AURORA | Get ready to put on the dog days of summer.
How about a county fair with something old and new to thrill the entire family? The 118th annual Arapahoe County Fair is off and running for the weekend.
Play premiers and art shows like you’ve never seen are on tap.
Here’s a short list of unusual ways to spend the weekend in and near Aurora.
‘4000 Miles’ at the Vintage Theatre
Insight Colab Theatre company presents ‘4000 Miles’ by Amy Herzog through Aug. 4 at the Vintage Theatre.
After suffering a major loss while on a cross-country bike trip, a 21-year-old grandson seeks solace from his feisty 91-year-old grandmother in his West Village apartment. Over the course of a single month, these unlikely roommates infuriate, bewilder, and ultimately reach each other. 4000 Miles looks at how two outsiders find their way in today’s world.
Amy Herzog’s 4000 Miles won the 2012 Obie Award for Best New American Play and was a finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Insight Colab Theatre features plays with non-traditional, diverse casting while creating acting workshops to train the new generation of diverse actors along with a writers’ series to explore identity, race and privilege.
IF YOU GO
July 25 – Aug 4
Opens July 25 @ 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $25-$35. Student discount available.
Info: www.insightcolab.org or 303-437-8917.
Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St.
Arapahoe County Fair Returns for 118th Year
It’s time for mutton bustin’ and county fair glutton.
Arapahoe County announces the 118th annual Arapahoe County Fair, running Thursday July 25 through July 28.
This long-time tradition highlights the county’s rich agricultural and Western heritage through a variety of 4-H programs, educational activities, and entertainment for all ages.
And it offers fun for the entire family.
Admission to the fair is $25, and children under 36 inches tall get in for free. The ticket price includes parking, unlimited carnival rides, rodeo tickets, fireworks (weather and fire restrictions permitting), live entertainment, NSPA truck and tractor pulls, the Canine Stars Stunt Dog Show, mutton bustin’, public competitions, Top Hogs pig racing, line dancing lessons, a petting farm, 4-H livestock shows, and the Kids Corral, along with a long list of other events and activities.
Throughout the fairgrounds, visitors can enjoy a vast array of food, beverages, and vendor offerings.
“We are so excited to continue the tradition of the Arapahoe County Fair dating back to 1906,” Commissioner Carrie Warren-Gully said previously. “We’ve added new attractions and events that are sure to be a hit with everyone in the family. The Fair is the best deal in town for wholesome family fun.”
A highlight of this year’s fair is Pours on the Plains, a special craft brew festival for those over 21, scheduled from 6:30-9:30 p.m. July 26. The event features more than 15 local breweries and live music. Pours on the Plains requires a separate ticket and does not include general fair admission
To ensure safety and manage traffic during the fair, South Harvest Road will be closed in both directions from July 25-28. Motorists are advised to use South Gun Club Road or East Belleview Avenue for neighborhood access and East Quincy Avenue or South Powhaton Road to reach the fair entrance.
IF YOU GO
July 25 through July 28
Day and night schedules
Tickets: $25, includes parking, unlimited carnival rides and more. Children under 36 inches are free
Arapahoe County Fairgrounds 25690 E. Quincy Ave.
Tickets and info: arapahoecountyfair.com
Bright Nights at Four Mile Historic Park
Bright Nights is a collaboration with Tianyu Arts an Culture, Inc., the largest producer of Chinese lantern festivals in North America. This event transforms the Park into a captivating realm with larger-than-life sculptures illuminating the night across its 12 acres. Each year brings a fresh theme, new experiences, and captivating sculptures.
Bright Nights at Four Mile is the only opportunity to experience a Tianyu festival in the Mountain West. The event features art by day and magic by night, and with each new year will come a new theme, a new experience and new sculptures to the festival.
IF YOU GO
Tickets: $13 – $42
Through Sept. 29, begins at 7 p.m. and runs through 11 p.m. or midnight, schedule varies
Four Mile Historic Park
715 S Forest St.
Tickets and info: www.fourmilepark.org/
Vanity and Vice: American Art Deco
Delve into the vibrant era of 1920–1933 and explore the dynamic designs that emerged during this period of rebellion.
Step into the story of a progressive Prohibition-era woman as you journey through her boudoir and a speakeasy, immersing yourself in the Art Deco objects that defined her world. Experience the freedom and change of the time, as American women embraced independence both at home and in society.
From chic bobs to cocktail parties, this exhibition showcases the evolution of the modern woman through fashionable perfume atomizers, vanity sets, and stylish drinking and smoking accessories. Vanity & Vice: American Art Deco invites you to indulge in the glamour of a bygone era.
This special exhibition is included with admission and does not require a separate ticket.
IF YOU GO
Through Jan. 12, 2025, opens at 11 a.m.
Kirkland Museum
1201 Bannock St.
Info: www.kirklandmuseum.org
The Power of Poison
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science exhibition provides an interactive experience and incredible way to discover what you’ve always wanted to know about nature’s toxic arsenal.
Through a live performance and interactive dioramas, the spellbinding “The Power of Poison” will take Museum visitors into familiar and novel tales of illness, enchantment and death by poison. Journeying through the Colombian forest, they will uncover fascinating secrets about the many plants and animals that wield poison as a potent tool for defense and survival. Finally, the exhibition will uncover how scientists are studying poison’s effects on human cells to protect, repair and heal our own bodies and improve our health.
IF YOU GO:
Open every day, 9 a.m-5 p.m., Most Fridays 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Included with museum admission ticket, $19.95-$24.95
2001 Colorado Blvd.
Info: 303-370-6000 and www.dmns.org/
Biophilia: Nature Reimagined
Biophilia: Nature Reimagined brings together more than 70 imaginative works, including architectural models and photographs, objects, fashion, digital installations, and immersive art experiences that collectively highlight the transformative power of nature. “Biophilia” is a term popularized by American biologist and author Edward O. Wilson to describe his theory that, as humans have evolved as a species, they have been intricately intertwined with the natural world. Wilson’s hypothesis invites deep reflection and poses relevant questions for audiences to consider life in our hyper-accelerated digital and urban-centric world. Organized by Darrin Alfred, Curator of Architecture and Design, Biophilia provides a space for leading architects, artists, and designers to re-examine and reanimate our intrinsic bond with the natural world.
The exhibition features works by an international roster of designers and artists including Iris van Herpen, Studio Gang, teamLab, Joris Laarman and DRIFT, among others. Included in general admission, which is free for members and for all visitors 18 and under. #BiophiliaDAM #DenverArtMuseum @denverartmuseum
IF YOU GO:
Exhibit is included in museum admission. Free for those under 18, tickets range to $27
Beginning July 12 10 a.m.
Denver Art Museum
100 W 14th Ave Parkway
INFO: 720-865-5000 or, denverartmuseum.org