River North Art District
First Friday: 6–9 p.m.
Don’t let the industrial vibe fool you. River North — or RiNo — is one of Denver’s artiest neighborhoods. Start on the Brighton side at Plinth Gallery, which features work by contemporary ceramic artists, or the community-driven RedLine, which curates not only art but positive social change as it fosters education and engagement.
RiNo is also an incubator for Denver’s craft beverage industry, and these worlds collide on First Fridays, with Stem Ciders, Infinite Monkey Theorem winery, and breweries like Great Divide and Black Shirt Brewing doubling as art galleries. Hungry? Duck into food hall Zeppelin Station to snack on everything from Mexican elote to cappuccino to sushi.
Best Art Walk For: Pairing art and beer (and wine and cider).
Art District on Santa Fe
First Friday: 5:30–9:30 p.m.
Head to the Art District on Santa Fe to take in Denver’s largest art walk, boasting more than 100 artist studios, galleries, shops, bars and restaurants. Start your night on the west end of the district at Brewery Bar II, where anything on the menu that comes with a side of their famous pork green chili is worth ordering. Once you're good and fueled, wander five blocks of clustered studios and galleries, including the Access Gallery, a nonprofit featuring artists with disabilities; and Artists on Santa Fe Gallery, with its brightly painted façade. Jewelry and other metal-arts fans will want to stop into Hardy & Fuller to see what's cooking, and other Francophiles will find Alliance Française Gallery on Sixth and Galapago well worth the short detour.
Best Art Walk For: Hitting as many galleries as possible in one night.