It’ll be a different kind of battle of the bands this weekend, when Denver’s breweries, galleries, doughnut shops, diners and dive bars open up to not one but two neighborhood takeovers: Underground Music Showcase, which left its longtime home on South Broadway last year for the RiNo Arts district, and Blucifer’s First Rodeo, the artist-led festival that got sucked into the vacuum that UMS left.
For those counting, that’s 429 bands tucked into more than two dozen venues.
We’ve also got an exhibition of Northern Colorado artists, Denver’s annual Pride Festival and the hidden histories of Cherry Creek.
June 25-July 1
Blucifer’s First Rodeo and Underground Music Showcase. UMS is — and it feels weird to say this, given its “underground” roots — decidedly the more institutional of the two. A weekend pass puts you out $95 and gets you in front of headliners like synthy-soul musician 54 Ultra, indie duo slenderbodies, and pop starlet Goldie Boutilier.
All access passes to Blucifer’s First Rodeo are already sold out, but you can still throw down $39 for the all-ages Thursday shows, a Saturday satellite festival at D3 Arts and a special guide to all of the festival’s Sunday house party shows. That’s right, house party shows.
It’s a new era for both festivals, so mix and match or pick one and stick with it. No wrong answers, just a lot of live music.
Various prices; July 23-26; Baker neighborhood and RiNo Arts District, Denver
Other events to consider
- Cherry Creek’s Untold Stories. Dig into Cherry Creek’s lesser-known histories, from its time as a pre-statehood outpost, to an place where Black, Jewish, and Greek immigrant families mingled, to the luxury shopping area it’s known as today. This family-friendly open house will feature panel discussions and interactive history rooms, where you can scan photos and preserve your memories in the neighborhood’s ongoing archive. Free; 4-8 p.m., June 25; The Daniels Fund Building, 101 Monroe St., Denver
- Denver Pride Parade and Festival. The anchors of Denver’s monthlong pride celebrations, the parade and festival, are happening this Sunday. Parade kicks off at 9:30 a.m. from Franklin Street, traveling west along 17th Avenue to Lincoln Street. The festival takes place on the 16th Street mall. Free; 9:30 a.m., July 28; 17th Avenue & Franklin Street, Denver
- Northern Colorado artists. A new exhibition at the Museum of Art in Fort Collins opens Friday, featuring work from 65 artists living in Larimer and Weld counties. $10; June 26-Sept. 13; Museum of Art, 201 S. College Ave., Fort Collins
Note: This is a curated list by the reporter to give readers a sense of arts and culture events happening across Colorado that they may not have otherwise known about. This is not meant to be an exhaustive account of things to do.