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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
- Why you should go: The threat of frost is (almost) past, meaning that it is time to plant a garden and get some dirt under your fingernails. Get inspired at the Denver Botanic Gardens’ Spring Plant Sale (entrance is free). Bonus: Check out this month’s “Backyard Bounty” for urban homesteading tips.
- Details: May 8 to 9, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver
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
funresearch. (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
- Why you should go: Dodd’s delicate combinations of dye, wax, paint, and ink are delightfully complex.
- Details: Opens May 28, aBuzz Gallery, Denver
9. Get Out: Head to the High Country
- Why you should go: It’s time to stash your coats, skis, and mittens in a closet, and pack your car with hiking boots, cameras, and so much more. Need inspiration? Read this month’s “Colorado’s Other High Season.”
- Details: Your choice, Colorado
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.
Follow senior editor Natasha Gardner on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.
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