Tennyson Street Fair
Friday-Saturday. The boisterous Tennyson Street Fair drew an event-best 30,000 attendees last year, and it returns this weekend with refreshed offerings, including pop-ups for Wax Trax Records (with a DJ), pickleball, and a run club, as well as the return of the Berkeley Beer Festival (5-9 p.m. Friday) and Friday night live programming.
The event features more than 200 local businesses “set up on the famed Tennyson Street, alongside food trucks, fitness and live music,” organizers said, and runs 4-9 p.m. on Friday, July 17, and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturday, July 18. Friday’s events take place along Tennyson Street between 41st and 43rd avenues, while Saturday’s are between 39th and 43rd avenues. All of the weekend’s festivities, except the ticketed beer festival, are free. Visit for more details.
Water World’s newest splash
Open now. While the disappearance of Water World’s long-running Calypso Cove may have been cause for concern last year, its latest project should quiet fears of a second-tier replacement. The all-new Summit Canyon, replete with a towering, twisting slide (the tallest point in Water World, as of now), is a nature-themed area with several distinct offerings.
Those include the tube-based Runoff Rapids, with “towering walls and near-zero gravity,” the park said, as well as Marmot Mayhem, a two-person tube ride with “spinning turns, twisting tunnels, and two enclosed helixes celebrating marmots’ mischievous spirit”; Columbine Cascade, a body slide with “bold turns and high speeds”; and Aspen Falls, “for the truly fearless.” That last one features Denver’s “only drop-capsule, sending riders plummeting down like a mountain waterfall.”
Summit Canyon, which officially opened on Thursday, July 16, also includes new food and beverage options, cabanas, shelters, special events, and more, Water World said. It’s open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. most days, and closes at 5 p.m. on most Tuesdays. Tickets: $58 for adults and $48 for kids (considered 47″ inches and under; kids under 40″ tall are free), with $22 passes available for seniors. Located at 8801 Pecos St. in Federal Heights. Call 303-427-7873 or visit for more details.
Art, space pioneer Ed Dwight
Friday through Feb. 28, 2027. It’s hard to overestimate the impact that Colorado’s Ed Dwight has had on both aerospace culture and the art world — seemingly odd bedfellows. The 92-year-old sculptor was the first Black man selected by John F. Kennedy for NASA training, even if it took him until 2024 to make it into space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard craft.
Instead, the University of Denver graduate’s hundreds of sculptures across the U.S. over the last 50 years, including public art commissions that celebrate Black history, have become legendary in their own right. That makes History Colorado Center’s “Casting a Legacy” exhibit the perfect excuse to learn all about Dwight and see some of his stunning work.
“Working from his Denver studio since 1977, Dwightap renowned sculptures preserve the stories of Black cowboys and homesteaders, jazz greats, and civil rights leaders,” museum officials wrote. “Through these cast creations, Dwight combines historical research, technical innovation, and imagination. More than a dozen of his artworks shine in this exhibition exploring his life and contributions as a sculptor, historian, and innovator.”
The exhibit, which runs July 17-Feb. 28, 2027, is included with general admission, $20 for adults and free for those under 18. It’s at 1200 Broadway in Denver, with more information available at .
“Just Like Us” and the 30th Chicano Music Fest
Opening Saturday. Denver’s Su Teatro is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its Chicano Music Festival and auction in “rousing style,” organizers said. “A curated festival featuring five days of music born in Mexico, but raised in the US. The CMF kicks off with a free screening presented by the XicanIndie Film Festival (yet to be announced).”
While the festival doesn’t start until July 29, you can prep by checking out a performance of Su Teatro’s acclaimed play, “Just Like Us,” at two showings at the Historic Elitch Theater, 4600 W. 37th Place in Denver on Saturday, July 18 (at 7:30 p.m.), and Sunday, July 19 (2 p.m.). Tickets: $20 for general admission, $17 for students and seniors. Visit for tickets and for more details.
