10 things to do for $10 this weekend, July 1-4, 2011

As great as it is, don't let this be your only company this weekend.

​This 4th of July weekend, no one should be left watching the tube, sitting on the couch and drinking a Pabst Blue Ribbon all by themselves. No sir. There are plenty of things to do on this three-day weekend, and not all of them require patriotism (though a healthy dose would be appreciated). So pack your sunscreen and hit the streets with your Hamilton in-hand: "America" doesn't mean anything if not "do awesome shit on the cheap."

​Joseph Findeiss at Sputnik and Ironwood Collection (Friday, free)
Findeiss, refusing to be outdone by other artists' pretentious to-dos, will be opening not one, but two art shows tonight: One, Repro Redux (spray paint on wood productions), opens at Sputnik, while the other, Repetitious (three-dimensional wood works), opens right down the street at Ironwood Collection.

"I pledge allegiance, to a lantern."

​Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Green Lantern at the 88 Drive-In Theatre (Friday, $8)
Two movies for the price of one, cheap popcorn and snacks and the beautiful summer sky: enjoy Denver's last drive-in theater so this American pastime doesn't go the way of the Dodo. Nothing's more American than sitting in lawn chairs, slurping a coke and watching Michael Bay blow shit up. Nothing.

​VegFest at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds (Saturday, $10)
Stock up on good karma before eating a rack of ribs on Monday by attending the 2011 VegFest. A nod to vegetarianism and veganism, the festival promises a variety of activities from cooking demos to free food. If you have a brood, definitely bring them all because kids are admitted free.

Chair No. 35 Orange by Damian Valasquez, one of the artists whose works will be at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival.

​Cherry Creek Arts Festival at Cherry Creek North (Saturday, free)
So as not to get burned on the fourth, get outside on Saturday and do some pre-tanning. The Cherry Creek Arts Festival is the perfect occasion to get outdoors while taking in the local arts scene, eating local produce and dancing. There will be over 230 artists this year, which is more artists than most have us have seen in one place since college.

"That one's mine!"

​Civic Center Independence Eve Celebration at Civic Center Park (Sunday, free)
A ridiculous amount of people (25,000) showed up to for this last year, so make sure to get there early if you want to see the city blow a bunch of shit up in the name of America. It promises to be pretty awesome, featuring not only fireworks but a light show and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Okay, orchestras are boring. But, you know, exploding shit.