Five Things to Do in Denver When It’s (Almost) Dead

The Crested Butte Wildflower Festival is one of Colorado’s very special annual events, a week-long celebration of flowers, fauna and food that’s always a lot of fun. And until last week, it looked like the festival, tailor-made for social distancing in the great outdoors, was going to happen – but on July 5, organizers had to pull the plug, five days before the scheduled start.

But while you won’t be able to see flowers during formal tours in Crested Butte this weekend, you can certainly see them on your own. And you don’t have to go as far as Crested Butte to enjoy the great outdoors, either; the metro area features some special fresh-air events this weekend – and there are new virtual options, too. In honor of the film, here are five things to do in Denver when it’s (almost) dead:

Archaeology Hike
Friday, July 10, 5:30 p.m.
Cherokee Ranch, Sedalia
On this 2.5-mile archaeology hike, you can explore the rich history of Cherokee Ranch, including the excavation site on Cherokee Mountain where you can talk to the scientists and observe their fieldwork, and an ancient quarry where the natives were sculpting tools from local stone. Bring your own picnic supper and enjoy the magnificent views and sunset atop Cherokee Mountain. The moderate hike is between one and three miles and typically follows primitive trails with limited elevation gains; it’s suitable for most people in good physical condition. Tickets are $20; get them here.

Lost Summer Launch
Friday, July 10, 6 p.m.
Zeppelin Station, 3501 Wazee Street
Make up for lost time this summer with Zeppelin Station’s new extended patio activation: Lost Summer. Beat the heat at socially distanced, covered picnic tables, or in a private geodesic dome for groups of six to eight. Food and drink from around the globe will be available (including tiki-esque slushies), and Old Man G.G. will be entertaining on this first evening. After tonight, Lost Summer will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Find out more here.

Backyard Concert Series
Friday, July 10, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Virtual
The Anythink Backyard Concerts series returns on July 10 with Leon and the Revival, a Denver-based soul and R&B band. Tune in on Facebook and YouTube to interact with the band, the Anythink library and with each other – from the comfort of home. The event is free; find out more here.

BIFF Drive-In
Saturday, July 11, 7:30 p.m.
Boulder Municipal Airport, Boulder
The Boulder International Film Festival hosts its Comedy Shorts program, including the finest, lightest and funniest short films from past BIFFs (with no subtitles!). As a special bonus, BIFF will present local musicians Jill Teas & Andy Ard, an acoustic duo in the tradition of Indigo Girls and Simon & Garfunkel. Teas is co-founder and director of Voices Rock, Denver’s original rock choir; Ard is an award-winning songwriter and band director for Voices Rock. Sorry, this show is currently sold out, but find out about availability and future programs here.

Photographing Roxborough’s Landscapes and Flowers
Sunday, July 12, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Roxborough State Park, Littleton
Join naturalist Bob Rabito, an award-winning photographer, for a day of instruction, exercise and inspiration. The program starts with a presentation in the Roxborough auditorium to learn how to visualize your subjects as a photographer would, and discuss various techniques such as cropping, composition, lighting and background. Then go out and use all of your newfound knowledge shooting the beautiful flowers and landscapes of Roxborough. Free, but you must pay an $8 park fee and make a reservation via Eventbrite.

Know of other events around town that are worth some attention? Email information to editorial@westword.com.