Plant Sale, Star Trek Party, and Oktoberfest!
September 23, 2021
This is a great weekend to spend in the garden—Denver Botanic Gardens is hosting a free admission weekend, and it’s also their annual Fall Plant and Bulb Sale! If you’re feeling really ambitious about next spring’s garden, you can even attend their preview party on Thursday for best pickings! And you can celebrate Oktoberfest, Star Trek’s anniversary and the final weekend for the Van Gogh exhibit!
TODAY/TONIGHT, September 23
FALL GARDEN PREVIEW PARTY
Be first in line for the beautiful horticulturist-curated bulb bags and large custom seed mixes, prior to the start of the Denver Botanic Gardens’ annual Fall Plant and Bulb Sale! This preview party gives you first pick, as well as expert advice, before the sale opens to the public. You’ll also enjoy fabulous treats, wine, and beer!
Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver
4:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $45 – $55
Phone: 720-865-3500
Thursday-Saturday, September 23-25
COMEDIAN BRYAN CALLEN
You’ve probably seen Bryan Callen somewhere—he’s appeared in major TV shows and films such as Kingdom, Two Broke Girls, Ride Along, The Hangover (Parts 1 & 2), Sex and the City, Old School, Entourage, Californication, and most recently, the new Joker film.
However, as one of the original cast members of MADtv, Callen’s at his best as a comedy headliner. His third one-hour comedy special, Complicated Apes, debuted in Spring 2019 and stayed on top of the comedy charts ever since. He also co-hosts the iTunes podcast, The Fighter & The Kid, alongside Brendan Schaub, and is a regular on The Joe Rogan Experience and Fight Companion podcasts.
Comedy Works Downtown, 1226 15th St., Denver
Thurs., 8:00 p.m.; Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
Tickets: $25-$55
Phone: 303-595-3637
Thursday-Sunday, September 23-26
POP ART POPUP
Meow Wolf will soon be opening their interactive arts exhibit in Denver, and this popup preview gives you a chance to see what it’s all about! The transformational Denver exhibit, Convergence Station, will include works in a variety of media like sculpture, painting, fabrication, digital art, writing, film, and many more.
Stanley Marketplace, 2501 N. Dallas St., Aurora
9:00 a.m.
Information: FREE
FINAL WEEKEND FOR VAN GOGH
It’s been on your to-do list for months—but this is your last weekend to catch the interactive Van Gogh Alive exhibit at the Hangar at Stanley Marketplace! The bigger-than-life multi-sensory experience brings the works of Vincent Van Gogh to life in a symphony of light, color, sound, and fragrance that makes you feel like you are walking right into a Van Gogh painting!
The Hangar at Stanley Marketplace, 2501 N. Dallas St., Aurora
Thurs., 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.; Fri., 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.; Sat., 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.; Sun., 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $35-$55
HUNDRED DAYS ONSTAGE
Back live and in-person, the Aurora Fox Theatre presents an exhilarating punk-folk musical that asks—what would you do if only had a hundred days left? A couple with this question on their minds begin recounting how they fell in love, and it unleashes a raw musical dreamscape about embracing uncertainty, taking a leap, and loving as if you had everything to lose.
Aurora Fox Theatre, 9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora
Thurs./Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15-$40
Phone: 303-739-1970
Friday, September 24
MY LITTLE PONY PARTY
Give your little ones a special treat—take them to a FREE Sparkle, Shine and Sweets party, celebrating the release of My Little Pony: A New Generation on Netflix!
Retailer Lolli & Pops in the Cherry Creek Shopping Center will be presenting a purple carpet photo opportunity, My Little Pony face painting, and pony and unicorn balloon animals.
Cherry Creek Shopping Center, 3000 E. 1st Ave., Denver
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Information: FREE
TRIPLE THREAT COMEDY NIGHT
Three amazing comedians, one great night of laughs—and all to benefit The Zarlengo Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports learning disabled children in and around the Denver community!
David Spade is the SNL alum who always lends a sarcastic note to any film he’s been in, including Benchwarmers, Tommy Boy, Grown Ups, and Joe Dirt. Currently, Spade can be seen in his new late-night series Lights Out with David Spade on Comedy Central. Frank Caliendo is best known for his impressions of famous personalities like Donald Trump, Robin Williams, Robert DeNiro, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, John Madden, Jay Leno, and David Letterman. Sal Vulcano has been doing comedy for years, best known for starring in truTV’s Impractical Jokers. He’s been featured on Comedy Central’s This Is Not Happening and hosts a podcast with Brian Quinn, What Say You?
Bellco Theatre, 700 14th St., Denver
8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $59 – $90
Friday-Saturday, September 24-25
FREE DAY AT BOTANIC GARDENS
Enjoy a FREE day at Denver Botanic Gardens this Friday or Saturday, thanks to funding from the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Stroll the paths through the beautiful landscaping, visit the many exhibits that include art, fashion, cultural creations and more!! Advanced online registration is required.
Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver
9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Register: FREE
Phone: 720-865-3500
FALL PLANT AND BULB SALE
While you’re at the Denver Botanic Gardens, get a head start on your own garden! The annual Fall Plant and Bulb Sale offers a large selection of bulbs and unique plants for purchase for gorgeous blooms next spring.
Hundreds of bulbs, perennials, and “Grown at the Gardens” plants will be on sale, along with expert advice from our horticulturists. Take home beautiful horticulturist-curated bulb bag designs and large custom seed mixes.
Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver
9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Register: FREE
Phone: 720-865-3500
DAISY’S DAY SPEAKEASY
Go back to the Roaring Twenties with Daisy’s Day Speakeasy, a combination of live theatre, vintage music and dance, vaudeville, Prohibition-style cocktails and more!
