Tag: free and cheap

A community block party and more free and cheap things to do in September

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Denver Philharmonic Orchestra PWYC tickets

In a move to expand access to the arts, the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra will launch a year-round Pay What You Can (PWYC) ticketing program beginning Sept. 2. One hundred PWYC tickets will be available for every performance, ensuring cost is never a barrier to experiencing the power of live classical music. Access the discounted tickets by visiting the website, selecting a concert and choosing the PWYC option at checkout. Pricing starts at just $1. Contribute whatever amount fits your budget. If the 100-ticket allotment is sold out, contact tickets@denverphilharmonic.org to request a seat — or simply show up at the concert. The orchestra will never turn someone away due to lack of funds. denverphilharmonic.org

Denargo Market grand opening

The 30-foot-tall rhino at the Denargo Market development on the South Platte riverfront, just north of Downtown Denver. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Celebrate the grand opening of more than 4 acres of new riverfront parks, plazas and green space at Denargo Market (3380 Denargo St.) in Denver during its community block party on Sept. 4, from 4 to 8 p.m. Entry is free. Alongside live music from Rootbeer Richie & The Reveille, Velvet Daydream, and a DJ set from Something Vinyl Club, attendees can be among the first to climb Rhingo, the 30-foot-tall steel rhino sculpture. Among the new public amenities to explore: a nature-based playground, fire pit, pop-jet fountain, half-acre lawn and bike/pedestrian connections to downtown. The evening also features food trucks, a local makers market and pop-up bars. Parking is limited, so consider using public transportation or rideshare services. denargomarket.com/block-party/

Lowe’s water bottle giveaway

Lowe’s is hosting a one-day-only giveaway of water bottles for kids. On Sept. 6, the home improvement retailer is giving away a free kids’ Manna water bottle (with stickers) to the first 250 customers at every location, starting at 10 a.m. No purchase necessary. The giveaway is only open to MyLowe’s loyalty members. Customers must show proof of membership by showing a valid member ID on the Lowe’s app or having an associate look up their account via a phone number. New members can join online for free. lowes.com/l/about/mylowes-rewards

Broncos season deals

Denver Broncos’ victories will be more delicious, thanks to two deals this season. The day following a win, King Soopers is giving all fans a free doughnut. The sweet giveaway requires your shopper’s loyalty card at checkout. Be sure to score your free treat early, as the doughnuts are often sold out by day’s end. Also this year, Blackjack Pizza is offering 40% off a fan’s order for the two days following a win. Use promo code BRONCOSWIN at checkout. The discount applies to regular menu pricing. kingsoopers.com; blackjackpizza.com

Dairy Queen Blizzard special

a blizzard upside down before handing it to a customer in the drive-thru Dairy Queen is offering a blizzard deal in September. (Jenny Sparks/Loveland Reporter-Herald)

Winter may not be here yet, but there’s a blizzard of cool savings this fall at Dairy Queen. From Sept. 8 to 21, enjoy a small Blizzard Treat for just 85 cents with any purchase of $1 or more via the DQ app. The offer is only available for DQ Rewards members. dairyqueen.com

Electronics recycling

Old electronics cluttering your garage or basement? If it can be plugged in or runs on batteries, there’s one easy option to recycle it on the cheap. Denver7 and Pedal Point Recycling are hosting an Electronics Recycling Event on Sept. 13 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (6000 Victory Way) in Commerce City. The drive-thru event in Parking Lot H runs from 7 a.m. to noon. Cost is $5 per car, with no limit to the number of drop-off items. All things electronic (including small appliances) are welcome. There is an extra fee for select items, including TVs and monitors. Cash and credit cards accepted. denver7.com/about/community-affairs/recycle-your-electronics-at-the-2025-denver7-electronics-recycling-drive

Denver Orchid Society

Embark on a blooming adventure at the Denver Orchid Society Fall Show and Sale on Sept.13 and 14 at Nick’s Garden Center (2001 S. Chambers Road) in

