will be lining the Great Lawn at the Aurora Municipal Center for you to browse and choose from! Not within walking distance and don’t want to drive? Try the newly-opened Aurora R-Line and get off at the Aurora Metro Station!
Aurora Municipal Center Great Lawn, 15151 E. Alameda Pkwy., Aurora
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Information: Food purchase prices vary
Phone: 303-739-7182
HERCULES AT THE LAKEHOUSE
Long before the current crop of superhero movies, there was…Hercules! Treat your kids to this animated classic story of immortals fighting for the good of all when the Southshore YMCA at the Lakehouse screens Disney’s Hercules at Kids Night Out!
It will be a fun-filled evening for potty-trained children through age 12, complete with dinner, arts and crafts, and games. While the kids are safely being entertained, you can enjoy the free time for a night out of your own! Registration is required.
The Lakehouse, YMCA Southshore, 27151 East Lakeview Dr., Aurora
6:00-10:00 p.m.
Cost: $15-$17
Phone: 720-870-2221
STAR WARS® AFTER-HOURS PARTY
This is the grown-up Star Wars® party you’ve been waiting for! Come out and celebrate the anniversary of the best movie franchise EVER created by dressing up like your favorite Star Wars® character and mixing and mingling with other like-minded devotees. The sky’s the limit at the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, so it only makes sense that they would honor the ultimate space world with a righteous celebration!
Live music by the Fabulous Boogienauts will put you in a dancing mood or you may want to try out an exhibit like the Bounty Hunter Training Camp or Green Screen Adventures (with backgrounds that include Hoth, kneeling before Vader, and Princess Leia’s briefing room). Themed bars and a delicious assortment of food and drinks will be available. And what would a Star Wars® party be without appearances by Lord Vader, Chewbacca, Kylo Ren, Rey, and the Rebel Pilots? You must be 18 and older to attend this event.
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, 7711 E. Academy Blvd., Denver
6:00-10:00 p.m.
Tickets: $25
Phone: 303-360-5360
MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!
Is it art or is it Star Wars®? It’s both! Don’t miss ArtWar, the Star Wars-themed Art Party, held every May the Fourth to celebrate Star Wars® the way only artists can! Dressing up as your favorite Stars Wars® character is highly encouraged, and over 30 local artists will be displaying more than 85 pieces of original Star Wars-themed art.
There is simply no better way to celebrate your love for these iconic movies. Special galactic drinks from The Dark Side and Rebel Alliance will be available, and there will be dancing at a not-so-silent disco! Artists’ prints and shirts will be available for purchase, and the entire space will be transformed specifically for this event. Must be at least age 21 to attend.
Curtis Hotel, 1405 Curtis St., Denver
6:30 – 10:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15
Phone: 720-500-3409
Friday-Sunday, May 4-6
BULLETS OVER BROADWAY – ON STAGE!
Based on Woody Allen’s movie by the same name, this entertaining stage musical is loaded with big laughs, colorful characters and the songs that made the 1920s roar! When a talented young playwright gets his first break by enlisting a gangster to finance his play, things get complicated. Not only does the gangster want his untalented girlfriend to play the lead role, but the aging diva of the company sets her sights on the young playwright.
At Woody Allen’s insistence, the musical contains actual popular music from the 1920s, so the feel and sound is authentic. But the mismatched farcical romances are pure Allen! You won’t want to miss out on the fun!
Vintage Theatre Productions, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $19-$38
Phone: 303-856-7830
Saturday, May 5
STAR WARS® AT THE HANGAR
This is the quintessential Star Wars® event for the entire family! On this weekend of honoring everyone’s favorite space movies, Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum offers a full day of family-friendly activities in the premier Star Wars® event near Aurora! There will be no shortage of seriously cool activities and exhibits, including Star Wars® Trivia, Star Wars-themed Lego builds, Bounty Hunter Training Camp, Arts and Crafts (with build-your-own BB-8, Yoda puppet, Wampa mask and more), and a limited supply of foam sabers will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be plenty of refreshments and appearances by Lord Vader, Chewbacca, Kylo Ren, Rey, Rebel Pilots, Star Wars® Muppets, Droids and Stormtroopers!
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, 7711 E. Academy Blvd., Denver
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Tickets: $8-$25
Phone: 303-360-5360
DENVER MINI-DERBY
More fun than the Kentucky Derby, Denver’s Mini-Derby features the same opportunity to dress up in your biggest hat and pastel suit for a day at the races…a live mini-horse race! With all the pomp and circumstance of the Kentucky Derby, this fun event benefits charities and features adorable miniature horses!
Guests will enjoy watching the mini-horse race as well as the actual Kentucky Derby live on large projectors. Photo ops with the mini-horses, as well as charitable betting, raise the stakes, too. After the races, there will be a live band dance party, best costume contests, lawn games, mint juleps and themed cocktails, plus a barbecue!
Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Aurora
1:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Tickets: $99-$159
Phone: 720-500-3409
FALSTAFF – OPERA COLORADO
A delightful way to celebrate the end of one season and the start of the next—Falstaff is the farcical opera by Verdi inspired by Shakespeare’s comedies that will leave you laughing. Opera Colorado presents this sophisticated comedy about Falstaff, who
employs crafty maneuvers to seduce the merry wives of Windsor. When the women learn of Falstaff’s mischievous plan they concoct their own scheme to dupe Falstaff and expose him for a fool.
Ellie Caulkins Opera House/DPAC, 1385 Curtis St., Denver
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $25-$200
Phone: 303-468-2030
Sunday, May 5
PIRATES OF THE SYMPHONY SEAS!
Fun for the entire family, this quirky program features the local thespians of the Buntport Theater who will take you on an adventure to an island of swashbuckling delight! The Colorado Symphony presents a concert of Grieg, Badelt/Reicketts (Pirates of the Caribbean), Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and Sullivan/Peterik (Eye of the Tiger) in the course of this dramatic journey across the high seas to encounter dastardly foes, fantastical friends, and a symphony of treasure!
Boettcher Concert Hall/DPAC, 1000 14th St. #15, Denver
1:00 p.m.
Tickets: $10-$25
Phone: 303-623-7876
Living Lakeside in Southshore!
There’s no end to your recreation and entertainment choices near the master-planned community of Southshore! If you are in the neighborhood, stop by and see why this is a such great place to live! Tour the stunning models and check out additional designs from Toll Brothers in Vista Point, Century Communities in The Hills, and Richmond American Homes at Lakeview. Ranch and two-story models in the amenity-rich community are priced from the upper $300s to the $700s.