Creekside beer and tunes
Friday-Monday. Boulder craft-beer lovers will be well served this weekend at the annual Boulder Creek Festival — which these days is driven in part by the Creekside Beer Fest. The all-inclusive ticket buys unlimited samplings from more than 20 breweries, most of them Colorado-based, as well as cideries, distilleries and more across five sessions (the late-Saturday one was added this year due to demand, organizers said).
Also new: “a Roots Music Project showcase featuring local musicians and artists that will be performing during each session Saturday and Sunday,” organizers said. They join 30 bands across three stages, a Creekside for Kids area with games and performances, dozens of food trucks from locals (including vegan cuisine), street art, and more than 200 vendors at the farmers market-style setup.
Tickets for Creekside Beer Fest are $46.58, while the family-friendly Boulder Creek Fest offers free admission. It takes place Friday, May 23 to Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day). bouldercreekfest.com — John Wenzel
Party with Leftover Salmon
Monday. Colorado-born band Leftover Salmon is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year and inviting locals to jam out at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Monday, May 26, to mark the occasion. That’s when fans will hear tracks from the group’s newest album, fittingly titled “Let’s Party About It,” alongside old favorites. Leftover Salmon, known for its genre-melding style of bluegrass, co-headlines the bill with the Kitchen Dwellers, another band with ties to Colorado. Several special guests are expected to join the party, too, including Clay Street Unit, Bill Payne of Little Feat, Laurie Lewis, Jason Carter and more.
Doors open at 4 p.m. and the show starts at 4:30 p.m. Tickets: $64.10-$69.10 for general admission, $103.40 for reserved at axs.com. Visit redrocksonline.com for more information. — Tiney Ricciardi
26 years of Denver Arts Festival
Saturday-Sunday. The reliably jam-packed Denver Arts Festival returns to Conservatory Green in east Denver’s Central Park neighborhood this weekend for its 26th year overall. In store: more than 150 local and national fine artists in competition; live music; wine, beer and food; and a kids art zone.
The accessible (meaning flat, paved ground throughout, with free parking) and relaxed event offers an array of arts and crafts on this typically beautiful weekend — although be prepared for fast-moving storms this time of year. Admission is free and all-ages, but leave your dogs at home. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. 8304 E. 49th Place in Denver. Call 303-330-8237 or visit denverartsfestival.com for more information. — John Wenzel
Colorado Freedom Memorial
Saturday. One of the state’s largest Memorial Day tributes will take place in Aurora on Saturday, May 25, as the Colorado Remembers ceremony marks 12 years. Staged at the Colorado Freedom Memorial, the event this year promises “much to see and experience with all the artifacts and exhibits (Military Vehicle Collectors of Colorado, History Colorado) in addition to the actual Colorado Remembers Ceremony,” said Colorado Freedom Memorial founder, Rick Crandall, in a statement.
Festivities begin at 8 a.m. with a free pancake breakfast and music from the All American Big Band, Crandall wrote, with the Remembrance Ceremony at 10 a.m., featuring an F-16 flyover by the 140th Wing of the Colorado Air National Guard, comments from Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and Sen. John Hickenlooper, Congressman Jason Crow, and Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, as well as a recognition of all World War II veterans who may be in attendance, organizers said. Gov. Jared Polis will also read a proclamation.
Free roses will be on site to lay at the Memorial, which is open to guided or self-guided tours after the ceremony. Free. The event runs until 1 p.m. at 756 Telluride St. in Aurora. coloradofreedommemorial.com — John Wenzel
