Laura

Road to the Races, a nationwide tour inviting fans of #95 to gear up for the upcoming big-screen release of Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3 comes to Alamo Drafthouse (outside on the parking lot) at Aspen Grove in Littleton on Saturday & Sunday, May 27 & 28. Fans will take part in a host of activities and get a sneak peek of the movie. Life-size, character look-alikes of five-time Piston-Cup champion Lightning McQueen, tech-savvy Cruz Ramirez and the sleek next-gen racer Jackson Storm will be rolling into town. Among the FREE activities:  a street art booth and a giant coloring mural (kids get a FREE color pencil pack souvenir), a racer “pit crew”, and an interactive play area. Fans will be able to catch a sneak peek of the movie in the Cinetransformer Mobile Movie Theater and take photos with the life-size character cars. Hours are Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

One of the largest Memorial Day parades in the nation is held in Commerce City. More than 100 entries including antique and classic cars, motorcycles, floats, horses, bands and marching units will travel the 1.5 mile parade route on Monday, May 29. The parade begins at 10 a.m. rain or shine and last almost two hours. It starts at 64th Avenue and Newport Street, proceeding west on 64th Avenue, south on Holly Street west on 62nd Avenue and west on Parkway Drive ending at E. 60th and Colorado Blvd. Parade watchers are welcome to line the route with lawn chairs and blankets.

Douglas County Libraries will host New York Times bestselling author Stephen Coonts from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 9, at Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock. Coonts’ numerous novels include the Jake Grafton series and Tommy Carmellini series. He’ll discuss his latest novel, “Liberty’s Last Stand,” which features both characters in an intense political thriller with drama ripped from today’s headlines. A book sale and signing will follow the presentation. Registration is required to attend the event. Sign up online or call 303-791-7323. 100 S. Wilcox St., Castle Rock.

Bored on a budget? You’ve come to the right place! Mile High On The Cheap is the answer for Coloradans wanting to live large for less. Fortunately, our community has it all “on the cheap” — entertainment, festivals, concerts, movies, workshops, tours, sporting events and more. And we’ve done the work for you! Keep up with the latest deals, discounts and FREE events in the Denver/Boulder area by signing up for our daily e-newsletter. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. (If you know of any upcoming weekend events, send them to info@milehighonthecheap.com.) Be sure to check out our constantly-updated list of upcoming Mile High events, which you can view by day or by month. Here are our top picks for FREE and cheap things to do this weekend: [Read more…] about 47+ Free & Cheap Things To Do in Denver This Holiday Weekend

Connecting with the natural world is easy in Colorado. All you have to do is head east to the plains or west into the mountains. FREE programs take place in a variety of Jefferson County Open Space parks including Lookout Mountain Nature Center (LMNC) and the Hiwan Homestead Museum, throughout the year. The Center offers a variety of nature programs with topics that explore the diversity and richness of the foothills. Discover wildlife, plants, geology, astronomy and more. [Read more…] about Free & Fun Nature and History Programs Through JeffCo Open Space

The Denver Brass performs a concert at the Colorado Freedom Memorial on Saturday, May 27 at 2 p.m. The FREE concert is part of “Colorado Remembers” and also features the Celtic Colorado Pipes and Drums. The day’s events start Saturday morning at 11 a.m. with a special ceremony that inters the soil from gravesites in eight foreign countries where soldiers from WWI and WWII were laid to rest.  Participants will include the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard and Drill Team, The Sound of the Rockies Men’s Chorus, The Governor’s Own 101st Army Band, members of the famed 10th Mountain Division, Colorado National Guard and other military representatives, military re-enactors and special guests. Please bring chairs, blankets and arrive early to secure space for this once in a lifetime event. Springhill Community Park, 756 Telluride St., Aurora.

To celebrate Star Wars 40th Anniversary, The Incredible Art Gallery in downtown Denver will be hosting a Star Wars Live Artist event featuring Lucasfilm licensed artist Christopher Clark on Friday through Sunday, May 26 to 28. This event is FREE to the public and The Incredible Art Gallery will be giving away a FREE 9″ x 11″ Star Wars print to every attendee. Clark will be on hand both painting live and signing his works. Clark is the only Colorado artist licensed with both Star Wars & Marvel and is currently Lucasfilm’s best selling artist. Wine, beer, beverages and hot appetizers will also be served. Hours are Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. 1020 15th St., Unit 1V, Denver.

Join the Longmont Library for a fun summer of reading. Starting May 24 you can register online or in-person for the Summer Reading Program, which has two levels — Preschool (newborn to 5) and Children & teens (grades K-12). It’s easy to earn prizes. Participants receive a punch card and can punch a square by reading or doing other activities. You can punch one square a day by reading for at least 20 minutes. You also get one square punched for each library program attended including storytimes, movies, concerts, etc., as well as for visiting a museum or state or national park, memorizing one science fact or poem (you have to tell it to a librarian) and by writing down the title of one book read. Starting July 1, redeem prizes including neon sunglasses, books, and coupons good at Lakeside Amusement Park, Used Book Emporium, the Boulder county Fair, Chick-fil-A, Texas Roadhouse, Menchie’s and more. All prizes must be collected by Saturday, August 5.

The Navy Band Northwest and Denver Concert Band join forces to present a FREE concert on Friday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Englewood High School auditorium. Stat the holidays off on the right foot with a variety of toe tapping music. 3800 S. Logan, Englewood.

For three days of FREE fun and entertainment, you’d be hard-pressed to find any event more jam-packed than the South Gaylord Memorial Weekend Festival from Saturday to Monday, May 27 to 29. Festivities begin Saturday at 4 p.m. and continue to 9:45 p.m. with a FREE Music Extravaganza featuring the Tiffany Christopher, Coral Creek and The Congress. Then it’s a block full of family-friendly fun both Sunday and Monday with food & drink from South Gaylord restaurants, entertainment and local vendors. The Festival begins at 10 a.m. both days and runs until 6 p.m. on Sunday and 4 p.m. on Monday. Parking is FREE at South High, but carpooling is recommended. 1000 block of S. Gaylord between Tennessee and Mississippi, Denver.

Denver’s big Day of Rock with five stages and 25 bands has fans of all ages rocking out on the 16th Street Mall on Saturday, May 27 — and the best part: It’s all FREE. Whatever your taste in rock music, you’ll find it somewhere along the mall. The bass starts pumping at 2:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Performances are by country superstar Cam, Austin Young Band, The Dustbowl Revival, Jeffrey James, The Railbenders and many more. Stages are at Curtis, Champa, Welton and in Skyline Park. Dozens of gourmet food trucks and beer gardens will serve food and drink through the day. The Day of Rock truly is a one-of-a-kind music event presented by Amp the Cause, a local nonprofit that raises funds for more than 50 children’s charities.