Hot Time In The Old Town

Hot Time In The Old Town

“Go to town and simmer down,” is commonly shared straw-hat season advice. In other words go for a summer romp. You know, let off some steam and play it cool. You can even jump in the pool and make a summer splash. “It’s the hay-day time of the year with the trees’es and sweet-scented breezes.” You’ll find serenity and solitude in a stroll.

It is the month when summer begins winding toward a climax, the college kids are packing it all away, and Colorado’s cool sunsets never linger quite long enough.

Here are our cool choices for shopping, dining and entertainment so you’ll simmer down, settle back, take 10, take time out, go to town and unwind:

3          Get a cool start to the dog days of summer by enjoying food, art and music at the Denver International Festival in Civic Center Park Aug. 3, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. There’s a Kids Village, beer-wine. Information: 721-319-8441.

3          See state’s top talent at the Throwdown Showdown at Infinity Park Event Center, Aug. 5-6 & 8. Information: infinityparkeventcenter.com/tickets.

3          Chill out to foot-stomping music at the final Shady Grove Picnic Series at Four Mile Park Wed. Aug. 7-21, 6:30 p.m. Information: 303-777-1003.

3          Relax at Sloan’s Lake Art-Music Fest enjoying music, food and booths of art Aug. 10-11, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 4 p.m. Information: 303-916-5711.

3          The heat’s on to get this summer’s painting jobs done. Emerald Isle Painting’s 20 years residential-commercial painting know-how will transform your project with quality paint. Information: 303-322-4753.

3          With great food and beer plus late night menu and Sunday night jazz the Bull & Bush is the place to be all month long. Don’t miss eatery-brewery’s 48th Anniversary Concert Aug. 3,10 p.m. Information: 303-759-0333.

3          Taste dishes paired with wines-spirits at annual Cherry Creek North Food & Wine on Fillmore Plaza Aug. 17, 5 p.m. Information: 303-394-2904.

3          Catch the music of former Three Dog Night lead singer Chuck Negron at the Paramount Theater on Aug. 24, 8 p.m. Information: 303-623-0106.

3          See 30 rugby teams from around the world as they gather at Glendale’s Infinity Park for three-day Rugbytown Sevens competition. Events include Military Championship and a Fallen Rugger ceremony. Dates are Aug. 23-25. This year’s Bruises & Brews Beerfest is one day only, Aug. 24, 3-7 p.m. If you’re a beer aficionado you’ll enjoy offering from dozens of different breweries plus distilleries. Information: Rugby town7s.com.

Summer is one of the Valley’s truest pleasures; be it backyard cookouts, or a sweet ode to cars, girls and partying at the pool or in town. While school’s still out, it’s time to get down, get sunburned and make waves. George Gershwin said it best in the opera Porgy and Bess: “Summer time and the living is easy.” Laziness has respectability.

August days are hot and still. Temperatures top at 88°F, rarely falling below 75°F or exceeding 95°F. Lows average 62°F, rarely falling below 51°F or above 67°F.

It’s been a thrilling but grilling summer so far. If the back of your neck is getting dirty and gritty, open the window and let the air freshly blow upon face and hair. Yes summer waxes long but then it wanes, passing its fading green glory to Autumn. Until those cooler days arrive, if you see a heat wave coming remember to wave back.

 — Glen Richardson

The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.

Hot Time In The Old Town

A Star-Spangled Salute To Summer

Here comes July and the outdoors are open for you to share. ’Tis the end of school and the death of cool. Sure the days feel hot and sultry because July’s sun-kissed season has begun. There are barbecues spent in the summer sun, parties with friends and family. Watermelon anyone? Did we mention red, white and blue everything?

July is a noisy time, when fireworks and new life are bursting forth and the birds return to chirp and sing. Rain’s pitter patter is followed by the roar of thunderstorms.

Here are our sweltering choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to rollick, romp and splash into the sights, sounds and smells to keep the fireworks bursting:

3          Blast off this month by watching the mega City of Glendale Fireworks as they light up the skies July 2nd at dusk (9-9:30 p.m.).The barrage of fireworks begins Valley’s July 4 celebrations. Information: 303-759-1513.

3          Mama Magnolia, Shakedown Street, Pint & A Half and Dakota Blonde play Shady Grove Wed. evenings July 3-24. Information: 303-777-3003.

3          Featuring a toe-tapping new score, don’t miss Charlie & The Chocolate Factory playing the Buell Theatre, July 9-28. Information: 303-893-4100.

3          Catch the swashbuckling tale of Billy Budd premiering at Central City Opera’s summer festival opening July 13. Information: 303-292-6700.

3          Get an A/C Tune Up or purchase a High Efficiency Cooling & Heating System to stay cool and comfortable this summer. The air conditioning experts at ARS are offering cool deals. Information: 303-418-6000.

