Have fun. Save money. Denver free days and free things to do in Colorado.

Golden Clear Creek Kayak festival (Wednesdays in June)

The "Golden Community Rodeo" is a weekly kayak competition in downtown Golden along Clear Creek at the Golden kayak park. You can sit or stand along the creek and watch the competition. It's pretty amazing what these kayakers can do, and definitely worth taking some time to watch. Can you think of a better thing to do on a warm spring Wednesday?

Competitors are arranged according to class. This year the classes are:

Juniors
Masters
Men: Sport, Intermediate, and Expert
Women: Sport, Intermediate, and Expert

Leadville Ski Joring Festival (annually in March)

The Leadville Ski Joring Festival is one of the truly great annual ski competitions in Colorado. Well maybe not quite up to professional athlete standards, but what professional athlete would ever try this? Skiers are pulled at breakneck speeds by horses and attempt to spear rings that are hanging from the course as they jump over obstacles.

I don't know about you but I couldn't even do one of those things on an ice covered course. Watching athletes bring it all together is absolutely thrilling. The compeition is just as fierce as an x-games and the danger level is as extreme as it gets. The only thing missing is ESPN.

The Leadville Ski Joring Festival is a family oriented festival with many events and activities in addition to the ski joring. It's a 
great way to spend a weekend in the mountains and a must see if you're a ski enthusiast who has seen enough slaloms for one season.

When:
Saturday and Sunday March 1-2, 2014.

Where:
Downtown Leadville, Co.

For more information check the Leadville Ski Joring site: 

Denver Center for the Performing Arts ($10 tickets)

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts offers a limited number of $10 tickets, every Tuesday morning, for shows coming later in the week.

Manitou Springs Great Fruitcake Toss Festival (annually in January)

Colorado is known for it's goofy festivals and the Great Fruitcake Toss is certainly one of the headliners. This Manitou Springs tradition is held every year after the holidays in an effort to dispose of certain unwanted confections you may have acquired.

Some people prefer to launch their cakes by hand but many choose to build elaborate contraptions to give their fruitcakes the send off they deserve. There are various cake launching categories as well as competitions for the best and prettiest fruit cakes.

When:
The 2014 Great Fruitcake Toss festival has been cancelled. Hopefully it will be back in 2015.

Where:
In Manitou Springs at the Manitou Springs High School track. 
401 El Monte Place
Manitou Springs, CO 80829.

Pueblo Chile Festival

The Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival in Southeast Colorado is guaranteed to burn your eyes with fun! Besides being overcome with tears in the chili roasting area, you will find a diverse selection of music and dance performances as well as local vendors.

Free Summer Bowling For Students at Brunswick Bowling Centers

Brunswick Bowling Centers are offering free bowling for students during the summer of 2012. Kids or their parents (depending on age) sign up for Brunswick's Bonus Zone to get free bowling.

There are a few Brunswick Bowling Centers along the front range that offer the free bowling for kids promotion.

Find a bowling center: 

Bonus Zone Sign up: 

Parker Oktoberfest

The 8th Annual Parker Oktoberfest will be held in O'Brien Park in Old Town Parker Colorado on September 14th & 15th, 2013.

Denver Firefighters Museum Free Days

The Denver Firefighters Museum free days are a fun way to learn about real Colorado firefighters and the history of fire fighting in Colorado.

Santa Fe Art Walk (first Friday monthly)

Denver's Art District on Santa Fe Drive features one of the more diverse collections of galleries in the United States, all situated within a short walking distance.

Winter Trails Day (annually, in January)

Winter Trails Day is a nationwide event, with free or discounted access to many cross country (nordic) ski trails and snowshoe trails, free tours, free rentals, and that sort of thing.

Loveland Ski Hooky Days (Second Thursday Monthly)

For the 2019 ski season, Loveland Ski Area and 95.7 The Party FM are offering $25 lift tickets on the second Thursday of each winter month.

They also offer a 2 for 1 ticket for the following week if you can't attend on Thursday. To get the $25 price, or the 2 for 1, you have to go to the "95.7 The Party" web site and sign up as a "Party VIP", then print the coupon.

When:
Thursday, February 14th, 2019
Thursday, March 14th, 2019

Where:

Loveland Ski Area is located off of I-70 just before Eisenhower Tunnel. Take the Route 6 exit (Exit 216) and you can't miss the ski area. Loveland is broken up into 2 distinct areas with a shuttle bus that runs between them. Loveland Valley (left off the exit) is considered the learning and training area and Loveland Basin (right off the exit) is the main ski area. A shuttle bus runs between both.

Free First Fridays Art Walk

On the first Friday of every month, art districts around Colorado open their galleries late for an evening of gallery hopping. Most districts will have great food, drinks, music and an all-around festive atmosphere.

Longmont Studio Tour (September 29-30)

Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden (free days)

The top Colorado attraction for train enthusiasts also has free days! A few free days are held each year at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden. This museum features a diverse collection of trains, some restored and some not, located outdoors. You can climb aboard some of them. There are also indoor museum exhibits and a huge indoor miniature train layout that is operated by quarters.