1. Listen: Five Points Jazz Festival

  • Why you should go: We consider this festival—with more than 25 bands and eight stages—the official kickoff for the summer music season.
  • Details: May 16, various locations, Denver

2. Get Dirty: Denver Botanic Gardens’ Spring Plant Sale

3. Be Active: Poudre RiverFest

  • Why you should go: Because protecting and restoring Colorado’s gorgeous waterways (see photo above) is crucial (oh, and there is live music, too).
  • Details: May 30, Legacy Park, Fort Collins

4. Rock On: Denver Day of Rock

  • Why you should go: Downtown’s streets become congested for this annual benefit—but with dancing concertgoers, not cars.
  • Details: May 23, various locations, Denver

5. Tour: Swing By an Open House

  • Why you should go: Even when we’re not house hunting, we’ve been known to spend a Saturday touring Denver, scoping out neighborhoods, and popping in to random open houses for fun research. (Tip: Use 5280‘s list of this year’s “Denver’s Best Neighborhoods” as a guide.)
  • Details: Your choice, Denver

6. Shop: Stapleton Community Garage Sale

  • Why you should go: You’re probably going to spend cash at this neighborhood-wide (we’re talking more than 350 participating homes) sale, but at least you’ll be getting a deal (think: barely used strollers and bikes).
  • Details: May 16 to 17, Stapleton, Denver

7. Watch: Valley of the Dolls at Denver Public Library

  • Why you should go: We never tire of the lineup of classic and quirky films shown at the library, including this month’s 1967 Valley of the Dolls.
  • Details: May 26, Central Library, Denver

8. See: aBuzz Gallery’s Laurie Dodd Exhibit

9. Get Out: Head to the High Country

10. Play: Johnson Habitat Park

  • Why you should go: Denver is all about re-purposing spaces, including the newly revamped Johnson Habitat Park (part of the effort to clean up the banks of the South Platte River). Pack a picnic and lunch and skip out of work early for an afternoon along the river.
  • Details: Your choice, Johnson Habitat Park, Denver

Looking for more things to do in Denver? Check out our events calendar.

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Natasha Gardner
Natasha Gardner
Natasha Gardner is a Denver-based writer and the former Articles Editor for 5280.