by Valley Gadfly | Sep 25, 2020 | Valley Gadfly
October is customarily characterized by comfy sweaters, pumpkin spice, jack-o-lanterns and trick-or-treating. The pandemic, however, has created masked confusion. Some think everyone is dressed as masked schnooks. This year, however, wearing masks gives us 2020 vision. Thus as Halloween approaches humbly ask, “Whoo ghost there?”
Paint on a brave face, we’ll be worse for wear. It’s hard to think of anything that has so radically and rapidly become so integral to our daily lives at home and at work.
Strap on your mask, here are our unisex and reusable ghoulish choices for shopping, dining and entertainment even when wearing a colorful face covering:
3 View exhibit highlighting Masks as an art form plus a universal symbol as a public health issue at DU’s Vicki Myhren Gallery now through Dec. 1. Exhibits feature the work of 30 artists. Information: 303-871-3716.
3 See all of your favorite Dragon Boat Festival performers and vendors during virtual fundraising campaign Oct. 3. Information: 303-953-7277.
3 Watch spooky movies Oct. 8 and 22nd at RiNo’s Ironton Distillery with cocktails and nibbles. Doors open at 8 p.m. Information: 720-532-0937.
3 See displays of jack-o’-lanterns and glowing pumpkins at Denver Botanic Garden’s Glow At The Gardens Oct. 19-23. Information: 720-865-3500.
3 Experience relaxing, warm and friendly fall dining at Toro Latin Kitchen inside Cherry Creek’s JW Marriott. Select from tasty small plates and family-style entrees plus cocktail and wine. Information: 303-253-3000.
3 Extraordinary health care is now open in the heart of Cherry Creek on the corner of 1st Ave. and Cook St. UCHealth building has outpatient surgery center with free valet and self-parking. Information: 720-848-0000.
3 Take the family to Union Station for annual BOOnion Trick-Or-Treat costume parade in the Great Hall Oct. 29. Information: 303-592-6712.
3 Learn about Denver’s African-American experience at Lowry Speaker Series in Eisenhower Chapel Oct. 27, 7 p.m. Information: 303-344-0481.
3 Fall into some old-fashion family fun during annual Pumpkin Harvest Festival at Four Mile Historic Park Oct. 2-4, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. to 6 p.m. Autumn fun includes live music, food trucks, photo booth, pioneer games plus pick pumpkins from park’s patch. Attendees can also enjoy cool fall inspired beverages plus a full bar. Advanced purchase of timed tickets required for safe 90-minute experience. Information: 720-865-0800.
Albeit we’ve already had an early cover-up of snow, most years the season’s first snow habitually arrives near Halloween. It’s the third season of the year coinciding with the dropping of leaves from trees, which is why it’s also called fall. It’s a time when we start to unwind and simmer down, to hang loose, laze and begin to feel cozy at home.
In March as we set clocks to “spring forward” the pandemic forced us to knock off. Now we’re locked in masked confusion as the clock creeps toward “fall back” time.
We don’t formally “fall back” until Nov. 1. Nonetheless, the pandemic’s monster mayhem endures as a devilish fall fad. Large gatherings are a ghostly thing of the past. Before the sun rises earlier on our clocks, we’re stuck in a soul-searching hullabaloo. Even after we gain an hour the ghostly glow will give ‘em pumpkin to talk about.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Aug 21, 2020 | Valley Gadfly
Music routinely triggers that yearning feeling and September — the iconic Earth, Wind & Fire song — reminisces over a nostalgic period that took place in the month of September. As the Valley begins the transition from warm to cool this month we’re hoping along with everyone else that September will be chasin’ the coronavirus away.
The doo-wah virus pretty much chased the first six months of 2020 away. Now our souls are singin’ setback the virus while chasin’ the clouds away, oh yeah!
Here are our heart ringin’ choices for shopping, dining and entertainment heaped with warmth, passion and color to keep you glowing as crisp and golden as an apple:
3 Join dance, cardio, meditation, yoga and other 60-minute classes open to all levels offered multiple times at city’s Sculpture Park on Tues.-Thur., Sept. 1-29. Information: artscomplex.com/sculptureparkfitness.com.
3 Watch classic films from your car at Red Rocks on lower south lot 2 Thurs. through Sun. Sept. 3-27, 7:30 p.m. Information: denverfilm.org.
3 View the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Show Sept. 5-6 at Denver Botanic Gardens, Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. to 4 p.m. Information: 720-865-3500.
3 For a thrill of a lifetime, rappel down 36-stories at 1670 Broadway Office Bldg. Sept. 10-12 to fund Cancer League. Information:cancerleague.org.
3 Enjoy lunch and dinner at Civic Center Park — the centerpiece of Denver’s green space — from 20 food trucks on Wed. & Thur. Sept. 2-Oct. 15, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 5:30-7:30 p.m. Information: civiccentereats.com.
3 Experience extra good vibes shopping 55 diverse stores in stress-free Glendale, just minutes from Cherry Creek. You’ll find popular-unique retail, dining and entertainment brands. Information: glendale.co.us.
