by Valley Gadfly | Feb 19, 2021 | Valley Gadfly
The Beatles said it best when they crooned: “Here Comes the Sun.” March is the month when the sun crosses the equator line, heading north in the sky to mark the start of spring in our hemisphere. As we tilt more toward the sun we begin feeling free and back in love with life. We’ll enjoy longer daylight hours with earlier dawns, later sunsets.
This month’s St. Paddy’s Day’s tune Rumbles of Spring expresses the season thus: “I’m as happy as a king, when I catch a breath of spring and the grass is turning green.”
As you begin enjoying spring weather, here are our choices for shopping, dining and entertaining to ensure the brooks, trees and singing hills send happiness to you:
3 Enjoy Beethoven’s best works performed by a string quartet at the safe Wings Over The Rockies bathed in candlelight March 10 & 17, 7 p.m. Sit back and savor the ambiance and the pieces. Information: 303-872-7720.
3 Support Lowry Elementary School’s first ever virtual auction the “No Go Gala” by bidding online March 13th at 8 p.m. Information: 720-424-5910.
3 View the Radiant Season in the Freyer-Newman Center March 13-July 11. Urban objects are painted by Kevin Sloan. Information: 720-865-3500.
3 Returning to its roots, this year’s Runnin’ of the Green jogs off in waves at Washington Park March 14, 8 to 11:30 a.m. Information: rungreen7k.com.
3 Enjoy a bit o’ corned beef on St. Paddy’s Day as Monaco Inn Restaurant is dishing up the hearty plate for takeout or dine-in starting at 3 p.m. Served with boiled potatoes, carrots and celery. Information: 303-320-1104.
3 Has the pandemic created a money shock at home? Colorado Gold Mart is loaning cash or will buy your gold jewelry, diamonds, Rolexes, vintage watches and coin collections. Information: coloradogoldmart.com.
3 Spring Youth Rugby starts at Glendale’s Infinity Park March 16-April 12, on Tues. & Thurs., 4:30-5:45 p.m. Information:glendaleyouthrugby.com.
3 Listen to Olympic soccer player Carli Lloyd during Junior League’s virtual catered dinner March 19, 7-8 p.m. Information: 303-692-0207.
3 Threatened by pests, pathogens and climate change, learn ways to protect Denver’s urban forest at the 7th Annual Tree Diversity Conference streamed online through Vimeo March 5, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Discussions will explore relationships between landscape design, horticultural practices and variety of tree species. Participants will have access for 14 days following the live session. Information: denverbotan icgardens.org.
“Here comes the sun, doo da doo doo.” The George Harrison-penned track for Abbey Road has us thinking about clocks, time and light. Spring forward March 14 by setting clocks ahead an hour to Daylight Saving Time. The extra hour of light at the end of the day will feel like a gift after this year’s pandemic plagued winter. Enjoy it!
Watch the arc of the sun across the sky as it shifts toward the north. Birds are migrating northward, along with the sun. Sunlight also triggers birds to sing. Cool, eh?
Unless you’re living under the Blarney Stone you know March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day. Leprechauns won’t stroll beside floats; as the parade is canceled. The Valley, nonetheless, will be lush with parties. Wishing you the things an Irish blessing brings: Joy, love and laugher. May your days be content and you smile happily ever after!
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Jan 22, 2021 | Valley Gadfly
“Love keeps the cold out better than a cloak,” Longfellow argued.” February weather plus the pandemic gives us added time to reflect and feel our deepest emotions, whether it be sadness, yearning, contentment or, yes, conceivably love. This month unshrouds and lays bare the constant contradictions in the weather and in life.
There’s something about the dreary spell outside that makes us romantic. It ’twas a brit in 1881 that coined the phrase: “February, fill the dyke with what thou dost like.”
Grab your coat and get your hat, here are our choices for shopping, dining and entertaining to keep you comfy on cloud 9 with your Valentine thru cupid month:
3 Valley families can enjoy the spectacular Sundance Film Festival without leaving home. Reserve your own private movie night as Sie FilmCenter hosts online through Feb. 3 from Park City. Information: 720-381-0813.
