by Valley Gadfly | Oct 23, 2017 | Valley Gadfly
“It was a dark and stormy night, suddenly, a turkey rang out!” Those are Charlie Brown’s words after Lucy told him to write a Thanksgiving novel. It’s been 44 years since A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving made its way to our TV screens, but it still reminds us of the true meaning of Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season.
Sure, turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie star on our gratefully plentiful holiday tables, but we all know it’s really our loved ones who make Thanksgiving special.
Here are our healthy and fresh choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to add more food, love, friends and generosity to your traditional November recipe:
3 Good grief, don’t miss out on the Denver Film Festival screening more than 200 titles including three red carpet galas at the Ellie, Nov. 1-12. Other events are at the Sie Film Center. Information: 720-381-0813.
3 Get in the holiday mood shopping the Colorado Country Gift Show with 450 booths in the Denver Mart, Nov. 3-5. Information: 800-521-7469.
3 Hip-hop over to the Buell Theatre for Breakin’ Convention, the big hip-hop dance festival with workshops, Nov. 4-5. Information: 303-893-4100.
3 Embrace the holiday spirit by attending the Lowry Fall Wine Tasting in Eisenhower Chapel Nov. 10, 6-8:30 p.m. Information: 303-344-0481.
3 Enjoy Thanksgiving without cooking by feasting on the annual classic roast turkey spread at the Monaco Inn Restaurant, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. A half-dozen other scrumptious choices also offered. Information: 303-320-1104.
3 Thanksgiving is the only holiday allowing a little shuteye mid-event. Hence, keep a happy-healthy home with better mattresses and better sleep from SleepNation with three Valley locations: Information: 720-443-4421.
3 Enjoy Epic Night with 12 bands, dancing, free food-drinks at Swallow Hill’s Tuft Theatre benefit Nov. 18, 7 p.m. Information: 303-777-1003.
3 Join the Mile High United Way Turkey Trot at Wash Park to make the big meal satisfying Nov. 23, 10:15 a.m.-2 p.m. Information: 303-433-8383.
3 Book your plans now for The Bookies Small Business Saturday in Glendale Nov. 26, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. After two days off they’re throwing open the doors for the Author Showcase. Hear authors speak throughout the day as you shop and enjoy entertainment. Furthermore it’s a day to celebrate independent bookstores and the usual store discounts apply. On day after Thanksgiving it’s fun shopping. Information: 303-759-1117.
Your Thanksgiving menu likely won’t include toast, popcorn and candy, as was the case for the Charlie Brown TV special based on Charles M. Schultz’s Peanuts comic strip. Nevertheless, today the Peanuts comic strip is as synonymous with Thanksgiving as turkey, pumpkin pie and awkward family conversations about politics and religion.
In that TV special Lucy enticed Charlie Brown to kick the football because it was a Thanksgiving tradition. Now the NFL has ostensibly pulled the same trick on us.
A parade, big meal and mind-numbing football games highlight Thanksgiving. So why is it more appetizing than others? For many of us it delivers four days off. How awesome is that? It’s also universal, inclusive and nap friendly. Plus thankfulness makes us happy. Share your good fortune with food banks or soup kitchens and bon appetite!
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Sep 25, 2017 | Valley Gadfly
Soon falling leaves of red and gold will drift by your window. Why is autumn in the Cherry Creek Valley so engaging? Glittering leaves and shimmering clouds rekindle our imagination and make it seem like an exotic land. Yeah, fall has its pumpkin spice and latte craze, but it’s nature’s glow that lifts us up when we’re feeling down.
In addition to the season’s superb color effects, autumn is the crowning glory of the year in Valley gardens, bringing fruition to months of consideration, care and toil.
Here are our cool, crisp choices for shopping, dining and entertainment so you can revel in the autumn moonlight while Halloween creeping and foliage-peeping:
3 Fall is the perfect time to rekindle your love for music and the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest at the Marriott Tech Center is filled with audio and home entertainment equipment, Oct. 6-8. Information: 303-779-1100.
3 This is the mellow season and you’ll find good books to read at The Bookie’s Local Author Showcase Oct. 7, 2-4 p.m. Information: 303-759-1117.
3 Start the season by selecting a pumpkin at Four Mile Park’s Pumpkin Harvest Festival Oct. 7-8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Information: 720-865-0800.
3 Catch glittering leaves and a sparking diamond at Diamonds In The Ruff at Infinity Park Event Center Oct. 14, 6 p.m. Information: 303-922-6331.
3 October is National Chili Month so catch the 7th Annual Chili Cook-Off fundraiser at Joy Wine & Spirits Oct. 15, 12-4 p.m. Taste top restaurant and homemade dishes. Activities for the kids. Information: 303-744-6219.
