Weekender

Ahhh weekend. I am proud to say that I actually have all my Christmas shopping done, and I plan to kick back and watch DVRed holiday specials from ABC Family with a big cup of cocoa (while stirring with a Candy Cane, of course.) Oh wait - at some point I also have to muck out the Guest bedroom and magically transform it into a place for a baby to lay his sweet head, (with apologies to the writer of Away in a Manger, natch.)
Maybe next weekend.  :)

Need some ideas for fun activities that won't eat into the gift budget?  You got it:

12/10 - Oh Lipgloss, scene of debauchery of my days now long gone by...  During this week's installment of Lipgloss (or right before it, more accurately,) La Rumba will be screening The Family Guy Star Wars Trilogy prior to a full night of dancing yourself silly - with drink specials and Family Guy giveaways all night long! RSVP on their FB page for the free event.
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12/11 - It's time to build the second part of the series-of-three train at this weekend's Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic!  Go here to pick a location and register (hint, this week is a train car, and the 18th is the Engine, so even if you missed the caboose it is still a great project for the little ones to build!)
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12/11 - Join Hammond's Candies between 9am and 5pm this Saturday for their annual Candy Cane Festival!  See Santa and Mrs. Claus and participate in free activities for the whole family, including free tours of the factory to see how candy is made (with samples after!) Get details at Hammond's Website.
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12/11 - The Denver Firefighters Museum is hosting a holiday open house this Saturday evening from 4pm - 6pm. They will have music and food, and a visit from a firefighter santa at this free event!  See their FB page for more info.
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12/12 - This Sunday D.U. hosts its very cool annual Holiday Carillon Concert from 3-4 on campus.  Bring lawn chairs, blankies, cocoa, etc, and sit out near the tower (at the south end of the Richie center) to hear the concert.  Or head inside the Richie Center to watch the carillonneur on a big screen as she performs! Get more details about this free event here.
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12/12 - Kids feeling crafty? Drop in to the Abrakadoodle tent on the plaza at Belmar anytime between 12:30 and 3pm on Sunday and they can get on on some free crafting fun!  This weekend it is holiday cards and gift tags, see the website for more details.

Every Weekend:

Christmas comes to Olde Town Golden weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas - each weekend there is a parade on Saturday morning, free horse drawn carriage rides, and lots of other family friendly activities to get you in the holiday spirit.  Check out Golden's website for more information.
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 Outdoor skating is back in Downtown Denver - and it is FREE!!! (Well, if you have skates.) The rink at Skyline Park opens Friday November 26 with a kickoff party, and will remain open through January 31st.  It is free to skate, and skate rental, if needed, is only 2 bucks! Go here to get info on hours, and also bookmark the site as they will be offering free skate rental days for the little ones throughout the season! (Much cheaper than the Belmark rink's prices - or One Boulder Plaza for that matter - though you can skate as long as you like there for the cost of admission.)
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Fridays - Same old Friday night Happy Hour got ya down? Looking for a healthy way to unwind and get your weekend started? YOU GOT IT! Thanks to Luluemon stores (like our location in Cherry Creek) who offer free Friday evening yoga events each week! Here is the info for this week's class. (oh look, there IS wine and chat afterwards. In yoga AND in life, balance is important.) There are locations in Boulder and Lone Tree as well, see the website for details.
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Fridays -Friday Night Live at Tony's Market Bistro is a fabulous way to enjoy some VERY reasonably priced drinks along with live music from 6p.m.-9p.m. Friday evening, and their rotating list of happy hour bites is always a step above your normal bar nosh! See here for current info.
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Saturdays- Amendment XXI in LoHi does free wine tastings every Saturday from 3pm-7pm. You can go here to get directions and subscribe to their mailing list so you can get info on upcoming tasting selections.
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Saturdays - Craving your farmer's market fix?  Good news, My Favorite FM is open year round! Denver Urban Homesteading's Market -Saturdays 9am-2pm. (The DUH farmer's market is also open Wed, Thur, Fri 1-6, too!)


Still searching for the perfect fun and frugal weekend activities?
Try these sites:
Denver365 Free Events page
Tattered Cover Bookstore Events
Denver Public Library Events

If you know of other fabulous and low-cost or free activities or events happening in and around the Mile High City this weekend, shout 'em out in the comments section below!
As always, if you have an upcoming event you would like listed in The Weekender (or any other tips for DiD,) email the details to :Keri@ItsTheAltitudeDenver.com