Step out of school mode and into these activities throughout the week. Don’t forget to health and safety guidelines for in-person events.

Special Events

Bold Women Change History: Gitanjali Rao

Oct. 11, 7 to 8 p.m.

Meet innovator, change-maker, author, and STEM education promoter Gitanjali Rao (from Lone Tree). At age 15, she was named TIME Magazine’s first-ever “Kid of the Year.” Her bold thinking has resulted in a device that detects lead in water, an AI-based anti-cyberbullying service called Kindly, and an opioid addiction detection device called Epione. Hear Rao share her journey and discuss the role of science as a catalyst for social change. Find tickets online. $5-$25 in person, $0-$25 virtual. History Colorado Center, Denver. historycolorado.org

Helicopter Showcase

Oct. 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Ask pilots all kinds of helicopter questions, and get up close to a variety of whirlybirds and learn more about how these complex machines fly. Included with admission: $10 adult, $8 senior and military, $4 ages 4-16, free members
Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight, Englewood. explorationofflight.org

International Archaeology Day Expo

Oct. 16, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Learn about Colorado archaeology and the unwritten history of the Roxborough Park and Front Range areas. Enjoy professional archaeology lectures from noted scholars in the field, demonstrations on ancient crafts, and hands-on activities. Sign up for a guided tour. Free. Roxborough Intermediate School, Littleton. historycolorado.org

Veggie Viernes

Oct. 15, 5 to 9 p.m.
Enjoy vegan food from Latinx/BIPOC/woman owned businesses, an art show, Aztec dancing, live music, lowriders, and youth activities at this community gathering. Free entry, vendor prices vary. RISE Westwood Collective, Denver. risewestwoodcollective.com

Activities & Camps

Calaveras Day

Oct. 16, 2 to 4 p.m.

Join in decorating sugar skulls and learn about this sweet Mexican tradition with friends at Journey Through Our Heritage.// Únase a la decoración de calaveras de azúcar y aprenda sobre esta dulce tradición mexicana con amigos en Journey Through Our Heritage. Free. Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales Branch, Denver. denverlibrary.org/event/calaveras-day

Conscious Candles Workshop

Oct. 14, 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Support a health cause you feel strongly about, and increase awareness through customized products. The month of October focuses on several health awareness causes including breast cancer, lupus, and healthy lungs. Create your own scented candles and learn how to market your product to make a difference for your cause. Ages 10-18. Register online. $10. Young Americans Center for Financial Education and Young Americans Bank, Denver. yacenter.org

Discovery Days

Wed through Fri; 9 to 10:15 a.m., 10:30 to 11:45 a.m., 12:30 to 1:45 p.m.

Learn together through monthly hands-on activities that build language development, fine motor skills, emotional regulation, and social abilities. October themes include Rainbows, Airplanes & Things That Fly, Life in the Desert, and Halloween. Scholarships are available. Ages 2-6 and caregivers. $4.50 per child (nonmember), $4 member child. Longmont Museum, Longmont. longmontcolorado.gov

Hispanic Heritage Month: Pan Con Chumpe from El Salvador

Oct. 12, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Sample pan con chumpe, a Salvadoran turkey sandwich stuffed with toppings, while practicing Spanish with DPL staff and celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. This is a bilingual Spanish/English program. Food will be available while supplies last. Register online. //Pruebe pan con chumpe, un sándwich de pavo llevado a un nivel completamente nuevo, mientras practica español con el personal de DPL y celebra el Mes de la Herencia Hispana. Free. Sam Gary Library, Denver. denverlibrary.org

Museums & Exhibits

Fire Prevention Safety Week

October 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Celebrate Fire Prevention Safety week; play and learn with hands-on activities throughout the Museum exhibits and Little Squirts Square, and talk to past firefighters about their experiences. All ages. Free. Denver Firefighters Museum, Denver. denverfirefightersmuseum.org

The Fantasy Show

Through Dec. 17; Wed through Fri, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sat, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Colorful, larger than life installations created in a variety of mediums (light, sculpture, and illustration) pull viewers into a fantastical experience. It features new artworks produced by the Museum of Outdoor Arts emerging artists program, and their artists in residence. Free. Englewood Civic Center, Englewood. moaonline.org

Survival of the Slowest

Oct. 22 through Jan. 9; Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fri, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Explore dozens of habitats and meet live animals such as a two-toed sloth, green iguana, spur-thighed tortoise, hedgehog, and other species that manage to thrive in a world where large, strong, and fast animals are often at the top of the food chain. Included with admission: $19.95 adult, $14.95 youth, $16.95 seniors, free under age 3. Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver. dmns.org

Theater

El Corrido del Barrio

Oct. 7 to 24, Thu through Sat, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 24, 2 p.m.

Players of Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center take the stage in a moving and comic tribute to community, family, and life in Denver’s Westside. The corrido (ballad) laments the heart of the land and brown-skinned people stolen in the name of progress. Written by Anthony J. Garcia and directed by Hugo E. Carbajal. $20; $17 student, seniors. Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center, Denver. suteatro.org

The Toymaker’s Doll Coppelia

Oct. 9 and 10, 3 p.m. (Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre, Denver); Nov. 7, 3 p.m. (D.L. Parsons Theatre, Northglenn); Nov. 27, 6:30 p.m. (The Schoolhouse Theatre, Parker)

Laugh along with this comic ballet about a dancing doll, a mischievous girl, and a toymaker who has fallen in love with his own creation. Enjoy a Little Ballerina Tea Party with cast members in costume after matinee performances. All ages. Find tickets online. $26 adult, $23 student/seniors, $20 youth. Locations in Denver, Northglenn, and Parker. balletariel.org

Fiddler on the Roof

Through Oct. 10; Fri and Sat, 7:30 p.m.; Sun, 2:30 p.m.

The iconic musical tells the story of milkman Tevye and his daughters whose lives are overshadowed by anti-semitism in the early 20th century. All ages. Find tickets online. $30 adult, $26 senior, $20 student (age 21 and under). Center Stage, Englewood. ovationwest.org

Passport to Culture: Seven Falls Indian Dancers

Oct. 17, 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m. (sensory-friendly)

The Seven Falls Indian Dancers is a family dance troupe representing four generations of dancers from the Pawnee, Flandreau Santee Sioux, and Crow Creek Sioux tribes. The troupe performs traditional dances including the Hoop Dance, Eagle Dance, Grass Dance, and more, explaining the origin of each dance with a story. The sensory-friendly show is modified to ensure there are no startling noises or visually over-stimulating components. $5. Lone Tree Arts Center, Lone Tree. lonetreeartscenter.org