Things to do in Denver this weekend, Feb. 23-25

By Cassidy Ritter, Special to Denverite

Ludacris is in town on Friday at the Fillmore Auditorium and the Colorado Rapids play their first match of the regular season on Saturday. There’s also a Winterfest in Arvada, a Onesie 5K and an immersive art experience at Spectra Art Space. And on Sunday, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science has free admission.

Whatever you get up to, make it a great weekend!

Notes: Events with an * are taking place virtually or outdoors.

Friday, Feb. 23

Kids and family

After Hours Teen Laser Tag. Sheridan Library, 3425 W. Oxford Ave. 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Advanced registration required. Ages 11-18.

Comedy and theater

Actual Serious Actors. Chaos Bloom Theater, 70 S. Broadway. 7-8 p.m. $5.

Beth Stelling. Comedy Works Downtown, 1226 15th St. 9:45 p.m. $32.

Arts, culture and media

Nomadic Daydreams. Walker Fine Art, 300 W. 11th Ave., Unit A. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.

Dragon Painting Class with Artist Kim Pham. Far East Center, 333 S. Federal Blvd. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Donation-based entry fee. Advanced registration required.

Music and nightlife

Ludacris. Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St. 7 p.m. Starting at $90.

90s Country Party Featuring Double Wide. The Grizzly Rose, 5450 Linconl St. 8 p.m. $20.

Sports and fitness

New York Riptide vs. Colorado Mammoth. Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle. Watch on ESPN+. 7 p.m. Starting at $35.

*Denver Nuggets vs. Portland Trail Blazers. Watch on Altitude or listen at 92.5 FM. 8 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 24

Just for fun

2024 Colorado Garden & Home Show. Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $12 (seniors), $15 (adults).

*Arvada Winterfest. McIlvoy Park, 5750 Upham St., Arvada. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free.

Meditation in Motion: Experience the Joyful Art & Science of TaiChi/QiGong. Far East Center, 333 S. Federal Blvd. 2-3:30 p.m. Donation-based entry fee. Advanced registration required.

Couples Gamenight. Parkside Eatery + Bar, 14515 E. Alameda Ave., Aurora. 6-8 p.m. $50 (for team of two).

Kids and family

FamilyFest. Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St. Noon-6 p.m. Free (children 13 and under), $12 (attendees 14 and older).

Movies at APL: “Detective Pikachu.” Tallyn’s Reach Library, 23911 E. ARapahor Road, Aurora. 2-4 p.m. Free.

Pixar Theme Quiz. Max Taps Centennial, 11405 E. Briarwood Ave., Suite 100, Centennial. 7-9 p.m. No cover. Family friendly.

Comedy and theater

Beth Stelling. Comedy Works Downtown, 1226 15th St. 9:45 p.m. $32.

Art, culture and media

Nomadic Daydreams. Walker Fine Art, 300 W. 11th Ave., Unit A. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.

Lumonics Immersed. Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery, 800 E. 73rd Ave., Unit 11. 8-10 p.m. $15-$25.

Eat and drink

Beer, Bacon and Coffee Fest. All five Denver Beer Co. locations. 8:30-11 a.m. $30 (designated driver, ages 18 and up), $60 (full price event ticket, ages 21 and up). Advanced registration required.

Hook & Halligan Fire Fighter Collab Event and Fundraiser. WestFax Brewing Co., 6733 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood. Noon-8 p.m. No cover.

2024 Mile High Beer Festival. Stockyards Event Center, 5004 National Western Drive. 12:30-8 p.m. Starting at $59.99.

Learn to Cook Series: 2 Day Weekend Workshop. Stir Cooking School, 3215 Zuni St. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $299 (for Saturday and Sunday). Advanced registration required.

Wine School: What’s An Orange Wine? Noble Riot, 1336 27th St. 3:30-4:30 p.m. $49. Advanced registration required.

Music and nightlife

Jazz Roots – Musician Interviews. Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, 2401 Welton St. 2-4 p.m. Free.

Denver Celtic Night. Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St. 6-9 p.m. $15.

DRAMA. Summit, 1902 Blake St. 8 p.m. Starting at $119.

Eddie 9V. Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave. 9 p.m. $20.

Sports and fitness

Rainforest Yoga. Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 W. 104th Ave., Westminster. 7:45-8:45 a.m. $10 (members), $12 (non-members). Advanced registration required.

