Rad Things (to) Do - May 2024

What did Justin Timberlake say on April 30? “It’s gonna be May.” Now that it’s officially May and have that joke out of the way, let’s talk about all the Rad Things (to) Do this month around the district. Spoiler warning: It’s a lot.

This month features two major parades, one of America’s biggest marathons, and more events than there are stars in the sky, all headlined by the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche entering the second round of their respective playoff series. Check out all of the events below! Taking RTD to any of the events? Be sure to tag @rideRTD on social media for a chance to be featured!

NOTE: Starting May 26, L Line service will be suspended, while D and H lines will be diverted to Denver Union Station as part of the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project. Please visit https://www.rtd-denver.com/railproject for details on the project and tips on how to navigate the area via RTD.

Major events

Denver Cinco de Mayo Festival

The annual Denver Cinco de Mayo Festival is one of the largest celebrations of Mexican heritage in the United States. Head to Civic Center Park May 4-5 to enjoy educational opportunities, live music, chihuahua races, lowrider car show, taco eating contest and much more, headlined by the Cinco de Mayo Parade on May 4. Keep an eye out for the RTD parade bus with a special Cinco de Mayo-inspired design!

You can reach this event via any Civic Center Station-bound route. Please note that the parade will require minor detouring of some bus routes in the area. Sign up for Service Alerts to be informed of the detours.

Colfax Marathon

The hit 2009 movie Zombieland introduced many rules to live by, but for those running in the world-famous Colfax Marathon, there are two rules to take to heart: Rule #1 – Cardio; and Rule #18 – Limber Up.

The Colfax Marathon takes place May 18-19, attracting tens of thousands of runners to Colfax Avenue. The marathon features a 5K, team relay, 10-miler, a 13.1-mile half-marathon and the full 26.2-mile marathon.

While the half-marathon is sold out, there are still spots available in the other races. Visit https://www.runcolfax.org to learn more. A variety of bus routes serve City Park, location of the start and finish lines. Visit the Trip Planner to plan your ride to the marathon.

Commerce City Memorial Day Parade

Honor those who paid the ultimate price for the freedoms Americans enjoy every day. The Commerce City Memorial Day Parade takes place Monday, May 27. The annual parade is the largest of its kind in Colorado, bringing thousands of people from around the Front Range to Commerce City to pay their respects for America’s fallen veterans. RTD will be participating in the parade, so keep an eye out for the parade bus!

Visit https://www.c3gov.com/living-in/community-events/memorial-day-parade to learn more about the parade.

Sports

Do you feel the energy in the air? Do you smell the hardwood? Do your veins feel like they’re icing over? If you said yes to any of the above, then that means you have come down with a case of playoff fever. The Denver Nuggets spent the final weeks of April embarrassing the Los Angeles Lakers, sending them on an early vacation to Cancun while the Nugs continue their defensive campaign of last year’s NBA title. Over on the ice, the Colorado Avalanche put the rest of the league on notice with their utter demolition of the Winnipeg Jets and look to continue their quest to redeem themselves from last year’s early exit from the playoffs.

Given the nature of the NHL and NBA playoffs, schedules will not be determined until before each series starts. Follow the Nuggets and Avalanche on social media to learn the dates and times when the schedules are finalized.

On the other side of I-25, Empower Field at Mile High Stadium gets dirty and dangerous as the penultimate round of the 2024 American Motorcross Association’s Monster Energy Supercross goes down May. Heading into the second to last race, the 450SX class sees rookie Jett Lawrence just 11 points in the lead as he seeks to become only the third rookie in the history of the sport to win the title as a first-year racer in the premier class. However, supercross stalwart Cooper Webb and Colorado’s very own Eli Tomac sit just behind Lawrence in second and third respectively looking to rob Lawrence of the title at the last minute. In the 250SX class, American RJ Hampshire sits just two points ahead of fellow American Levi Kitchen heading into Denver. The stakes are immensely high for the 250SX riders, with only 28 points separating first place from fifth place. Both the 450SX and 250SX titles are still completely up for grabs with two races left. This is not an event to miss.