3          For awesome summer eats, drinks and dessert, treat the family to Sam’s No. 3 with locations in Glendale, Aurora and downtown. Chill with a cold beer, cocktails and milkshakes. Information: 303-333-4403.

3          Help fund the Denver Dream Center by attending the 2nd annual Cowboy Luau at No. 38 July 13, 4-10 p.m. Information: lacomeevents.com.

3          View, buy beautiful art as you enjoy live music at the colorful outdoor Cheesman Park Art Festival July 27-28. Information: 505-273-7376.

3          Chill out at Sloan’s Lake Park to end the month attending the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, July 28-29. A popular event for 17 years, it centers around a dragon boat competition. Teams of more than 50 boaters race across the lake. See 100 shows on five performing art stages. There’s an Asian Food Court plus a Marketplace. At Dragonland, kids try learning projects, watch shows on the kids’ stage. Information: cdbf.org.

July’s Cherry Creek Valley weather is the hottest of the year, bringing with it more thunderstorms. Nearly every day in July warms to over 70° F. The Valley averages 14 days this month with the thermometer reaching into the 90°s F. Temperatures above 100° F occur every couple of years. With the heat expect about 1-2-inches of rain.

Lest you think our worst wet weather is over, recall this folklore forecast: “If the first of July be rainy weather, It will rain more or less, for four weeks together.”

Yes, this is National Ice Cream Month. There’s also Chocolate Day and Moon Day. The month’s biggest blast is Independence Day on July 4th. Perfect days for splashing in the pool or relaxing on National Hammock Day. We close with this cool Sara Coleridge canto: “Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots and gillyflowers.”

 — Glen Richardson

The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.

Hot Time In The Old Town

Bring On Days Wild And Warm

Go to town and simmer down, summer is almost here. You can smell the sweet, clean scent the minute you step outside. Feel at home, hang loose, knock off and laze, summer is officially here June 21. At weekend gatherings and weeknight dinners we gather on restaurant patios to eat, drink, socialize and bask in beautiful views.

As Cherry Creek Valley’s landscape begins to emerge after this year’s prolonged winter storms, we arise just a tad lackluster and unkempt to fragrances in full bloom.

Here are our warm, refreshing and revitalizing choices for shopping, dining and entertainment as we enjoy the stimulating sights, sounds, smells and tastes of summer:

3          Warm up with sizzling art as the Robert Anderson Gallery ushers in summer showcasing seven new photo artists at E. Colfax space. See a wide spectrum of new work, June 1-Aug. 31. Information:303-355-8955.

3          Feast on Cherry Creek Fresh Market’s juicy summer fruits and vegetables Wed. & Sat. at 1st Ave. and University. Information: 303-442-1847.

3          Roar into summer enjoying Classic Car Show & Poker Run on Havana Street in Aurora June 8, noon to 6 p.m. Information: 720-788-8986.

3          Swing to Arrowhead Golf Course for lunch and golf to support the Children’s Home Tournament June 10. Information: 720-881-3366.

3          Ride into summer with RTD, celebrating 50 years of moving people. With more than 170 bus routes and nine rail lines, it is very easy to hop on board to get around town. Information: rtd-denver.com.

3          Take dad, the kids and grandkids to the Monaco Inn Restaurant to celebrate Father’s Day June 16. Enjoy full menu and a Baby Back Rib Special plus cocktails, wine and beer. Information:303-320-1104.

3          See summer movies under the stars at Infinity Park Stadium’s Monday Movie Madness, June 17-Aug. 12. Information: infinityparkglendale.com.

3          Celebrate summer with sake, food and music at the Cherry Blossom Festival June 22-23, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. until 4 p.m. Information: 303-953-4486.

3          Summer is for enjoying music and family picnics outdoors. There’s no better way for family fun than the Shady Groove Picnic Series Wednesday evenings at Four Mile Park, June 5-Aug. 21, 7:30 p.m. Blues harmonica greats Clay Kirkland and Al Chesis along with the Delta Sonics open this year’s picnic series. Don’t miss out on any of the vocals and fun foot stomping Wednesday night good times. Information: 303-777-1003.

As June rolls in, we think of mountain breezes, warm weather and long days. The month of blossoms and pleasant nights. June is the sixth month of the year, the second of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the third of five months to have a length of less than 31 days. It is also summer solstice, the day with the most daylight hours.

What is so rare as a day in June. Then, if ever, comes perfect days. Al Bernstein gives us this simple rationale: “Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.”

This is the month of summer breezes and light fluffy clouds. Hey, it’s finally summer! Be free and happy, fanciful and uninhibited. If it could only be like this always — always summer, the fruit always ripe and the nights always pleasant. However you plan to spend June, simmer down, settle back, take 10 and begin to unwind.

