Free jazz in Five Points and City Park, a downtown skate rink with outdoor bar and more Denver things to do

Five Points Jazz Festival

Saturday. Despite major disruptions over the past couple of years, Denver’s historically Black Five Points neighborhood has continued to assert itself as arguably the city’s premier music-fest setting (yes, we see you, Baker and the RiNo Art District) with events ranging from this weekend’s free Five Points Jazz Festival to the upcoming Juneteenth Music Festival and Black Pride events.

Five Points Jazz Fest opens at noon on Saturday, June 4, and continues through 11 p.m. with smooth jazz, bop, swing, funk, R&B, hip hop and other performances on Welton Street between 25th and 29th streets. Expect about 50 acts on 11 stages, following the noon kickoff parade, along with specials throughout the neighborhood’s bars and eateries.

Admission is free and programming is family friendly. Visit artsandvenues.com/fivepointsjazz for the full schedule and more information.

Note: The excellent, and also free, Jazz in the Park series returns to City Park on Sunday, June 5, with a tribute to legendary Denver jazz player Ron Miles, who died in March. Visit cityparkjazz.org for the calendar.

Greeley Blues Jam

Saturday. It’s worth a short trip to Greeley this weekend to check out this year’s Greeley Blues Jam, which also returns on Saturday, June 4. The event, which has hosted luminaries such as Buddy Guy (who helped launch the fest 17 years ago) is a family-friendly party with food, beer tastings and kids activities.

This year’s lineup is led by Kim Wilson and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, with additional sets on two outdoor stages from Al Chesis & the Delta Sonics, Ruthie Foster, Vanessa Collier and more. 600 N. 14th Ave. in Greeley. Tickets are $35 online and $45 the day of the event. 970-356-7787 or greeleybluesjam.org

CitySkate rolls again

Through Oct 2. Wet, windy weather over the last couple weeks hasn’t dimmed the outlook for CitySkate, the free downtown roller skating program that kicked off last weekend and continues through Oct. 2.

Bring your own skates or rent on-site to enjoy an outdoor roll at the picturesque Skyline Park, located at 16th and Arapahoe streets along the 16th Street Mall, or play mini-golf in the shadow of skyscrapers. CitySkate also marks the return of the Skyline Beer Garden, which offers a rotating selection of local beers, cocktails, wines and hard seltzers.