Sure we can celebrate the Mile High City’s vibrant visual and performing art scene all year long, but thanks to the 17th annual Denver Arts Week, find even more wonderful ways to immerse yourself into the scene.

The festival runs November 3 to 11, showcasing everything from visual art to live performances to epic parties. So block off a day or two or seven, and take the excuse to explore the area and find something new and inspirational. Here are some things to look forward to, but also deep dive into the lineup, brought to us by Visit Denver.

DEALS FOR DENVER ART WEEK

Photo courtesy of Lone Tree Arts Center

While plenty of free fun can be had, there are also some discounts available during Denver Art Week. For example, get 15% off of tickets to Gerald Albright’s Lone Tree Sessions featuring singer, songwriter and musician, Leon Timbo. The artist plays at the Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., Lone Tree. The two-hour show runs November 3 at 8pm.

GRAFFITI AND STREET ART TOUR IN RINO

Go on this inspirational walking tour and get 15% off with the code, DENVERARTROCKS. It’s for this week only and includes a chocolate tasting and stop at a mural-filled beer garden. The best part, you can go any day! (The winter weekends-only hours start the day after Denver Art Week.)

Alex Campbell, Sean Scrutchins, Matt Zambrano and Brittany Mendoza-Peña in Little Red. Photo by Amanda Tipton Photography

CATCH A PLAY

The DCPA also has a special deal for this week, 15% off of one or two tickets to see Clyde’s, a comedy by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage at the Kilstrom Theatre. Use the code ARTSWEEK for tickets on November 4-8, as well as for the matinee performances on November 10 & 11. The code also works to get 20% off tickets to see Little Red at the Randy Weeks Conservatory Theatre on either November 4 or 11, up to two tickets.

See these, but then take a walk on the wild side and visit a new theater to enjoy a lesser-known play.

For example, Vintage Theatre Productions presents Cadillac Crew, a drama about four activists working in a Virginia during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. See it Friday through Sunday until Nov. 26 at Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora.

There’s also a lively rendition of 9 to 5, the Musical, presented by CU Boulder College of Music and playing at the university’s Imig Music Building, 1020 18th St., Boulder. The show runs November 9 to 12, and tickets are between $27-$40.

DAZZLING DEAL

If you haven’t checked out Dazzle‘s new location at the Arts Complex, now is the time. For Denver Art Week it’s offering two-for-one Tickets to hear The Kent Burnside Blues Band at 9pm on Thursday, November 9. Email host@dazzledenver.com for more information.

EXTRA LONG FIRST FRIDAY

Photo by David Rossa

First Friday has always been a great way to see local galleries and find out what Colorado’s artists are up to. On Friday, November 3, there are even more reasons to get outside and explore the scene. Visit 40 West Arts District to enjoy the Día de los Muertos Art Crawl and celebration, a family-friendly fete complete with exhibitions, Aztec dancers, traditional Indigenous and Latino/a/x artists, food trucks, craft stations and more (6-9pm).

In Five Points there’s the First Friday Jazz Hop, which goes through the neighborhood and entails a live, swinging soundtrack in the restaurants and businesses along Welton Street.

Also check out the usual (but bigger and better) First Friday walks, including the Santa Fe Arts District along Santa Fe Drive around 6th Avenue; Tennyson Street in Berkeley between 38th and 40th Avenues;  and the RiNo Art District, which covers most of the neighborhood around Larimer Street.

FREE MUSEUM ENTRY

On Saturday, November 4, head to Denver’s best museums and explore the collections for free. All day free admission can be found at the Denver Art Museum and Clyfford Still Museum.

Denver Art Museum. Photo by Linnea Covington

Other places are hosting a special Night At the Museum event that day, for free also. Most run from 5 to 10pm, including History Colorado, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Center For Colorado Women’s History and Museo de las Americas. Dinosaur Ridge also hosts a special free evening that night from 5 to 9pm.

TAKE THE KIDS OUT

Art meets stuffed animal party at Access Gallery where Enchanted Dichotomy has created IFeel Monsters. This community project was put together using recycled materials and each “monster” represents a feeling. The exhibit is free to visit on November 3 from 6 to 9pm at 909 Santa Fe Dr., Denver.

Take the kids to Golden for a free, outdoor, self-guided walking tour featuring public art. In fact, there are two iterations, one featuring large-form pieces, and another showcasing itty-bitty art hidden in cracks, on pipes and through the natural surroundings. Think of it as an artistic scavenger hunt. Find more information and where to start online or by heading to the Golden Visitor Center at 1010 Washington Ave., Golden.

Golden’s Tiny Art Walk. Photo by Linnea Covington

Kids 6 and up can get a free 30-minute trial lesson with School of Rock, 560 S Holly St., Denver. It’s a great opportunity to see if they take to the guitar, drums, bass guitar, piano or singing.

ONE-TIME ONLY EVENTS

Catch a free 90-minute live concert titled, Pizzazz! Virtuosic Baroque Music. The lineup includes pieces by Bach, Vivaldi, Forqueray, and more, and will take place on Wednesday, November 8 from 4 to 5:30pm at Trail Winds Recreation Center, 13495 Holly St., Thornton. No kids under 8 admitted.

Globeville Riverfront Art Center, 888 E 50th Ave., Denver, will host the Autumn Artfest on Saturday, November 4 from 3 to 8pm. There will be over 75 artists and creative businesses, as well as a group art show and open studios to peek into.

Next, book a ticket to see one-day-only Extremely Artificial Intelligence at Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Dr., Denver. It’s not classic theater, instead, the crew from Buntport Theater Company will regale the audience with funny stories about what happens when machines start getting ideas of their own. The show runs November 5 at 2pm.

Shanna Shelby, curator of exhibitions for Denver Arts and Venues, and co-curator Paul Ramsey, will lead a free tour and discuss Culture Cloth, an art show going on at McNichols Civic Center Building, 144 W. Colfax Ave., Denver. The lunchtime tour runs from noon to 1pm on Thursday, November 9, though the display will be up until December 17.