September is the month dreams are made of, especially in 2024. Football’s back in full swing, the Broncos are looking promising, the temperatures are starting to cool down a bit, and Creed returns for the first time in 12 years. Yes, legendary rock band Creed. It might as well be 1998.

To quote Idris Elba in the hit show, The Wire, “I want you to put the word out there that we back up.”

This month promises to be one for the record books. Grab your tickets and check out all of the concerts, sports, festivals and other events happening within walking distance from RTD stops and stations in this action-packed edition of Rad Things (to) Do!

NOTE: Due to the ongoing impacts from the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project, access to downtown via light rail is being provided via Union Station. Visit the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project webpage for the latest updates.

Festivals, parades and holiday-themed events

Sept. 4-7: Denver Food and Wine Festival

The Tivoli Quad turns into a three-day smorgasbord of food, wine and spirits. Many of Denver’s finest restaurants, distilleries and wineries will be sharing their delectable tastes, while attendees can check out educational seminars and vote on their favorite eats and drinks from the participating vendors.

The Tivoli Quad can be accessed by the routes 1 and 15L at Auraria Parkway and 9th Street, and the routes 6 and 43 at 11th Street and Auraria Parkway. Ball Arena•Elitch Gardens Station is a short 5-7 minute walk away, accessible via the D, E, H and W lines.

Sept. 10: Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert

In the 2000s, Avatar: The Last Airbender was one of the most influential and well-known cartoons of the decade, and on Sept. 10, the live-action rendition of the classic cartoon makes its Denver debut at the Buell Theater. This family-friendly event will feature music and iconic scenes from the series, all brought to life by a live orchestra.

The Buell Theater can be accessed at 15th and Curtis streets via the Free MallRide and the routes 6, 9, 15, 15L.

Sept. 13-30: Hamlet

One of the most famous plays of all time kicks off a two-week residency at the Wolf Theatre. Hamlet, arguably one of Shakespeare’s greatest works, continues to sell out theaters all across the planet and defies the test of time.

The Wolf Theatre can be accessed at 15th and Curtis streets via the Free MallRide and the routes 6, 9, 15, 15L.

Sept. 13-15: Denver Jazz Festival

To quote Barry B. Benson from the hit movie Bee Movie, “You like jazz?” If so, head over to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House to enjoy two full days of vintage jazz and blues, featuring works from the 1920 through the 1940s. Learn from internationally renowned instructors at workshops and lectures, and dance to music from Eyal Vilner & His Hot 5, The Eyal Vilner Swing Band, Jeremy Mohney & His Band, and Ian Hutchinson’s Colorado Band featuring Sweet B.

The Ellie Caulkins Opera House can be accessed at 15th and Curtis streets via the Free MallRide and the routes 6, 9, 15, 15L.

Sept. 20-22 and Sept. 27-29: Denver Oktoberfest

Denver is known for its beer, and Denverites just can’t quite wait for Oktoberfest to party hard. That’s why Larimer Street shuts down between 20th and 22nd streets for two weekends of beer, brats, pretzels and more beer for Denver Oktoberfest! The event brings thousands downtown to the Ballpark area to enjoy limitless beer, German-inspired fare, keg bowling, live music and, of course, stein hoisting. Dust off your finest lederhosen and head to Larimer Street Sept. 20-22 and Sept. 27-29 for the wildest party in downtown.

Denver Oktoberfest can be accessed at 20th and Larimer via the routes RX and 52, or just a short 10-minute walk away from Union Station.

Sept. 28-29: The Oddities and Curiosities Expo

What is surely the most peculiar expo of the year, The Oddities and Curiosities Expo takes over the Colorado Convention Center Sept. 28-29. For those with inquiring minds and strong stomachs, the expo features a variety of bizarre and macabre items from over 150 local and national vendors. Some of the things attendees can purchase include taxidermy, preserved animal specimens, skulls, bones and funeral collectibles.

The Colorado Convention Center can be accessed at 15th and California streets via the routes 9, 15 and 15L, or at 15th and Welton streets via the Free MallRide.

Sports

A new dawn rises on the Mile High City. After years of mediocrity, irrelevance and being the butt of jokes from the rest of the sports world, Broncos faithful finally have the one thing they’ve been missing since Peyton Manning led the team to the Super Bowl – hope. The Broncos finished their preseason undefeated, thanks to fantastic performances by rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Will this be the year the Broncos finally make it to the playoffs? We can only hope.