The Denver Orchid Society Fall Show and Sale will be held on Sept.13 and 14. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Aurora. Admission is free. This year’s theme, “Orchids with Altitude,” promises to immerse visitors in a world of hundreds of flowering plants, vibrant colors and exotic blooms that seem almost otherworldly. Enthusiasts looking to start or expand their own orchid collection will find more than 600 potted plants for sale from $20 to $100. Many are rare species that cannot be found at local garden centers. Best of all, society member experts will be on hand to provide valuable tips on caring for the tropical beauties. denverorchidsociety.org/fall-show

Festival Del Sol

Enjoy the vibrancy of Latin culture on Sept. 21 at the Chautauqua Auditorium (198 Morning Glory Drive) in Boulder, from noon to 5 p.m. The bilingual Festival Del Sol celebrates Hispanic Heritage month by featuring live music, salsa and samba dance lessons, guided hikes, family activities and games. Attendees will also be able to shop the festival’s market for lots of Latin-inspired treats and treasures. Admission is free. chautauqua.com/event/festival-del-sol-2025

Morrison Ciderfest

Morrison Ciderfest, a family friendly fall festival, is being held on Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the corner of Highway 8 and Summer Street in downtown Morrison. Admission is free. The festival includes live music, a kids’ area with bounce house, artisan market, horse and wagon rides, food, beer and, of course, plenty of cider. Complimentary golf cart shuttles run from designated pickup zones near the free parking lots straight to the festival’s main entrance. morrisonciderfest.org

Denver Oktoberfest

Denver Oktoberfest is so large and popular it spans two weekends. The salute to Bavarian heritage features authentic German beer and fare, crafts, music, dance, oom-pah-pah entertainment and more. The festival runs in the Ballpark Neighborhood on Sept. 19 to 21 and again the following weekend, Sept. 26 to 28. Admission is free. A big draw is the stein-hoisting event. Plus, there’s keg bowling and a costume contest. The most popular event of all is the Long Dog Derby, in which wiener dogs (dachshunds) show off their racing skills. Besides the ubiquitous beer, there’s bratwurst, turkey legs, sausage, sauerkraut, pretzels and more. Festival hours are 2 to 11 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. thedenveroktoberfest.com

VegFest Colorado

Veg out at VegFest Colorado on Sept. 28. The fair runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Tivoli Quad (1000 Larimer St.) on the Auraria Campus in Denver. The vegan-focused event includes seminars, exhibits, cooking demos, kids’ activities, tons of food samples and more. Attendees will learn from experts on health, diet, environmental issues, animal rights and about the many advantages of plant-based living. Tickets are $10 (plus $1.39 fee) for adults. Children 12 and younger get in free. Get tickets in advance online for both adults and children. vegfestco.com

Send tips to info@milehighonthecheap.com 14 to 21 days in advance.

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Laura Daily and Bryan K. Chavez

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September 1, 2025
A flotilla of kayaks plans to enjoy City Park Jazz from a new perspective

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There’s an animal menacing City Park, and it’s not an irate goose.

The giant swan boats, which are popular rentals for paddling around the 25-acre Ferril Lake, pose a threat to the otherwise peaceful Jazz in the Park series, jokes 30-year-old Lakewood resident Emerson Smith. They’re too big, scary-looking, and attention-hungry to ignore.

“Systems calibrated. Pool noodles firing at 800 m/s,” reads a July 10 post on Emerson’s Denver Jazz Flotilla Instagram page. “We’re ready to protect the citizens.”

“The whole flotilla thing is just my sense of humor,” admitted Emerson. “It’s fun to act tough while on a purple kayak listening to jazz. And let’s be real: not all jazz is created equal, and sometimes we need something else to entertain ourselves with.”

The concept is a goof, but the gatherings are real. Attendees of City Park Jazz, which takes place on Sunday afternoons over 10 weeks every summer, may have noticed kayaks floating behind the City Park Pavilion stage last summer, when Emerson first got the idea. He invited more friends to join him this year and secured their commitment to doing it as often as possible. Last week he had 10 people join him, he said.

Wheel Fun Rentals operates a flock of swan boats at City Park and Washington Park (seen here). (Eric Heiserman for Wheel Fun Rentals)

“Their enthusiasm made me want to see how big we could make it,” said Emerson, who picked up 50 followers on a Reddit post — most of whom he doesn’t know.

