The weekend is nearly upon which means it’s time to solidify some plans. Lovers of food will be happy with an enormous array of options from Peruvian cuisine to a class on how to make your own burrata. Beer connoisseurs–you have the option to pair brews with cupcakes and bacon, or make your voice heard with Mockery Brewing’s employee brew-off. Scuba diving, Harry Potter, festivals and more will be livening up the Mile High this weekend–are you ready?

Mock the Vote–A Mockery Employee Brew-Off

Photo by Glenn Ross

When: Saturday, July 30 at 12 p.m.

Where: Mockery Brewing – 3501 Delgany St., Denver

The Low Down: This Saturday everyone is  a guest judge at Mockery Brewing. Each crew member at the Denver establishment has created a small batch of their very own beer just for this weekend. Everyone in attendance will get a flight of each in order to decide for themselves which Mockery brewer crafted the best. After the people’s choice brew-off, the winning beer will be brewed by the company on a larger scale.

Denver Peruvian Festival

Photo courtesy of the Denver Peruvian Festival

When: Sunday, July 31, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

Where: Columbus Park – 1501 W. 38th Ave., Denver

The Low Down: Get outside for a wonderful cultural experience this weekend. The Denver Peruvian Festival will host an array of events and experiences such as the best Denver Peruvian food, folklore, art and entertainment. Live music and dancing top-off the festivities proving there’s something for everyone at this cultural, educational and of course, fun annual festival by Mi Casa Peru Colorado.

Cupcakes & Beer Flights

Photo courtesy of Ratio Beerworks on Facebook

When: Sunday, July 31, 2-5 p.m.

Where: Ratio Beerworks – 2920 Larimer St., Denver

Cost: $15; includes a flight of three cupcakes and three tasters of Ratio Beers.

The Low Down: Ratio Beerworks is always getting involved with fun and one-of-a-kind events–they even have two this week that made the cut for unique things to do this weekend in Denver. Described as the ultimate mouth party, cupcakes and beer will be served side-by-side with some Ratio brews this Sunday. Each one is paired appropriately to influence your tastebuds. $15 gets you three cupcakes and three beer flights.

Art-I-Fax

Sandra Fettingis – “Urban Chandelier”

When: Saturday, July 30, 2-6 p.m.

Where: Colfax St. between the State Capitol and East High School

The Low Down: This is a can’t miss for friends of art. Celebrating the launch of the Art on the Ave program with a street party bonanza, Colfax should be quite lively this weekend. Peruse and purchase art by local artists, create poetry with Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop and enjoy libations from beer to sangria. Local musicians will also be performing on Saturday at this rare community event.

Stranahan’s Barrel Festival

Stranahan’s new tasting room. Photo by Brent Andeck for 303 Magazine

When: Saturday, July 30, 7- 10 p.m.

Where:  200 South Kalamath St, Denver

Cost: Free

The Low Down:  On July 30, Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey will host its first ever Barrel Festival. Located at 200 South Kalamath Street near the Arts District of Sante Fe, the distillery plans to release the “rarest and most celebrated whiskeys that Stranahan’s has crafted.” Master Distiller Rob Dietrich personally chose six American single-malt barrels that attendees can try. In addition, the event will have food, local vendors and live music and will go from 7 to 10 p.m. Entry is free for guests 21+. Go here to reserve a spot.

Wellness Fest

When: Saturday, July 30, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Where: Sports Authority Field at Mile High – 1701 Bryant St., Denver

Cost: Free

The Low Down:  This Saturday you can get into Sports Authority Field for free in a one-of-a-kind celebration of your health. The event will open with tai chi, aerial yoga, African drummers and dancing. Once all of that is over, participate in the Parade for Humanity just before some yoga on the stadium field. Check out the full schedule here and get your wellness on this weekend.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Release Parties

Photo Courtesy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Facebook

When: Tattered Cover: 9 p.m.-12 a.m.; Book Bar: 8 p.m.-1 a.m.

Where: Tattered Cover Book Store Colfax & BookBar on Tennyson

Cost: Free

The Low Down: It’s that time, muggles–the release of the newest Harry Potter novel. Based on the play by the same name, the eighth story is set 19 years later. Book Bar will have a costume contest, snacks, drinks, games, prizes and special performances to commemorate the newest book. Tattered Cover Book Store on Colfax invite all ages to join the celebration with face painting, quidditch tryouts, a treasure hunt, wizard trivia and more. Find out more about where to celebrate this release here.

Scuba Dive at the Denver Downtown Aquarium

Photo courtesy of divedowntown.com

When: July 30-31

Where: Denver Downtown Aquarium – 700 Water St., Denver

Cost: Admission to the Aquarium

The Low Down:  All you need is your swimsuit and a ticket to the Denver Downtown Aquarium this weekend for an opportunity to learn how to scuba dive. Trained professionals will be on premise to show you the way. Though only taking place in one of their fish-less pools, you can always dive with a 400 pound Queensland Grouper and moray eels, swim with sharks in the shark tank, take an underwater photography course and more through A-1 SCUBA and Travel. Read more about this and other scuba diving adventures in Colorado here.

