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.
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.
Bluff Lake Nature Center, Aurora (always free)
Bluff Lake Nature Center is a free wildlife and nature center park in Aurora in the Stapleton area. Hiking trails wind their way through the park, passing a seasonal lake and overlooks. This is an excellent Denver area attraction for nature watchers.
Denver Cinco De Mayo Festival (May 3-4, 2014)
One of the best ways to experience Denver's rich Hispanic heritage is to visit the annual free Denver Cinco De Mayo Festival, one of the best things to do in Denver on a May weekend.
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: 
Movies In the Park
Looking for a popular Denver attraction for the kids? The free Denver Movies in the Park are one of the top things to do in Denver with the family, and not to be missed if you're in Denver with kids.
Denver Mountain Parks (always free)
The city of Denver operates a series of beautiful and diverse parks in the foothills areas west and south of Golden.
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Coors Tour: Golden, Colorado (always free)
The Coors tour is one of Colorado's most famous free tours, and one of the top Colorado attractions. If you are in the Denver area, try to make the trip west to the Coors tour in downtown Golden.
After parking, you will be picked up by a small bus and taken on a short tour of downtown Golden. The driver will provide information about Golden and Coors along the way.
After exiting the bus, you go into the Coors tour center, where you will receive an audio device that you listen to as you follow the self-guided tour.
The Coors tour is very in depth, taking you through the history of Coors and the stages of brewing and packaging. You will see the huge brewing vats and other facilities critical to the process. The packaging area is one of the most dramatic aspects when it is in full operation.
In the middle of the Coors tour you enter a room which serves a small sample of the freshest beer you will likely ever taste, recently off of the production line. At the end of the tour you enter the bar area where you receive three free drinks of your choice! And don't worry, they have root beer and other drinks for the designated driver and the children.
The Coors tour is so popular that it can be very crowded with long wait times at the bus and bar. Consider attending earlier in the day or on a weekday.
When:
Winter Hours:
Thursday 10-4
Friday 10-4
Saturday 10-4
Sunday noon-4
Monday 10-4
Closed Tuesday, Wednesday and all major holidays.
Summer Hours (May 29 through Labor Day):
Monday - Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 12noon - 4pm
Closed on all major holidays.
Specific Closure Dates:
April 20th.
May 26, 27, 28.
July 4th.
September 1, 2, 3.
November 28-29.
December 24-25.
December 31-January 1.
Where:
The Coors tour is located in the middle of downtown Golden. The gigantic concrete buildings are impossible to miss.
Parking for the tours is in a large lot at the intersection of 13th street and Ford Street. The line for the Coors tour bus forms near this intersection.
Information about the Coors tour from the MillerCoors site:
Shell Gas Two For One Ski Ticket
For 2014, Shell gas stations are offering 2 for 1 vouchers at several ski areas with a 10 gallon gas fill up. This means that if you buy at least 10 gallons of gas, you get a coupon good for a free lift ticket if you purchase one full price adult lift ticket. The deal is good at several ski areas.
Unfortunately, full price adult lift tickets have become so expensive that this isn't much of a "deal". But if you just want to ski one day at a participating resort this year, this will get you on the slopes for less than full price.
In Colorado, 2014's participating resorts are:
Copper Mountain
Crested Butte
Loveland
Monarch
Powderhorn
The SkiFreeDeals.com web site has a full list of participating Shell stations and ski resorts.
Learn more at skifreedeals.Com:
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.
Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs (always low cost)
Howelsen Hill Ski Area is a historic ski area and Olympic training grounds operated by the city of Steamboat Springs, and is one of the only ski areas left in Colorado that is affordable on a daily basis. This ski area is a decent place for downhill skiers and snowboarders to make some quick laps, and features a nice terrain park, but it is especially nice for Cross Country / Nordic skiers.
There are only a handful of downhill runs served by 1 rope tow and 1 chair lift, but there are miles of Nordic trails. Howelson is lit for night skiing and often stays open until 8pm.
Oh yeah, the huge ski jumps are off limits to the public but they are an amazing sight!
2012 - 2013 Rates:
Lift Tickets: $20 per adult, discounts for children and seniors.
Terrain Park Only: $10
Nordic Trails Only: $10
Children's Magic carpet learning area: Free! (see concession booth for a free ticket).
$10 night skiing tickets are also available Tuesday through Friday.
Full lift ticket pricing breakdown for 2012-2013:
Hours and Season:
CLOSED MONDAYS.
Tuesday 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Wednesday 1:00 pm - 8:00pm
Thursday 3:45 pm - 8:00pm
Friday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Closed on Christmas Day and special holiday hours are in effect through Jan 3.
Howelson Hill Home Page and Maps:
Steamboat is fairly remote for a day trip, but if you can't afford the lodging in the area, there is a year-round campground that is reasonable called Steamboat Campground.
Zengo (Downtown Denver)
The first thing that hits you when you enter Zengo near the 16th Street mall in downtown Denver is the atmosphere. The low lighting, the expansive bar and the couches in the lounge all say one thing- "I am hip and young in Denver."
Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls, and Toys
For the dollhouse fan in every little girl at heart, the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls, and Toys has a Community Day on the first Sunday of every month, from 1 pm to 4 pm.
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: