Free school supplies, haircuts, vaccines, and more. Check out these 2024 back-to-school events

Rows of colorful cups that hold crayons.
In the metro area, the first students return to school Aug. 5 in Adams 14. (Jimena Peck for Chalkbeat)

Leer en español.

Sign up for Chalkbeat Colorado’s free daily newsletter to get the latest reporting from us, plus curated news from other Colorado outlets, delivered to your inbox.

Summer is almost over, and families are getting ready to head back to school next month.

In preparation, families have to fill out school lunch forms, make sure their kids’ vaccinations are up to date, and go shopping for school supplies. To help families out, several organizations are offering free school supplies.

Below are some of the upcoming giveaway events. If you know of others we should include on our list, email co.tips@chalkbeat.org.

Saturday July 27

Time: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Where: Fire Station 39, 9150 E. 50th Ave., Denver

The city of Denver is launching Denver Days with an event that includes pancakes and a backpack giveaway.

Saturday Aug. 3

Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Adams City High School, 7200 Quebec Parkway

The annual Adams 14 resource fair will include a school supply giveaway and assistance with school registration.

Saturday Aug. 3

Time: 9 a.m. to noon

Where: Island Grove Event Center, 501 North 14th Avenue, Greeley

The annual school kickoff community celebration hosted by the Greeley-Evans School District 6 in partnership with the Success Foundation will give away more than 4,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to children enrolled in the district and present at the event.

Saturday Aug. 3

Time: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Where: Town Center, 14200 E. Alameda Ave., Aurora

Aurora Public School’s annual school kickoff will include free backpacks and school supplies for district students and low- or no-cost immunizations. The event is also an opportunity to register children for school and meet staff.

Saturday Aug. 3

Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Sloans Lake park, West 26th Avenue and Tennyson Street, Denver

The Silva Family Foundation and several other organizations are giving away more than 3,500 backpacks to students who are present at the event.

Saturday Aug. 10

Time: 9 a.m. to noon

Where: Community Connections, 9471 Dorothy Blvd., Thornton

Community Connections and other organizations are partnering to give away school supplies to students who attend this event. There will also be food trucks.

Thursday Aug. 15

Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: 3131 W 14th Ave., Denver

Servicios de La Raza will provide school supplies, food, haircuts, and other resources. You must bring a school ID, birth certificate, or have the child present.

Saturday Aug. 17

Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Barnum Park, 360 Hooker St., Denver

The Southwest Denver Coalition is having a back to school resource fair giving free backpacks to students from southwest Denver. Students must be present, and must live in one of these zip codes: 80219, 80204, 80223, 80236, 80227.

Sunday Aug. 18

Time: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: 158 S. Federal Blvd., Denver

The Skyline Chapter and Krazy Chicanos Car Club are hosting their annual back to school event where they will be giving away backpacks, school supplies and water bottles.

Yesenia Robles is a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado covering K-12 school districts and multilingual education. Contact Yesenia at yrobles@chalkbeat.org.


The Latest

The MSCS school board voted last week to shutter five schools by the end of this year. That leaves over 1,200 students to find a new place to go next fall, with the district extending its priority transfer deadline to accommodate last-minute changes.

The district wanted to use the operating millage to pay off capital and revolving fund debts ahead of schedule. The ruling will not allow it.

The survey is in: Parent coordinators told us what they want the city to know about their jobs.

Newark Public Schools is trying to address overcrowding but finding available land to do so is tricky. The district will hold a public hearing on its proposal in late March.

Two MSCS board races will be decided by the first ever partisan primary for the position on May 5. Seventeen candidates are vying for the four open spots.