What to do this week in Denver: Festival of Horror, Latin Fashion Week, Chuck D on stage

BEST BESTS>> THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND AROUND DENVER

Your best bets also include a digital media festival

Attendees at the Sept. 15-17 Colorado Festival of horror will get a free copy of the new, Denver-made “True Believers” horror comic. PROVIDED BY HEX PUBLISHERS

Latin Fashion Week Colorado returns Sept. 15-16 as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. PROVIDED BY LATIN FASHION WEEK

Chuck D of Public Enemy — here with Prophets of Rage — is an elder stateman of hip-hop. PHOTO BY AMY HARRIS — INVISION/AP

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By John Wenzel

jwenzel@denverpost.com

Colorado Festival of Horror

Friday-Sunday: The third Colorado Festival of Horror, themed Slasher Hotel, will stalk the Marriott Denver South at Park Meadows (10345 Park Meadows Drive, Lone Tree) Friday, Sept. 15-Sept. 17, with an array of terrifying guests from classics such as “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Final Destination,” as well as comics artists, writers, and related vendors.

Yes, there’s lots to buy, but Colorado’s Hex Publishers is also giving away preview copies of its new “True Believers” comic, created and written by Stephen Graham Jones and Joshua Viola. If you just want to peruse the workshops, panels and interactive events, tattoo and cosplay contests, or horror trivia, admission is $20-$30 per day, or $60 for a 3-day pass. Autographs, etc. are extra. Kids 10 and under are free. cofestivalofhorror.com

Family fun, live music, and Latin fashion show

Friday-Sunday: Despite being half over, many of Hispanic Heritage Month’s biggest metro-area events are taking place this weekend. Latin Fashion Week Colorado kicks off with a 5-9 p.m. show on Friday, Sept. 15, at the Auraria Campus Tivoli Quad (1000 Larimer St. in Denver), featuring locals, followed by the Saturday, Sept. 16, showcase of international designers.

The local show, inspired by Oaxacan culture, features more than a dozen multicultural designers, music, art and food from Latin America, organizers said. Tickets are $40-$160 at latinfashionweekcolorado.com. Also at the Auraria Campus — and free — on Sunday, Sept. 17, is the family friendly Papagayo celebration, which starts at 8 a.m. with a 5K followed by music, dance, food and more culture running until 6 p.m. sentirvenezolano.organizacionpapagayo.org

Also free: the Mexican Cultural Center and Colorado Symphony’s seventh “Latin Beats: Sonidos de las Americas” takes place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21, at Boettcher Concert Hall (1000 14th St. in Denver). The free community concert celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with guests the Mixe Soprano Maria Reyna, Mariachi Sol de mi Tierra, Raquel Garcia, ArtistiCO Dance Company, Banda Filarmónica Sandunga, and El Sistema Colorado. tickets.coloradosymphony.org/6747/6748

Finally, Boulder’s Chautauqua Auditorium is holding its own free, bilingual festival on Sept. 17 called Festival del Sol. New this year are salsa dance classes, Latin beer and cocktail garden, and guided bilingual hikes of all levels with Latino Outdoors and OSMP — along with live music, food and more. chautauqua.com/2023-festival-del-sol

Digital art, demystified

Through Sunday: The field of digital arts is a vast and intimidating one, categorically covering everything from video installations and virtual reality to NFTs and AI creations. But this weekend’s Denver Digerati Emergent Media Festival planted its flag in that world eight years ago (back when the fest was called Supernova), and their head-of-the-pack curation shows.

This year’s Thursday, Sept. 14-Sunday, Sept. 17, event soft-pedals the large-screen showings of pieces downtown for in-person events — although those will still be on display at the Night Lights Denver meet-up. Other events take place at the Sie FilmCenter, Union Hall, and Denver Evans School, featuring a live performance by Spanish artist Raquel Meyers.

This year’s fest, titled “Welcome to the Here and Now,” is heavy on film screenings and mixers. Most events are free or on a sliding scale, so if you can’t pay much (or anything) you can still attend. See the full lineup at denverdigerati.org/festival2023.

See Chuck D, Talib Kweli for free

Sunday: Denver’s Levitt Pavilion, one of Colorado’s finest amphitheaters and a reliable spot for free, high quality live music, at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17, is welcoming the SoJo show to the stage to celebrate this year’s 50th anniversary of hip hop.

The Drop 104.7 FM is hosting the Social Justice Community Conversation and Concert, which features an on-stage Q&A with Public Enemy legend Chuck D, as well as free performances after that from Talib Kweli, The Reminders, and MC Dent. Free, no RSVP required, and all-ages. Runs until 8 p.m. at 1380 W. Florida Ave. at Ruby Hill Park. levittdenver.org