Empower Field at Mile High Stadium (accessible via the E and W lines at Empower Field at Mile High Station)

• May 4: Monster Energy Supercross

Ball Arena (accessible via the E and W lines at Ball Arena•Elitch Gardens Station as well as Routes 1, 15L and 20 at Auraria Parkway and 9th Street)

Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars/Vegas Golden Knights (NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Western Conference Semifinals [Round 2]):

All games are TBD until the conclusion of the Dallas Stars/Vegas Golden Knights series

Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA Playoffs: Western Conference Semifinals [Round 2]):

• May 4: Game #1
• May 6: Game #2
• May 14: Game #5 (if necessary)
• May 19: Game #7 (if necessary)

Concerts

If the months of the year were chain restaurants, then May would be a Golden Corral. This month offers an endless all-you-can-eat buffet of country, pop, indie, alternative, metal, hard rock, pop punk, hip-hop and dozens of other genres. Notable concerts include Gabiel Iglesias, Brooks & Dunn, Two Door Cinema Club, Gunna, The Kid Laroi, Imminence, The Amity Affliction, Knocked Loose and X Ambassadors.

Let parking be the least of your worries and take the bus or train to the shows this month!

Ball Arena (accessible via the E and W lines at Ball Arena•Elitch Gardens Station as well as Routes 1, 15L and 20 at Auraria Parkway and 9th Street; starting May 26, D and H lines will also serve Ball Arena)

• May 18: Gabriel Iglesias – “Don’t Worry, Be Fluffy”
• May 21: Melanie Martinez – “The Trilogy Tour”
• May 30: Stevie Nicks
• May 31: Brooks & Dunn – “Reboot Tour”

Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater (accessible via the E and H lines at Arapahoe at Village Center Station)

• May 17-18: Billy Strings – “Spring Tour 2024”

Bellco Theater (accessible via the Free MallRide at 17th Street and Glenarm Place; D and H lines at Theatre District•Convention Center Station)

• May 11: Kumar Sanu and Sadhana Sargam
• May 24: Ramon Ayala – “El Principio de Un Final”

Mission Ballroom (accessible via the A Line at 38th•Blake Station)

• May 3: City Morgue – “Bombs in the Mail Tour”
  • Supporting act: Fourfive
• May 8: Blondie
• May 10: J Boog and Ky-Mani Marley
  • Supporting act: Iam Tongi, L.A.B.
• May 11: The Teskey Brothers – “The Winding Way Tour”
  • Supporting act: Jamie Wyatt
• May 14: Emo Orchestra featuring Escape the Fate
• May 17: Ganja White Night – “Wobble Rocks III”
  • Supporting acts: The Widdler, Mr. Bill, Justin Hawkes and Hydraulix
• May 18: Idles
• May 19: Knocked Loose
  • Supporting acts: Show Me The Body, Loathe and Speed
• May 22: Bryson Tiller
• May 23: Waxahatchee
  • Supporting act: Good Morning
• May 24: Social Distortion
• May 25: Two Door Cinema Club
  • Supporting act: Day Wave
• May 30-31: Rainbow Kitten Surprise – “Tiny Music Box Tour”

Paramount Theatre [accessible via the D, H and L lines at 16th•California Station (until May 25) or the Free MallRide at 17th Street and Glenarm Place]

• May 6: Adam Ant – “ANTMUSIC 2024”
  • Supporting act: The English Beat
• May 7: Steve Vai and Joe Satriani – “Satch Vai Us Tour”
• May 10-11: Shane Gillis
• May 14: George Thorogood and the Destroyers – “Bad All Over The World 50 Year Anniversary Tour”
• May 15: Metric
• May 16: Last Podcast on the Left – “JK Ultra Tour”
• May 18: Becky Robinson – “She Gone Tour”
• May 19: Pete Davidson – “Prehab Tour”
• May 23: Ancient Aliens
• May 25: Joey Fatone and AJ McLean – “A Legendary Night”
• May 26: Celtic Woman
• May 30-31: Andrea Gibson and Tig Notaro

