Elitch Gardens opens; tacos, beer and music at Fiddler’s Green and more things to do in Denver this weekend

Elitch Gardens opens for the season

Starting Saturday. Your heart is pounding. You check your harness one last time and look down just before the descent. You take a deep breath and the screams pour from your mouth as you plummet …  down the roller coaster track. Get ready, thrill-seekers, Elitch Gardens is opening for the season this weekend. This will be the park’s 128th consecutive year of twists and turns with something for everyone in the family. And let’s not forget the food — that sugary, greasy amusement park food that dreams are made of. The Island Kingdom water park will open Memorial Day Weekend and the season will also feature concerts by Chris Lane, Switchfoot and more, along with the popular dive-in movie series. Hours for the park, at 2000 Elitch Circle, vary; go online to confirm. Purchase daily tickets online for $39.99, or season passes are still available at elitchgardens.com.

Music and tacos and wrestling, oh my!

Saturday. Let’s list the things you will find at Sabroso: craft beer, tacos, rockin’ live music and, wait for it, Lucha Libre wrestling. Yes, that’s all in one festival at Fiddler’s Green, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Englewood. Starting at 2 p.m., bands Pennywise, Street Dogs, Lit and more — along with headliner The Offspring — will provide the music while you pack your gullet with tacos and hundreds of sudsy crafts under the Colorado sun. Tickets $29-$59, or $39-$59 the day of the show. Tickets and information at fiddlersgreenamp.com.

“Velveteen Rabbit” comes to life with dance!

Friday. Who knew that when your favorite toy came to life, it would have such sweet dance moves? The popular children’s book “The Velveteen Rabbit” will be brought to life by students from Cleo Parker Robinson Dance at the Newman Center, 2344 E. Iliff Ave., Denver, to tell the powerful story of friendship and love between a boy and his stuffed rabbit. One hour before the show there will be a Kid Zone, where the little ones can make puppets, get their faces painted and even hang out with real bunnies.The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25-$39, $15 for students. Tickets and information: ewmantix.com, 303-871-7720.

It’s silent films, but with music

Through Sunday. The Denver Silent Film Festival is ready to celebrate the classic film form, but with a few twists. Live accompaniments played by CU Denver’s College of Arts & Media musicians will be paired with the digital restorations of classic films for a whole new take on the concept. The festival will feature nine films with one for every mood: comedy to drama to eccentric. Along side classics like “Chicago” and “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” a selection of three-minute silent films made by student filmmakers will screen on Sunday. On top of that, each student filmmaker arranged the live musical accompaniment. Films will screen at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 4255 West Colfax Ave. See the list of films at denversilentfilmfestival.org, and festival passes are listed at $110 at drafthouse.com.

The Denver Post needs your support.
Subscribe now for just 99 cents for the first month.

[Read More …]