Axios Denver Weekender

July 04, 2025
🎆 Happy Thursday evening! It's Alayna here, bringing your guide for all things fun this holiday weekend.
🎶 Sounds like: "Independence Day" by Martina McBride
Today's newsletter is 593 words — a 2.5-minute read.
1 big thing: Red, white and boom
Denver's skies will soon be sparkling in celebration of America's 249th birthday tomorrow.
Here are four spots to find July Fourth festivities:
✨ Denver's Civic Center Park's Indy Eve kicks off at 5pm today with live music, plus a market with food and retail vendors
- At 8pm, the evening program begins with a performance by the Colorado Symphony's brass and percussion ensemble, followed by "an electrifying LED circus spectacle set against a kaleidoscope of color, motion, and sound," per the event's website.
- The drone show — featuring 300 drones — is scheduled for 9:40-9:55pm. Civic Center's Great Lawn and South Lawn will offer the best vantage points.
🎆 Dick's Sporting Goods Park's 4thFest on July 4 includes what it dubs the "largest public fireworks show in Colorado and MLS" after the 7:30pm Colorado Rapids game against Sporting Kansas City.
- A family-friendly pregame festival, starting at 5pm, will include live music, a bounce house, a rock-climbing wall, mechanical bull, mobile ropes course, alpine tubing slide, trackless train and more. It's free and open to the public.
- There will also be a block party before the game on the south side of the stadium with a live DJ, food trucks, drinks and an LED wall livestreaming the Rapids game and other MLS matches.
🧨 The Colorado Rockies will put on fireworks shows at Coors Field following games against the Chicago White Sox tomorrow and Saturday
🎇 Elitch Gardens will pop fireworks at 9pm Saturday, after the park closes for the day.
The big picture: Dozens of dazzling drone and fireworks displays are planned across the state, so you won't have to travel far to see a show.
2. 🎈 More weekend fun
🎨 The Cherry Creek Arts Festival opens at 10am tomorrow and runs through Sunday in Cherry Creek North. The event features over 260 artists, live music, interactive art experiences and gourmet food vendors. Free.
🦸♂️ Fan Expo Denver takes over the Colorado Convention Center today through Sunday. Fans can gather with other comic book, science fiction, fantasy and anime enthusiasts for a stacked schedule of events.
- Attendees can also meet their favorite celebs, including John Cena, Brendan Frasier, William Shatner, Mike Tyson, Jason Isaacs and more. Tickets start at $30.
🖼️ First Fridays art walks will be hosted in Denver's Art District on Santa Fe, RiNo and Tennyson Street. Free.
🇯🇵 Levitt Pavilion hosts Japan Fest at 4pm Sunday, featuring cellist and composer Nick Takénobu Ogawa and his wife, Kathryn Koch, a violinist and vocalist. Free.
🎷 City Park Jazz brings the funk at 6pm Sunday with Colorado Music Hall of Famers Chris Daniels and Freddi Gowdy, plus the award-winning KINGS, who've shared stages with legends like Albert King and James Taylor, and backed stars from Garth Brooks to Amy Grant. Free.
3. New movies and shows this week
Here's what's new on Prime Video, Max, Disney+, Paramount+ and Netflix.
What we're watching: A star-studded action film, a documentary on a groundbreaking magazine and the sequel to 2020's "The Old Guard."
"Heads of State" available now on Prime Video
State of play: John Cena and Idris Elba play the leaders of the U.S. and U.K., respectively, in this buddy action comedy also starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Jack Quaid.
"Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print" available now on Max
Zoom in: This documentary explores the origin of the trailblazing "Ms." magazine and three of its most iconic cover stories.
"The Old Guard 2" available now on Netflix
The intrigue: Academy Award nominees Uma Thurman and Chiwetel Ejiofor star alongside Charlize Theron ("Andy") as her team of immortal warriors faces a new threat.
Our picks:
⛰️ John is exploring the Tetons.
🏖️ Alayna is relaxing on a beach in South Texas.
🏙️ Esteban is staying in town and — hopefully — watching some fireworks.
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