 — Glen Richardson The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com

Hot Time In The Old Town

Spring Has Sprung In Color

A new month is with us; the month of flowers, the fifth month of the year and the month of big, important celebrations. Welcome May! All things seem possible in May. Spring has sprung and we can again enjoy running outside, the beauty of new flowers, and the passing of showers. It is said this is the month when plants really start to grow.

May was originally the third month of the year in older Roman calendars. It became the fifth month when the months of January and February were added.

Here are our sweetest, stimulating springtime choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to send you off into May’s bright, sunny days as the clouds move on:

3          As the ponies get ready to “run for the roses” on Sat., May 4, race down to the Bar Car on Colorado Blvd. for Leukemia’s Benefit Bash derby party. The start time is noon for this fun fundraiser. Information: 720-524-8099.

3          For a top flight day, wing it to Jewish National Fund’s Breakfast for Israel at Wings Over the Rockies May 9, 7-9 a.m. Information: 303-573-7095.

3          Enjoy a colorful start to spring attending Spring Blossoms Gala benefit at Infinity Park Event Center May 10, 5:30 p.m. Information: 303-867-4605.

3          Experience the Harmony of Children at Children’s Choir concert of fun songs in Gates Concert Hall May 11, 3 p.m. Information: 303-300-0470.

3          Allow springtime and banking to blossom by banking on Sunflower Bank’s service this season. It’s the largest bank headquartered in Denver with offices in Cherry Creek and downtown. Information: 303-297-0333.

3          Transition into spring-summer by enjoying late nights at the Bull & Bush. Popular brewery-eatery offers a “$10 Late Nite Menu” from 10 p.m. to midnight every day with burgers, more. Information: 303-759-0333.

3          Symphony plays film scores from Psycho, Mother Goose and Batman at Boettcher May 17-19, 7:30 p.m., Sun. 1 p.m. Information: 303-893-4100.

3          See nearly 30 paintings by Denver born artist Jordan Casteel on display at the Denver Art Museum through May 26. Information: 720-913-0130.

3          As Mother’s Day (May 12) approaches nearly 48,000 women in Denver and Colorado are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Women account for roughly two-thirds of all cases. Furthermore nearly two-thirds of all unpaid volunteer caregivers are women. As you celebrate your special mom consider a donation. Plus plan for annual two-mile walk Sept. 4 to support the Sherman St.-based Assn. Information: 303-813-1669.

The hallmark of Spring is the return of color. The skies seem bluer, the grass begins to green again, and the flowers bloom, bursting open with color and fresh life. The trees begin to bud and the birds and animals are becoming active again. The entire Cherry Creek Valley seems to be waking up from this year’s very long Winter’s nap.

James Thomson, known for his poems The Seasons, put it this way: “Among the changing months, May stands confest; The sweetest and in fairest colors dressed.”

T.S. Eliot famously wrote: “But May is here, and what better way to welcome this merry month than with music?” Johannes Brahms set many texts about May and springtime to music. Yet it is Lerner & Loew’s The Lusty Month of May from Camelot that for us lets memorable melody flow: “It’s mad, it’s gay, a libelous display.”

 — Glen Richardson

The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.

Hot Time In The Old Town

Spring Has Sprung By A Hare

Blossom by blossom spring is beginning in the Cherry Creek Valley. This is the month Peter Cottontail romps into town along with Easter and Passover. Ladies show off their spring finery as the streets begin bursting with flowers, luscious and pulsating in gorgeous colors. Spring seems to add new life and beauty to everything around us.

It is the time of year when we can count on Denver’s climate to constantly change, bringing dozens of different kinds of weather within any 24-hour time period.

Here are our refreshing, entertaining Easter choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to throw caution to the wind and put all your eggs in one basket:

3          Ring into spring at Children’s Diabetes Spring Brass Ring Luncheon at the Hilton City Center April 4, 10 a.m. Enjoy a tasty lunch and fashion show by renowned designer Rebecca Minkoff. Information: 303-628-5110.

3          Catch Ballet MasterWorks opening in the Ellie April 5-14 as Carmina Burana gives first performance in 20 years. Information: 303-837-8888.

3          Watch men’s basketball semifinals at Broncos Stadium, United Club Level April 6 and score big for National Jewish Health, 3:30 p.m. Information: 303-728-6576.

3          Enjoy Opera Colorado’s “A Night in Monte Carlo” benefit dinner-dance at the Four Seasons Hotel April 12, 6:30 p.m. Information: 303-778-1500.

3          Spring back to sports by catching the Major League Rugby home games for your Glendale Raptors this month. Games are April 13 against San Diego and April 26 against New York. Information: glendaleraptors.com.

