ART
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 work considers how historical legacies shape the present while imagining ideas that may influence Colorado’s future. 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. While not comprehensive, together these perspectives offer a kaleidoscopic view of how we understand Colorado during its 150th anniversary of statehood.
JULY 17 – AUGUST 30: “Image and Likeness,” a solo exhibition by Charles Luna – Niza Knoll Gallery The exhibition brings together two related bodies of work made during different times in the 21st-century, each focusing on the relationships between humanity, technology, and the sacred. The pieces are a compelling array of paintings, digital collage and assemblage works that explore both the connection and visceral tension amongst the subject matter. “All the works are products of reflection on the integrated influence of the sacred and the technological in the human narrative.”
NOW ON VIEW: The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art – Denver Art Museum This is the largest exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art ever presented in North America. These works are designed to elicit a sense of awe, while introducing visitors to the art, resilience, and depth of the world’s longest continuous cultures. Through a rich display of iconic masterpieces—many of which have never before left Australia—The Stars We Do Not See charts watershed moments in Indigenous art from the late 19th century to the present. The exhibition introduces audiences to customary forms and styles in Indigenous Australian art, including the conceptual map paintings of the Central and Western Deserts, ochre bark paintings, and experimental weavings. It also highlights the work of new-media artists, who build on tradition with groundbreaking works in neon, video, and photography.
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
AUGUST 15 & 16: LCD Soundsystem – Red Rocks Amphitheatre LCD Soundsystem, an indie electronic band from Brooklyn, N.Y. What stands out about LCD Soundsystem’s performance is its simplicity — the music speaks for itself. James Murphy doesn’t need big screens or dances to grab the audience’s attention. Their music can be wild and frantic, but it can also be curiously beautiful, not to mention that they sound way better live than the studio recordings.
AUGUST 21: Courtney Barnett – Mission Ballroom For Melbourne’s Courtney Barnett, the past decade yielded indie rock anthems full of emotional honesty and millennial angst. With 2026 LP Creature of Habit marking her first full-length since 2021, Barnett reunites with her band to the delight of her fans.
SEPTEMBER 6 & 7: Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony – Red Rocks Amphitheatre Gregory Alan Isakov’s LP with the Colorado Symphony marks a milestone for the Colorado-based singer-songwriter, re-imagining songs from his previous three studio albums— The Weatherman, This Empty Northern Hemisphere, and That Sea, the Gambler —along with the debut studio recording of “Liars,” a fan favorite.
COMEDY
AVAILABLE NOW: Hannah Einbinder: Everything Must Go – HBO Hacks star Hannah Einbinder takes the stage in Los Angeles for her debut stand-up special, sharing hilariously formative stories from her life and getting candid about being queer, her faith, climate change, and her stoner roots.
FILM
OPENS AUGUST 21: Tony – In Select Theatres A biographical film, about Anthony Bourdain‘s time working in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The film is based on stories featured in Bourdain‘s 2000 memoir Kitchen Confidential and stars Dominic Sessa in the title role. A 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen, setting off a summer that will shape the course of his life. This main character is not the Bourdain who left us, the star of No Reservations, Parts Unknown, The Layover, and A Cook’s Tour. He’s not the executive chef of Les Halles. He’s a 19-year-old determining the direction his life will take, however messily, as dishes pile up.
OPENS AUGUST 21: Union County – In Select Theatres Will Poulter and Noah Centineo deliver pitch-perfect performances as brothers Cody and Jack Parsons, each navigating a court-mandated drug rehabilitation program in a pocket of rural Ohio hit hard by the opioid epidemic. Provided with hope for the first time since their struggles began and with the support of a tireless counselor (Annette Deao), the brothers work toward a brighter, sober future. Poulter and Centineo blend seamlessly with a supporting cast composed predominantly of non-professional actors as they share their actual experiences, pain, and optimism as they, themselves, navigate the program. Ohio-born filmmaker Adam Meeks creates a film imbued with realism for an honest, compassionate portrait of a battle being fought across America and the solidarity that flowers on its front lines.
OPENS AUGUST 28: Idiots – In Select Theatres Two unqualified bozos (Dave Franco and O’Shea Jackson Jr.) are hired to transfer a rich teen (Mason Thames) to rehab when their straightforward gig quickly spirals into dangerous mayhem. It’s a clever flick with an undercurrent of social commentary about how the bar for just being considered worthwhile in this world can depend on the size of your inheritance. The film refuses to go in predictable directions, unveiling bizarre side characters and travelling down odd narrative backroads. But that occasional bagginess also allows for a richly textured picture bursting with energy.
