Denver KidsOutAndAbout Newsletter
June 18, 2026

Local in-person events this weekend

FREE events this weekend

Local in-person events next weekend

2026 Summer Camp Preview

Birthday Party Locations

Father's Day Activities

Juneteenth Activities

Pride Activities

Summer Fruit Picking

Post your organization and events to our site (It's all FREE!)

Fri, Jul 3: Cherry Creek Arts Festival 2026
Sat, Jul 4: Let Freedom Run 5k/10k | 3W Races
Sat, Jul 4: City of Aurora's 4th of July Spectacular
Sat, Jul 4: Westminster's 4th of July Celebration
Sat, Jul 4: Uncle Sam Splash Bash at Countryside Outdoor Pool
Mon, Jul 6: Estes Park Rooftop Rodeo 2026
Mon, Jul 6: Movie Nights at Infinity Park | Ratatouille
Fri, Jul 10: Colorado Black Arts Festival 2026
Sat, Jul 11: Shark Weekend - Downtown Aquarium
Sat, Jul 11: Suitcase Fairytales

Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:

I’m a sucker for songs in 6/8 time, no matter the music style. I don’t know why that ONE-two-three-FOUR-five-six swinging rhythm so captures me whether it’s fast or slow, but there’s no denying that it does. And I might not even notice this rhythm, but for one little fact: I’m a thoroughly mediocre cellist.

I took cello lessons from age 8 to age 14; during those years, I graduated from “truly bad” to “moderately acceptable,” at least acceptable enough to play in orchestras where my individual sound would be drowned out by the better kids’ playing. But even as unskilled as I was, I know I am happier as an adult for having played: I can understand music from the inside. I hear patterns and styles and instruments with far different ears than I would have had I not studied music early in life. Understanding what makes your heart sing helps you be on the lookout for more, and that makes your life better.

Summer is the perfect season to help kids grow their ears. Yes, check out the big open-air concerts from your local orchestra, municipal band, or jazz ensemble. But also keep an active ear out for the smaller stuff: free concerts in parks, weekly community series, festivals, buskers, church lawn performances, library gigs, and whatever band happens to be playing near the funnel cakes. When you hear something, name it: bluegrass, salsa, soul, swing, zydeco, classical, funk, folk, rock, rap, mariachi. Kids don’t have to like everything, but knowing the names of things helps them understand what they do like, and gives them handles for finding more of it later.

A couple of tips: If you know you're headed in the direction of something new, play a sample of the style before you leave so kids have a hook on which to hang the experience. While you’re there, help them notice one thing: the bass line, the drummer, the singer’s breathing, the way people move. That will help the music swirl around in their minds long after the last note fades.

Remember, music isn’t only on stages. It’s in carousels, movie scores, worship services, elevators, malls, ballparks, and the ice cream truck coming around the corner. So as tour guide to your kids’ universe, don’t ignore the invisible! Point your ears toward the music, tune everyone's radar, and grow.

—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities

KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more.

If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site.

Please click through to our 2026 survey to vote for your top 3 places to take kids... it will be used to compile our 2026 Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Denver area. Voting is live through June 20; believe me, winning a place on the Top 20 list matters to the people who create amazing family-friendly experiences. Take 3 minutes to choose your favorites as your way of saying thank you... and use the list to build your summer bucket list at the same time!