Soon falling leaves of red and gold will drift by your window. Why is autumn in the Cherry Creek Valley so engaging? Glittering leaves and shimmering clouds rekindle our imagination and make it seem like an exotic land. Yeah, fall has its pumpkin spice and latte craze, but it’s nature’s glow that lifts us up when we’re feeling down.
In addition to the season’s superb color effects, autumn is the crowning glory of the year in Valley gardens, bringing fruition to months of consideration, care and toil.
Here are our cool, crisp choices for shopping, dining and entertainment so you can revel in the autumn moonlight while Halloween creeping and foliage-peeping:
3 Fall is the perfect time to rekindle your love for music and the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest at the Marriott Tech Center is filled with audio and home entertainment equipment, Oct. 6-8. Information: 303-779-1100.
3 This is the mellow season and you’ll find good books to read at The Bookie’s Local Author Showcase Oct. 7, 2-4 p.m. Information: 303-759-1117.
3 Start the season by selecting a pumpkin at Four Mile Park’s Pumpkin Harvest Festival Oct. 7-8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Information: 720-865-0800.
3 Catch glittering leaves and a sparking diamond at Diamonds In The Ruff at Infinity Park Event Center Oct. 14, 6 p.m. Information: 303-922-6331.
3 October is National Chili Month so catch the 7th Annual Chili Cook-Off fundraiser at Joy Wine & Spirits Oct. 15, 12-4 p.m. Taste top restaurant and homemade dishes. Activities for the kids. Information: 303-744-6219.
3 Revive and renew your home with fall fabrics to fit your style and budget at Boris’s Upholstery. Select from a huge choice of upholstery, drapery, cushions and pillows. Foam cut to size. Information: 303-751-2921.
3 Wear a warm autumn sweater and catch Something Rotten set in the 1590s playing at DCPA’s Buell Theatre Oct. 17-19. Information: 720-865-4220.
3 Find warm fall wearables and fashion accessories at the Fiber Arts Sale at Englewood Civic Center Oct. 26-28. Information: rmweaversguild.org.
3 Autumn swings full and fun during the 10th Jewish Arts, Authors, Movies & Music Fest opening Oct. 26 and running through Nov. 12. The 18-day festival at the Mizel Arts & Culture Center (JCC) offers a wide array of events from a showing of Ron Suskind’s award-winning film Life Animated to jazz pianist Tamir Hendelman and operatic bass Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell. Information: maddjcc.org/ jaamm.
This is a very special time of year as the temperature gets discernibly lower, the days much shorter and the nights noticeably longer. October heralds the transition into the colder winter months, and the natural world puts on a final flurry of amazing activities before slowing down until the warm sunshine of spring finally returns again.
The average daily maximum temperature in Denver is between 61-69 degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, the days continue to cool quickly during October.
Rarity has always set hearts aflutter. And the reds, golden-yellows and browns at this time of year are like music. They enhance our mood and shape our perception of reality while magically rekindling nature’s glow and duality of the season. That’s why during autumn we call a large colorful pile of leaves “the Great Barrier Leaf!”
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.