9 Things to do in Denver Colorado this weekend: July 23-25, 2021

COLORADO, USA — The Games of the 32nd Olympiad are finally here and the “Daddy of ‘Em All” is back in Cheyenne for a 125th year.

From summer festivals and fairs to rodeos and runs, there’s lots to do, see and explore in Denver and Colorado this July weekend. Celebrate summer by experiencing the unique culture, food and geography that makes our state so special.

Remember to share your weekend photos with the “Near Me” feature on the 9NEWS app. Check out one of these fun events across Colorado.

> Would you like to see your favorite Colorado event in 9Things? Send it to alexander.kirk@9news.com.

TOKYO — The Summer Olympics are back after a 5-year absence. The Tokyo games, postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, officially begin at 5 a.m. MT Friday with the Opening Ceremony on 9NEWS.

The ceremony will also re-air at 5:30 p.m. The games will be airing all weekend on 9NEWS and the platforms of NBC Sports.

READ MORE: Complete Tokyo Olympics coverage

TV LISTINGS: 9NEWS Olympics television schedule

CHEYENNE — The 125th annual Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD), a huge, 10-day Western celebration, opens Friday, July 23.

The “Daddy of ’em All” has been held since 1897 so that Cheyenne can celebrate its Old West roots. In 2020, CFD was cancelled for the first time in its 124-year history.

This year the festival is back and more than 140,000 people will visit Cheyenne for a packed schedule of rodeos, parades, pancake breakfasts, an airshow with the Thunderbirds and concerts with Garth Brooks, Blake Shelton, Maren Morris, Kane Brown, Thomas Rhett and more.

READ MORE: 9Things to do at the 125th Cheyenne Frontier Days

AURORA — The Arapahoe County Fair is now underway in Aurora with a packed schedule from Thursday, July 22 to Sunday, July 25. Daily activities include a carnival, petting farm, kids’ corral and mutton bustin’. There are exhibits in 4-H beef, sheep, goat, llama, alpaca, swine, poultry, and rabbits, potato-peeling contests, gardening displays, cake displays, bee keeper displays, puppy yoga and much more.

Musicians scheduled to perform include Buckstein, Biff Gore Band, Sugar Ridge, Shameless, Mile High Groove, Bad Candy, The Buzz Drivers, Triple Nickel, 20 Hands High, Fire Lane, JC Trio and more. Fireworks are scheduled for Friday and Saturday night. Head to ArapahoeCountyFair.com to see a complete event schedule or to purchase tickets.

GREELEY — The 103rd annual Weld County Fair is a free, annual event in Greeley open to the public with music, food, displays, car show and more. Youth and adults in Weld County will be exhibiting their skills in agriculture, livestock, natural resources, engineering, consumer and family, fine arts, horticulture and family living. The Weld County Fair is open through Saturday, July 24 through Monday, Aug. 2 at the Island Grove Regional Park.

PONCHA SPRINGS — The 2021 Chaffee County Fair opens Friday, July 23. This summer’s fair includes rodeos, muttin’ bustin’, live music, monster trucks, 4-H exhibits and much more. Carin Marie will perform at the 9 p.m. dance on Friday. The Chaffee County Fair runs through Sunday, Aug. 1. Tickets and a schedule are available at ChaffeeCountyFair.com.

EAGLE — The 82nd annual Eagle County Fair is underway and will be open through Saturday, July 24 at the Eagle County Fairgrounds. Admission to the fair and rodeo grounds is free and guests can view livestock exhibits, browse vendors booths, check out the chainsaw wood carving demonstrations and participate in educational seminars.

PRCA-sanctioned Pro Rodeos will take place each night beginning at 7 p.m. Avoid the lines at the fair and get your tickets at EagleCounty.us.

HOLYOKE — The Phillips County Fair is in full swing with events scheduled through Sunday, July 25 with 4‑H exhibits, vendors, food, fun and entertainment. A community BBQ begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 23 for $6 a plate at Phillips County Fairgrounds.

WRAY — Wray’s fair weekend arrives this weekend. Lots of Wray Daze events are planned all day Friday, July 23 through Sunday, July 25 that are sure to please the entire family. Saturday’s events include a pancake breakfast, car show, toy drive, free community BBQ, rubber duck race, beer keg battle and Wray Daze Parade. Visit WrayChamber.net for a complete Wray Daze schedule.

CARBONDALE — The 50th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair runs Friday, July 23 to Sunday, July 25 with live music, performing arts, family activities, food competitions, vendors, wood-splitting competitions, pie-baking competitions, kids’ activities and more. Check out the complete fair schedule at CarbondaleArts.com.

