Festivals, from horror to family friendly
Through Sunday. There’s a festival for nearly every taste this weekend in Colorado. Adams County’s Festival Latino, free and family-friendly, takes place Sunday, Sept. 15, at Riverdale Regional Park in Brighton (). Michelada Fest visits Mile High Flea Market Sept. 14-15 (7007 E. 88th Ave. in Henderson; ), while Telluride Blues and Brews Fest returns to that mountain town Sept. 13-15 ().
Our top pick in Denver, however, is the Colorado Festival of Horror, which returns with a bulked-up lineup and programming for its fourth year. The event takes place Sept. 13-15 at the Marriott Denver South at Park Meadows, 10345 Park Meadows Drive, Lone Tree, and features national filmmakers, authors, artists, diverse horror-themed merch, and celebrities such as local hero Pam Grier, plus actors from “Doctor Sleep,” “The X Files,” “Annabelle,” and the “Friday the 13th” series (the latter being this year’s theme), among others.
Tickets: $30.75-$42.25 per day, or $76.77 for a weekend pass. Photo opps are an additional fee. Kids under 10 are free with a paying adult, and hotel and ticket packages are available on .
10 years of Celtic music
Thursday. Denver is home to a variety of folk-music luminaries, including the world-touring Avourneen, a.k.a. writer and artist Adam Goldstein. You may also know him from his vigorous Bob Dylan tributes, but Goldstein’s long-running Avourneen project plays lovingly faithful Irish music and features musicians from around the statewide Celtic scene.
The band is celebrating 10 years on the scene at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, with a concert at the Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St. in Denver. “We’re going to have a bunch of friends from a whole slew of other Celtic acts involved, and we’re going to incorporate contra dance callers and dancers,” Goldstein said. Tickets: $23 via . Call 303-294-9258 for more information.
A boundary-pushing “Rush”
Saturday-Sunday. Globe-hopping dancer, choreographer and master teacher Robert Sher-Machherndl runs his Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet (LSC) company under the radar at times, but his artistic consistency over the last 25 years is unquestionable.
The former principal dancer with Dutch National Ballet and Bavarian State Ballet will celebrate Boulder-based LSC’s quarter-century birthday by premiering new work “Rush” on Sunday, Sept. 15, with collaborators Makaila Wallace (of Ballet BC) and Sadie Brown (Aspen Santa Fe Ballet). The piece pays homage to Sher-Machherndl’s European roots, he said, and promises to push the limits of its description.
Shows take place Saturday, Sept. 14, and Sunday, Sept. 15, at Gordon Gamm Theater in the Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St. in Boulder. Tickets: $28-$34. Call 303-440-7826 or visit for more.
Free wrestling, markets, and more
Through Sunday. This weekend’s free, all-ages Lucha Libre events on West Colfax Avenue aren’t the only family-friendly activities to check out. In addition to that noon-6 p.m. event on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 1611 Raleigh St. in Denver (a.k.a. Sloan’s Lake; RSVP at ), there’s Union Station’s Handmade in Colorado Expo, which offers independent designers and goods ranging from handmade art to food, drinks and live entertainment. Entry to the Sept. 14-15 expo is free () at 1701 Wynkoop St. in Denver.
We’re also looking forward to the free Sugar Plum Bazaar at The Arvada Center (6901 Wadsworth Blvd.) and its Fall Fest makers market, Sept. 14-15, with donations accepted at the door for the Big Dogs, Huge Paws nonprofit. Free entry. Vendors are local and, in some cases, only use all-natural materials.
