Thornton Hosts Free Día de los Muertos Festival Among Weekend Events Around Denver

Denver-area residents have a full slate of Halloween, Día de los Muertos and arts events coming up, from a free community festival in Thornton to a first-ever opera production of a Shakespeare classic.

In Thornton, a free Día de los Muertos event will run from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at McAllister Park Center, 750 W. 96th Ave. Organizers say it "honors the Mexican tradition of remembering loved ones who have passed with art, music, dance, food, and cultural traditions for all ages." Attendees are invited to bring photos and notes to add to the ofrenda, or altar. More details are available at thorntonco.gov.

The festival offers face-painting, arts and crafts, magic, storytelling, a mercado, and food and drink trucks. The main stage will feature live dance and music from Colorado Mestizo Dancers and Myriad DF, along with the return of Chicano Heat and Las Dahlias. The Broncos-Chiefs game will also be shown live.

On Saturday, Oct. 31, the Boo and Brew Colfax Halloween Block Party takes over East Colfax Avenue's Bluebird District from 1 to 4 p.m. It marks the 20th edition of the trick-or-treat crawl, and it also signals a return to normal for a corridor that endured years of bus rapid transit construction, including business closures that were attributed to the disruption. Costumed children and parents can now walk the route without chain-link fences or missing sidewalks.

More than 35 boutiques, restaurants, bars and other businesses will hand out candy and serve adult beverages along the 12 blocks between Monroe and Elizabeth streets. The sidewalk mini-parade includes 15 bands and DJs, clowns and magic, and a photo booth. Free first-come, first-served parking is available at 3300 E. Colfax Ave. A dog parade will take place in front of the Bluebird Theater at 2:30 p.m. Information is at boonbrew.com.

Later in the week, Opera Colorado will stage Giuseppe Verdi's "Macbeth" for the first time, running Nov. 7 through Nov. 15. Performances are set for Nov. 7, 10, 13 and 15 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 1385 Curtis St. in Denver, including daytime and matinee shows. Conductor Patrick Summers will make his Opera Colorado debut. Tickets range from $39 to $299, and officials said Pay What You Wish tickets are offered for every performance. Details are at operacolorado.org.

Also on Saturday, Nov. 7, Wax Trax Records at 638 E. 13th Ave. in Denver will celebrate the return to print of Bob Rob Medina's "Denvoid and the Cowtown Punks: A Collection of Stories from the '80s Denver Punk Scene." The store helped support the book's second, updated edition. The free event runs from 1 to 4 p.m. and features live sets by Hex Cassette, The Disposable Icons and Cheap Wigs.

A second free event follows from 7 to 9:30 p.m. the same day at Mutiny Comics & Coffee, 3483 S. Broadway in Denver. More information can be found at waxtraxrecords.com and mutinycomics.com.