The Broncos being back in regular season action isn’t the only thing Denver sports fans have to look forward to this month. The Colorado Avalanche take the ice at the Ball Arena to fire up their preseason campaign, while the University of Colorado Buffaloes look to start their first season back in the Big 12 in over a decade on the right foot. As far as the Rockies? Well, they’re still doing... something... at Coors Field. Tickets are cheap, at least!

Fans of mixed martial arts are in for a treat as well, as the One Fighting Championships hosts ONE 168 pay-per-view event at the Ball Arena Sept. 6. Two championships are on the line, as Jonathan Haggerty and Superlek Kaitmoo brawl for the Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship belt, while Americans Kade Ruotolo and Mikey Musumeci go to war for the Lightweight Submission Grappling World Championship.

Last, but definitely not least, Simone Biles brings her Gold Over America Tour to Denver. Featuring world-famous Olympians Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles, this tour aims to blow minds through exhilarating displays of gymnastic prowess.

Check out this month’s sports lineup below!

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

• Denver Broncos (NFL):
  • Sept. 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

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

• Special events:
  • Sept. 6: One Fighting Championships 168
  • Sept. 25: Gold Over America Tour starring Simone Biles
• Colorado Avalanche (NHL):
  • Sept. 23: vs. Dallas Stars (preseason)
  • Sept. 29: vs. Utah Hockey Club (preseason)

Coors Field (accessible via any Union Station-bound bus or train)

• Colorado Rockies (MLB):
  • Sept. 1: vs. Baltimore Orioles
  • Sept. 13-15: vs. Chicago Cubs
  • Sept. 16-18: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Sept. 24-26: vs. St. Louis Cardinals
  • Sept. 27-29: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Folsom Field (accessible via routes 204, 225D/225T, DASH, SKIP, AB1 and GS at Broadway and Pleasant Street, and Broadway and University Avenue)

• University of Colorado Buffaloes (college football):
  • Sept. 21: vs. Baylor University

Concerts

Close your eyes and go back in time to Nov. 25, 2001. The Denver Broncos were embarrassing the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium in Dallas, Texas. As the Broncos went into the locker room for halftime up on the Cowboys 17-3, America’s rock band, Creed, takes the stage for arguably the greatest halftime show of all time. For seven minutes, Creed performed a medley of Higher, My Sacrifice and Don’t Stop Dancing to over 60,000 fans in attendance and millions watching on TV. It was a day that will forever live in pop culture infamy (even better for Broncos fans as the Broncos ended up winning that game 26-24). This month, Creed headlines what is yet another completely packed concert schedule, with notable performances from Incubus, Usher, Childish Gambino, Green Day, Def Leppard, In This Moment and Kane Brown.

There’s a lot of music to enjoy this month, so check out the schedule below and get out there!

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

• Sept. 8: Fuerza Regida – “Pero No Te Enamores Tour 2024”
• Sept. 9: Incubus
  • Support: Coheed and Cambria
• Sept. 11-12: Fred Again
• Sept. 13: Childish Gambino – “The New World Tour”
  • Support: Willow
• Sept. 14: Tom Segura – “Come Together”
• Sept. 17-18: Usher – “Past Present Future”
• Sept. 26: Chayanne – “Bailemos Otra Vez Tour”
• Sept. 27: Hans Zimmer
• Sept. 28: Los Temerarios – “Hasta Siempre Tour 2024”

Coors Field (accessible via any Union Station-bound bus or train)

• Sept. 6: Kane Brown
  • Support: Bailey Zimmerman, Locash and Raelynn
• Sept. 7: Green Day – “The Saviors Tour”
  • Support: The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid and The Linda Lindas
• Sept. 8: Def Leppard, Journey and Cheap Trick

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

• Sept. 7: Creed – “Summer of ’99 Tour”
  • Support: 3 Doors Down and Finger Eleven
• Sept. 13: Vance Joy – “Dream Your Life Away Anniversary Show”
  • Support: Briston Maroney and Tiny Habits
• Sept. 14: Pentatonix
  • Support: Loren Allred
• Sept. 15: Kacey Musgraves
  • Support: Father John Misty and Nickel Creek
• Sept. 18: Mitski
  • Support: Ethel Cain
• Sept. 21: Dan + Shay – “The Heartbreak On The Map Summer Tour”
  • Support: Jake Owen and Dylan Marlowe
• Sept. 28: The National and The War On Drugs – “Zen Diagram Tour 2024”
  • Support: Lucius