3 Revive and renew your home with fall fabrics to fit your style and budget at Boris’s Upholstery. Select from a huge choice of upholstery, drapery, cushions and pillows. Foam cut to size. Information: 303-751-2921.
3 Wear a warm autumn sweater and catch Something Rotten set in the 1590s playing at DCPA’s Buell Theatre Oct. 17-19. Information: 720-865-4220.
3 Find warm fall wearables and fashion accessories at the Fiber Arts Sale at Englewood Civic Center Oct. 26-28. Information: rmweaversguild.org.
3 Autumn swings full and fun during the 10th Jewish Arts, Authors, Movies & Music Fest opening Oct. 26 and running through Nov. 12. The 18-day festival at the Mizel Arts & Culture Center (JCC) offers a wide array of events from a showing of Ron Suskind’s award-winning film Life Animated to jazz pianist Tamir Hendelman and operatic bass Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell. Information: maddjcc.org/ jaamm.
This is a very special time of year as the temperature gets discernibly lower, the days much shorter and the nights noticeably longer. October heralds the transition into the colder winter months, and the natural world puts on a final flurry of amazing activities before slowing down until the warm sunshine of spring finally returns again.
The average daily maximum temperature in Denver is between 61-69 degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, the days continue to cool quickly during October.
Rarity has always set hearts aflutter. And the reds, golden-yellows and browns at this time of year are like music. They enhance our mood and shape our perception of reality while magically rekindling nature’s glow and duality of the season. That’s why during autumn we call a large colorful pile of leaves “the Great Barrier Leaf!”
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Aug 30, 2017 | Valley Gadfly
Mint is one of the first greens to arrive in spring and one of the last to depart at summer’s end. Its magic secret: It makes us feel good. Its exuberant freshness elevates our mood, boosts our alertness and motivates us while soothing frazzled nerves. Yes, the flowers of summer are beginning to droop and wither because the sun is getting closer.
The Four Lads seasons shift lyrics: “Though summer turns to winter and the present disappears, the laughter we were glad to share will echo through the years.”
Here are our end of summer choices for shopping, dining and entertainment so the crisp air, mountains of color and crunch of leaves underfoot add moments to remember:
3 Catch this season’s big Broadway premiere before it slides out of town. The pre-Broadway opening of Disney’s musical Frozen is warming up at DCPA’s Buell Theatre through Oct. 1. Information: 303-893-4100.
3 Keep the last flames of summer hot by viewing the film Barbeque followed by a cook-off at the Sie FilmCenter Sept. 5. Information: 720-381-0813.
3 Renée Fleming’s sumptuous voice joins the Colorado Symphony to heat up Boettcher Concert Hall Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-623-7876.
3 Toast to summer’s end Sept. 15 with cocktails and music at the Blue Moon After Party on the 16th Street Bridge, 6 p.m. Information: 303-455-7190.
3 Let Del Frisco’s classic bar and grill take you to new heights with bold fall food and drinks. Enjoy amazing autumn nights perched on the patio for Cherry Creek North’s best dining. Information: 303-320-8286.
3 View the beauty of summer through the artwork of 30 plus artists displaying work interpreting memories of summer at Arts at Denver on Old South Gaylord St., Sept. 15-Oct. 7. Information: 3003-722-0422.
3 Enjoy a mellow day touring homes, a library and church in the historic Baker District Sept. 16, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Information: 720-424l-7620.
3 Join the fall Hop, Skip and Jump 5K plus toddler trot and infant crawl at the Children‘s Museum Sept. 17, 9 a.m. Information: 303-561-0110.
3 Live theater is always marvelous, and productions at the John Hand Theater in Lowry are ideal fall entertainment. The regional premiere of The Mystery of Love & Sex opens Sept. 9 and runs through Oct. 7. It’s a compelling story of a complex relationship that is an entertaining and explosive look at race, sexual identity and family dynamics. Performances are Fri. and Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. Information: 303-562-3232.
There are two different dates that mark the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. For meteorologists, summer ends on Aug. 31 and autumn begins on Sept. 1. But astronomers say summer ends on Sept. 21 and autumn begins on Sept. 22. Therefore, be shifty and choose the end date as your seasonal garnish and recipe for high spirits.
Summer may be over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t kick back, relax and enjoy the sights and smells of fall. A cuddly fuzzy feeling is slowly replacing hot and humid.
Unlike this summer’s hot, cold and wet weather, autumn doesn’t tease us. Instead it delivers cooler temperatures. We love summer, but autumn is when mint magic spices up our lives and adds a splash of earthiness. As Helen Hunt Jackson understood: “September days are here, With summer’s best of weather And autumn’s best of cheer.”
