Summer 2026 Free Activities, Admission +More Around Colorado

Updated May 31, 2026

Originally published May 18, 2026

Looking to save some this summer? And what’s better than free? Well – did you know that there are certain days that Colorado museums and institutions as well as national and state parks waive admission?! Or that you can attend free outdoor movies, yoga sessions and concerts throughout the Centennial state this summer?! Well now you do! Dive in to find out when and where for all of these free happenings.

Come back frequently as this will be continually updated – August and September dates are now included. Please feel free to comment or send me an email of any free events I have missed.

The links are directly to the event pages and/or institution pages – note that many admission dates require advanced ticketing and sell out quickly!

BOOK IT! Summer of Stories™ AKA FREE Pizza for Kids!

I fondly remember earning my free personal pizza via Pizza Hut’s Book It Program and just found out that not only has it returned BUT there’s one that runs through this summer! The program, open for kids in pre-K through 6th grade, opened for enrollment starting May 1.

During the summer months of June, July, and August, any child that meets their parent-set reading goals can digital Reading Award Certificates, which are redeemable for a *free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza^® from Pizza Hut participating locations. Use the BOOK IT!® Mobile App to set goals, track progress, and redeem rewards.

* Limit of 5 Personal Pan Pizza® certificates per family, per month. One certificate may be earned per eligible child, per month, for meeting their reading goal. The student must be present. Learn more

FREE CONCERTS @ Levitt Pavilion Denver

As stated on their website: Levitt Pavilion Denver is Colorado’s all-ages outdoor amphitheater, presenting 50 FREE + concerts and community events each summer in beautiful Ruby Hill Park. We believe that music has the power to bring people together across cultures, languages and lived experiences and should be accessible to everyone – regardless of their ability to pay.

There are so many shows that I am not including them in the monthly calendars but I could not write this post and NOT mention this amazing venue and chance to see free shows!

Here’s what to know about the free shows:

• Where to find the Levitt Pavilion Free Concert Series line-up and RSVP
• All free shows are all ages – but artists are not censored so do due diligence if you are worried about appropriateness for yourself/family
• For FREE shows, RSVP is encouraged but walk up entrance is permitted up to venue capacity.
• Re-entry is allowed (but typically not for paid shows!)
• One of my favorite things about this venue is that you can picnic / have lawn chairs here while enjoying your live music – see what’s allowed and what is prohibited here

FREE Concert Series

I had no idea until I created the 2026 Colorado Summer Free Concert Series Guide how many free concerts there are in Colorado and with many cities organizing weekly shows! The guide is organized by day of the week and location to help you discover and enjoy free music throughout the summer with links to details concert series posts filled with all of the things you will want to know.

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

Getting SNAP Benefits? You Get Discounted Tickets Year Round!

If you get Colorado Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, you and your family also can get an Explorer Pass! You can get into many Denver area museums for $1-3 in most cases. Explorer Pass works at the Children’s Museum ($5/person), Denver Museum of Nature and Science ($3/person up to 10), Denver Zoo ($3/person up to 10), History Colorado Center ($1/person), and many other places!

Explorer Pass is built into your Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. Just present your EBT card when buying tickets! Some places need reservations, or have coupon codes you can use online. Check out a list of participating Explorer Pass locations on Denver’s official site here with pricing, restrictions and important information!

Also With SNAP, You Are Eliglible for Discounted Amazon Prime!

All of Prime, half the price. Eligible government assistance recipients and income verified customers can access full Prime benefits via Prime Access for $6.99/month. For more info on this, here’s my post about Prime Access and Prime for Young Adults

National Parks =(

_{Please note: this post contains affiliate links which means if you buy something following a link on this page, I may get a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This is absolutely free for you/does not cost you anything extra! There’s no sponsored content nor do I run ads here so this helps so much in reducing the ever-increasing costs of keeping this site active.Thanks! Rosemary}