Ah, sweet Memorial Day weekend! This weekend we honor our country's military men and women who gave their lives in the cause of liberty.

Best known of all the Memorial Day parades is the one in downtown Denver on Saturday. It starts at 10 a.m. at Civic Center and is followed by a Memorial Day tribute at the Colorado Veterans' Monument near the State Capitol. If you go, look for some of the older vets and don't be afraid to say hello and thank them for serving. You might be surprised at how much they appreciate it.

Out and about?

The Colorado Arts Festival brings works by more than 180 artists to the Denver Pavilions at 16th Street and Glenarm. See Colorado artists showing some of their best works, and selling in all price ranges, Friday through Monday.

Consumer Champ Bill Clarke has become a regular at this festival and has found that talking to the artists and even doing some bargaining on prices is time well spent. If you need more information, call (720) 933-6117, or go to ColoradoArtsFestival.org.

Crews are also beginning to set up for the Boulder Creek Festival. There are five stages with everything from rock and electronica to Sousa marches to what's called Afrograss folk rock.

Look for the Rubber Duck race on Monday afternoon. There's plenty of information, maps and programs at BoulderCreekFestival.com. The events are right near what is arguably the best Farmers' Market in the metro area -- on 13th between Canyon and Arapahoe -- so don't pass that by.

If you're driving into Boulder, check the Boulder Creek Festival Web site for parking information.

Remember wherever you go, drink plenty of water and keep sunscreen handy.

Clarke will have a weekly feature all this summer, spotlighting some of the best festivals in the state, so don't miss it. It's Family Fridays with Bill Clarke! And, if you have an event you want to see featured, e-mail him at Bill_Clarke@TheDenverChannel.com.