The fifth annual metrowide Denver Arts festival, Nov. 4-12, continues to expand, offering hundreds of opportunities for families and individuals to engage in the arts — for an hour or for a week. A complete schedule can be found online. (Search for Denver Arts Week 2011.)

We choose a few highlights from more than 200 events — many of them free:

Friday, Nov. 4 is First Friday, when galleries and museums throughout the area are open from 6 to 9 p.m.

Think neighborhoods: Cherry Creek North, Golden Triangle Museum District (around the Denver Arts Museum), Art District on Santa Fe (200 block to 1100), Navajo Street Arts District in the Highlands, Tennyson Street Cultural District (around 44th and Tennyson), RiNo (see website for map). Downtown Denver/LoDo and Belmar Block 7 all participate. Some galleries will offer artwork for a special mile high price of $52.80.

In the Downtown Denver area, Hilliard Moore of Highlands Ranch has a special show at his Great Western Art Gallery, 1455 Curtis St. A private art collection consigned for sale through Jan. 14 includes a silver bust of Virgin Mary Pieta by Michelangelo, works by Chagall, Miro, Picasso, Durer, Toulouse-Lautrec, Rembrandt, Renoir and more. An opening reception will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 4. Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays; Sunday by appointment, 303-396-2787.

Night at the Museums is Saturday, Nov. 5, always a popular event. Museums offer free admission and are open until 10 p.m. Included in Denver: Denver Art Museum, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art, the Molly Brown House, Denver Botanic Gardens and more offer free programs, music and events. In addition to Littleton Museum, six museums in Golden will participate: Foothiills Arts center, Astor House Museum, Clear Creek History Park, Golden History Center, American Mountaineering Museum, Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum. A reported 22,500 visitors attended last year.

The Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup St., Littleton, will be among them again, with historic site interpreters on the farms, which are especially engaging at night. Food, Games and conversation will happen on the 1860s and 1890s farms, while inside the museum, live music will play while stroller visit the permanent gallery (Littleton history) and the exhibitions in the changing galleries: Pivotal Points (historic maps of the west) and Victoria Ekelund’s one person show (she was winner of the Own an Original, entitling her to an exhibit of her own).

Denver’s On Stage lasts through the week, Nov. 4-12 with performing arts organizations offering special deals for theater, dance, music and more. Listings are continually updated at the Denver Arts Week website, maintained by Visit Denver.

The Littleton Museum and Town hall Arts Center offer a special performance of children’s theater: the classic fairytale “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6. The master storyteller will choose some willing audience members to come onstage and play specific roles. “We’ve got talking rabbits, a nervous mirror and a whole new set of dwarves, including Dirty Dwarf... peee-youuu,” they say. And everyone helps from their seat. Free on a first come, first serve basis. 303-795-3950.

An interesting collaboration between dance and visual art is offered by Ballet Nouveau and Redline Gallery. “A Shared Experience in Art,” which will run Nov. 4-6 at Redline Gallery, 2350 Arapahoe St., Denver and Nov. 11-13 at the Performing Arts Complex at Pinnacle Charter School, 1001 W. 84th, Ave., Denver.

BNC artistic director Garrett Ammon will work with art by Theresa Ducayet Clowes, with movements fro Bach’s Cello suites, played onstage by cellist James Bailey. Choreographer, company associate director Dawn Fay will collaborate with Thomas A. Guiton,’s sculptural pieces. Company member Sarah Tallman and conceptual artist Virginia Folkstad focus on nature and the human predicament. Guest Choreographer Maurya Kerr has responded to Sarah Scott’s sculptures and animated films focusing on human and animal relationships and guest choreographer Lane Gifford will use works by Gretchen Marie Schaefer and Bruce Price. Performances will be at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets range from $17 to $44, online www.bncdance,com or 303-466-5685.

Another dance performance is by Denver’s Ballet Ariel: “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and More Fall Dances” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5 and 3 p.m. Nov. 6 at Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre 119 Park Avenue West, Denver. Tickets: $20/$16, www.balletariel.org, 303-945-4388.

Spend a few minutes with the Denver Arts Week website to find the events you can find time for. All sound rewarding — it’s hard to choose.