3 Enjoy virtual gala at home with charcuterie board for two and a bottle of wine to aid Mental Health Sept. 17, 5:30 p.m. Information: 303-756-9052.
3 View the provocative religious-political commentary art exhibit Holy Moly at Niza Knoll Gallery, Sept. 18-Oct. 31. Information: 303-953-1789.
3 Support The Lowry Foundation while enjoying food, libations and ice cream at the Lowry Beer Garden and Rocket Ice Cream Sept. 24, 5-9 p.m. A portion of sales on dine-in and take-out at the benefit event will be donated to the non-profit to meet the needs of the historical neighborhood. Venue is relaxing family spot with communal tables and outdoor patio offering beers, burgers and brats. Information: 303-344-0481.
September is a 30-days long goodbye to summer, to a season that left everyone happy but weary of the warm-windy weather. Combined with social distancing and masks, the days dragged on due to the threat of sickness. Life, like the air, didn’t feel fresh. It made us uncomfortable because it was stifling and sometimes suffocating.
Summer clouds dwindle in September and it’s the year’s sunniest month in Denver. Days cool down quickly, dropping around 12 °F by the end of the month.
It’s the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Known as Indian summertime, it’s the transition from warm to cool. September days are indeed here, promising summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer. Notwithstanding the coronavirus, “Try to remember the kind of September when life was slow and oh so mellow.”
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Jul 23, 2020 | Valley Gadfly
Symbolizing the end of summer, this month brings backyard cookouts, the sweet ode to cars, romance and partying. A summer fling has hardly happened this year due to the coronavirus, albeit many tried on the July 4th weekend. There’s still primetime to linger and enjoy the Cherry Creek Valley’s outdoors as our days slowly begin to cool.
Even though this isn’t the summer we asked for, our mindset still envisions an open meadow of wildflowers, pastel colors and sunsets that never last long enough.
Here are our hotter’n a pepper-patch crop of choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to help you seize the final days of summer, sizzle and make a splash:
3 With the Morgan Adams Foundation’s other major fundraiser now canceled, plan to attend the 10th Race Against Kids Cancer at High Plains Raceway July 31-Aug. 2, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Information: 303-758-2130.
3 Shop the Cherry Creek Fresh Market each Saturday at First Ave. and University Aug. 1 through 29, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Information: 303-442-1837.
3 Mark your calendar and hit the streets in Cherry Creek North to browse-buy during annual Sidewalk Sale, Aug. 6-9. Information: 303-294-2904.
3 NFL author Scott Perry is Lowry Speaker Series first in-person guest this year at Eisenhower Chapel Aug. 11, 7 p.m. Information: 303-344-0481.
3 For lunch, weekend brunch and dinner try newly opened Jimmy’s Jersey Street Café & Osteria, east of 9th & Colo. Blvd., at 932 Jersey St. Dinner menu has Lamb Chops, Scampi Romana & Bananas Foster. Information: 303-961-6135.
3 View the new Atlas Townhomes at Boulevard One in Lowry featuring a main-floor master or elevator, plus a personal rooftop terrace. Moreover, you’re surrounded by walk-to amenities. Information: 303-300-8789.
3 See art showing the music of ancient Americas titled Rhythm & Ritual at the Museo de Las Americas through Aug. 15. Information: 303-571-4401.
3 Attend the Park Hill Art Festival located on the Masonic Lodge grounds on Montview Ave. Aug. 22-23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Information: 720-941-6088.
3 See the Denver Zoo in a new way, as Nature Connects®, Art with LEGO® Bricks has returned after five years, now through Nov. 1. LEGO artist Sean Kenney has created more than 15 life-size species. Sculptures placed throughout the Zoo includes a snow leopard, monarch butterfly, whooping crane and a black rhino. You’ll also see an African lion plus a polar bear with her three cubs. Information: 720-337-1400.
You know that feeling you get mid-afternoon every Sunday when you realize the next day is Monday? Well, welcome to the Sunday of Summer, better known as August. The eighth moon cycle is basically a month-long Sunday that marks the end of summer. It’s when we try to squeeze in everything we wanted to do over the entire summer.
It’s 31-days of what’s called “Sunday Sads” or “Sunday Weirds.” It’s Jimmy the sensation we feel moving from an unstructured weekend to a week full of structured time.
August is a transition month. The last open window through which pours the sunlight of summer’s serenity. One last chance to “make the most” of the season. As you begin to fill the fall calendar with work and school responsibilities, consider this month as Julie London did, “Now that it’s time for August, I’ve got thirty-one days to glow.”
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Jul 1, 2020 | Valley Gadfly
After last month’s blast of wind — the strongest ever reported in Denver or in the U.S. — July is the month the sun doesn’t rise, it overflows. It is the Valley’s hottest month of the year, with an average high temperature of 88°F, while nights rarely fall below 50°F. The good news: July is actually a little less windy than most months.
Prior to the pandemic shutting down travel and hospitality, the Cherry Creek Valley was always a hot spot for vacationers since temperatures rarely top 100°F.