Robot Ramen House Pop-Up

Photo courtesy of Rebel Restaurant’s event page for Robot Ramen on Facebook

When: Sunday, July 31 at 2 p.m.

Where: Rebel Restaurant – 3763 Wynkoop St., Denver

The Low Down:  Since ramen became a household item in America, it’s easily evolved into one of the latest culinary trends for chefs to accentuate their talents in a variety of forms. Critically acclaimed chef Gary Kim will be taking over Rebel Restaurant this Sunday for a special ramen pop-up. Specializing in fermentation and hot sauce, he created his own line of kim-chi–becoming the first producer of the spicy-cabbage in Maine.

Underground Music Showcase

Photo by Roman Tafoya for Schomp Mini

When: July 28-31

Where: Baker Neighborhood on S. Broadway, Denver

Cost: $55; get tickets here. 

The Low Down: UMS returns to Denver this weekend with a lineup of over 400 artists performing across 20 stages. Headliners include Polica, The Allah Las and Thee Oh Sees. Join UMS for four days this weekend, all for only $55 as they celebrate their sixteenth year here in Denver. UMS is the largest independent music festival in the Rocky Mountain region highlighting a large assortment of local artists. Taking place at illegal Pete’s, Hi-Dive, the Hornet, Punch Bowl Social and more, this music event is gearing up for quite a big weekend. Go here to see our list of recommended bands and performances you can’t miss.

Broncos Gang Weekend

Photo by Romeo Fernandez.

When: July 29-31

Where: Denver

Cost: $5 donation recommended; $25-60 VIP packages; get tickets here.

The Low Down: It’s time to dig up that Broncos jersey (not that you ever took it off) for a weekend-long extravaganza with other fans in the Mile High. Friday night will launch the festivities with a bar crawl starting at Recess Beer Garden that will eventually move about the city. Throughout the rest of the weekend they will be filming two music videos including one with motocross demonstrations. Ending on Sunday at the Broncos Training Camp, you’ll have a chance to go home with some free Broncos tickets.

Final Friday – RiNo

RiNo mural. Photo by Brittany Werges

When: Friday, July 29, 7-11  p.m.

Where: Megafauna–3102 Blake St., Denver

Cost: Free

Tickets: Available here

The Low Down: Final Friday is a collaboration of community entities that are striving to support the healthy development of North Denver-based neighborhoods. Final Friday hosts up to 25 bands on three main outdoor stages. Participating neighborhood venues throughout the River North Art District will host a variety of performances and offer local goods and food to create a friendly marketplace atmosphere.

Bacon Social House Beer Dinner

Photo courtesy of Bacon Social House Beer Dinner event on Facebook

When: Sunday, July 31, 5-7 p.m.

Where: Bacon Social House – 2434 W. 44th Ave., Denver

Cost: $64; get tickets here. 

The Low Down: Ratio Beerworks has joined forces with Bacon Social House for a five-course pairing event on Sunday. Chef Brian Crow has created a bacon-inspired menu to be paired with some Ratio brews for each of the courses. Menu items include Lamb Rack Lollipops, BBQ Pork Belly, Scallop Crudo and more. All attendees will leave with a complementary Ratio Beerworks glass. Only 30 tickets are available for this culinary event so be sure to grab your ticket soon.

Learn to Make Burrata

Photo by Roman Tafoya.

When: Saturday, July 30 at 4 p.m.

Where: Luca – 711 Grant St., Denver

Cost: $100; Call here to make a reservation: 720-437-4277 

The Low Down: Executive Chef at Bones Tim Murphy will be hosting a fun and educational culinary event this weekend with Bonanno Concepts. Learn how to make burrata, mozzarella and ricotta with this extraordinary chef and then stick around for a three-course dinner with wine and beer pairings.

Want to get this list before everyone else?

Click here to have it sent to your inbox.

Mark your calendars…

303 Magazine Summer Pool Party with DJ Walter White

When: Sunday, August 7, 12-7 p.m.

Where: The Riviera at the Breakers Resort – 9099 E Mississippi Ave, Denver

Cost: Starting at $20; tickets available here

Denver Beer Olympics & Beer Festival

When: August 6, 10a.m.-6p.m.

Where: Civic Center Park, 101 W. 14th Ave, Denver

Cost: $40 for festival cup

Yoga Day at Coors Field

When: August 6, 8:30 a.m.

Where: Coors Field – 2001 Blake St, Denver

Cost: $20-$65; get tickets here

City Park Boot Camp

When: August 3, 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. / August 6, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.

Where: City Park, Denver

Cost: $75 one day, $125 two days; get tickets here