Monthly Guide
🌹 Your guide to May in Denver
May 1, 2026 · — Paul Karolyi and Olivia Jewell Love
Hey it’s May! And maybe it’ll be a good one 🤞 We’re here to help, as always, with our monthly guide to everything awesome going on in Denver. But this one is special. We’re going to be sending these dedicated newsletters full of all the great stuff we couldn’t fit in the podcast each month.
So tell your friends! Tell your kids! But maybe don’t tell mom ‘till June. It might spoil the surprises we’re gonna share for Mother’s Day.
Your Guide to Denver in May 2026
🐞 It’s a Bugs Night!
Have you ever seen a horse fly? Instead of the traditional Kentucky Derby with racehorses, the Butterfly Pavilion is hosting Bugs and Brews this Friday night. Enjoy cocktails, watch cockroaches race, wear your best insect-inspired Derby hat, and partake in all kinds of derby-esque insect activities. 21+ only!
🤓 Trivia? Tired. Music Bingo? Wired!
Are you like Einstein if he was actually a total music buff? Welcome to absolutely crushing music bingo! A local company called Bingo Tunes hosts music bingo at various locations around town, including Denver Beer Co. It’s just like bingo, but instead of numbers, they play songs and you cross out the names on your card!
🍵 Iced Matcha, Leveled Up
Moonflower Coffee Shop has a new menu item: iced matcha with lemon cold foam. For the matcha-curious, this sweet and tangy version of the trending drink can be a fun foray into a world of endless caffeine combinations. “It’s the most delicious matcha I’ve ever had,” according to Keep it Local newsletter writer Michelle Polizzi.
🍹 Viral Soft Serve Margaritas
Looking to indulge on TikTok’s latest sweet treat trend? Try out a “soft serve margarita” over at Moose Hill Cantina in Lakewood. With rotating fruity flavors on tap and complete with a mini umbrella, this picture-worthy dessert is definitely a perfect start to the warm season in the Mile High.
🍟 Deep Fried Nostalgia
Whether you’re looking to hop on the “beef tallow bandwagon” or just craving some fried deliciousness, Crown Burger offers all their snacks seed-oil free. This Utah chain’s single Denver location feels like stepping into a tasty-smelling time capsule. Their specialty? Pastrami! But, can’t go wrong with the classic steak fries and onion rings.
🥾 In the Footsteps of the ‘Forrest Gump of Colorado’
After a winter of couch vegging and limited sunshine, it’s time to get out there and hike! Producer Paul Karolyi has been doing some research on the origin of some of Denver’s wildest conspiracy theories, and that took him up 2,000 feet of elevation to the top of Mt. Falcon, where a fascinating historical figure named John Brisben Walker once proposed to build a “Summer White House” that would overlook Morrison and the Front Range. Are you letting the president of summer on your lawn?
Big Events and Openings
- May 2-3: Cinco de Mayo Festival in Civic Center Park
- May 5-10: “Hadestown” at Denver Center for the Performing Arts
- May 7 (through June 5): “Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City” immersive experience at York Street Yards
- May 8-9: Spring Plant Sale at Denver Botanic Gardens (York St.)
- May 13-17: “MJ” at Denver Center for the Performing Arts
- May 15 (through June 28): “Bodies: The Science Within” at Denver Pavilions
- May 15-17: Colfax Marathon
- May 17: “Knife Fork Spoon” exhibit opens at Denver Art Museum
- May 28-31: Fan Expo Denver at Colorado Convention Center
- May 29-31: Outside Days at Auraria Campus
May your May be marvelous! It’s a great time to be a Denverite. Go enjoy it!
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