Top Free Art Activities Around Denver
First Friday Art Walk
Santa Fe Arts District
Santa Fe Drive between 5th Ave. and 11th Ave.
Denver, CO 80204
www.artdistrictonsantafe.com
The best place in town to get your fill of free art is to visit the First Friday Art Walk along the Santa Fe Arts District. The first Friday of every month, all of the local businesses and galleries open their doors, food vendors line the streets, musicians find a corner and hundreds of people head down to peruse all of the art. Many of the galleries will give out free wine and you can often catch the actual artists there doing work or just chatting with other art lovers about their most recent piece. There are First Friday Art Walks in all of Denver's arts districts, but the Santa Fe Art Walk is the biggest and busiest every month.
Related: Top Art Walks in Denver
Family Friendly Improv Comedy
At the Denver Puppet Theatre
3156 W. 38th Ave.
Denver, CO 80211
(720) 394-3833
www.coloradoimprov.com
Improv comedy can be a great event for the whole family, and the local comedy troupe Rodents of Unusual Size will perform at the Denver Puppet Theater most Saturdays for free. Improv comedy is a great way to introduce your children to performing arts, and it is quick and lively, so it is sure to keep their short attention spans going. The shows are completely free, but it is asked that you purchase food or drink from Zooks, the coffee shop next door. Be sure to check the website for the next free show.
Bishop's Castle
12705 State Highway 165
Beulah, CO 81023
(719) 485-3040
www.bishopcastle.org
Although about a three-hour drive south of Denver, this spot makes for a great family outing for a breathtaking display of artistry. Sprouting out of the wooded area in Beulah, Colorado is a huge, handmade castle. It is a labor of love made by just one man – Jim Bishop. Jim started the castle in 1969. It's one part art project and one part just crazy. It's a huge sculpture to be sure, but if you sign a waiver you can go inside and climb to the top of the towers with beautiful views of the surrounding woods. Most days you can find Jim there and usually he is happy to talk about the castle. But he is also pretty vocal about his political beliefs, ranting and raving from the bed of his pickup truck. But the rants are nothing to deal with when you get to see this amazing work of art.
Free Day at the Denver Art Museum
100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway
Denver, CO 80204
(720) 865-5000
www.denverartmuseum.org
The first Saturday of every month, the Denver Art Museum opens its doors to all Colorado residents. The free museum day is sponsored by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District in the 7 county metro area, the organization that makes a lot of art in the state of Colorado possible. This is an excellent time to bring the whole family to the museum to get a chance to see all of the impressive collections. Be sure to arrive early, as it does get fairly crowded.
Treehouse Youth Arts School
734 Santa Fe Drive
Denver, CO 80204
(720) 583-3728
www.dpau.org
The Treehouse Youth Arts School is a wonderful organization that strives to bring free art classes to K-12 students in Denver. As a local non-profit arts organization, it works to bring the arts to students and children that may not otherwise have access to these resources, making arts and arts education publicly accessible for all students. Check out the online calendar for the schedule of classes starting soon or just head over and make a donation to keep this important organization thriving.
Deborah Flomberg is a theater professional, freelance writer and Denver native. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
