ART
THRU SEPTEMBER 27: FIRST LOOK: LUMINOCITY GALA AUCTION ARTWORKS – MCA This special preview gives guests the first opportunity to acquire exceptional contemporary artworks before they are presented at the Gala on October 15. The LUMINOCITY Gala marks the start of MCA Denver’s 30th anniversary year celebrations with an unforgettable evening in support of our exhibitions and programs. This year’s auction features works by 20 leading contemporary artists, including previous and current MCA Denver exhibiting artists. Ranging in media from painting and photography to ceramics and screenprinting, the exhibition proudly reflects MCA’s exhibition program and the generosity of our artists. Participating artists: Shannon Alonzo, Bethany Collins, Kim Dickey, Devon Dikeou, Maeve Eichelberger, Lydia Farrell, James Benjamin Franklin, Carlos Frésquez, Deborah Jack, Brian Jungen, Margaret Kasahara, Sammy Seung-min Lee, Cathy Lu, Terry Maker, Evan Forrest Mann, Tessa Mars, Keith Mayerson, Meleko Mokgosi, Stacey Steers, Barbara Takenaga, Kristopher Wright.
THRU SEPTEMBER 27: Conversations Between 2: Melody Epperson and Kelly Austin Rolo – NKollectiv “Conversations Between 2” is an art exhibition built on the concept of an exchange between two artists, Melody Epperson and Kelly Austin Rolo, in which they use their creative language to think, question, and share ideas. The artists share the same media (wax) and a related visual aesthetic (abstraction), while asking distinct questions of it. A concurrent group exhibition featuring assemblage work will be on view in the North Gallery. The public is invited to view the show during regular business hours and during the special events in conjunction with the Epperson/Rolo show.
THRU NOVEMBER 1: COLORADO CURRENTS – MCA The exhibition Colorado Currents brings together recent artworks by twenty-eight artists with ties to Colorado, in the spirit of exploring how Colorado is experienced today. This multigenerational group of artists draw from their personal experiences, research, concerns, and hopes for their hometowns, current homes, or homelands. Their artworks address a wide range of topics including Colorado’s indigenous communities; histories of mining, labor, cowboys, and violence; the state’s mountain, desert, and prairie landscapes; close investigations of local flora and fauna; coping with drought and wildfires; pop culture references; shifting cities and neighborhoods; stories of inclusion, exclusion and protest; and responses to recent events.
NOW ON VIEW: Sustained!: The Persistent Genius of Indigenous Art – Denver Art Museum Sustained! The Persistent Genius of Indigenous Art explores how Indigenous peoples’ resilience, diversity, and creativity have sustained them throughout time. The exhibition centers Indigenous voices, perspectives, and artistic expressions past and present, and is a celebration of Indigenous contributions to the arts and the museum over the past 100 years. This exhibition combines historic and contemporary works from DAM’s permanent collection to investigate the ways in which Native people have been sustained by beauty, by connections, and by spirituality, tracing these themes through fashion, family, ancestors, and the reasons people gather, such as games, ceremonies, and dance.
NOW ON VIEW: NEW EXHIBITION – Space Gallery A selection of outstanding works by featured artists. Space Gallery – 400 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204. Wed-Fri 11am-5pm. Saturday 10am-3pm. 303-993-3321 www.spacegallery.org
MUSIC
SEPTEMBER 22: Social Distortion – Mission Ballroom The long-running punks deliver a set that feels timeless, with plenty of punch. Social Distortion has felt like an ever-present act for over 40 years now. They’re still doing everything that they’ve been known for at a high level, which is a lot more than some of their contemporaries can say. The band have a legacy all their own, and every show feels like a celebration of that.
OCTOBER 6: Big Thief – Red Rocks Amphitheatre Big Thief is an American indie folk band that captures the sound of ceding control, of pursuing a kind of emotional truth that can only be experienced, not intellectualized. Big Thief is like if Leonard Cohen made music with Bright Eyes or Wilco, offering the perfect blend of deeply personal songwriting and otherworldly instrumentals.
OCTOBER 8: Geese – Mission Ballroom They’re so loose because they’re so tight. When Geese take the stage, they don’t re-create their recordings. It’s the kind of free-flowing organized chaos that can only come from a hard-won mind-meld, from years spent coming of age together, instruments in hand. They play like a single virtuosic organism..
COMEDY
AVAILABLE NOW: Kelsey Cook: Happy Hour – Netflix In this candid and clever stand-up special, Kelsey Cook explores “hangxiety,” relives a plane bathroom nightmare and breaks down dating a literal Chad.
FILM
NOW PLAYING: Dear You – In Select Theatres A debt-ridden grandson travels to Thailand to find the grandfather he believes abandoned their family, hoping the man behind years of qiaopi letters and remittances can help pay his debts. Instead, he uncovers a lifelong act of love and sacrifice. Inspired by overseas Chinese traditions, DEAR YOU has become a breakout success, touching global audiences with its story of family and devotion. Anchored by strong performances and a touching exploration of migration, loss and connection, Lan Hongchun’s drama is a poignant tribute to the people separated by distance yet held together by words. The film’s unabashedly romantic sensibility is hard to resist and continues to resonate with a wide, multi-generational audience.
NOW PLAYING: Black Zombie – In Select Theatres A journey through cinema and history reveals how zombies evolved from Haitian spiritual traditions into Hollywood horror, exploring their deeper cultural significance as symbols of resilience. Black Zombie demands you reconsider both the horrors humans are capable of and the untold beauty of the living and the dead. It’s the rare documentary you want everyone you know to watch. This film offers insight, education, humor, horror, gore and history about zombie culture. Ultimately this is a film about Haiti and a people who have been misrepresented, marginalized and stereotyped in books and on screen for nearly a century.
OPENS SEPTEMBER 18: The Weight – In Select Theatres In Oregon in 1933, Samuel Murphy (Ethan Hawke) is torn from his daughter and sent to a brutal work camp. Warden Clancy tempts him with early release if he smuggles gold through deadly wilderness, but betrayal festers within the crew, and Murphy questions how far he’ll go to see his child again. A gripping story, well-acted and beautifully shot; it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, offering a compelling tale of resilience, survival, and betrayal. «Mr. Hawke’s show the whole way through. I’ve written before about how he is the best we currently have at portraying a man in crisis, and The Weight never stops finding startling new ways to trouble him.»
OPENS SEPTEMBER 25: The Incomer – In Select Theatres Sundance Award winning comedy, The Incomer is a modern folk fairy tale set on a remote Scottish island, where two siblings survive by hunting seabirds, retelling the stories of their ancestors, and defending the isle from dreaded Incomers’. Their world is upended with the arrival of an awkward council worker who has come to uproot them from their homeland on behalf of the government. It’s one of the best examples I’ve seen recently of a film that takes the audience by surprise with its zaniness without losing or even diluting the message it’s trying to convey. Paxton has crafted a warm embrace with this film. The Incomer is magic, and it highlights the beautifully strange dance that is human connection.
THEATRE
SEPTEMBER 11 – OCTOBER 4: Destiny of Desire: A Telenovela Play with Music – Wolf Theatre On a stormy night in Bellarica, Mexico, two baby girls are born – one into outlandish wealth, and one into a life of poverty. When the newborns are swapped by a ruthless ex-beauty queen, the stage is set for two outrageous misfortunes to grow into an extraordinary destiny. Brimming with energy and live music, Karen Zacarías’ hilarious hit, Destiny of Desire, takes you on an emotional rollercoaster sprinkled with the melodrama and wild antics that make the telenovela the most popular form of storytelling in the world.
EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 18-20 & 25-27: Denver Oktoberfest – Larimer and 21st in the Ballpark District What started as a modest neighborhood gathering in 1969 has evolved into one of the largest and most celebrated German cultural festivals in the United States. For over five decades, Denver Oktoberfest has been bringing a taste of Munich to the Rocky Mountains, attracting upwards of 350,000 festival-goers to the heart of the city each September. Today, it stands as the Mile-High City’s longest-running and best-loved autumn block party, seamlessly fusing old-world Bavarian heritage with Colorado’s vibrant, modern energy. From keg bowling to stein hoisting, live music and more, there’s something here for Oktoberfest pros and first-timers. So, grab your stein, throw on your lederhosen and join us!
THRU OCTOBER 1: Skynets over Downtown – From Union Station to Glenarm Plaza This summer, Downtown Denver becomes the canvas for a globally recognized temporary aerial art series. Denver’s installations are uniquely woven into active downtown spaces, stretching across Skyline Park, crossing over 16th Street at Glenarm Plaza and floating above the fountain at Union Station. Made from thousands of hand-attached ribbons constructed from ultra-light material, each installation is kinetic, responding to changing wind and weather conditions. The canopies appear almost weightless as they ripple and shimmer in a light breeze, while stronger gusts can transform the artwork into soaring waves of color overhead. Visitors can walk, roll or cycle between the sites or use RTD’s 16th Street FreeRide to explore each artwork.
THUR EARLY OCTOBER: La Junta Tarantula Migration – La Junta If you happen to be a spider-lover, make sure to head to La Junta this fall. Each year, from September through early October, the Oklahoma brown tarantula, most common in Southeast Colorado, comes out with a procession of male counterparts with the single mission of finding a mate. As the weather starts to cool in fall, thousands of tarantulas can be observed near sunset as they are on the move across the open space towards their future mates. It’s a parade you don’t want to miss! But fair warning: if eight-legged creatures aren’t your cup of tea, you might simply choose to visit at a different time of the year.
SEPTEMBER 11-20: Denver Mineral, Fossil, Gem & Jewelry Show – National Western Complex Denver’s Mineral, Fossil, Gem, and Jewelry Show is the largest event America has to offer. Spend a day strolling through miles of tables and booths where 500+ dealers from all over the country come to sell their products. Experience the beautiful world of geo right in the Mile High City. This gigantic show is packed with an array of everything from dinosaur bones, fossils, and minerals to artisan jewelry, gemstones, meteorites, gold, Native American items, art, and miners’ tools and supplies.
SEPTEMBER 18-20: Colorfest Balloon Rally – Pagosa Springs Every vernal equinox, Pagosa Springs hosts a trifecta of festivals to cap off the summer and welcome in fall. They’ll all be organized around the vivid Colorfest Balloon Rally, which returns for its 39th year. The Colorfest Balloon Rally combines a wine festival, beer festival, and hot air balloon show all in one wild west Pagosa weekend. The Passport to Pagosa and Bands & Brews festivals are known to sell out, so book early. There is also a 5k run hosted on Saturday during the morning ascension.
OCTOBER 4: DIVA – Denver Art Museum DIVA celebrates the radical power, creativity, and cultural impact of nearly 100 iconic performers, from the operatic goddesses of the 19th and 20th century like Maria Callas to modern-day powerhouses like Cher, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, RuPaul, Prince, and Tina Turner. Prepare for a jaw-dropping journey featuring more than 200 objects and over 50 show-stopping costumes worn by legends—including pieces from Marilyn Monroe to a stunning look from one of Rihanna’s Met Gala appearances. It’s a dazzling exploration of how these stars use fashion and performance to not just entertain, but to demand visibility and ignite social change.