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

• Sept. 7: RL Grime – “Touching Grass Tour”
  • Support: Baauer, Moore Kismet and Deadcrow
• Sept. 8: In This Moment and Ice Nine Kills – “Kiss of Death Tour ‘24”
  • Support: Avatar and TX2
• Sept. 11: Rodrigo y Gabriela
  • Support: Peter One
• Sept. 12: Snow Tha Product – “Good Highs and Bad Mornings Tour”
• Sept. 13 – Deep Dark and Dangerous
  • Support: Truth, Distinct Motive, Enigma Dubz, Pushloop, Khiva, Wraz, Hypho, Abstrakt Sonance, Singwave and Lita Lotus
• Sept. 14: Peekaboo, Joker, Viperactive, Borne and Solfire
• Sept. 17: Tems
  • Support: Lekan
• Sept. 18: DPR – “The Dream Reborn World Tour”
  • Support: Regime
• Sept. 19: Stephen Sanchez
  • Support: The Brook and The Bluff
• Sept. 20: Tinlicker – “Cold Enough for Snow North American Tour”
• Sept. 21: Glass Beams
  • Support: Arooj Aftab and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
• Sept. 24: Future Islands
  • Support: Oh, Rose
• Sept. 25: Tycho
• Sept. 26: The Breeders
  • Support: Man On Man
• Sept. 27: Something Corporate – “Out of Office Tour 2024”
  • Support: Mae
• Sept. 28: Suki Waterhouse – “The Sparklemuffin Tour 2024”
  • Support: Debbii Dawson

Paramount Theatre (accessible via the Free MallRide at 17th Street and Glenarm Place)

• Sept. 5: Ghost Files Live!
• Sept. 6: Killers of Kill Tony
• Sept. 6: Mauricio Ochmann – “Actuando En Vida”
• Sept. 7: Natalia Jimenez – “Gala Mexicana”
• Sept. 8: Jesús Adrián Romero – “Terrenal Tour”
• Sept. 10: Jesús “Aguaje” Ramos and the Buena Vista Orchestra
• Sept. 11: Jason Bonham’s Led Zepplin Evening
• Sept. 13: Ms. Pat – “The Hot and Flashy Tour”
• Sept. 14: Burton Cummings
• Sept. 17: Johnny Marr & James
• Sept. 18-19: Giggly Squad Live – “Club Giggly”
• Sept. 20: Larry David and Peyton Manning
• Sept. 21: High Plains Comedy Fest: Bob The Drag Queen
• Sept. 22: La India Yuridia
• Sept. 27: Intocable – “30 Aniversario Tour 2024”
• Sept. 28: Ali Siddiq – “I Got A Story To Tell”
• Sept. 29: Celtic Thunder – “Odyssey”

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

• Sept. 15-16: Gracie Abrams – “The Secret of Us Tour”
  • Support: Role Model
• Sept. 18: Danny Ocean
• Sept. 20: Beabadoobee
  • Support: Hovvdy and Keni Titus
• Sept. 25: Everglow
• Sept. 27: Descendents – “US Tour 2024”
  • Support: Buzzcocks and Grumpster
• Sept. 28: Quinn XCII – “All You Can Eat Tour”
• Sept. 29: NIKI
  • Support: Allison Ponthier

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

• Sept. 4: Passenger – “All The Little Lights World Tour 2024”
  • Support: SYML
• Sept. 5-6: Level Up
  • Support:
    • Sept. 5: Tynan, Chango, 7L and Antihero
    • Sept. 6: Blurrd Vzn, Flozone and Noetika
• Sept. 11: Osees
  • Support: Timmy’s Organism
• Sept. 12: Kikuo: Go-Round – “Kikuo World Tour 2024-2025”
• Sept. 13: Two Feet
  • Support: Toby Mai
• Sept. 15: David Kushner
  • Support: Rosie
• Sept. 17: That Mexican OT
• Sept. 20: Sepultra – “Celebrating Life Through Death North American Farewell Tour 2024”
  • Support: Obituary, Agnostic Front and Claustrofobia
• Sept. 21: Soul Coughing
• Sept. 22: Built to Spill – “There’s Nothing Wrong With Love 30th Anniversary Tour”
• Sept. 23: Cuco
• Sept. 24: Peter Cat Recording Company
• Sept. 25: Franc Moody
• Sept. 26: Tori Kelly
  • Support: Maisy Kay
• Sept. 27: Allen Stone
  • Support: Juice
• Sept. 28: Peter Hook & The Light
• Sept. 30: Wild Rivers – “Everywhere We Go North American Tour”
  • Support: Lily Meola

