Linnea Covington
Audio By Carbonatix
It may not feel like it, but the holiday season is here. Festive events like Blossoms of Light at the Denver Botanic Gardens and the Central City Opera Guild’s L’Esprit de Noël Holiday Home Tour begin this weekend. Not in the spirit? Let us point you to a Victorian taxidermy showcase happening after hours on Thursday at the Molly Brown House Museum.
On a budget? Check out our list of free things to do. But for now, stick around for events worth the price of admission in and around Denver:
Things to Do in Denver This Weekend
JCC Denver
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41st Annual JCC Ceramics Sale & Exhibition
Through Thursday, November 20
JCC Denver, 350 S. Dahlia Street
Stop by JCC Denver for the Jewish nonprofit’s annual ceramics sale, where handmade ceramics made by artists in the JCC studio will be on display and for sale. Every purchase supports both the artists and ceramics programming, with a portion of the proceeds going directly back into the JCC studio.
Come See Me in the Good Light
Through Thursday, November 20
Sie FilmCenter, 2510 East Colfax Avenue
See Sundance Festival Favorite Award-winning film Come See Me in the Good Light, which follows Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson through their incurable cancer diagnosis with their fellow poet partner, Megan Falley. The film is a poignant and unexpectedly funny love story about resilience. Gibson died in July. See tickets and showtimes here.
Adults Only Evening at the Butterfly Pavilion
Thursday, November 20, 6 to 8 p.m.
Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 West 104th Avenue, Westminster
Adults looking for a peaceful, kids-free experience can have the Butterfly Pavilion all to themselves during Adults Only Evening. Explore the exhibits at your own pace, learn about butterflies and other bugs, and enjoy the calm, immersive environment with like-minded nature enthusiasts. This is a great option for a date night, too! Tickets are $25.
Taxidermy Showcase
Thursday, November 20, 6 p.m.
Molly Brown House Museum, 1340 Pennsylvania Street
Taxidermy was a popular decorating item during Margaret Brown’s lifetime, and the Molly Brown House has a number of historic pieces in its collection to share during this after-hours showcase. Enjoy a beverage and discuss the history of taxidermy at this event. General admission is $30.
49th Annual Central City Opera L’Esprit de Noël Holiday Home Tour
Friday, November 21, and Saturday, November 22, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Hilltop neighborhood
Visit five elegant and diverse homes in the Hilltop community that will be creatively decorated for the holidays by some of the metro area’s most accomplished florists and table designers during this self-guided tour. General admission is $50 and proceeds benefit the Central City Opera Guild.
Kick the Keg, Support the Guild
Friday, November 21, 2 to 4 p.m.
Call to Arms Brewing, 4526 Tennyson Street
Support the Colorado Brewers Guild by drinking beer at this hands-on event, where you can bedazzle your beer keg cup, drain more than twenty kegs from Colorado breweries and more. Advance tickets are $40 and day-of tickets are $50.
Blossoms of Light
Opens Friday, November 21; through Sunday, January 11
Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York Street
The Denver Botanic Gardens’ iconic Blossoms of Light showcase is back for its fortieth year and opens this Friday. The event transforms DBG’s winter gardens into an illuminated wonderland filled with vibrant displays and immersive installations. Get tickets here.
Burlesque for Beginners
Saturday, November 22, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Sexploratorium, 1800 South Broadway
Learn the basics of burlesque at this playful and body-positive class, where students can learn the foundational moves of burlesque — struts, shimmies, glove peels, and of course, the art of the slow reveal. No dance experience is required. Tickets start at $30.
TaosPoetix! Meets Art Compost
Saturday, November 22, 7 to 9 p.m.
Manos Sagrados, 9975 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora
New Mexico poets Anna MacNaughton, former director of the long-running Taos Poetry Circus, and Amalio Madueño, co-founder of the Circus, will join forces with Denver performance poet SETH for a unique performance that interweaves poetic styles. “I call this poetry jazz opera,” says organizer Madueño. Advance tickets are $20.
Ongoing Things to Do in Denver
China and silverware from the Titanic’s sister ship, the Olympic. “The Olympic went on until it was decommissioned after World War II, so lots more exists of it because it’s not at the bottom of the ocean,” Malcomb says.
Kristen Fiore
See Justice Done: The Legacy of the Titanic Survivors’ Committee
Through Sunday, December 28
Molly Brown House Museum, 1340 Pennsylvania Street
The Molly Brown House’s new Titanic exhibit offers an intimate look at the aftermath of the Titanic for Margaret Brown and how she became known as the “Heroine of the Titanic.” The exhibit includes several newly acquired artifacts that tell the story of Brown’s role in forming and leading the Titanic Survivors’ Committee and helping those pulled to safety on the Carpathia – particularly the immigrants and Titanic crew members who lost everything with the sinking of the “Unsinkable Ship.” The exhibit is included with general museum admission and there are related event slated for those who want to dive deeper; learn more at mollybrown.org.
DMNS
The Secret World of Elephants Courtesy of Exhibition Hub/Fever
Through Sunday, January 25, 2026
Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard
The latest temporary exhibition at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, The Secret World of Elephants, opens this week, giving visitors the science behind the loveable giants. Through hands-on interactions, feel the low-frequency rumbles elephants use to communicate, explore how they reshape their environments and come face-to-face with some of their ancestors, including dwarf elephants. Get tickets and see pricing information here.
Dinos Alive Immersive Experience
Through Sunday, January 25
Exhibition Hub, 3900 Elati Street
Taking up the space previously occupied by Titanic: An Immersive Voyage is Dinos Alive, a prehistoric playground with 35 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs and a VR experience. “With Dinos Alive, from the time you first enter all the way to the time you leave, the space is completely consumed by this feeling of being in a sort of Mesozoic-era Jungle,” says executive producer John Zaller. “We’ve got theatrical lighting throughout that’s creating this scene that’s transitioning from day to night, as though you’re going through the whole day with the dinosaurs.” Tickets are $18.90 to $34.90.
Courtesy of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Brick Planet
Through Sunday, May 3
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard
Brick Planet: A Magical Journey Made with LEGO Bricks is a massive display of LEGO artistry at the DMNS. The new traveling exhibition by acclaimed LEGO artist Sean Kenney transforms ecosystems from around the globe into vivid, playful environments made from more than 1.5 million colorful bricks. The exhibit is included with general admission to the museum.
Upcoming Things to Do in Denver
Make Your Own Glass Ornaments
Saturday, December 20, 9 a.m. to noon
D&L Art Glass, 1440 West 52nd Avenue
Learn to make your own glaskolben ornament, a mouth-blown sphere. This class is perfect for beginner glass artists or people looking to make their own ornaments. Each student will have a chance to make ten ornaments during the session and a large assortment of colored frit will be available for use. All materials are included in the class fee, which is $149.
Do you know of a great event in Denver? We’ll update this list throughout the week; send information to editorial@westword.com.