Emerson has not heard any concerns about his semi-organized gatherings from Denver Parks & Recreation, including limits on the number of watercraft on the lake. Hand-launched boats are allowed at nearly all Denver park lakes, no permits required, according to their website.

“A sound-producing device and at least one life jacket per person aboard is required to be on all vessels,” officials wrote.

“(The) only research I did was just to confirm personal kayaks and stuff are actually allowed on that lake,” Emerson said. “I asked ChatGPT and apparently we could fit about 11,000 12-foot kayaks comfortably on Ferril Lake. So that’s the goal.”

It’s not all a joke: on his Instagram bio, Emerson not only mentions defending people from giant swans but adds “Sometimes we pick up trash.” The next meet-up is on Aug. 4, and gloves, trash bags, and “two extra grabby thingys will be provided (first come first serve),” Emerson wrote online. Most of the trash is caught up in plants and is hard to reach while floating, so he plans on walking the shoreline a bit too.

Swan-boat and bike rentals are available at the park from California-based company Wheel Fun Rentals, which sits just a few dozen feet from the jazz bandstand. People can also rent kayaks from Wheel Fun to confront the company’s own swan-boat army, along with sporty and cruiser bikes, four-wheel Surrey cycles, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards. They offer nighttime rentals with LED-decked swan boats that can circle the lake’s giant, lit-up fountain.

Emerson gathers his own fleet in the southeast corner of the 330-acre park starting at 5:30 p.m. on Sundays. He recommends people who want to join him to meet up behind the stage if the show has already started. There’s no boat ramp, but most of the shore is accessible. And despite the lake’s natural beauty, be sure not to get any water in your mouth, he said.

“Like in most bodies of water there are some potentially harmful organisms,” he said. “As far as I understand this presents a relatively low risk but it’s best to avoid contact with the water, especially with your eyes, nose, mouth, open wounds, et cetera, and practice good hygiene.”

The cheeky front will continue even as Emerson works to grow the gatherings. The giant, evil swans are just too big a menace to ignore.

“They threaten to collide with the birds nests under the stage and they scare the native swans,” he said. “In general, they’re just a bad vibe and aren’t happy unless they’re stealing the show with their synchronized dance moves.”

Performances of the free, nonprofit Jazz in the Park series, which began in June, continue through next month with Denver Jazz Orchestra (July 21), Nelson Rangell (July 28), and Jakarta (Aug. 4). See cityparkjazz.org for more.

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John Wenzel

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July 19, 2024
Fun free things to do in July in Southern California

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Happy summer! Want to get out and have some fun, but don’t want to spend any money? Here are things you can do that won’t cost you anything at all. And here’s where you can see free fireworks for the holiday!

Movies In the Park, Riverside (Fridays, July 12, 19, 26): Bring a chair and blanket to hang out on the lawn. Movies begin at dusk. July 12: “Wonka” at Reid Park, 701 N. Orange St.; July 19: “Kung Fu Panda 4” at Bryant Park, 7950 Philbin Ave.; July 26: “Trolls Band Together” at Lincoln Park, 4261 Park Ave.

Long Beach Municipal Band concerts (July 2-31): “Music to My Ears” theme. 6:30 p.m. start time. July 2 at Whaley Park, 5620 E. Atherton St.; July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 at Los Cerritos Park, 3750 Del Mar Ave.), July 9, 16, 23, 30 at Bixby Annex Park (aka Bixby Bluff Park) on Ocean Boulevard; July 11, 18 at Recreation Park, 4900 E. 7th St.) and July 5, 12, 19, 26 at El Dorado Park West (2800 N. Studebaker Road). longbeach.gov

The Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach has free admission on Sundays. (Photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA), Long Beach (July 7, 14, 21, 28 ): The museum is free every Sunday and always has interesting exhibits. Free docent-led tours are offered at 2 p.m. Sundays. Free advance tickets are recommended and can be booked online. Parking is free. 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach. molaa.org/visit

The Autry Museum of the American West has free admission on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons from 1-4 pm with advance reservations. (Photo by Richard Vogel, The Associated Press)

Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles (July 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31): The Autry is free every Tuesday and Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. but reservations are required and limited.. Parking is free, too. Learn about Native American and cowboy ways of life, using historical artifacts such as stagecoaches, serapes, beaded clothing, firearms, photos and more. 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles. theautry.org/free

Visitors are back enjoying the Norton Simon Museum on May 27, 2021. Three guests view ‘Woman with a Book’ by Pablo Picasso. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Norton Simon Free First Fridays. Pasadena (July 5): If you’ve never been to this marvelous art museum, you should go. It’s free monthly on the first Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. There’s a lot to see so I’d get there early. It showcases the immense collection of the late billionaire Norton Simon, including masterpieces of painting and sculpture by artists such as Picasso, Renoir, Raphael, Van Gogh and more. Free parking. 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena nortonsimon.org

The Zimmerman Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo will have a free event featuring classic and custom cars on March 23. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

Chevy show at Zimmerman Automobile Driving Museum, El Segundo (July 27):

“Tri-Five Chevy Show” celebrates Chevy passenger cars from the years 1955, 1956, and 1957. Live music, food trucks and more. 10 am to 2 pm. Free admission, $15 to register a car. This museum features original and custom cars from the 1930s to the 1950s. Coffee, pastries, food truck and raffle. Open to all. 610 Lairport St., El Segundo. https://automobiledrivingmuseum.org/event/tri-five2024

An attendee walks past a K-rail mural during the art walk located in the Arts Colony in downtown Pomona on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. The art walk takes place on the second Saturday of every month. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Second Saturday ArtWalk, Pomona (July 13): This monthly event in the Pomona Arts Colony brings crowds to the streets as art studios, galleries, shops and more stay open late. 6-10 p.m. 119 W. 2nd St, Pomona. downtownpomona.org/events

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is free for all on the second Tuesday of the month and free to L.A. County residents every day after 3 p.m.. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles (July 9): The museum is free to all on the second Tuesday of the month, but also free for L.A. County residents every day after 3 p.m. The largest art museum complex on the West Coast, this collection includes everything from David Hockney paintings to ancient artifacts to free arts workshops. (Note that part of the museum is currently under construction.) Children 17 and under who live in L.A. County can sign up for the NexGen program, where they can get in free any day and bring one person with them. Bank of America cardholders get in free the first full weekend of every month (Only the cardholder). Paid parking is nearby, beware of street parking in the afternoon — you could be towed. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles lacma.org/tickets

OC Parks Sunset Cinema (July 12, 19, 26 ): Activities begin at 6 p.m. movies start at sunset. Bring your chair and blanket. July 12: “Trolls Band Together” at Mason Regional Park, 18712 University Ave., Irvine; July 19 Barbie at Yorba Regional Park, 7600 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim; July 26: “National Treasure” at Yorba Regional Park. ocparks.com

Concerts in Orange County Parks (July 11, 18. 25). Live music under the stars on Thursday evenings. All ages. Bring a blanket and chair. Food trucks available. Sponsored by OC Parks. July 11: Flashback Heart Atttack at Mason Regional Park, 18712 University Ave., Irvine; July 18: A Thousand Horses at Irvine Regional Park, 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange; July 25 No Duh: The Ultimate Tribute to No Doubt & Gwen Stefani at Irvine Regional Park. ocparks.com

Canada Geese come up from the water at Whittier Narrows in South El Monte on Monday, July 9, 2018. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star News/SCNG)

Nature’s Open Door at Whittier Narrows Natural Area and Nature Center. (July 22) Open house featuring numerous organizations. Bird walk at 8 a.m. Other programs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.1000 S. Durfee Ave., South El Monte parks.lacounty.gov/whittier-narrows-natural-area-and-nature-center/

Mountain Grove summer concert series, Redlands. (July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31) Concerts at the Mountain Grove shopping center, 7 p.m. On the food court lawn. Bring a lawn chair. July 3: Woody Garcia; July 10: Rolling Stone tribute band; July 17: Tom Petty tribute band; July 24: Twisted Gypsy Fleetwood Mac cover; July 31: Michael Jackson tribute. 27511 San Bernardino Ave., Redlands, mtgrove.com/events/

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Marla Jo Fisher

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July 1, 2024