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

• Sept. 3: KK’s Priest
  • Support: Accept
• Sept. 4: Violet Chachki
  • Support: Andrea Staxx and Alyssa Love
• Sept. 5: Grady Spencer & The Work
  • Support Graham Good & The Painters, and Shane Guerrette
• Sept. 7: RMO
  • Support: A Lack of Champions, Radiofry and Box State
• Sept. 11: Norma Jean – “1994 North America”
  • Support: Darkest Hour, Under Auburn Skies and Oyarsa
• Sept. 12: Mortified
• Sept. 14: Mortiis
  • Support: Brighter Death Now, Sombre Arcane, Malfet and Fogweaver
• Sept. 22: Silverada
  • Support: The Lowdown Drifters
• Sept. 23: Brujeria – “Mexorcista Tour 2024”
  • Support: Desmadre, Among The Bodies and Obscene Worship
• Sept. 24: Glenn Hughes
  • Support: Chris Lafferty
• Sept. 28: Ryan Sickler – “Live and Alive”
• Sept. 29: Andrés Lopez

Boulder Theater (accessible via any Downtown Boulder Station route)

• Sept. 6: Shakedown Street
• Sept. 7: Here Come the Mummies
• Sept. 15: DakhaBrakha
• Sept. 18: Todd Park Mohr, Alysia Kraft and Ritmo Cascabel – “The Colorado Sound Music Awards”
• Sept. 21: The Longest Johns with Colm R. McGuineess
• Sept. 22: Soul Coughing
• Sept. 27: Novo Amor
• Sept. 28: Shawn James
  • Support: Bear Hat and Cole Scheifele
• Sept. 29: Ricky Montgomery – “The Rick Tour: One Rick to Rule Them All”
  • Support: Ray Bull
• Sept. 30: Soul Asylum – “Slowly But Shirly Tour”
  • Support: The Juliana Hatfield Three

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

• Sept. 5: Megan Burtt
  • Support: Hunter James & The Titanic, and Jeff Cramer
• Sept. 6: Signs of The Swarm – “A Decade of the Swarm”
  • Support: Cane Hill, Ov Sulfur, 156/Silence and A Wake in Providence
• Sept. 7: Natural Child
  • Support: Ryan Wong
• Sept. 8: Midwife – “No Depression In Heaven”
  • Support: Dbuk and Polly Urethane
• Sept. 10: Pub Choir – “Fringe Benefits Tour”
• Sept. 12: Eddie Roberts & The Lucky Strokes
  • Support: Dragondeer
• Sept. 14: Aaron Frazer – “Into the Blue Tour 2024”
  • Support: The Tailspins
• Sept. 15: Jonah Marais – “The Young & Optimistic Tour”
  • Support: Co-Stanza
• Sept. 16: Mon Rovîa – “Heal With Others Tour”
  • Support: Tish Melton
• Sept. 17: The Sheepdogs
  • Support: Shane Guerrette
• Sept. 18: Sub-Radio – “The Sunrise City Tour”
  • Support: Doublecamp
• Sept. 20: Monster Rally and Kainalu
• Sept. 21: Hulder – “Bloodmoon Dam Tour 2024”
  • Support: Spectral Wound and Aridus
• Sept. 24: A.A. Williams
  • Support: Bleakheart and Alana Mars
• Sept. 27: Ole 60
  • Support: The Droptines
• Sept. 28: Haley Heynderickx
  • Support: Esmé Patterson
• Sept. 29: Jonathan Richman

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

• Sept. 4: Hippie Death Cult and Kadabra
  • Support: Eagle Wing and Lord Velvet
• Sept. 5: First Born and These Kids Today
  • Support: Atom Son of Man
• Sept. 6: Kobra Thighs and Bloodbelly Blues
  • Support: Barrol and Into The Down
• Sept. 11: Speed
  • Support: Wide Man and Sewerslide
• Sept. 12: Temptress
  • Support: Megatheria and Sea of Flame
• Sept. 13: Pegboy
  • Support: The Pitch Invasion and Sack
• Sept. 16: The Well
  • Support: Vakara
• Sept. 18: Public Memory
  • Support: Voight
• Sept. 22: Conflict UK
  • Support: Diskount Vodka and Poison Politix
• Sept. 23: Male Tears
  • Support: Witchhands
• Sept. 26: Richie Kotzen
  • Support: Mark Daly
• Sept. 28: Traitrs
  • Support: Blaklight
• Sept. 29: Butcher babies – “Good Lord, The Butcher’s Ded Tour 2024”
  • Support: Ded, Dropout Kings and Fox Lake