Fillmore Auditorium (accessible via Route 15 at Colfax Avenue and Emerson Street or Colfax Avenue and Clarkson Street)

• May 5: The Amity Affliction – “Let The Ocean Take Me 10th Anniversary Tour”
  • Supporting acts: Current, Dying Wish and Mugshot
• May 10: Belle & Sebastian – “North American Tour Spring 2024”
  • Supporting act: The Weather Station
• May 12: Gunna – “The Bittersweet Tour”
  • Supporting act: Flo Milli
• May 15: The Garden with Alice Glass
• May 18: Marcus King – “Mood Swings The World Tour”
• May 23: Sean Paul – “Greatest Tour 2024”
• May 29: Jacob Collier – “Djesse Vol. 4 North America Tour”
  • Supporting act: Emily King
• May 31: The Kid Laroi – “First Time Tour 2024”
  • Supporting acts: Glaive and Chase Shakur

Ogden Theatre (accessible via Route 15 at Colfax Avenue and Emerson Street or Colfax Avenue and Clarkson Street)

• May 3: Yookie
  • Supporting acts: Dr. Ushuu, Swampz and Raccoon Party
• May 4: James Arthur – “Bittersweet Love World Tour”
  • Supporting act: Forest Blakk
• May 6: Jesse McCartney – “All’s Well Tour”
• May 7: Asking Alexandria – “All My Friends North American Tour 2024”
  • Supporting acts: The Word Alive and Nerv
• May 9: Bombay Bicycle Club
  • Supporting act: Gengahr
• May 10: Sam Barber – “Till I Return Tour”
• May 11: Pond
  • Supporting act: 26Fix
• May 14: X Ambassadors – “Townie Tour”
  • Supporting acts: New West and Rowan Drake
• May 17: Microwave
  • Supporting acts: Origami Angel, Heart Attack Man and Carpool Tunnel
• May 18: Goldfish
  • Supporting acts: Gigamesh and Danger Foley
• May 20: Mariah the Scientist – “To Be Eaten Alive Tour”
  • Supporting acts: Ryan Trey
• May 31: Echo & The Bunnymen – “Songs to Learn and Sing 2024”

Oriental Theater (accessible via Route 44 at West 44th Avenue and Tennyson Street)

• May 4: Imminence – “The Black North American Tour”
  • Supporting acts: Catch Your Breath and Of Virtue
• May 10: Ekkstacy – “North American Tour 2024”
  • Supporting act: Alex Sucks
• May 11: Jimmy Dore
• May 16: Inna Vision
  • Supporting acts: Logan LaValley and Coronation
• May 21: Mr. Big – “The Big Finish USA 2024”
  • Supporting act: Mz. Vendetta
• May 26: Ionnalee – “iamwhoiam”
  • Supporting act: Jenny Wilson

Bluebird Theater (accessible via Route 15 at Colfax Avenue and Cook Street)

