For those with open evenings and open minds, Monday's arrival means much more than five days of work to dread: The Mile High City towers above any other metropolis of its size for great entertainment opportunity. And luckily for wage slaves, each of the following events doesn't charge any sort of admission fee. Keep reading for the five best free events in Denver this week.

DU Lamont Symphony Orchestra

Lamont Symphony: Honors Competition Winner in Concert

Tuesday, March 6, 7:30 p.m.

Newman Center for the Performing Arts

Percussionist Kevin Keith won the University of Denver Lamont School of Music's most prestigious annual music-talent hunt, the Solo Honors Competition, and he'll celebrate his victory with a grand concert at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts. Demonstrating his percussive prowess on a program that includes Felix Mendelssohn's rousing "Scottish Symphony No. 3" and John Adams's "Lollapalooza," Keith's sonic awards ceremony is an ideal way for local music lovers to hear what victory sounds like. Admission is free, but pre-registration at the Newman Center box office is required, and there's a $5 fee to reserve seats.

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Ross-Cherry Creek Branch Library

Write Night 2018

Wednesday, March 7, 6:30 p.m.

Ross-Cherry Creek Branch Library

Anointed as Denver's Best Punk-Loving Library by Westword, Denver's Ross-Cherry Creek Branch Library continues its Write Night programming series with a special event celebrating the efforts of Words Beyond Bars, an organization providing the incarcerated with a creative outlet. After a reading of poems written by people in correctional facilities, guests can craft their own meaningful handwritten responses to the poets, creating a vital bridge between convicts and the outside world. Visit the Ross-Cherry Creek Branch Library's Facebook events page to learn more.

Joke and Destroy

Joke and Destroy

Wednesday, March 7, 8 p.m.

Ratio Beerworks

Ratio Beerworks is widely celebrated for its weekly comedy showcase; the artsy brewery has been admirably willing to lend its tealight-strewn taproom to a wide variety of comedic formats. Ratio Comedy's proud tradition of experimentation continues as local comedians Jeremy Pysher and Andres Becerril adapt their rambling podcast Joke and Destroy for the stage. Spotlighting a lineup of former guests, including Jacob Rupp, Nolawee Mengist, Cody Spyker and Ratio Comedy's Ian Douglas Terry and Andrew Bueno, Joke and Destroy keeps the laughs flowing as plentifully as the beer. Find more information on Ratio Comedy's Facebook events page.

Clyfford Still Musuem

Artist Panel: Painting/Non-Painting

Thursday, March 8, 6:30 p.m.

Clyfford Still Museum

By displaying the entirety of the iconoclastic artist's career on canvas, Denver's Clyfford Still Museum entered into a generations-long conversation about the parameters of fine art. Join museum director Dean Sobel along with artists Stephen Batura, Terry Lee Maker and Sarah McKenzie for a convention-shattering conversation about the evolution of what defines a painting and how artists like Picasso, Warhol and Rauschenberg complicated the narrow confines of the art world. Visit the Clyfford Still Museum's events calendar for more details.

That's What She Said

That's What She Said: Live

Friday, March 9, 7 p.m.

Turnhalle Ballroom at the Tivoli

While the stories of women of different backgrounds, body shapes and experiences should merit attention in their own right, the organizers of That's What She Said: Live are making a powerful metatextual argument about representation by having stories submitted by anonymous women presented by male readers. Volunteers from the audience can place themselves, one by one, into the stories of individual women, learning firsthand the kind of courage it takes to share such private experiences in a public forum. In addition to the powerful readings, the event includes a cocktail list and a silent auction, with proceeds going toward the establishment of a Women of Auraria scholarship for students advocating for social justice. Admission is free; register and donate at Eventbrite.

Looking for more to do? Visit the Westword calendar online.