CONFIER — The annual Elevation Celebration, which takes place on Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, is Conifer’s signature summer festival. There’s a street fair with live music on two stages, vendors, food, games, kids’ zone and more, all on Conifer’s Sutton Road. A complete Elevation Celebration schedule can be seen at GoConifer.com.

DENVER — Global Dance Festival returns for a 19th year on Friday, July 23 and Saturday, July 24. The 2021 festival at Empower Field at Mile High features Tiësto, Claude VonStroke, Green Velvet, Illenium b2b Said the Sky b2b Dabin, 4B, Abelation, Adam Stark, Bass Physics, Claptone, Carnage, Born Dirty, Brondo, Decadon, Deorro, Dion Timmer, Dom Dolla, Gelus, Getter, John Martin, Khiva, Kaskade, John Summit, Luzcid, Of The Trees, Last Heroes, Yotto, Zomboy, Tsuruda, Tchami, Player Dave and many more.

The festival promises to be bigger and better than ever with dozens of artists on multiple stages outside the stadium, plus there’ll be carnival rides, food trucks and VIP village. Tickets are available at GlobalDanceFestival.com. 

AURORA — The 5th annual Reflection Garden on Tap Beer Festival and Fundraiser will be held Saturday, July 24 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the City of Aurora Water Wise Garden, site of the 7/20 Memorial. Admission to the family-friendly festival is free and include 5280 Burger Bar’s food truck, live music by Brushfire, and sidewalk chalk artists.

For a donation, guests 21 and over can enjoy beer from Resolute, Launch Pad, and Dry Dock breweries. All proceeds will support the 7/20 Memorial Foundation’s mission to advocate for the long-term healing of survivors and communities affected by mass tragedy.

RELATED: ‘We’re all just family’: Vigil honors victims, heroes of Aurora theater shooting

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AVON — The 2nd annual Avon Arts Celebration takes place Friday, July 23 to Sunday, July 25. The three-day outdoor event features over 100 booths with juried artists from across the nation. This free outdoor fine art show will be presented on the grounds of Nottingham Park and will include painting, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, metal, and woodwork, and much more.

SILVERTHORNE — The Town of Silverthorne’s new event series Silverthorne Art Strolls returns Sunday afternoon from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Experience pop-up artists and musicians while taking in the sounds and sights of the Blue River.

The Silverthorne Art Strolls are walking events that will be located along the Blue River Trail between the Silverthorne Performing Arts Center and the underpass by Chipotle.  There will be 25 artists in attendance and the main stage will feature live music from Forkplay.

KEYSTONE — Keystone’s River Run Village is where artists from around the country will convene on Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25. The 5th annual River Run Village Art Festival will showcase original art including paintings, sculptures, photography, ceramics, glass, wood, handmade jewelry, collage, mixed media and much more. Admission is free and open to the public.

DENVER — Rob Proctor’s Garden is now open every Sunday morning from 8 a.m. to noon. The 9NEWS Garden Expert’s address is 3030 West 46th Avenue in Denver. No tickets are required — just show up! A $10 donation is requested to benefit Dumb Friends League.

RELATED: Tour Rob Proctor’s garden while helping pets in need

PALISADE — The Palisade Plunge Trail officially opens on Friday, July 23. The Palisade Plunge Trail will open for public use with a grand opening celebration on Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Downtown 3rd and Main Street.

Nearly 12 years in the making, the trail takes bicycle riders from the top of the Grand Mesa (10,700 feet) to the Town of Palisade (4,700 feet) on a “challenging, terrain-shifting, and visually stunning singletrack trail.”

DENVER — Colorado Homegrown is a one-day concert exhibition at the Greek Theater in downtown Denver’s Civic Center Park. The concert celebration on Saturday, July 24 at 3 p.m. aims to bring together locally-sourced music, food and culture. There will be live music, local vendors, food, drinks and more.

The lineup features hometown heroes: Kid Astronaut, Corsicana, Zach Heckendorf, The Original iLLs, Major Super, DJ Highline and Jacoby.

CRESTED BUTTE — The 25th annual Crested Butte Music Festival opens Friday, July 23 with 20+ concerts and performances scheduled through Oct. 1. The festival includes symphony, chamber, family music, opera and gypsy jazz performances. “Chopin and Impromptu” music and a movie will take place this Friday at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at CrestedButteMusicFestival.org.