• May 3: Taylor Fest
• May 4: Rock and Roll Playhouse – “Music of The Beatles”
• May 4: Mannequin P
  • Supporting act: Soul Glo
• May 5: Young Rising Sons
  • Supporting act: Diva Bleach
• May 7: Ash – “The Self-Discovery Tour”
• May 8: Yot Club
  • Supporting act: Boyscott
• May 11: Dustin Kensrue – “The Desert Dreaming Tour”
  • Supporting acts: The Brevet and Brother Bird
• May 12: Yellow Days – “Hotel Heaven Tour”
  • Supporting act: The Jack Moves
• May 14: Punk Rock Factory – “Stick to the Covers Tour”
• May 15: Late Night Drive Home
  • Supporting acts: Pleasure Pill and Lady Denim
• May 16: Alice Merton
  • Supporting act: Juliana Madrid
• May 17-18: Medium Wild
  • Supporting act: Rosie Bush
• May 19: Bleakheart
  • Supporting act: Palehorse/Palerider and George Cessna
• May 20: Holly Humberstone
  • Supporting act: Carol Ades
• May 21: Electric Six
  • Supporting act: Supersuckers Volk
• May 22: Guitar Wolf – “Go More Kicks”
  • Supporting act: Hans Condor
• May 24: Boogie Lights and the Boogie Bunch
  • Supporting acts: CJ, Pineo and Loeb, Deezy Lephunk and Chillsbury Doughboys
• May 29: Gatecreeper
  • Supporting acts: Undeath, Jarhead Fertilizer and Final Gasp
• May 30: The Raveonettes
• May 31: Hunter Burnette and Heavy Diamond Ring
  • Supporting act: Bluebook

HQ (accessible via Route 0 at South Broadway and West Bayaud Avenue)

• May 3: Break Up Shoes
  • Supporting acts: Instant Crush and Strawberry Milk Cult
• May 5: Brat and Bonginator
  • Supporting acts: Harvested and Monumental Discharge
• May 6: Careful Gaze
  • Supporting acts: Miniluv, Volatile and Neverxhappy
• May 9: Harbor
  • Supporting acts: Mission 7, Hellgrammites and Red 40
• May 10: Maylene and the Sons of Disaster – “Cheatin’ on Death Tour”
  • Supporting acts: Islander, Limbs and Saltwound
• May 14: Boundaries – “Death Is Little More Tour”
  • Supporting acts: Orthodox, Kaonashi and No Cure
• May 15: Exhumed – “Decayed Decades Tour”
  • Supporting acts: Uada, Skeletal Remains, Bewitcher, Morbikon and Upon Stone
• May 16: Bricheros
  • Supporting acts: Flight Kamizake, Prozacs and Bonstones
• May 18: The Fall of Troy – “Phantom On The Horizon Tour”
  • Supporting acts: The Number 12 Looks Like You and Rhododendron
• May 19: Enterprise Earth
  • Supporting acts: Inferi, Crown Magentar and Tracheotomy
• May 20: Profanatica
  • Supporting acts: Stormruler and Ob Nixilis
• May 22: The Band Repent
  • Supporting acts: Carnal Contempt, SinEater and Hel Hath Fury
• May 23: Madball
  • Supporting acts: Mask, Eyes Of Salt and Last Ditch
• May 24: Fishbone’s Angelo Moore
  • Supporting act: The Swashbuckling Doctors
• May 25: Har Mar Superstar
• May 29: Bad Cop Bad Cop
  • Supporting acts: Rodeo Boys and Trauma Czars
• May 30: The Opalites and The Ragetones
  • Supporting acts: Everybody But Jay and Tommyrot

Gothic Theatre (accessible via Route 0 at South Broadway and Eastman Avenue, or South Broadway and West Floyd Avenue)

• May 4: Sam Bush
  • Supporting act: Pick & Howl
• May 7: Swans – “USA Tour 2024”
  • Supporting act: Kristof Hahn
• May 9: Ty Segall – “US Tour ‘24”
  • Supporting act: Sharpie Smile
• May 10: Malcolm Todd – “Sweet Boy Tour”
• May 11: Donny Benét
  • Supporting act: Otnes
• May 14: Madd Caddies
  • Supporting acts: Jon Snodgrass and Bad Britton
• May 15: Amenra
  • Supporting acts: Primitive Man and Slow Crush
• May 16: Southall
  • Supporting act: Reid Haughton
• May 17: Battle Beast
  • Supporting act: Blackbriar
• May 18: Attila and Born of Osiris – “The Angles & Villains Tour”
  • Supporting acts: Traitors, Extortionist and Not Enough Space
• May 19: Ride – “North America Tour”
  • Supporting act: Knifeplay
• May 20: Cattle Decapitation and Carnifex – “Chaos & Carnage 2024”
  • Supporting acts: Rivers of Nihil, Humanity’s Last Breath, The Zenith Passage, Vitriol and Face Yourself
• May 22: Geezer Butler and Brian Posehn – “Into the Void Tour”
• May 25: Opie Gone Bad – “Reunion Tour”
  • Supporting act: The 17th Avenue All Stars
• May 28: Draag
• May 31: Whitey Morgan and the 78’s