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

• Sept. 4: Sophie Ellis-Bextor
  • Support: Holiday Sidewinder
• Sept. 6: Here Come The Mummies – “Road Trip Fall Tour”
• Sept. 7: The National Parks – “Wild Spirit Tour”
  • Support: Elias Hix
• Sept. 8: Kishi Bashi Kantos
  • Support: Sweet Loretta
• Sept. 9: Magdalena Bay
  • Support: Valgur
• Sept. 11: The Get Up Kids – “25 Years of Something To Write Home About”
  • Support: Smoking Popes
• Sept. 12: The California Honeydrops
• Sept. 13: The Martin Sexton Abby Road Show
• Sept. 14: Hayes Carll & The Band Of Heathens
• Sept. 15: Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs
• Sept. 18: Julian Lage – “Speak To Me Tour 2024”
  • Support: Elijah Wolf
• Sept. 19: Jazmin Bean
  • Support: Bunny Blake
• Sept. 20: Joywave – “Permanent Pleasure North America 2024”
  • Support: Hunny
• Sept. 21: Hoodoo Gurus
• Sept. 22: Everclear
  • Support: Marcy’s Playground and Jimmie’s Chicken Shack
• Sept. 23: Leprous – “Melodies of Atonement North American 2024 Tour”
  • Support: Earthside and Fight The Fight
• Sept. 27: Seven Lions
• Sept. 28: Palaye Royale
  • Support: I See Stars, Weathers and Diamante
• Sept. 29: Griff
• Sept. 30: Phosphorescence

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) 

• Sept. 2: Sad Park and Yungatita
• Sept. 8: Colde – “Blueprint North America Tour”
  • Support: Milena and Basecamp
• Sept. 11: MK.Gee
  • Support: SEES00000
• Sept. 15: Zheani
  • Support: The Buttress and Zand
• Sept. 20: Ziggy Alberts
• Sept. 21: Brooks Nielsen – “Chinese Fountain 10th Anniversary Show”
• Sept. 24: Lord of the Lost – Beasto Blanco
• Sept. 26: Crêpe Girl
• Sept. 28: Haste the Day
• Sept. 30: Mavi – “Shadow Box World Tour”
  • Support: Pink Siifu and Messiah!

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

• Sept. 3: Super American
  • Support: Sydney Sprague and summerbruise
• Sept. 5: R3 Da Chilliman
• Sept. 10: Robert Jon & the Wreck
• Sept. 11: Soft Kill
• Sept. 12: Anthony Green
  • Support: Keith Goodwin
• Sept. 13: Vastive
  • Support: Perry Wayne
• Sept. 14: Good Neighbours
  • Support: Ber
• Sept. 15: Bent Knee
  • Support: Megafauna and Glass Human
• Sept. 16: Mexican Slum Rats
  • Support: Winona Forever and Israel’s Arcade
• Sept. 17: Joeyy – “Try Tour”
  • Support: Laker Brady
• Sept. 18: Apes of the State
• Sept. 19: Erica Falls & Vintage Soul
• Sept. 20: Charly Bliss – “Forever and Ever Tour”
  • Support: Raffaella
• Sept. 21: The Oldup – “I Owe the IRS 60K Dollars: The Tour”E
  • Support: Alt Bloom and Dylan Reese
• Sept. 22: Galactic Empire
  • Support: Powerglove and Super Guitar Bros
• Sept. 24: The Rare Occasions
  • Support: Bel
• Sept. 25: Friday Pilots Club – “The Nowhere Tour”
  • Support: Good Boy Daisy and Instant Crush
• Sept. 26: Dark Tranquillity and Amorphis
  • Support: Fires In The Distance
• Sept. 27: Joe P
  • Support: Anna Shoemaker
• Sept. 28: Foxing
  • Support: From Indian Lakes
• Sept. 29: Thee Sinseers and The Altons
• Sept. 30: French Police