3          Warm up with Easter Brunch at Fire, the restaurant in Golden Triangle’s Art Hotel. The buffet features a raw bar, herb crusted leg of lamb and whole smoked salmon plus Easter desserts. Information: 303-572-8000.

3          Lauren Casteel gives Lowry Speaker Series monthly lecture in the Eisenhower Chapel April 23, 7 p.m. Information: 303-344-0481.

3          Attend Central City Opera’s Theatre of Dreams dinner at Stanley Marketplace April 26, 6:30-11 p.m. Information: 303-292-6500.

3          Hop into spring at the family-friendly Glendale Sports Center’s annual Easter Eggstravaganza at the Infinity Park Sports Field April 15, 10 a.m. sharp. The event is divided into three age groups: 0 to 3, 4 to 6 and 7-19, all with the same start time. The Easter Bunny will be available for photos so be sure to bring a camera or phone to create great memories. Also remember to bring an Easter basket. Information: 303-639-4711.

Ah, the sweet smell of spring. It’s such a refreshing time! The warm sunshine feels so good on our skin as it melts away those winter blues. Colorful blooms are popping up everywhere, and it’s the perfect time to start planting the garden. Check out Country Fair’s big selection at the corner of Leetsdale & Quebec. The Valley’s average daily maximum temperature ranges between 56-66 degrees Fahrenheit.

It’s the season when we feel like whistling, even with a shoe full of slush. April sets up her green traffic lights, and everyone in the Cherry Creek Valley thinks, Go!

Like the Energizer bunny I’m into the Easter game of hide & seek. I’ve already found 1,000 Easter eggs. Now I’m trying to explain to security that’s it’s not my fault the Whole Foods store did a bad job hiding eggs. Spring has sprung. Here’s hoping this month’s Easter-Passover season is as beautiful as the flowers in bloom.

 — Glen Richardson

The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.

Hot Time In The Old Town

Marching Into Melancholy March

“When after the Winter alarmin’, the Spring steps in so charmin’, so fresh and arch in the middle of March,” wrote Alfred Percival Graves, the Irish poet, songwriter. Maybe that’s why Denverites are so enchanted by St. Paddy’s Day. It’s a day when we hope the season and the Irish will transform winter’s dream into spring’s magic.

It is true that the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. Yep, it is also factual that Denver days start to warm up rapidly in March.

Here are our balmy and satisfying springtime choices for shopping, dining and entertainment so Irish hearts are happy and all the world seems bright and gay:

3 March to the Seawell Grand Ballroom for Saturday Night Alive’s elegant dinner and the music of multi-platinum recording artist Vanessa Williams at DCPA’s annual fundraiser March 2. Information: 303-893-4100.

3 For a picture perfect month see 60 photographic images on display at the Robert Anderson Gallery March 5-April 27. Information: 303-355-8955.

3 Learn ways to transform winter’s dreams into summer magic at the Tree Diversity Conference March 8, 8:30 a.m. Information: 720-869-3500.

3 Show you’re big-hearted by attending the Denver Heart Ball benefit in the Hyatt Convention Center March 8, 6 p.m. Information: 303-801-4667.

3 Is the gloom in your home showing? Has the fabric on the furniture and drapery lost its luster? March over to Boris’s Upholstery and look through their showroom of home décor fabrics. Information: 303-751-2021.

3 Brighten up those miserable March mornings even if it doesn’t make headlines at Morning Story, the renamed Egg & I eatery in the Leetsdale Shopping Center. More lunch options, too! Information: 303-577-9050.

3 Enjoy melancholy time listening to piano soloist Dr. Pak playing at the Auraria King Center, March 16, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-394-4552.

3 Join the “Journey” to the Convention Center Hyatt for the Junior League’s fundraiser March 22, 6 p.m. Information: 303-692-0270.

3 Keep the health of Denver Health from being susceptible to financial trauma by attending the NightShine Gala at the Hyatt Regency March 30, 6 p.m. Funds raised will support Denver Health’s Ernest E. Moore Shock Trauma Center. Entertainment is by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats for this fun and glamorous night out. Information: 303-602-2970.

As the lyrics to Melancholy March declare, the month’s gloom often shows: “Your winds are blowing, your clouds are crying, your trees are sighing.” Despite being late for winter’s tale, it is the snowiest month of the year in Denver and a transitional month from winter to spring. The city usually gets five-inches or more of fresh snow.

This month, however, we also often see the last of severe winter weather. You can expect sunshine to stay around for an average of about 12 hours of daylight.

“Beware the ides of March,” a soothsayer tells Caesar in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

Nonetheless, as March winds sweep and sing, I sit by a fire and dream: Old memories wake; faint echoes make a murmur of spring. Whether it turns out to be warm here this March or not, when Irish eyes are smiling, sure ’tis like a morn in spring.

— Glen Richardson

The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.