Weekender

3 DAY WEEKEND!!! (Well, for some of us anyway - hope you are included!)  I am so happy at the prospect of a 3 day weekend, I lack words to express my joy.  The Hub has some errands planned for us, and I am perfectly willing to surrender a portion of my normal weekend to his plans since I get a bonus day to do whatever I want!

Need some good ideas for fun activities this weekend?  You got it!

1/15-1/17 - It's the first free admission day(s) of 2011 in National Parks around the country this year, and Colorado has some great ones!  Winter is an amazing time to Enjoy Rocky Mountain National Park, for example - it is a very popular snowshoeing and winter camping destination!  Bundle the family into the car and head out to the wide open spaces this weekend, free of charge. Get more info and find more parks here.
FYI - There is a Winter Trails event on Saturday at RMNP as well, offering the whole family a chance to try out Snowshoeing and Cross Country Skiing for free - sign up here to participate!
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1/14-1/5 - I can't find a single bad thing to say about this idea: Lucid Gallery is hosting the 2nd Denver Pancakes and Booze art show - 5 bucks gets you in for art, music, pancakes, and drinks - how fabulous is that?  Get more details at the event's FB page.
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Stock show deals:
1/14 - Guarantee Bank's passes for free kids admission that I mentioned last weekend are good through Friday January 14th, so if you are heading to the stock show of Friday be sure and call your closest branch to see if they have any left, and git  yer little buckeroos in to the stock show free of charge!
1/15- - There are also several package deals for specific events that can save you a bundle for the family, or for a little date night, western style. The packages include admission, tickets to an event, and food and drink! See all the package options here.
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1/17 - Don't forget the man we are celebrating as we enjoy our extra day off on Monday!  Head to City Park at 9am on Monday and join in the Marade, marching from City Park to Civic Center Park.  Go here for more details on the celebration and Marade.

Every Weekend:

 Outdoor skating is back in Downtown Denver - and it is FREE!!! (Well, if you have skates.) The rink at Skyline Park is open for the season 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.) They also do fun events at the rink - see the full schedule here!  **This Saturday evening is a Date and Skate night at the rink - details here***
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Ruby Hill Rail Yard  gives you a chance to ski and board even if you can't get up the hill! This popular Denver snow terrain park also features free equipment rental for kids - get all the details and location here.
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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