Inflatable sculptures by artists Nicole Banowetz and Devin Reilly dot the landscape during the Breckenridge International Festival of Arts. The works will appear, disappear and occasionally roam the town. (Courtesy of Breckenridge International Festival of Arts)

Come for the curiosities and stay for the chaos at the Breckenridge International Festival of the Arts this weekend. We’ve also got an inaugural music fest in Hygiene, a birthday bash in Aurora and Denver Film’s annual takeover of Lakeside Amusement Park.

Aug. 20-26

Breckenridge International Festival of the Arts. Four full days of panels, performances, live music, dance parties, film screenings, a keynote by activist and drag queen Pattie Gonia and a three-and-a-half hour long reading of Lewis Carroll’s topsy-turvy 1865 children’s book, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”

The annual arts festival takes over the town, with interactive sculptures roaming the streets and free concerts all day on Friday and Saturday. For those looking for a more relaxing stay in the mountain town, check out the morning yoga sessions set to live music and the self-guided “listening lounge” for a meditative step away.

On Sunday, Breck Film partners with the festival for an otherworldly double-header, starting with the Disney animated classic “Alice in Wonderland” at 1 p.m. then shifting to “The Dark Side of the Rainbow,” pairing the 1973 Pink Floyd album “The Dark Side of the Moon” with the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” at 7:30 p.m.

Various prices, mostly free; Aug. 20-23; Various locations in Breckenridge

Other events to consider

  • Hygiene Howl. The first ever daylong, donation-based music festival in the crossroads community just north of Boulder. Two stages, 17 Colorado bands, food trucks and family-friendly activities. Free; 10:45 a.m.-9 p.m., Aug. 23; Cafe Fritz & Willow Farm Contemplative Center, Hygiene
  • Happy Birthday Stanley Marketplace. A slate of events to celebrate the Stanley Marketplace’s 10th birthday, with live music and a creator’s market Friday, special bites on Saturday from over 20 Stanley vendors (including James Beard winner Annette), and silent disco yoga on Sunday to round out the weekend. Various prices; Aug. 21-23; Stanley Marketplace, 2501 N. Dallas St., Aurora
  • Summer Scream. Unlimited rides, 13 open bars and sponsor surprises at Lakeside Amusement Park tonight, during this annual takeover to raise funds for Denver Film’s year round programming. $75; 6-11 p.m., Aug. 20; Lakeside Amusement Park, 4601 Sheridan Blvd., Denver

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Parker Yamasaki covers arts and culture at The Colorado Sun. She began at The Sun as a Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellow and Dow Jones News Fund intern. She has freelanced for the Chicago Reader, Newcity Chicago, and DARIA, among other publications, and had a short stint as a culture editor at Iceland's only English-written newspaper at the time,...