Six Things to Do for Free in Denver This Week

Colorado celebrated its 144th birthday on August 1, but the party continues on August 3, when Colorado Parks and Wildlife is offering free entry to 41 state parks. Find out more here...and get going!

Still in Denver? There are plenty of other things you can do for free this week, many without even leaving your desk. Keep reading for a sampling:

COVID-19 Webinar: Zoonotic Spillover and Emerging Viruses
Monday, August 3, 8:30 a.m.
COVID-19 isn’t the first virus to make the leap from animals to humans, and if history is any guide, it won’t be the last; other examples include AIDS, Ebola and SARS. At this free webinar offered by the Colorado School of Public Health, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and the Institute for Science & Policy, Brian Foy and Tony Schountz, both professors in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology at Colorado State University, will discuss the science behind animal-to-human transmission and how COVID-19 has played out thus far, then answer questions during a moderated Q&A session. Register here; the session will also be streamed on Facebook.

How to Be an Anti-Racist Organization
Monday, August 3, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Tariana Navas-Nieves, director of cultural affairs for Denver Arts & Venues, and Nita Mosby-Tyler, chief catalyst at The Equity Project LLC, will lead a discussion focusing on the actions that organizations can take and the necessary work required to be a fully-committed anti-racist organization. This is part of the Imagine 2020 speaker series; register for the free event at Eventbrite.com.

Colorado Preservation Inc. Happy Hour: Hugo Roundhouse
Monday, August 3, 4 p.m.
Listed on the State Register of Historic Properties, the Union Pacific Railroad roundhouse in Hugo was constructed in 1909 to service engines on the Kansas-Pacific Railroad; Colorado Preservation Inc. listed the roundhouse as one of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places in 2002. Learn how Roundhouse Preservation Inc., the nonprofit formed by concerned local citizens, has been working to preserve the structure. The discussion is free, but donations to Colorado Preservation Inc. are definitely encouraged; sign up here.

Vail Dance Festival

Vail Dance Festival NOW: Premieres
Tuesday, August 4, 6 p.m.
The Vail Dance Festival is virtual this year, with many free programs you can watch online. NOW Premieres  includes a world premiere choreographed by Bobbi Jene Smith with dancers Melissa Toogood, Calvin Royal III and Smith herself joining in the dance made in and for the virtual space; the program also features "Rise Wait Climb Through," a 2018 world premiere choreographed by Justin Peck, with a commission scored by Caroline Shaw. See the full festival schedule at vaildance.org; register for this free program here.

Hyphen-American: A Conversation Series With YaSi
Tuesday, August 4, 6 p.m.
Musician YaSi will be joined by local musician smallboifunk to discuss the movie No One Knows About Persian Cats during this free program, part of a series of conversations highlighting the first- and second-generation immigrant experience and representations of it in American media inspired by Nari Ward: We the People, now at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. Reserve your ticket here.

Womxn's March Denver Virtual Panel Discussion with Denver Black Leaders
Tuesday, August 4, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The Womxn's March hosts a virtual kickoff to its  #Vote2Vent Digital Toolkit with a panel discussion moderated by Genene Duran, the new Dean of Health at the Emily Griffith Opportunity School, with Apryl Alexander, associate professor at the University of Denver; Tamra DeBrady, president of Colorado Black Women for Political Action; Kim Desmond, director of the Mayor's Office of Social Equity and Innovation; Abria Duran, co-chair of the Mayor’s Youth Commission; Ashle Mirahzh Mygat of 100 Women in Black; Barry Overton, a former Denver Police Officer who's co-chair Denver African American Commission; and Sondra Young, president of the NAACP's Denver branch. “Our commitment to doing this work means educating our constituents and offering resources to develop stronger allies to support the movement,” says Angela Astle, boardmember of the Womxn's March. Register here.

Know of a great free local event? Email information to editorial@westword.com.