3 See circus acrobatics, juggling, and live music as Celestial Chaos performs at the Exdo Event Center Feb. 4-28. Information: rainbowmiltiaarial.com.
3 Join Treasure Box Tours for a Denver Parks Webinar of city’s green gems large and small, Feb. 10, 10-11 a.m. Information: coaarp@aarp.org.
3 View Josh Groban’s first PBS hosted national virtual concert An Evening Of Harmony Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day 6 p.m. Information: 303-296-1212.
3 Make Valentine’s Day magical this year by dining in Glendale. The Village has 45 eateries with breakfast, lunch & dinner options. Pick from popular spots such as Sam’s No. 3 and Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar.
3 Choose the Glendale Sports Center as the centerpiece for a healthy New Year. The YMCA-managed facility is equipped with modern equipment and offers fitness programs for every age. Information: 303-639-4711.
3 Support Rocky Mountain Children’s Health by attending Kaleidoscope dinner event at the Ritz-Carlton Feb. 20-21. Information: 720-507-0905.
3 View the artwork by Tony Ortega on display at the Botanic Garden’s Freyer-Newman Center through Feb. 28. Information: 720-865-3500.
3 In a year like no other, the Denver Jewish Film Festival is bringing the remarkable lineup of films directly to your living room Feb. 8-17. Enjoy emerging filmmakers with powerful feature-film debuts Shiva Baby and God of the Piano. Be inspired by powerful documentaries of social justice or eat your way through culinary fare such as Abe. Use your web browser or TV apps for Roku or Apple TV. Information: 303-399-2660.
February is wintertime in the Valley with the average temperatures in the 20°F to 46°F range. Snowfall is truly the lowest of the season, measuring up to 5.7” on average. Nights are frosty and drop below freezing most of the time. February has ample sunshine that lasts at least 10 hours daily with clear skies for about a week during the month.
Romance during the cold days of February is unique. It’s magical in the sense that you can go skiing together, sip hot cocoa and snuggle with the person you love.
Coming at the perfect time to be savored, Valentine’s Day is a love-note to the rest of the year. Cupid is sharpening his arrows and practicing his aim. But, but be certain to spread only love and not the coronavirus. While romance and roses make a lovely gesture, filling Feb. 14th with both love and laughter is often the best gift of all.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Dec 18, 2020 | Valley Gadfly
The year 2020 has been a year to remember, but between the pandemic and politics one most of us would probably prefer to forget. With Covid-19 turning everyday life on its head and ending the lives of so many, a lot of aspects of the last 12 months are easily lost from memory. One element of 2020, however, was in fact a “golden year.”
Though most of us don’t consider the rat as an adorable rodent, based on last year’s Chinese lunar calendar, pandemic plagued 2020 was the year of the Golden Rat!
Here are our glam, twinkly light choices for shopping, dining and entertaining to give champagne glasses and glittery tiaras extra sparkle to lighten up the New Year:
3 For a colorful, stunning start to the New Year view the final days of Begin Again on view through Jan. 9 at Walker Fine Art in the Prado Bldg. Work was created to inspire healing and hope. Information: 303-355-8955.
3 Learn history of the Great Sioux War at the Jan. 10 Jerome Greene lecture in History Colorado Center, 2 p.m. Information: 303-557-8679.
3 View work by 18 artists who created art exploring challenges facing the New Year at D’art Gallery, Jan. 14-Feb. 7. Information: 720-486-7735.
3 If you missed it during the holiday, the Blossoms of Light display lingers at the Botanic Gardens through Jan. 16. Information: 720-865-3500.
3 Celebrate the New Year at Bull & Bush Brewery that finished its first batch on New Year’s Day 1997. Seating in heated tent, patio. Last call for alcohol 8 p.m., kitchen closes at 10 p.m. Information: 303-759-0333.