Summit Music Hall (accessible via Routes 0, 9, 15 and 20 at 18th and Blake streets, or via Route 52 at 20th and Blake streets)

• May 3: Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors – “Find Your People Tour”
  • Supporting act: Donovan Woods
• May 4: Blind Guardian – “The God Machine Tour”
  • Supporting act: Night Demon
• May 5: The Spill Canvas
  • Supporting act: Ace Enders
• May 7: The 502s – “Great American Road Trip”
  • Supporting act: Zach Seabaugh
• May 9: We Three
  • Supporting act: Skydxddy
• May 10: Panchiko
  • Supporting act: Wisp and Weatherday
• May 11: No Strings Attached – “An orchestral rendition of Dr. Dre 2001”
• May 13: Stiff Little Fingers
  • Supporting act: Ricky Warwick
• May 14: Kamelot – “Awaken the World Tour 2024”
  • Supporting acts: Hammerfall and Ad Infinitum
• May 15: The Garden with Alice Glass
• May 17: Shordie Shordie – “Memory Lane Tour”
• May 18: Itchy-O – “Intergalactic Masquerade”
  • Supporting acts: Carnivale de Sensuale and Strange Powers
• May 20: Oxymorrons
  • Supporting acts: Post Profit and Underseer
• May 21: Erra – “Cure North America”
  • Supporting acts: Make Them Suffer, Void of Vision and Novelists
• May 22: Warpaint
  • Supporting act: Sego
• May 23: Eyedress
• May 31: Spite and Bodysnatcher
  • Supporting acts: Thrown and Mouth For War

Marquis Theatre (accessible via Routes 52 and RX at 20th and Larimer streets, or via Route 38 at Larimer and 21st streets)

• May 3: Caskey – “Return of the Black Sheep Tour”
  • Supporting act: Angel Hill
• May 4: S Cages and The Burial Plot
  • Supporting acts: Lucked Out, Fateseeker and Playn for Keeps
• May 5: Jack & Jack
  • Supporting act: Sammy Wilk
• May 7: Trophy Eyes
  • Supporting acts: Rarity, House & Home Relate
• May 9: Wake Me
  • Supporting acts: Antisaint, Fire Follows and Spitting Image
• May 10: Guided By Voices
  • Supporting act: Undersale
• May 11: CSS
• May 15: He Is Legend – “I Am Hollywood: 20 Years of Madness”
  • Supporting acts: Codeseven and The Seafloor Cinema
• May 18: Vale of Pnath and Abigail Williams
  • Supporting acts: Summoning the Lich, NightWraith and Congregant
• May 19: Rich Amiri
  • Supporting act: Highway
• May 24: Fighting the Phoenix
  • Supporting acts: Colony Collapse and Purge The Heretic
• May 26: Roar
• May 29: Sonido Gallo Negro
  • Supporting act: Ritmo Cascabel
• May 31: Alexander Stewart – “the bleeding hearts tour”
  • Supporting act: Emmy Meli

Theatre

Check out what’s going on this month below and snag tickets to the following events at https://www.denvercenter.org/tickets-events/.

DCPA can be accessed via the D, H and L lines at Theatre District•Convention Center Station (until May 25) and via the Free MallRide at 15th and Curtis streets.

Buell Theatre

• May 3-5: The Cher Show
• May 11-12: Bluey’s Big Play
• May 17: 2024 Bobby G Awards
• May 22-31: Company

Killstrom Theatre

May 3-31: The Lehman Trilogy