You know you want to (pet the tarantulas)
Friday-Oct. 31. Spiders have crawled all over the news lately in Colorado as the southern portion of the state has watched its annual mating ritual among thousands of tarantulas bring the creatures out into the public — as well as lots of new tourists. In addition to La Junta’s first-ever Tarantula Festival, which runs Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7-8, with various entertainment and educational events (chooselj.com/tarantula-festival), there’s the “Spiders Around the World” exhibit at the Butterfly Pavilion, which runs Friday, Oct. 7-Oct. 31.
More than 20 spider species will be on display ranging from locals to the Skeleton Tarantula and Colombian Pumpkin Patch Tarantula from South America. There also will be orb-weaving spiders within the Wings of the Tropics’ Spider Dome, where you can study web-making up close. Included with general admission: $14.50 for adults, $12.50 for seniors, $9.50 ages 2-12, and free for children under 2. 6252 W. 104th Avenue in Westminster. butterflies.org — John Wenzel
Breck’s Hootenanny: Big fun in Littleton
Saturday-Sunday. This weekend, Breckenridge Brewery hosts its 32nd annual Hootenanny, a two-day end-of-summer festival highlighting beer, music and food. Taking place on the Anheuser-Busch-owned brewery’s farm-like Littleton campus, the family-friendly Hootenanny also includes life-size board games, local vendors and a Never Summer snowboard hill.
This year’s music lineup includes Railroad Earth, Anders Osborne, Spin Doctors and Big Head Todd and the Monsters. The event runs from noon to 7 p.m. both days, rain or shine, at 2920 Brewery Lane in Littleton. Tickets for the 21-and-up event are $50 per day for general admission, and $200 for VIP. breckbrew.com. — Jonathan Shikes
“Glory Guitars” tears open The Crypt
Tuesday. Denver writer and publicist Erin Barnes has long been a key player in the city’s cultural scene, from promoting local bands to chronicling them for Westword, this publication and others — and now, repping Meow Wolf Denver. Her edgy alter-ego, Gogo Germaine, has written a new memoir about growing up disaffected and punk in Fort Collins — “Glory Guitars: Memoir of a ’90s Teenage Punk Rock Grrrl” — and it’s as smart and compelling as it is surprising and, ultimately, empowering.
We won’t give anything away, but you’d do well to attend Barnes’ release party for the nonfiction book at The Crypt on Tuesday, Oct. 11 — which follows a 6 p.m. reading and signing at The Tattered Cover Colfax (the latter is free). At The Crypt, she’ll celebrate “Glory Guitars” (University of Hell Press) with a live performance from Velvet Horns and DJ sets from musician/’zinester Brian Polk and author Josiah Hesse. Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. $5 cash door cover. 1618 E. 17th Ave. universityofhellpress.com or thecryptdenver.com. — John Wenzel
Roller Derby hip-checks zombies, vampires
Saturday. Denver-based Rocky Mountain Roller Derby hip-checks its way into the spooky season with a Halloween mix-up double-header. The first features skating witches facing off against demons, while the second pits zombies against vampires. But the ladies of the derby won’t be the only ones dressed up: intermission will include an audience costume contest. There will be prizes.
Doors to the Rollerdome, 2375 S. Delaware St. in Denver, open at 5 p.m. and the first game is at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8. Tickets, $12 in advance, are available at eventbrite.com; they will be $15 at the door. All ages welcome; kids under 12 are free. — Jonathan Shikes