Here are our cool choices for shopping, dining and entertainment so a summer breeze and the sun’s rays let you shine and discover each day’s bright prospects:
3See fashions by designers, local boutiques during Denver Fashion Week at the McNichols Bldg. July 11-17, Information: denverfashionweek.com.
3View over 60 Treasures of British Art paintings on display at the Denver Art Museum, Level 2, through July 12. Information: 720-913-0130.
3If you’re considering selling your home in these uncertain times rely on the knowledge and experience of Denice and Stephanie. No none knows Denver like the RE/MAX Alliance pair. Information: 303-886.0000.
3For a dazzling selection of flowers, plants and trees go to Country Fair Garden Center. After 26 years on Colorado Blvd. they’re now located in South Lowry Square at 7150 Leetsdale Dr. Information: 303-757-4949.
3With so many events canceled this July, you won’t want to miss Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, the final completed symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven at Red Rocks Amphitheater, July 26, 7 p.m. Colorado Symphony Music Director Brett Mitchell is joined by four vocal soloists and a massive community chorus made up of the Symphony Chorus plus other choruses from around the state. Information: 303-623-7876.
It seems like many things most of us have taken for granted are canceled this year, just as Woodstock’s 50th Anniversary was canceled last July. It’s a reminder of Jimi Hendrix’s 1969 Star Spangled Banner performance at that iconic festival and the fact we again find ourselves and the country in the midst of uncertain, tentative times.
Hendrix’s rendition turned the lyrics “o’er the ramparts we watched” into a blazing protest reflecting the violence carried out under our flag and its national anthem.
Denver has more thunderstorms during July than any other month. About once every two years, an inch or more of rain drenches the city in one day during the month. Remember July 27th is Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day. If storms develop, the lightning bolts play Rock & Roll music and your plants will be right as rain — all wet!
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | May 21, 2020 | Valley Gadfly
“What is so rare as a day in June?” asked Russell Lowell. “Then if ever come perfect days,” he proclaimed. To be sure we still have the coronavirus or June Bug jitters. But this is the perfect month to start living, to start reaching into the soul of every single moment and find the magic contained in it. Vulnerable yet invincible!
June is opening to jitterbug’s downbeat, but the upbeat second step is set to swing: Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do, corona, corona stay-away-from me and you!
Here are our bold choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to help you begin the devilishly divine dance steps to take you back to the Distancing future.
3 Register and participate in the country’s second largest ovarian cancer run-walk gone virtual. Race through the neighborhood, a park or on your treadmill to raise funds for Jodi’s Race Virtual Dash, June 1-30. Information: 720-971-9436.
3 Enjoy a cornucopia of arts and crafts plus food at the Denver Urban Market at Skyline Park June 6, 13-14 and 18, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Information: 720-272-7467.
3 Listen to the virtual talk by eating disorder expert Dr. Susan McClanahan hosted by the Lowry Speaker Series June 16, 7 p.m. Information: lowryfoundation.org.
3 Grab a cup of coffee and join the Habitat for Humanity Breakfast that’s changed to a virtual 30-minute program on June 24, 8 a.m. Information: 303-996-5468.
3 Make your move now to see the collection of 90 luxury condominiums opening at The Met at Boulevard One in Lowry. You’ll discover one-level living, dual master suites plus two acres of scenic open space. Information: 720-840-0484.
3 With a variety of restaurant choices for takeout, curbside pickup, drive-thru and delivery options, head to Aurora’s Havana Street. Dozens of top eateries are located between Dartmouth and 6th Ave. Information:onhavanastreet.com.
3 Let the piano keyboard repertoire of New Orleans pianist Jon Cleary help you forget the pandemic at Swallow Hill’s Daniels Hall June 26, 8 p.m. Information: 303-777-1003.
3 See artists Anna Charney, Koko Bayer overhaul alleyway at 11th Ave. Hostel with live music for Colorcon June 28, 6-9 p.m. Information:coloradocolorcon.com.
3 Take the family on a recess from being shut-ins as Monday Movie Madness opens at Glendale’s Infinity Park June 29, 7:30 p.m. (gates open 6:30 p.m.). You’ll see the animated superhero film Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It’s a raucous adventure with comics-inspired visuals. Park is following reopening procedures and there’s ample room for social distancing on the rugby-ready lawn. Free movies continue through Aug. 10. Information: infinityparkglendale.com.
It was the kooky Chicken Little that first warned us as kids, “The sky might fall.” Young Chicken Little threw his town into panic just as the coronavirus did for us. But despite the virus dance and the crowd of doubtin’ Thomases, we still need to gather, celebrate and brainstorm to help us unwind, even when it has to be at a distance.
The Chicken Little story is to have courage, even when it feels like the sky is falling. Today, we need courage to fit into a culture with a shifting, newfangled dance.
Jive, bop, boogie woogie and doo wop: Rather than the jitters, it’s time to get rhythm and dance, even when it’s hotter than noon in June with the flutes, trumpets and tubas out of tune. We can’t let life’s performance be cancelled by the corona June Bug. For those that tell you “it’s too hot to Handel,” merely reply: Don’t July to me!
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
