Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Hold on to your butts, Denver. Rhinoceropolis is bringing you three days of local art at Fantasia, and it's going to get weird.
Things get going at 9 p.m. Friday with exhibits showcasing hand-poked tattoos, murals, a sculpture garden, zines and more. DJ Don't Go Jason Waterfalls (!!!) will be there to help provide the soundtrack. There's a $5 suggested donation.
Saturday is performance day. From 2 to 9 p.m., catch a lineup of mostly all local musicians at Rhinoceropolis, 3553 Brighton Blvd., and Club Scum, 3547 Brighton Blvd. Cover is $10.
From 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday, catch a video program at Rhino featuring eight different artists, then head over to Glob, 3551 Brighton Blvd., for more music with accompanying visuals starting at 9 p.m.
Click right here for a full lineup of artists.
Friday
Don't ever let anyone tell you can't meet the love of your life in a bar.
The Watering Bowl, 5411 Leetsdale Drive, is going to make this easy for you. From 5 to 7 p.m., the bar and Bentley’s Pet Stuff are hosting Doggy Speed Dating, which is not in fact an opportunity for dogs to find lifelong mates, but for you to find your best friend.
Meet some adoptable dogs and maybe even take one home. For the first time ever, you'll actually be cool with a date who's drooling. The first 100 guests will get some free drinks and snacks.
If you can't decide where to have a fancy cocktail tonight, here's a solution: The Shakedown.
The Denver Food + Wine Festival is bringing 11 bartenders to the Pepsi Center, 1000 Chopper Circle, to compete to make Denver's Best Cocktail:
Alex Kady, Star Bar
Chris Dunsmoor, RiNo Yacht Club
Nathaniel Maston, Coperta
Jason Patz, Williams & Graham
Haylee Ortiz, Mister Tuna
Joshua Duncan, Union Lodge No.1
Josh Sevy, The Arvada Tavern
Valerie Alvarado, Terminal Bar
Josh Tallent, Coohills Restaurant
Shawn Eric Williams, Bar Dough
Ben Janarelli, Guard and Grace
There will also be local restaurants on hand serving food to complement the drinks:
Williams & Graham
Carbon Beverage Cafe & Habit Doughnuts
Colorado ProStart
Hurricane Grill & Wings
Stones On 32nd
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Bout Time Pub & Grub
Ted's Montana Grill
Clyde - Restaurant, Wine Bar & Design Store
Lucile's Creole Cafe
The food and drinks will fit a southern theme, and there will be live soul and jazz bands to match. The ShakeDown lasts from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and tickets are $55.
Catch a midnight screening of the classic anime film "Akira" tonight at the Esquire Theatre, 590 Downing St.
Japan's most expensive animated movie at the time of its release, the violent, post-apocalyptic film is based on the best-selling graphic novel by Katsuhiro Otomo.
Tickets are $9.
Saturday
It's no Boston Marathon, but maybe that's OK (marathons are very hard). The Patriot Day 5K should satisfy your urge for a patriotic run. It's happening at 8:30 a.m. in Sloan's Lake Park.
Register before 6 p.m. Friday for $35. Race-day registration is $40 and happens from 7 to 8 a.m. Dogs and strollers are welcome.
Stick around after the race and walk over to Joyride Brewing, 2501 Sheridan Blvd., for a buy one, get one deal on beer.
Maybe you'd like to run for charity, instead. Over at the Urology Center of Colorado, 2777 Mile High Stadium Circle, the seventh annual Blue Shoe Run will be raising money for the TUCC Foundation’s work to improve local prostate cancer screening, community education and research programs.
The events start with a kids fun run (free for children younger than 8) at 7:45 a.m., followed by the 5K run/walk at 8 a.m. and a 1.5-mile family walk at 8:15 a.m.
The post-race festivities will include an Alaskan Brewery beer garden, food and drinks, live music, prostate cancer survivor recognition, a silent auction, prizes and awards, educational booths and kids activities.
Advance registration is closed, so arrive at 7 a.m. to sign up.
It's time for Tour de Fat, are you ready? There is a lot to do.
In addition to the main event, the bike ride at 11 a.m., there is a fashion show, a game show, live music, comedy and, of course, beer drinking.
It's free to attend, but if you pay to register, the money goes to a local nonprofit. Donations starting at $5 also come with a little bit of schwag to sweeten the deal.
Sign up and see a full schedule of events at newbelgium.com.
Summer isn't over as long as you can still see a movie in a park, right?
The Athmar Park Neighborhood Association is showing "Zootopia" for free at dusk in Huston Lake Park, 850 S. Bryant St. Get there at 6 p.m. to browse the vendors on site, and bring blankets or chairs to sit on. Food and drinks will be available.
The Flamenco Denver Dance Company will present "Raices II" this evening at the Cleo Parker Robinson Theater, 119 Park Avenue West.
The performance will feature elite flamenco dancers from Spain and the U.S. along with the Flamenco Denver Dance Co. It starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $30.
Sunday
It's free day at the Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd. Stop by during regular hours — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — and get some knowledge, free of charge.
Experience the Clyfford Still Museum in a different way through the first installment of Friends of Chamber Music Denver and Swallow Hill Music's Music in the Galleries series.
Ivy Street Ensemble, featuring Colorado Symphony musicians Erik Peterson on violin, Cathy Peterson on flute and Philip Stevens on viola, will be playing music by Beethoven, Szervansky and Bunch.
There is no fee in addition to gallery admission, which is $6 to $10 or free for members. Museum hours on Sundays are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ShakesBEER is back with more drinking and acting at Fiction Beer Co., 7101 E. Colfax Ave.
The troop will be tipsily performing "Twelfth Night" at 2:30 p.m. Admission is free.
