10 things to do for $10 this weekend, December 16-18, 2011

There's plenty to do this weekend to get in the holiday spirit, whether it's drinking free sake at Gimme Gimme Pillow Toast, constructing crappy gifts at the MCA, or counting birds with the Audubon Society. And for the Scrooges out there, not to worry: there are a few non-holiday related events, too. As always for this list, they're all less than $10. Check out our complete calender at westword.com/calendar.

​Zoo Lights at the Denver Zoo (Friday-Sunday, $9)
Lions and Tigers and Bears and sparkly lights! There's no better way to get festive than to bundle up and wander around the zoo and look at animals surrounded by holiday lights. Bring your own mug of spiked eggnog to make those lights look extra pretty.

​Night With a Pirate Party at Pirate: Contemporary Art (Friday, free)
Not many Denver galleries can boast 32 years of operation, but that's just what Pirate will celebrate tonight. The annual anniversary will benefit the institution as well: proceeds from an art auction will go to keeping the gallery afloat for hopefully another 32 years, and beyond.

​Cheap Christmas Crapfare at the MCA Denver (Friday, $5)
If you're looking for inexpensive gifts to give to weird relatives and co-workers you don't like, look no further than the MCA's crappy crafting station. Drink eggnog and glue cotton balls into snowmen, clothespins into reindeer and macaroni into...something crappy.

​Silver and Gold: A Holiday Extravaganza at Naropa University (Friday, $10)
Boulder theater troupe Band of Toughs will host this holiday bash and they're definitely going to make it worth your $10. The evening includes performances of dance and theater, installation art, a photo booth, and a screening of the Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer claymation Christmas special.

Rad Dad: Dispatches From the Frontiers of Fatherhood at the Denver Zine Library (Saturday, Free)
With so many books and communities out there for mothers to talk about parenting, where do the cool dads turn for guidance? The answer is Rad Dad, the zine, and now anthology, of essays about fatherhood from rad dads like Ian Mackaye and Keith Hennessy. Editor Tomas Moniz will be in town today to talk about the topics the anthology explores, and create a community for fellow rad dads.