Denver Fan Expo
Through Sunday. The biggest annual gathering of celebrities in Colorado is back with Fan Expo Denver, running Thursday, July 3, to Sunday, July 6, at the Colorado Convention Center. The pop-culture party draws tens of thousands downtown each year for comics and anime, gaming, merchandise and artist signings, cosplay, competitions galore, authors, performances and more.
This year’s notables include a Superman slate (all the living movie and TV Supermen, minus the newest one); a “Twilight” fan experience; movie stars such as John Cena, Jennifer Beals, William Shatner, John Boyega, Brendan Fraser, Bruce Campbell, Alan Tudyk, Cassandra Peterson (a.k.a. Elvira) and dozens more. Bonus: There will be opportunities to get autographs and photos for a fee. (And don’t miss the “Cobra Kai” trio of Martin Kove, Brandon H. Lee and Patrick Luwis.)
Single-day passes for the event, taking place at 700 14th St. in Denver, are $50-$71, with youth passes (ages 13-17) at $45-$51 and child passes (6-12) at $12. Full-fest passes start at $109, with family discounts available. Visit fanexpohq.com/fanexpodenver for more.
Cherry Creek Arts Fest
Friday-Sunday. The sprawling Cherry Creek Arts Festival — one of the country’s biggest juried art exhibitions — returns to the Cherry Creek North shopping district Friday, July 4, through Sunday, July 6, with 260 exhibiting artists, free hands-on crafts for kids and adults, a family-friendly and walkable layout, and live performances, food and drink vendors, and other activities.
Don’t miss Cleo Parker Robinson Dance’s appearance on the main stage at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday; tickets are free and available online. The overall event runs 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday (with an accessibility hour starting at 9 a.m.) and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Secure bike parking is on Second Avenue near Adams Street. Paid parking is available at Cherry Creek Shopping Center, in the Whole Foods garage, and along the surrounding streets. Admission is free. Visit cherryarts.org for an artist list and detailed festival map.
Civic Center’s Backyard Jamboree
Through Sunday. There are plenty of concert options in town this weekend, including Wu-Tang Clan and Run the Jewels at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre (Friday, July 4) and Blues Traveler’s impressive Fourth of July return to Red Rocks Amphitheatre (playing there nearly every year since 1992 — minus 1999 and 2020, according to venue records).
Still, there’s hardly a bigger fan draw than Toronto’s Zeds Dead, as the bass-focused DJ-producer duo swings through both Morrison and Denver for packed shows. After playing a pair of concerts at Red Rocks as part of its DeadRocks XI run (July 2-3, sold out in advance), the band jumps over to Civic Center park (101 West 14th Ave. in Denver) for the fifth annual Backyard Jamboree on Friday, July 4, with openers Ravenscoon, Cool Customer, Villager and lots more.
The family-friendly event, which includes a hot-dog eating contest, food and drinks vendors, and lawn games, should draw about 10,000 EDM fans to central Denver. Tickets, $89.95-$112.94, are still available via axs.com.
Warm Cookies of the Revolution
Friday. Denver nonprofit Warm Cookies of the Revolution, which turns civic engagement into fun, all-ages creative gatherings, is about drawing connections rather than dividing, and its latest event reminds us that the Fourth of July holiday belongs to all of us.
The Interdependence Day Celebration takes place 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday, July 4, at the southeast corner of Huston Lake Park (850 S. Bryant St. in Denver), with live performances, traditional Mixtec Oaxacan cuisine from La Reyna del Sur, an herbalist walk “with magical medicine man Monticue Connally,” poetry from Molina Speaks, henna tattoos, lawn games and all-ages activities, chalk artwork, awards and more.
It’s free, all-ages and family-friendly. Visit warmcookiesoftherevolution.org to RSVP.