FRIDAY
Huge garden-size butterflies and dragonflies alight on the lawn of Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum for a Grand Reveal, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday in the annual Rotary Club Wings of Change Celebration. Stroll the grounds for close-ups before they’re auctioned at a Sept. 28 gala and online. A food truck, live music and raffle tickets for a butterfly. Petite dragonflies join six petite butterflies, handcrafted by School District 11 students, on display at Ent Center. csflight.org
SUNDAY
Prepare for a Sunday Leatherface scare and frightening cannibals at the 50th anniversary of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” headliner of the Six Feet Under Horror Fest at RoadHouse Cinemas, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also the Colorado premiere of psycho-killer film “Sheryl” and the student horror short film competition. More at facebook.com/SFUHorrorFest.
SATURDAY
All the Indigenous communities from across the Front Range gather for the 35th Annual Friendship Powwow Saturday at the Denver Art Museum, Martin Building Sie Welcome Center. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Grand Entry at 11 a.m., Native American dance competitions, cultural activities, jewelry making classes, a marketplace and, yummy, fry bread and Indian tacos. A free museum day. denverartmuseum.org/en.
FRIDAY
A festival of top local musical talent takes to the stage at Stargazers Theatre to support Classical KCME and Jazz 93.5 at 7:30 p.m. Friday; doors open at 6:30 p.m. Featured are BJ Estares, Wayne Wilkinson, Jennifer DeDominici, Susan Grace, Terri Pederson, Simon Jacobs, Pam Devier (Chaddon), Robert Bruce, Bernie Brink, Ricky Sweum, Dave Hastings, Elisa Wicks and special guest Ken Miller. Tickets $30+; kcme.org/variety.
THURSDAY-SATURDAY
A deliciously long schedule makes up the Denver Food & Wine Festival through Saturday at Tivoli Quad, Denver Auraria Campus. Fine dining, food and wine seminars, a Grand Tasting and, on Thursday, the Shake + Brake Showdown by food trucks. Colorado’s well-known “Top Chef” competitors and winners will be there. More info and tickets: denverfoodandwine.com
SATURDAY
Come meet the firefighters and see the equipment at one last opportunity to visit the community Colorado Springs Fire Department Open Houses on Saturday. From 9 a.m. to noon, Stations 3 and 10; 1 to 4 p.m. Stations 13 and 14. All 24 stations have had different open house Saturdays over the month. csfdopenhouses2024.my.canva.site. Also Saturday, the CSFD has Touch-a-Truck, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Olympic & Paralympic Museum Plaza.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
A special weekend tradition, the 48th annual Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival in Estes Park. Cheer for the Scottish Highland athletic competitions and Irish and Highland dance performances. Hear stirring military music in the three-day Estes Park International Tattoo. Sunday is the Parade of the Clans and Dogs of the British Isles with pipe and drum bands. For tickets, ScotFest.com.
SATURDAY
Everyone should be able to experience the outdoors and here’s an opportunity to learn firsthand the accessibility added at Fox Run Regional Park, 2110 Stella Drive. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, test-drive adaptive vehicles, visit with the people working at the park’s accessible outdoor spaces and meet folks who regularly enjoy the beautiful area. Presented by Cheyenne Mountain State Park, Friends of El Paso County Nature Centers, the city of Colorado Springs, the Independence Center, Visit Colorado Springs and the Trails and Open Space Coalition.
THURSDAY-SATURDAY
A dark skies astronomy event in this incredibly beautiful area of Colorado, the Black Canyon Regional AstroFest. Use telescopes and hear talks by rangers in this festival along the Gunnison River corridor, in three public land areas: Black Canyon at Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area. nps.gov/blca/planyourvisit/astrofest.htm.
SATURDAY
In the agricultural valley known for its potatoes, celebrate them, shop for them and eat all sorts of them at the San Luis Valley Potato Festival in Monte Vista’s Chapman Park. There’s a lot of fun at the harvest festival with a 5K Tater Trot, Mashed Potato Dunk Tank, delicious potato dishes and guided potato tours. coloradopotato.org/colorado-potato-news/potatofestival
SATURDAY
A popular outdoor event for families to share, No Child Left Inside is Saturday at Cheyenne Mountain State Park. Learn all about nature and natural resources, how to identify which animals left which markings, and how to make pine cone bird feeders. Free and no registration needed, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lime Kiln Parking Lot. cpw.state.co.us/state-parks/cheyenne-mountain-state-park
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
“The Vampire Diaries” time at Vampire Fan Weekend, Hyatt Regency Aurora,13200 E. 14th Place. Headliners Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, Damon and Stefan. $50-$90. Tickets: CreationEnt.com