LYONS — The 49th annual RockyGrass Festival runs Friday, July 23 to Sunday, July 25 in Lyons. This weekend’s music lineup includes Bela Fleck, Sam Bush Band, Abigail Washburn, The Lil Smokies, Della Mae, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Mile Twelve, Never Come Down, The Infamous Stringdusters, Tony Rice Tribute, The Del McCoury Band, Tim O’Brien Band, KC Groves & Jake Simpson and more.

TELLURIDE — The 13th annual Telluride Yoga Festival is a unique four-day event with more than 100 offerings including yoga, meditation, music, hiking, dinings, SUP yoga, social gatherings and more. This festival takes place Saturday, July 24 to Tuesday, July 27.

Nestled at the end of a canyon and surrounded by some of Colorado’s most rugged peaks, event organizers say Telluride offers a truly unique yoga experience. Single-day or multi-day immersion passes and a schedule can be found at TellurideYogaFestival.com.

CAÑON CITY — The 12th annual Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival returns Friday, July 23 and Saturday, July 24. After last year’s cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cañon City festival promises to be bigger and better than ever this weekend.

Held in the refurbished and family-friendly Centennial Park, the festival pairs boats, bands, and beer for a weekend of fun-filled — and whitewater-fueled — events. The festival’s mantra is “Boats, Bands, Beer, and Bikes!” All registered event participants get into the festival for free on both Friday and Saturday and get a commemorative t-shirt. Register today at RoyalGorgeWhiteWaterFestival.com.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS — The 18th annual Glenwood Springs Car Show will begin with a cruise-in at Vicco’s Charcoalburger Drive-In at 6 p.m. Friday, July 23. The car show opens Saturday morning at Glenwood Springs Mall with dozens of cool cars, from classic to modern to modified, on display. You can register your vehicle for the Glenwood Car Show online.

LITTLETON — The Tough Mudder mud run and obstacle course is back in Colorado this weekend. The event is being held at Sterling Ranch in Littleon just 20 minutes from downtown Denver.

Mudders from all walks of life can come tackle Tough Mudder’s famous obstacles, enjoy a finisher beer complementary of Resolute Brewing and relax their muscles at the recovery zone. Ninja Nation will also be present for the Kids of Mudder Nation to interact with after completing the Tough Mudder Kids course. Register today at ToughMudder.com.

DENVER — Relay for Rescue is a charity scavenger hunt that will raise money for local animal welfare organizations. Participants will be able to compete for a grand prize while enjoying “tasks” such as a balloon hop, locked elbows and more.

Tickets are $35 online and include a t-shirt and donation to your chosen charity. The event starts Saturday, July 24 at 2 p.m. at the Blake Street Tavern.

DENVER — Stapleton Central Park will be home base of Dash for Smiles 5K run and walk on Sunday, July 25. The event aims to raise funds for the cleft lip and palate programs at the Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic and Rocky Mountain Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Center at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children.

Sunday’s run and walk begins in waves at 8 a.m. with water and snacks provided. Boggy Draw Brewery will host a beer garden afterwards. If you’d like to register for the Dash for Smiles, visit DashForSmiles.org.

COLORADO SPRINGS — This weekend’s Classic 10K follows Colorado Springs’ Pikes Peak Greenway through the heart of the city. The race begins at 7 a.m. Saturday, July 24 on Corporate Drive in front of Tiffany Square and finishes in North Monument Valley Park. Race registration can be completed here.

MORRISON — Colorado favorite Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) is returning to the Centennial State this weekend to perform at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. STS9 has concerts planned for Friday, July 23 and Saturday, July 24.

MORRISON — Rock band Guster is coming out of “covidtirement” to play a performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre with the Colorado Symphony on Sunday, July 25 with special guests The Lone Below.

Red Rocks reopened April 22 with a capacity of 2,500 people. The venue will increase capacity to 6,300 on May 22. Concerts and events happening after June 21 are at full capacity, which is 9,545 people.

RELATED: Red Rocks’ summer concert schedule

The summertime box office is soaring following strong openings from “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “Black Widow” and “F9: The Fast Saga.”

This weekend offers a new film from M. Night Shyamalan and a new entry in the “G.I. Joe” franchise.

• Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins
• Old

Last weekend’s box office

1. Space Jam: A New Legacy — $31.1 million
2. Black Widow — $25.8 million
3. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions — $8.8 million
4. F9: The Fast Saga — $7.7 million
5. The Boss Baby: Family Business — $4.7 million

RELATED: ‘Space Jam’ dunks on ‘Black Widow’ to take box office No. 1

RELATED: ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Review: Drafting the best and worst parts of a the sequel

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