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Mark Smiley | Jul 24, 2017 | Valley Gadfly
Every month, but especially during the summer, flowers add enjoyment and meaning to our lives and community. Across cultures and time they speak a universal language of enjoyment, respect, appreciation and love. They articulate our underlying need to reach out, to bond, and to express compassion, concern and understanding.
This is the 50th anniversary of San Francisco’s Summer of Love. That era’s Flower Power theme is still relevant and, in fact, is as significant and timely today.
Here is our bouquet of choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to add beauty, vitality and enjoyment to inspire a smile and feeling of joy to each day:
3 Wednesdays blossom with music at the Shady Grove Picnic Series with the Rocky Mountain Jewgrass, The Deltaz, La Pompe Jazz & Atomga at Four Mile Park Aug. 2-23, 6:30 p.m. Information: 303-777-1003.
3 Fashion flowers with an adult and kids Serenity Project fashion show at Wings Over The Rockies Aug. 5-6, 7 p.m. Information: 719-640-7469.
3 Love blooms on stage each weekend as On Golden Pond plays the John Hand Theater in Lowry Aug. 7-28. Information: 720-530-4596.
3 Chill out tasting food and enjoying wine at Cherry Creek North’s Food & Wine along Fillmore Plaza Aug. 12, 6 p.m. Information: 303-394-2904.
3 For a love affair between wine, food and music make Brik on York this summer’s hangout. You’ll enjoy global wines, Neapolitan pizza and Italian-influenced fare in exposed-brick digs. Information: 303-284-6754.
3 Wilting in the heat? Locally owned Cherry Creek Shade & Drapery can keep you cool, offering consultations on sun-blocking shades, screens, shutters plus custom draperies and blinds. Information: 303-355-4223.
3 Enjoy ice cream and the Six Foot Joe & The Red Hot Rhinos concert at The Gardens on Havana Aug. 22, 6 p.m. Information: 303-360-7505.
3 Become a budding collector buying at Artists In August Show at Wings Over The Rockies Aug. 27, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Information: 303-344-0481.
3 Enjoy a bouquet of beer from 20 breweries showcasing their top brews at Glendale’s Bruises+Brews Beerfest at Infinity Park Aug. 27, 12-4 p.m. As the City says, “beer and rugby are better together.” Admission includes a ticket to the RugbyTown 7s tournament (The “bruises” part!). There will also be a few distilleries and a couple of hard ciders available. Join rugby fans and beer aficionados. Information: glendalebeerfest.com.
Each summer flowers beautify nature and the scenic view around us. Flowers have been radiating, exuding and symbolizing peace throughout the millennia. Rooted in opposition to the Vietnam War, the Flower Power movement was centered in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury district. Hippies living there were dubbed “flower children.”
The area became the focal point of psychedelic rock music. In the summer of 1965, the Beatles’ hit single All You Need Is Love served as the movement’s anthem.
As you enjoy flowers this summer, consider their ongoing potential to express the best of human character and action. Flowers offer much more than just beauty. They embody our hopes and wishes that transcend place and time. As the First Lady of Flowers Lady Bird Johnson often suggested: “When flowers bloom so does hope.”
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Jun 23, 2017 | Valley Gadfly
Take Ten: Simmer down, settle back and take time out to unwind. July is a noisy time, when fireworks and new life are bursting forth and birds chirp and sing. Enjoy the glorious roar of fireworks along with summer thunderstorms. To rephrase Katy Perry, you gotta ignite the light and let it shine. Just own every day like it’s the Fourth of July.
On Independence Day and at weekend gatherings, weeknight dinners and on restaurant patios we gather to eat, drink, socialize and bask in beautiful views.
Here are our rapid-fire action choices for shopping, dining and entertainment so that each day will be a blast of food, fun and fireworks with jaw-dropping velocity:
3 Light the fuse for pyrotechnic fun by viewing Glendale’s Fireworks Show July 1. The dazzling display begins at dusk (9-9:30 p.m.) and can be seen from Valley eateries, bars, patios and porches. Information: 303-759-1513.
3 Chill out on Wednesday evenings at the Shady Grove Picnic Series in Four Mile Park July 5, 12, 19 & 25, 6:30 p.m. Information: 303-777-1003.
3 Pack up a picnic and enjoy free movies on Infinity Park’s Jumbo Screen July 10, 17 & 24, 6:30 p.m. Information: moviesatinfinitypark.com.
3 Find hot deals at shops and businesses during the Cherry Creek North Sidewalk Sale, July 13-14 10 a.m-5 p.m., Information: 303-394-2904.
3 For food and fun try Del Frisco’s Grille in Cherry Creek. Grab lunch, dinner or a drink in the modern, inviting and stylish spot. Happy hour on the rooftop patio is great on summer nights. Information: 303-320-8289.
