Colorado Dragon Boat Festival (end of July)
Held annually at the end of July, the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival is a colorful and tradition-filled celebration of Asian culture. The adult and youth boat racing competitions have grown every year and are an amazing event to watch. The performing arts stages feature the talent of Asian dance and music performances as well as martial arts exhibitions. A colorful and amazing festival and a great thing to do on a summer Denver weekend.
Don't miss the 2016 Colorado Dragon Boat Festival!
Clear Creek History Park, Golden (always free)
Clear Creek History Park in downtown Golden is now free to walk through, sunrise to sunset every day.
Creek at the Peak Rafting Festival
The Creek at the Peak raft and kayak race takes place on June 23rd, 2012 and provides a great opportunity to watch rafters and kayakers compete for prizes while supporting a great cause. Come check out the race and the after race festival in Idaho Springs on Saturday June 23rd. The festival takes place on the east side of the Springs at the ball fields. The race finishes just west of Idaho Springs and begins in Lawson.
The festival begins at noon and will feature live music, food from local restaurants, and Idaho Springs' famous Tommyknocker beer!
When: Saturday June 23rd, 2012.
The festival begins around noon and continues through the evening.
The races begin at 5pm and will probably finish around 7:30pm.
Where: Idaho Springs at the ball fields on the east side of town.
For all the details, check the Creek at the Peak site: 
A Taste of Colorado (Labor Day Weekend)
A Taste of Colorado is Colorado's largest Labor Day Weekend festival. This festival highlights diverse cuisine from Colorado restaurants, offering bite size tastes to full meals.
Golden Buffalo Bill Days (late July)
Golden hosts an annual festival celebrating the life and spirit of Buffalo Bill, who is believed to be buried at the top of Lookout Mountain. If you're in the front range during the last weekend of July, Buffalo Bill Days is one of the best things to do on a warm summer weekend.
Colorado July 4th Fireworks 2017
Colorado puts on quite a celebration for Independence day, with a large number of fireworks shows across the state. There are events of all sizes in 2017. Here we list some of the larger shows both in the Denver metro area as well as across the state.
Wassail Days, Frisco | Dec 8-16, 2012
Frisco's annual Wassail Days celebrate the coming holiday season in typical Frisco style with a chili cookoff, free winter activities, and free cups of an Old English cider and spice mixture called Wassail. Local shops compete for your vote as the best Wassail in Frisco.
For 2012, Wassail Days takes place December 8th through 16th.
Some highlights of this week long event:
December 8th: Santa Dash for Cash annual run.
Tree lighting.
Chili Cook-off.
December 12th: Wassail night at Frisco's history park.
December 13th: Free Tubing at Frisco Adventure Park.
Free sleigh rides at Frisco Adventure Park.
Free Nordic skiing at Frisco Nordic Center! (I'll be at this one!)
Advance reservations are required for many of the events.
See the Wassail Days web site for reservation info:
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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.
The Littleton History Museum (always free)
The Littleton Museum is a 14 acre indoor and outdoor history museum depicting Colorado pioneer history. Two historic farm sites featuring a schoolhouse and blacksmith shop bring history to life in a way that consistently rates this museum as one of the top living history museums in the United States.
Denver Art Museum (Free First Saturday)
The Denver Art Museum has a free day on the first Saturday of every month. The Denver Art Museum is a great place to spend an afternoon with friends in downtown Denver.
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.
Avery House, Fort Collins (free Saturday and Sunday)
The Poudre Landmarks Foundation has some of the best Fort Collins attractions for history buffs. Their historic Avery House in Fort Collins offers free tours on Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm to 4pm. The tour guides provide a wealth of information about the city's early days, and what life was like in the front range in the late 1800's. This is one of the great historical things to do in Colorado, as Fort Collins has a rich and colorful early history in the settling of Colorado.
When:
Year-round Saturday and Sunday
1pm to 4pm
For 2014, the Poudre Landmarks web site is incomplete and it is unknown whether Avery House tours are still taking place. Hopefully they will release an updated schedule soon. Call them to check on the latest situation: 970-221-0533
Where:
328 West Mountain Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Avery House Web Site:
Liftopia Ski Discounts
Colorado resorts offering substantial Liftopia ski discounts:
Arapahoe Basin.
Copper Mountain.
Durango.
Loveland.
Monarch Mountain.
Ski Cooper.
Sunlight.
Winter Park.
Some other resorts have discounts on Liftopia that really aren't discounts at all.
Check out Liftopia:
Rentals
If you need to pick up rentals on your way to the mountain, my favorite super cheap rental shop is Maison De Ski in Idaho Springs.
Children's Museum of Denver Free Days (first Tuesday monthly, 4-8pm)
One of the best free Denver attractions for kids, the Children's Museum of Denver's free day takes place from 4pm to 8pm on the first Tuesday of every month, known as Target Tuesdays.