With luck this month we’ll be rewarded with light-hearted days of summer to release us from the rollercoaster of a year it has been thus far. A spell to savor summer’s splendid days.
Time for weekend gatherings and weeknight dinners on restaurant patios as we join friends and neighbors to eat, drink, socialize, and bask in beautiful views to renew our spirits.
To celebrate the Sunday of Summer, here are our wistful August choices for shopping, dining, and entertainment so the smell of the lawn makes you want to flop down on it:
3 Make the most of summer’s end by going to Cherry Creek North’s four-day Al Fresco Food & Wine, Aug. 17-20. Culinary roster has 20 restaurant and 20 spirit allies leading to the Fillmore Plaza Grand Tasting. Information: 303-394-2904.
3 Attend dog contests, buy products-services at Dumb Friends League’s Cherry Creek North Pets On The Plaza, Aug. 6-7, 11 a.m. Information: 720-272-7476.
3 Enjoy dinner and a performance by the 18-piece jazz orchestra led by Annie Booth playing at Dazzle@Baur’s, Aug. 8, 7 p.m. Information: 303-839-5100.
3 End summer’s hot days chilling to Classic Vinyl’s music and the movie Yesterday free at Infinity Park, Aug. 12, 6 p.m. Information: infinityparkeatglendale.com.
3 Hungry for French-European breads, pastries, and sweets? Drive to top-tier Detour Bakery on S. Holly St. for a variety of fresh-flaky classic croissants. More: take the family or meet friends for breakfast or lunch. Information: 303-746-2020.
3 Shut out heat today, cold this winter, with window coverings from Cherry Creek Shade & Drapery. Offering Dept. of Energy-certified interior coverings to save you money with Xcel Energy and product rebates. Information: 303-355-4223.
3 Relish steak bites paired with cocktails at Denver’s Steakhouse Championship in Sculpture Park at the DCPA, Aug. 18, 6-10 p.m. Information: 720-865-4220.
3 Enjoy violin, piano, and guitar music at Cherry Creek’s Smash Fine Arts Festival on Fillmore Plaza, Aug. 27-28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information: 303-394-2904.
3 For a cool close to summer, take the clan to the JFS Family Concert at the Mission Ballroom on Aug. 28, 1-3 p.m. Celebrating Jewish Family Service’s 150th Anniversary, it features a Nathaniel Rateliff solo acoustic performance. Food and drinks will be served while you stroll the ballroom learning about JFS’s programs. There will be games and activities for the kids. The nonprofit serves everyone, regardless of religious beliefs. Information: 303-597-5000.
Jonathan Richman’s 1983 “That Summer Feeling” hits all of the summer cliches creating an August shift in our mood. We suddenly realize we’ve only got 31days to glow.
Before you know it, we’ll be heading into autumn again. With lyrics like “Why must summer ever end…” we try to hang onto Nat King Cole’s “Lazy-Crazy Days of Summer.”
August is the last flicker of fun before the freeze comes. Chronicle reporter’s end of summer scoop: “Go out for ice cream, run through a sprinkler, and dance in the sun.”
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.