3 Bank on a brighter New Year at Denver headquartered Sunflower Bank. Build long-term relationships at a bank remaining true to its community roots. Not too big and not too small. Information: 313-297-0333.
3 Catch music of DJ Ravenscoon as he plays hip-hop and punk rock at the Black Box Jan. 22-23, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Information: blackboxdenver.co.
3 See Dreams In Bloom, exhibition of photos by Fares Micue on display in the Freyer-Newman Center, Jan. 23-May 16. Information: 720-865-3500.
3 Begin the New Year in a universe beyond earthly troubles by attending Celestial Chaos at the Exdo Event Center, Feb. 4-28. The circus production features aerial dance, acrobatics, juggling and live music. The four ring circus of otherworldly delight will boost spectators into the clouds. The production offers audiences connection, inspiration and hope for the New Year. Information: Rainbowmilitiaariel.com.
China’s 2020 Year of the Rat festivities began in mid-Jan. and lasted for 15 days, culminating with the Lantern Festival. As the New York Times reported, China’s Health Commission voiced concerns about the emergence of a little-understood coronavirus. China’s Li Bin warned on Jan. 22 that the number infected had risen tenfold in a week.
By the lunar calendar, 2021 is the Year of the Ox: “This year no explosive or catastrophic events will occur, and it is a year favorable for economic recovery.”
Here’s to a bright New Year and a fond farewell to the old as the clock strikes 12. No one will miss 2020 when it’s gone, and hopefully this year will bring brighter days ahead. Here’s to the things that are yet to come and the good memories that we hold. Raising a bottle of bubbly to Chinese good fortune, we wish you “Ox of Luck!”
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Nov 20, 2020 | Valley Gadfly
Goodbye, November. Hello, December. How did this month get here so soon? As Dr. Seuss stated, “It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June.” This month feels like both a beginning and an ending. It’s all the rushing, preparation and celebrating as we try to slow down right in the middle of a near year-long pandemic.
December is Denver’s coldest month. That mean the thermometer may drop below 0 °F on a few nights. Still we are nearer to spring than we were in September.
Here are our silver bells ringing and sugar plums dancing choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to prepare you for the merriment and bah humbug-ness ahead:
3 With jaunty jingles and titillating tales, the world premiere of Winterland at Wonderbound Studios is your antidote to the winter blues. Sunflower Bank is sponsor of the cabaret, Dec. 2-18. Information: 303-292-4700.
3 Take the family to Zoo Lights 30th Anniversary with more than a million lights aglow at the Denver Zoo, Dec. 4-31. Information: 720-990-5105.
3 View Begin Again, new artwork to inspire healing, hope and wonder on display at Walker Fine Art through Jan. 9. Information: 303-355-8955.
3 Book a time, dress in your holiday best for family photos at Lowry’s Eisenhower Chapel Dec. 12, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Information: 303-344-0481.
3 Make the holidays special with pastries, artisan breads, quiche and sandwiches from French bakery Detour on South Holly St. Tue.-Sat., 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Helpful staff to help you stock up. Information: 303-756-2020.
3 Spruce up for the holidays with décor fabrics from Boris’s Upholstery. Select from over 300 rolls of fabrics in-stock. One-stop home upholstery, custom cushions and decorative pillows. Information: 303-751-2921.
3 See Stories On Stage as it performs Making Merry live streamed from the Nomad Theatre in Boulder Dec. 13, 7-8 p.m. Information: 303-494-0523.
3 Catch Other People’s Pets, the Novel by R. L. Maizes during Dec. 17 virtual JAAMM Fest, 7 p.m. Information: JCCDenver.org/JAAMM.
3 Faced with this year’s historic challenges, take the family to December Delights at Four Mile Historic Park, Dec. 4-27. Outdoor winter spectacular features installations, ice skating, kids’ activities and a scavenger hunt. Event has snacks and a full bar. Open Friday through Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m. the stunning space is designed to transform endings into new beginnings. Information: 720-865-0800.
