Happy birthday, Schuyler Colfax!
Thursday. Denver’s Colfax Avenue has been keeping it real for decades, and its namesake will get an appropriately historical celebration this week as History Colorado Center celebrates the 200th birthday of Schuyler Colfax.
The former speaker of the U.S. House, who had a prominent role in ratifying the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, will get his due with stories from The Colfax Avenue Museum founder Jonny Barber (his collection’s still intact, and looking for a home) as well as the “40 Years on the ‘Fax” exhibit, birthday cake and more.
Free, but RSVP to  colfaxavenuemuseum@gmail.com. 3-5 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway in Denver. historycolorado.org or colfaxavenue.org
DanceAspen’s latest dazzlers
Friday-Saturday. One of the region’s freshest dance outfits has a world premiere this weekend featuring six choreographers — three with profile, and three locals — as part of its new Winter Program. It’s another chance for DanceAspen to reassert itself as the city’s marquee dance institution, following its 2021 founding and the dissolution of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet.
The 7:30 p.m. shows on Friday, March 17, and Saturday, March 18, at Wheeler Opera House will feature new works by Penny Saunders, Yin Yue and Sebastian Kloborg, as well as in-house DanceAspen creators Matthew Gilmore, Madeline Scott and Blake Krapels. 320 E. Hyman Ave. in Aspen. Tickets: $35-$55. aspenshowtix.com
Also this week: Internationally acclaimed choreographer, dancer and teacher Robert Sher-Machherndl, who heads up Boulder’s Lemon Sponge Cake dance company, returns from a tour to premiere his new solo work “Gone.” 6 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at Boulder JCC, 6007 Oreg Ave. in Boulder. Tickets: $18 via evenbrite.com
Cinema Azteca’s Spanish-language films
Tuesday. When Museum of Contemporary Art Denver bought the Highland neighborhood’s historic Holiday Theater, it promised not only a loving restoration but smart, fun and accessible programming. That’s swiftly come true in recent months, and looks even better with the addition of the new Spanish-language film series Cinema Azteca.
The weekly program begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21, with screenings curated by artists, filmmakers writers and other experts on Mexican and Latin American film traditions — in this case, the film “¡Que viva México!” 2644 W. 32nd Ave. in Denver. Tickets: $10-$15 per screening. mcadenver.org/events/series/cinema-azteca
SF1’s gets live at Ophelia’s
Thursday. Denver artist SF1 (a.k.a. Shane Franklin) has not-so-quietly been producing some of the city’s best music, including his recent, addictively propulsive single “Down.” After appearing in the sold-out run “In the Pocket: The Ballad of Bobby Trombone,” he’ll hold a birthday bash on Thursday, March 23, featuring a headline performance of his expertly blended influences, ranging from hip hop to the West African drum and dance, Afro-Latin, pop and rock.
The show includes Amzy featuring Nancy Hubanks. 8:30 p.m. at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, 1215 20th St. 18-and-up. Tickets: $13-$18 via ticketmaster.com
