Kentucky Derby parties
Saturday. Denver’s most visible Kentucky Derby parties tend to be pricey, bougie, 21-and-up affairs. But then, isn’t that the point? To get dressed up and sip mint juleps while marking the season? This year’s biggest, as usual, double as fundraisers, so you can feel good about those fancy drinks and elaborate hats.
The Denver Derby Party returns to McGregor Square from 1 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 3 ($125-$300 with an all-inclusive ticket, denverderby.com).
Denver Derby Day at the Ritz-Carlton runs 1-5 p.m., with an afterparty 5-8 p.m. ($35.73-$83.21, denverderby.org)
And the 2025 Denver Mini Derby runs 1-6 p.m. at RiNo Art Park ($107.19, eventbrite.com). See more at denverpost.com/event-calendar.
Cinco de Mayo Festival
Saturday-Sunday. Along with Denver PrideFest and a raft of upstart music fests, the Cinco de Mayo Festival is one of the biggest events taking over Civic Center park each year, drawing 250,000-plus people to its two-day run of Mexican cultural delights.
This year’s event returns 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4, at 101 W. 14th Ave. in downtown Denver. Expect live music and dance, cultural contests and shows (hello, lowriders and chihuahuas), some of the city’s finest food vendors (for real), and vendor booths from local artisans. Free and all-ages. cincodemayodenver.com
Bridget Millikan, 7, hangs on to the rope swing as it traverses rope netting in the Adventure Forest, the Children’s Museum’s latest installation on May 26, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Adventure Forest, which is on the Children’s Museum Denver Marsico Campus, opens June 3rd to the public. Adventure Forest is a 500 foot long aerial adventure course and immersive art installation created by their in-house exhibits team and artist Wes Sam-Bruce. The Adventure Forest includes a chimney climb, a spider web, a rope swing, a log bridge, the willow nest, a tippy, tippy top lookout and a 70 ft slide to the bottom among other fun experiences in the forest. Children must be at least 5 years old and taller than 44″ to participate. They must be accompanied by an adult. Helmets are required through out the course. The large sculpture that can be viewed from the highway is at the back of Joy Park on the grounds of the museum. Adventure Forest is included with museum admission.
A joyful park for kids
Friday. This week marks the spring reopening of Adventure Forest at the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marisco Campus, the jaw-droppingly cool, smartly designed aerial course and play structure that can be seen from Interstate 25 and parts of downtown. (Note: Climbers must be 5 years old or 44 inches and dressed for outdoor activities.)
In addition to that Friday, May 1, reopening, the Children’s Museum of Denver is opening its Joy Park Water Features, as well as its Joy Park Free Nights (4:30-8 p.m.) on the third Friday of each month through September (May 16, June 20, July 18, Aug. 15 and Sept. 19). General admission prices: kids under 1 are free, 1-year-olds cost $16.75 (as well as 60-and-over), 2-59 cost $18.75. Located at 2121 Children’s Museum Drive in Denver. Free parking. Visit mychildsmuseum.org for more details.
2025 Furry Scurry
Saturday. The nonprofit Humane Colorado (formerly the Denver Dumb Friends League) this weekend is holding its 32nd Furry Scurry, a 2-mile dog walk and festival at South Denver’s Washington Park. The 9 a.m.-noon event on Saturday, May 3 — which typically draws about 3,000 pooches, cats and other pets — is a fundraiser for the shelter, which provides care and adoption services for roughly 47,000 animals each year, organizers said.
Expect contests, food trucks and more all-ages, family-friendly fun. Registration fees and donations go directly to the nonprofit’s animal-support services. Individual registration runs $35 for ages 6-12 and $60 for adults, with options to register a new team or join an existing one. Prices go up by $5 on May 3. The Furry Scurry starts near 701 S. Franklin St. in Denver. Visit humanecolorado.org/event/furry-scurry for more.