Cranberries, chunky sweaters, and change: November marks the start of the end of the calendar year, the season of pleasin’ turkey and pie, a time for transition, tradition, and family.
The branches of the trees are bare and the smell of burning leaves is in the air. November’s twilight steals across our hearts even though by five o’clock the streets are bare.
After colorful October, here are our choices for shopping, dining, and entertainment to prepare you for November’s prized days before the storms of winter, Christmas, and 2025:
Enjoy tasty Bloody Mary selections from Denver’s finest bars-restaurants at the 8th annual Bloody Mary Festival. Attendees crown “People’s Choice Award” at Real Works & Tracks, Nov. 3, noon-3:30 p.m. Information: 303-468-5443.
Singer Dwayne Carrington — with Martha Yordy on piano — celebrates Nat King Cole by playing renditions at Dazzle Nov. 8, 11 a.m. Information: 303-839-5100.
Honor veterans, see military mementos at the Veterans Day Parade & Festival in City Park Nov. 9, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Information: coloradoveteransproject.org.
Lowry Speaker Series (free) to hear Freedom Memorial’s Rick Crandall honor Veterans in Eisenhower Chapel Nov. 14, 7 p.m. Information: 303-344-0481.
Seeking senior living on your terms? Tour St. Andrew’s Village. Chic apartment homes with resort-style amenities and activities tailored for you. Independent & assisted living, plus rehab, skilled nursing on site. Information: 303-695-8100.
Want to spruce-up your home for the holidays? Dan’s Painting offers interior-exterior painting, plus remodeling. Insured & bonded, with 30 years’ experience. Also providing carpentry, tile and drywall repair. Information: 720-628-1199.
Hear banjo great Bela Fleck and the Symphony redefine Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue at Boettcher Hall, Nov. 16-17, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-623-7976.
You’ll love the hard-hitting beat, and soulful vocals of chart-topping singer Don Toliver playing in Ball Arena Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-405-1100.
Attend first Denver Dog Fair at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds on E. Quincy in Aurora, Nov. 23-24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information: denverdogfair.com.
Support the Morgan Adams Foundation’s fundraiser for children and young adults with cancer by attending the Chili, Booze & Brews on N. Wynkoop St. Nov. 9, 6 p.m. Hazel Miller & The Collective perform. Breweries, distillers, and restaurants provide limitless samples to attendees. Information: 303-758-2130.
This month features community suppers, the feast of Thanksgiving, plus Nov. 5 is election day. A month for making memories, giving thanks, and eating incredible food.
Daylight saving time ends Nov. 3 at 2 a.m. Set your clocks back an hour. November sways-creaks like a snow-draped tree. Gloomy, but uplifting. Ill-fated, but filled with hope.
The last full month of the fall season is filled with mixed feelings: shorter days, darker nights, and colder weather. How do turkeys travel on Thanksgiving? By gravy train.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.