Even a casual drive around the Denver metro area will unveil a bevy of architectural gems, with even more design secrets hiding behind doors you might not expect. But since getting an invite to house parties at all these places was dubious even before a global pandemic, the Denver Architecture Foundation hosts Doors Open Denver to share these built environment stories.

This year’s event begins on Monday, Sept. 27 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 17 and features a blend of virtual and in-person tours. The free, virtual tours are available on-demand and include four 2021 stops and 12 archived stops from last year’s event.

In-person tours take place Saturdays and Sundays with four tours per day, according to provided information. Sites include the Clyfford Still Museum, the Historic Elitch Theater, the Historic 11th Avenue Hostel and the US. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. Tickets for in-person tours are available but are expected to be in high demand.

As part of the event, the Y/OUR Denver photography competition will also be back, accepting entries through Thursday, Oct. 23. The corresponding exhibit of top entries will open to the public virtually in December.

We spoke to Pauline Herrera, Denver Architecture Foundation executive director, about this year’s event and what you need to know:

How did you go about planning this year’s event, with the pandemic still going?

We began planning in late 2020. Since, at the time, we did not know where things were headed with the pandemic, we decided to pursue a virtual event for 2021, like we had in 2020. We remained open, however, to including in-person opportunities, if that became possible. We’re glad it did and that we’re able to present a hybrid event this year.

How will this year’s event be familiar to participants? What will be new?

The event will include nine sites never before offered during Doors Open Denver. It will be familiar in that it includes in-person insider tours led by expert tour guides, as Doors Open Denver historically has. It will also be familiar for folks who participated last year in that we will once again offer virtual tours.

What are you most excited about with in-person visits back this year?

I’m excited for our members and patrons who have missed them. It’s wonderful to be able to offer them in-person tours again.

For access to the virtual tours and to purchase tickets for in-person tours, visit denverarchitecture.org.

Do some ‘FRIENDraising’ for Outdoor Lab

If you grew up around the metro area, there’s a better than even chance that you spent some time at Outdoor Lab. It’s a formative experience for many of us — one that needs to be there for a long time to come.

To keep Outdoor Lab thriving, don’t miss the nonprofit Outdoor Lab Foundation’s annual “FRIENDraiser” from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 24 at The Buffalo Rose, 1119 Washington Ave. in Golden. 9News reporter Marc Sallinger will emcee the event, which features live music, local food, signature cocktails and a live and silent auction, according to provided information.

Go out, have some fun and ensure that this rite of passage continues to educate students for a long time. Visit outdoorlabfoundation.org/news-events for the pertinents.

Explore your curiosity at K Contemporary

It’s always an exciting feeling when an artist is introduced to a place, which is just the case with Hunt Slonem’s first solo exhibition in Denver, “Curiouser and Curiouser.” The exhibit is on display through Nov. 6 at K Contemporary, an art gallery located at 1412 Wazee St. in Denver.

The exhibition, co-curated by Doug Kacena and Jonathan Saiz, will include more than 200 of Slonem’s pieces, including neon, glass, painting, bronze and outdoor sculptures, according to provided information. Slonem’s “neo-expressionist style” work has been on display at more than 100 museums all over the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

For more information, visit kcontemporaryart.com.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Bluebird Music Festival at Macky Auditorium

You can’t go wrong with some fantastic acoustic music as the seasons change in Colorado — which makes the annual Bluebird Music Festival a must-attend event. This year it’s held on Saturday, Sept. 25 and Sunday, Sept. 26 at Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., No. 104 / 285 UCB in Boulder.

The lineup for the festival includes City and Colour, Jade Bird, Otis Taylor and The Head and The Heart’s Jonathan Russell. All the artists are fantastic writers, with an uncanny knack to explore the truth with guitars and voices. The concert is hosted by The Future Arts Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to improve communities through arts, music and environmental programs. By using these funds, the nonprofit provides Colorado schools with instruments and free youth arts workshops.

Get passes and tickets for the weekend festival at bluebirdmusicfestival.org.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.