3 Need to free up some space? Edgemark Self Storage is a brand new, state-of-the-art facility that’s just opened on S. Birch St. in Glendale. It’s clean, and boasts temperature control and Wi-Fi. Information: 720-550-6551.
3 Join Glendale Y’s Trivia Night fundraiser at Infinity Park Event Center including dinner and prizes July 22, 5-9 p.m. Information: 303-639-4711.
3 Attend On Havana Street’s annual free Dotsero Jazz Concert and Pizza Party at the Rose Garden Plaza in Aurora, July 25, 6 p.m. Information: 303-360-7505.
3 To capture July’s patriotic spirit make plans to take the family to Four Mile Historic Park’s Independence Celebration on Saturday July 1, 5-10 p.m. You’ll see historic demonstrations, take the kids on wagon rides and play old-fashioned games while enjoying live music. Food trucks and a beer garden are on site. Moreover there’s free admission plus you can stay to watch the Glendale Fireworks Show. Information: 720-865-0800.
Allow the summer breeze and sun’s rays to wake you up gently in the morning. Rise up, be fresh and see the bright opportunity in each day this month. Choose to shine even if you have to create your own sunshine. Remember, you’ll never have this day again so have a blast and make it count. Don’t look back you’re not going that way.
The Dog Days of Summer begin in July and it is the hottest of the year bringing with it more thunderstorms. Temperatures average 84-91 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Roman Senate named this month in honor of the Roman general Julius Caesar’s birthday. It’s the month we’re reminded this is a land full of power and glory. As the words of Lee Greenwood so beautifully express it: “I thank my lucky stars to be living here today. I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.”
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | May 26, 2017 | Valley Gadfly
“Good morning, sunshine,” said the morning moon as she opened the window to greet the day. After our late May snowstorm we’re truly ready to start feeling like winter is over and done for another year. The beginning of this month is the breezeway to summer and you can feel the sun’s rays as you slowly begin decompressing.
June 21 of course begins summer solstice, marking the longest day of the year. We can all enjoy early dawns and long days with late sunsets and shorter nights.
Here are our warmhearted choices for shopping, dining and entertainment so that every window opens to great possibilities and you can romp, splash and seize summer:
3 Begin the month at the first of 10 free Sunday City Park Jazz events June 4, 6 p.m. The soul-funk-do-wop mix of The Other Black featuring Wesley Watkins opens at City Park Pavilion. Information: cityparkjazz.org.
3 Chill out with family and friends at the kid-friendly Lowry Beer Garden Anniversary Party fundraiser June 8, 4-9 p.m. Information: 303-366-0114.
3 Enjoy food and music as you view great art at the Art Students League Summer Art Market on Grant St, June 10-11. Information: 303-778-6990.
3 Seize summer as you have a savory time at the Denver Greek Festival on the Greek Cathedral campus June 16-18. Information: 303-388-0314.
3 Looking for a cool summer eatery with a bar, large covered patio plus children’s play area? Try The Goods Restaurant directly connected to the Tattered Cover Bookstore on Colfax. Information: 303-355-5445.
3 Spruce up for summer with new fabrics for your drapery, upholstery, cushions and pillows from Boris’s Upholstery. Enjoy cool deals of 20-50% off fabrics to fit your style and budget. Information: 303-751-2921.
3 June’s hottest deal is the Art of Brunch, a free Santa Fe Art District art crawl at 30 galleries June 25, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Information: 303-953-1789.
3 Swing-sway into summer to disco, Motown and jazz at Tunisia Concert on Havana Street’s Rose Garden Plaza June 27. Information: 303-360-7505.
3 This summer is sure to be a hot one, so be sure to reserve a shady spot on Wednesday nights at Four Mile Park’s Shady Grove Concert Series, 6:30 p.m. The series kicks off June 14 as the Tallgrass trio cools the air with songs of happiness. Favorites like Perpetual Motion and Rocky Mountain Jewgrass are returning. New faces include The Deltas and The River Arkansas. Bring the family and a picnic. Information: 303-777-1003.
Heat from the sun begins to intensify this month due to the angle of sunlight plus added day length. However, the land and oceans are still relatively cool, so the maximum heating effect is not felt just yet. The Valley’s hottest temperatures won’t begin to appear until late July and August, or even later as the stored heat is finally released.
The hallmark of June is the return of color. The skies seem bluer, the grass begins to grow again, and the flowers bloom, bursting open with color and fresh life.
The sun’s rays reach the ground here during 70 percent of daylight hours. Typically on 10 days this month the sky is clear, with maybe 30 percent cloud cover. Fences begin to sway and the porches swing as the sky begins to rumble. June is one of the most active months for thunderstorms. This is also the month when showers come wrapped in rainbows.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