For the most fun, dress up in 1920s formal attire! This event is for ages 21 and up, and all patrons must be fully vaccinated before attending.
Factory Five Five, 10255 E. 25th Ave., Unit 5, Aurora
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: Starting at $30
HAPPYVILLE
Modern theatre that takes you back to a blissful past and forward into a hopeful future—that’s Happyville! This high-tech show relies on what you will swear is a soundtrack of your own life to make you laugh, think, and love anew.
From the minds of Dave Shirley (America’s Got Talent, Santa’s Big Red Sack) and Robert Dubac (Book of Moron, Stand-Up Jesus), Happyville is a heartfelt story packed with charming live feats and spectacular technology.
People’s Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora
7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15
UNDER THE STARS: AS YOU LIKE IT
This inventive re-telling of Shakespeare’s As You Like It is a fully-outdoor and socially-distanced adaptation, set in the urban forest of the Denver Performing Arts Complex Galleria. Band of Toughs theatre collaborative (BoTs) puts a fresh spin on the familiar play, with twinkling lights, s’mores, tasty beer and live music. Plus, there’ll be plenty of intrigue and exile, idiotic infatuations, raucous rabble-rousers, and feisty lovers.
The Denver Performing Arts Center Galleria, 1400 Curtis S., Denver
8:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Tickets: $24
Phone: 810-569-1908
Friday-Sunday, September 24-26
OKTOBERFEST IN DENVER
Three days of celebrating authentic German beer and fare, crafts, music, dance, oom-pah-pah entertainment and more—that’s Oktoberfest in the Mile High City! You won’t want to miss the stein hoisting event where locals compete to see who can hold up two full 1.5 liter steins of beer for the longest period of time.
Keg bowling and the costume contest are both self-explanatory. The Long Dog Derby at noon on Sunday is where dachshunds race to see who’s fastest. In addition to beer, you’ve also got a variety of food choices—bratwurst, turkey legs, sausage, sauerkraut, potato salad, warm pretzels, and more.
Ballpark Neighborhood, 1301 21st St., Denver
Fri., 5:00 – 11:00 p.m.; Sat., 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.; Sun., 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Tickets: Starting at $15; Children 12 and under free with a paying adult
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN LIVE
It’s a live version of the hilarious Mel Brooks movie—Young Frankenstein onstage! The infamous scientist Victor Frankenstein leaves his legacy to his grandson, Frederick, but the young Frankenstein wants nothing to do with his family’s notorious legend. Still, he must travel to his grandfather’s castle in Transylvania to settle the accounts, and Frederick can’t help but create his own monster!
Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun. 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20-$38
Phone: 303-856-7830
Saturday, September 25
HERO FEST 2021
Take some time to celebrate the first responders in our community at Hero Fest! This FREE family-friendly day will feature emergency vehicles for kids to tour, face painting, food trucks, and so much more! Stop by to meet the heroes in our midst and thank them for all they do!
Town Center at Aurora, 14200 E. Alameda Ave., Aurora
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
CELEBRATE STAR TREK’S 55TH ANNIVERSARY
Star Trek fans will be aware that it was 55 years ago when the legendary TV show premiered. What no one knew at the time was how the show would influence NASA, the Smithsonian, and the Aerospace Industry of the 1960s.
Join Glen Swanson for a fascinating discussion about the history of spaceflight and his research on the legacy of the Star Trek television show. Swanson served as the chief historian of NASA’s Johnson Space Center where he managed their oral history program to help preserve the stories of the half a million people that worked in support of the Apollo program. His award-winning book, Before This Decade is Out: Personal Reflections on the Apollo Program, contains a selection of some of those oral histories.
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, 7711 E. Academy Blvd., Denver
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Register: $9.95 – $16.95 (Included in Museum Admission)
TRIBUTE TO BROADWAY
The Colorado Symphony pays tribute to renowned Broadway composer Andrew Lloyd Webber together with Denver native Seirra Boggess— best known for her Broadway debut originating the role of Ariel in the 2007 production of The Little Mermaid!
Denver pride will be overflowing as the talented hometown singer collaborates with the hometown orchestra, performing songs from your favorite musicals including: Guys and Dolls, Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, My Fair Lady, and more.
Boettcher Concert Hall, DPAC, 1000 14th St., #15, Denver
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15 – $89
Sunday, September 26
POKER BREW RUN
This may be the most fun you’ve ever had running a race! Collect playing cards each time you complete a lap around Dry Dock’s Frisbee Golf Course and build your best poker hand. You will have 45 minutes to run as many laps as you can. The more you run, the more cards you are dealt. Winning hands will receive great prizes!
Dry Dock Brewing Co. North Dock, 2801 Tower Rd., Aurora
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Register: $35
ART AND POETRY – EAST MEETS WEST
It’s an evening of unforgettable music with the Denver Young Artists Orchestra. The program includes Dvořák’s Symphony No. 6, a composition that marks the start of Dvorak’s integrative style of composition, influenced by conservatism, modernism, and the nationalism of his time.
A more modern concerto by Michael Daugherty, Fire and Blood, draws inspiration from artwork by Diego Rivera and Frida Khalo. The program is rounded out by Symphonic Poem in 3 Notes by Tan Dun, the composer of the score for the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Boettcher Concert Hall, DPAC, 1000 14th St., #15, Denver
2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15 – $20
The Arts, Music and More Near Southshore!
Enjoy Life at the Lake in the master-planned community of Southshore—and find culture and entertainment within easy reach! Looking for a new home you can add your signature style to? With beautiful model homes from Toll Brothers, Taylor Morrison, and Richmond American Homes, it’s easy to picture yourself in your own new home, priced from the upper $400s to the $700s.