OPENS SEPTEMBER 3: Silenced – In Select Theatres After #MeToo broke the cultural silence on gender violence, international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson fights against the weaponization of defamation laws to silence survivors. It asks audiences to interrogate why certain stories explode while others disappear, why credibility is unevenly distributed, and why legal victories and public perception can diverge so dramatically. Silenced is a compassionate documentary that does a successful job delivering on its intent. We all know this is an ongoing battle, and an uphill one at that. Movies like this are the start, and hopefully, this pushes the conversation to continue.
THEATRE
SEPTEMBER 8-27: The Outsiders – Buell Theatre The winner of four 2024 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, is THE OUTSIDERS. This classic coming-of-age story takes you to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1967, where Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade, and their family of Greaser “outsiders” dream about who they want to become in a world that will never accept them. With “high-octane choreography” (New York Magazine), THE OUTSIDERS has been described as “more pulse-pounding than anything else on Broadway!” (Time Out New York).
EVENTS
AUGUST 14 & 15: Rocky Mountain Book & Paper Fair – Ranch Events Complex The Rocky Mountain Book and Paper Fair comes to the Ranch Events Complex in Loveland for its 42nd year. Peruse a curated selection of intriguing books, photographs, posters, scrapbooks, postcards, and other collectibles. Fifty booksellers and exhibitors from across the country will be in attendance for two days. There will also be local and regional authors showcased. Food service will be available at the Ranch Events Complex. Parking is free. There is an admission fee for both days. Friday runs from 1 pm to 7 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm.
AUGUST 21 & 22: Palisade Peach Festival – Riverbend Park Palisade Join the Palisade community for some sweet fun as they celebrate their 58th Palisade Peach Festival. This ultimate outdoor festival celebrates the town’s bountiful harvest and is considered one of the original agriculture events in Colorado. Every year, people gather to enjoy live entertainment, great food, contests, and activities. Aside from the peach harvest, the festival is packed with a lot of activities like a car show, parade, peach cuisine, BBQ, peach eating contest, and the biggest peach contest. Expect chef demonstrations, music, and vendors that sell fresh peaches and Palisade products. The festival that has become a well-known town tradition is surely a fun and sweet event to attend so be sure not to miss out on it.
AUGUST 26-29: Denver Food + Wine Festival – Tivoli The Denver Food + Wine Festival is back in the Mile High City for four summer days of culinary delight. An extravagant food festival celebrating everything delicious to eat and drink, proceeds benefit the Colorado Restaurant Foundation, which supports Colorado’s hospitality community through training, education, and emergency grants. This fun festival celebrates over 4 days, from Wednesday through Saturday, August 26th to 29th, 2026. It’s held at the Tivoli Quad, Denver Auraria Campus. Some of the special highlights include: Riedel Wine Glass, Shake + Brake Showdown, Dine Out Auction and The Grand Tasting.
AUGUST 28 & 30: Colorado Dragon Boat Festival – Sloan’s Lake Park The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival is Colorado’s premier event celebrating the accomplishments and culture of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community within the state. Since 2001, these festivities have been held in the heart of the city at Sloan’s Lake. Here, the AAPI community brings awareness and celebration of diversity to the general public in one great, big, and bold cultural experience. This year, the two-day event will take place from Saturday to Sunday, August 29th & 30th, 2026. The exciting, 2,000-year-old sport of dragon boat racing is a stand-out festival event that draws as many as 50 competing teams to the lake each year. Races are ongoing throughout this event, drawing more than 150,000 festival-goers who come to cheer them on and experience a taste of Asia in the middle of the Mile High City.
AUGUST 28: Wash Park Summer Sendoff – Large Playground at Wash Park Wash Park Summer Sendoff is a family-friendly end-of-summer celebration hosted by WPENA (Washington Park East Neighborhood Association). Join neighbors for kid’s activities, food and drink trucks, ice cream, and a visit from the Denver Public Library Bookmobile as we celebrate the final days of summer and kick off the back-to-school season together. More details to be announced, visit wpena.org to learn more. 4-6pm
AUGUST 30: Affordable Arts Festival – Arapahoe Community College For those looking to purchase artwork that won’t break the bank, Littleton’s Affordable Arts Festival is the perfect event for you. Boasting over 165 local and national artists selling thousands of pieces for $150 or less, these works aren’t small by any means. Originally priced higher, this is the opportune time to snag something unique for your collection that you may not have initially thought was possible. Admission fee proceeds go to the college’s scholarship fund foundation, which has raised over $200,000 since 2012. The Affordable Arts festival is beneficial not only for yourself but also for others.