by Valley Gadfly | Jun 21, 2019 | Valley Gadfly
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.
by Valley Gadfly | May 25, 2019 | Valley Gadfly
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
by Mark Smiley | Apr 29, 2019 | Valley Gadfly
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.
by Mark Smiley | Apr 1, 2019 | Valley Gadfly
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.
by Valley Gadfly | Feb 25, 2019 | Valley Gadfly
“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.
by Valley Gadfly | Jan 28, 2019 | Valley Gadfly
It’s a simple mathematical fact — the sum of any even amount of odd numbers will always equal an even number. Hail to February, the second month of the year and the only month that has less than 30 days. Most of us pronounce it “feb-yoo-aire-ee” simply because we don’t like or can’t pronounce two r’s that are so close by each other.
Roman superstition held that even numbers were unlucky, thus Roman King Numa Pompilius stuck this month with 28, the calendar’s fewest number of days.
Here are our superstitious but warmhearted choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to fill the month with fabulous food, fun and flirting by the fire:
3 Warm up in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House as the Colorado Ballet premieres a brand new production of the Wizard Of Oz with live music by the Ballet Orchestra, Feb. 1-10. Information: 303-837-8888, ext 2.
3 Enjoy an evening of artwork, live music plus food and drink at the Art Students League’s Art & Soul, Feb. 7, 6 p.m. Information: 303-778-6990.
3 Pig out at Nathan Yep Foundation’s Year of the Pig Chinese New Year’s gala in the Grand Hyatt, Feb. 9, 5:30 p.m. Information: 303-817-8400.
3 Treat your sports loving sweetheart to Major League Rugby home games at Glendale’s Infinity Park for Valentine’s Day. Get exclusive deals on games from Jan. 27 through May 26 at glendaleraptors.com.
3 Start or continue a Valentine’s Day dining tradition at the Monaco Inn Restaurant serving Feb. 14, 4-8 p.m. Savor Prime Rib, New York Steak or Filet Mignon, with or without Lobster Tail. Information: 303-320-1104.
3 Swing to Sondheim’s A Little Night Music playing the JCC’s Pluss Theatre on weekends through Feb. 17. Information: 303-800-6578.
3 Wow your love at Tennyson Center’s Mile High Country Q & Brew at Mile High Station Feb. 23, 6 p.m. Information: 303-433-2541.
3 For fabulous February fun your Valentine is sure to love, take in the Denver Jewish Film Festival in the Elaine Wolf Theatre on the JCC campus, Feb. 6-18. This year’s Festival is bigger than ever and truly a global event. From family relationships to powerful Holocaust resistance this year’s films are heartwarming, gorgeously shot and a glimpse into the human experience through a Jewish lens. Information: 303-316-6360.
The loss of the first “r” in February isn’t some recent habit spread by lazy teenagers. People have been avoiding the “r” for at least the last 150 years, possibly longer. The name of the linguistic process where one sound drops out because another of the same sound is too close to it is dissimilation, and it affects lots of languages.
Over the course of February the chance of a day with only rain increases from 2% to 4%, mixed snow-rain is constant at 2% and a day with only snow is constant at 3%.
For me there’s nothing better than curling up in a blanket on a cold February day in front of a crackling fireplace. February is like a friendship caught on fire. Late dawn and chilled breath make me lazy, but I love the month nonetheless. As J.R. Stockton reminds us,