Do You Hear What I Hear? AAAaaALViiiNN! Whether it’s the Chipmunk song or Jingle Bells, holiday songs are inescapable this time of year. They’re on your car radio, in department stores and your dentist’s waiting room. Even Up on the Housetop, click, click, the DINGing and DONGing and RING-A-LINGing dance in your ear drums.
Even if holiday songs don’t top our list, we still remember the words to Deck The Halls, FA LA FA LA! After all, it’s the time of year to “be jolly and don gay apparel!
Although December is filled with love and positivity, let’s face it: this month can leave you feeling pretty cold. So go ahead and cozy up to all those holiday songs and their December-themed lyrics — enjoy them while you can, it’ll be 2021 before you know it! Wishing you and your family health, happiness and prosperity in the New Year.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Nov 2, 2020 | Valley Gadfly
The frenzy of fall has subsided. Pull out your cozy sweaters and take a deep breath of crisp air before pulling on your mask and settling into November. It’s a holiday month and there’s always something to be thankful for. Hopefully, for starters, November morns will no longer hide in the smoke and haze we had through summer and fall.
With the pandemic still affecting how we gather, the celebrated Thanksgiving holiday will bring a more intimate experience that’s, well, a little forced upon us.
Here are our Covid-style Thanksgiving choices for shopping, dining and entertainment as we sit socially distanced, careful not to do anything coronavirusy:
3 Enjoy city’s vibrant cultural scene during Denver Arts Week(end), Nov. 6-8. You’ll enjoy hundreds of in-person and virtual events from visual arts to music, museums and drama. Information: Denver.org-arts-week.
3 Don’t miss Veterans Day speaker Lisette Celmons at the Lowry Speaker Series in Eisenhower Chapel Nov. 11, 7 p.m. Information: 303-344-9471.
3 Catch National Bohemians playing in remodeled Benchmark Theatre with social distance seating, Nov. 13-15 & 20-22. Information: 303-275-3430.
3 Support DCPA by viewing singer-actress Laura Benanti in a virtual concert transmitted live Nov. 13, 6 p.m. Information: denvercenter.org.
3 Embrace the season by enjoying the warmth and abundance of Autumn Chai Teas from Ku Cha House of Tea on E. 3rd Ave. in Cherry Creek North. Open from noon to 5 p.m. daily. Information: 303-322-0183.
3 As the holidays approach shop for vintage and modern timepieces as gifts for family and friends from Cherry Creek Watch Co. nestled in the heart of Cherry Creek North at 231 Milwaukee St. Information: 720-770-2223.
3 Get in the holiday spirit as Denver lights up the City & County Bldg. and downtown light displays on Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 27-Jan. 1.
3 View art by Tony Ortega on display in the Freyer-Newman Center at the Denver Botanic Gardens, Nov. 21-Feb. 28. Information: 720-865-2500.
3 Shop for holiday gifts during Junior League of Denver’s annual Mile High Holiday Mart with strict attendee limits in the venue, Nov. 13-15. Event is at the Denver Marriott South Fri. 3-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sun. to 4 p.m. Ticket holders can sign up for an entry time. Entry time reservations are not required, but attendees may need to wait in line during peak hours. Parking is free at the venue. Information: 303-692-0270,
For many, kitchens, living rooms and hallways that are usually flooded with family members and friends will be a bit quieter. We get it: It will seem a bit somber to go from having large crowds gather at home or at a restaurant to hosting intimate gathering of three or four, even if the turkey is plump and your tummy’s full.
But you can flip this fall’s script: As you downscale plans for the upcoming holidays, it is the perfect time to create new memories and long-lasting traditions.
Most of us can be thankful that our family and friends haven’t contracted the coronavirus and we’ve managed to stay healthy. In a year bombarded by the pandemic, Thanksgiving can be a day to remember all of the things, big and small, we have to be thankful for. Have an enjoyable Thanksgiving as you gobble ’til you wobble.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