Indoor Goat Yoga. Aspen Grove, 7301 S. Santa Fe Dr., Suite 450, Littleton. 10-11 a.m. and noon-1 p.m. $30.

*The Onesie 5K. Starting at Cheluna Brewing Co., 2501 Dallas St., Suite 148, Aurora. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $35 (includes free beer, pint glass and door prizes), $55 (includes free beer, pint glass, door prizes and T-shirt).

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Colorado Avalanche. Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle. Watch on ESPN+. 5 p.m. Prices vary.

*Portland Timbers vs. Colorado Rapids. Watch on Apple TV. 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 25

Just for fun

2024 Colorado Garden & Home Show. Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $12 (seniors), $15 (adults).

BarkGarage – Professional Pet Photos. Station 26 Brewing Co., 7045 E. 38th Ave. 1-4 p.m. $35.

Dating in the Dark. Zeppelin Station, 3501 Wazee St., Suite 100. 6-7 p.m. $15.

Comedy and theater

Tomás and the Library Lady. Elaine Wolf Theatre, 350 S. Dahlia St. 10-11 a.m. $11.50.

Ralph Barbosa. Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Place, Greenwood Village. 4:30 p.m. $35-$45.

Beth Stelling. Comedy Works Downtown, 1226 15th St. 9:45 p.m. $32.

Art, culture and media

Free Days. Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.

Sundays on Santa Fe. Art District on Santa Fe, 858 Santa Fe Drive. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. No cover.

Eat and drink

Beer, Bacon and Coffee Fest. All five Denver Beer Co. locations. 8:30-11 a.m. $30 (designated driver, ages 18 and up), $60 (full price event ticket, ages 21 and up). Advanced registration required.

Pajama Brunch. Launch Pad Brewery, 884 S. Buckley Road, Aurora. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. No cover.

Wine School: Chocolate + Wine Pairing Noble Riot, 1336 27th St. 3:30-4:30 p.m. $59. Advanced registration required.

Music and nightlife

Sunday Night Jitterbug featuring Reid Poole and the Night Owls. Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St. 8-11:30 p.m. $15 (music), $18 (dance class and music).

Sports and fitness

*Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors. Watch on Altitude or ESPN, or listen at 92.5 FM. 5 p.m.

All Weekend

Art, culture and media

Black History Month Public Art Tour. Locations vary across the Denver metro. Anytime. Free.

Space Explorers – The Infinite. Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Aurora. 2-7 p.m. (Friday), 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (Saturday) and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (Sunday). Prices vary. Advanced registration required for timed entry.

Pages of the Past: Aurora’s Library System. Aurora History Museum, 15051 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (Friday) and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday). Free.

Wild Color. Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free (members, children ages 2 and under), $19.95 (guests ages 3-18), $21.95 (seniors ages 65 and older), $24.95 (adults). All ages. Advanced registration recommended.

All Stars. Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free (guests ages 5 and under), $5 (members, guests ages 6-18), $23 (Colorado resident), $27 (non-resident).

Blaxplanation. History Colorado Center, 1200 N. Broadway. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free (members and children 18 and under), $15 (adults).

Have a Seat. Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free (guests ages 5 and under), $5 (members, guests ages 6-18), $23 (Colorado resident), $27 (non-resident).

Museum of Illusions Denver. 951 16th Street Mall. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (Friday and Saturday) and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (Sunday). $20 (children ages 5-12), $22 (seniors and active military), $24 (adults). Advanced registration required for timed entry.

The Museum for Black Girls. 500 16th Street Mall. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. $30. (Read more about the museum and its creator here.)

Little Bit of Love Art Show. Spectra Art Space, 1836 S. Broadway. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (Friday and Saturday) and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (Sunday). Free.

Spookadelia: Doubt’s Echo. Spectra Art Space, 1836 S. Broadway. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (Friday and Saturday) and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (Sunday). $12 (children 10 and under), $20 (ages 11 and older, timed entry), $30 (priority tickets and swag).

Eat and drink

Beer & Girl Scout Cookie Pairing. Fiction Beer Co., 7101 E. Colfax Ave. Starting Friday at 2 p.m. and continuing through Sunday, while supplies last. $16 (includes four cookies and 4 beer samples).

Worth the Drive

All weekend

*Subaru WinterFest. Cooper Mountain, 230 Ten Mile Circle, Frisco. All day. No cover.

Colorado Environmental Film Festival. Green Center, 924 16th St., Golden. Times vary. Starting at $12.