by Valley Gadfly | Nov 16, 2023 | Valley Gadfly
Grab an eggnog, cozy up to your family and friends, and settle in for a month of holiday gatherings, glittering lights, and snowy peaks. It is the official start of winter and cold weather.
‘Tis the month many folks look forward to the most: Reuniting with loved ones, getting warm by the fire, snowball fights, and tacky holiday sweaters, and lots and lots of eating.
Here are our dreamy December choices for celebrating the values that unite us for shopping, dining, and entertainment through togetherness, generosity, and gratitude:
For a dreamy start to the holidays, take the family to Saturday Night Lights in Cherry Creek North Dec. 2-16, 5-7 p.m. Enjoy treats, see acrobats, and jugglers under 600 lit, musically choreographed trees. Information: 303-394-2904.
Join Chabad of Cherry Creek for the first night of Chanukah. Face painting, fire juggling, treats on E. 2nd. Ave. Dec. 10, 5-7 p.m. Information: 303-394-2904.
For laughs, catch the Ukulele Christmas Extravaganza as 65 ukulele crooners perform at the Lakewood Center Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-987-7485.
Enjoy a blast of Holiday Brass, as the Symphony Brass adds power-brilliance to ballads, carols at Boettcher Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-623-7876.
Winterize your sprinkler system to avoid winter weather’s freeze-thaw-freeze cycle if you haven’t yet, prompts Denver Water. More: state’s oldest water utility says to drain outdoor faucets, exposed pipes. Information: 303-893-2444.
For a holiday dining experience like no other, book your reservations early at the Monaco Inn Restaurant. Serving Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve from 5 to 9 p.m. Good food, good prices, and good service. Information: 303-320-1104.
Relax at the annual Crystal & Himalayan Singing Bowl Concert, as it returns to the Denver Botanic Gardens Dec. 16, 12:30 p.m. Information: 720-865-3500.
Hear Symphony’s take on Mr. Hound-Dog’s favorites at the Elvis Christmas Spectacular at Boettcher Hall Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-623-7876.
Take the kids to the charming, song-infused retelling of Little Red Riding Hood at DCPA’s Randy Weeks Theatre through Dec. 25. Information: 303-893-4100.
Let the Symphony dance you into the New Year enjoying polkas, waltzes, and marches at Boettcher Hall Dec. 31, 6:30 p.m. Information: 303-623-7876.
Collect new toys for the 16th annual Dolls for Daughters® & Toys for Boys® Toy Drive being held at the National Western Complex Dec. 2, 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. They plan to provide a big toy, a small toy, and a wooden toy car to 3,500 children ages birth to 18. To guarantee toys for each child, parents of needy families are required to register for the event. In addition to collecting toys, the group needs Denver Toy Shop volunteers. Information: 720-330-2804.
You can set your watch by it: when December arrives, the same music blares from speakers everywhere. More than any other time, music plays on our emotions this month.
Think of Wham!’s Last Christmas, or Mariah Carey’s holiday earworm: They are songs to get us in a “holiday mood.” A warm mood infused by happy families, gifts, and eggnog.
‘Tis the season to be jolly… fa-la-la! Giving back last year’s fruitcake is compulsory. Relatives are optional. Stir the eggnog, lift the toddy, Happy New Year everybody.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Oct 20, 2023 | Valley Gadfly
Valley Gadfly
The charm of November is folks streaming back to homes and families. It’s the insulator month between the opposing but weirdly harmonious feasts of Halloween and Christmas.
November is known for Thanksgiving, Veteran’s Day, and being the last full month of the fall season. An anthem to the leafless, frostbitten, and dreary days as winter approaches.
Here are our choices for shopping, dining, and entertainment as you grasp all the things this year has offered while enjoying a tasty Thanksgiving meal with family and friends:
Begin the month by taking the family to see Mamma Mia. The Greek island paradise story of love, friendship, and identity is beautifully told in this timeless hit playing at the Buell Theatre, Nov. 1-5. Information: 720-865-4220.
See new premieres, attend red carpet events, and meet film industry guests at the Denver Film Festival at Sie Film Center, Nov. 3-12. Information: 720-381-0813.
Enjoy music, kids and family activities, plus see military displays at Veteran’s Day Festival in City Park Nov. 11, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Information: 303-263-8160.
View streetwear, active, lifestyle, kids, and high fashion during Denver Fashion Week at York Street Yards, Nov. 11-19. Information: denverfashionweek.com.
For banking you can rely on, look to MidFirst Bank. Strong, stable, and private, it’s nation’s largest privately owned bank. Offices at 101 Cook St. and 2805 S. Colorado Blvd. provide a special brand of banking. Information: 303-376-3807.
Add Hana Matsuri Sushi in Glendale’s CitySet to your holiday dining plans. Enjoy fab food, service, and atmosphere with great wine-sake selection. Treat your holiday guest to chef’s rare seasonal dishes. Information: 303-600-8477.
Entertainment, a Chanukah party, plus Holiday Market in tree-lit Cherry Creek Winter Wanderland, Nov. 16-Dec. 24, 6 to 8 p.m. Information: 303-394-2904.
Don’t miss a chance to see comedian, actor Paul Reiser as he films a rare stand-up special at the Newman Center Nov. 17, 7 p.m. Information: 303-871-7720.
Join United Way’s 50th annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 4-mile walk-run or 1-mile Lil Gobbler run at Wash Park Nov. 23, 9 a.m. Information: 303-433-8383.
Singer Kat Edmonson’s Holiday Swingin’, a blend of jazz, pop, and cabaret, is at the Lakewood Cultural Center Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-987-7845.
Join the Colorado French Chamber’s 25th Anniversary, a celebration that transcends time and promises an unforgettable experience. Beaujolais & Beyond is not just a celebration of the finer things in life, but also the art of making a difference. Live and silent auctions showcase exquisite items to support a noble cause. You’ll enjoy live music, fine wines, gourmet delicacies, and entertainment at Reelworks Nov. 16, 6 p.m. Information: 720-447-7961.
The heart and hearth of this month is Thanksgiving, which stimulates the grocery, restaurant, and travel economy. The sun slowly turns traitor on us as the month draws to a close. For some, it only heralds winter and seasonal depression. For others, it brings the winter-holiday season that features: friendship, family, and the camaraderie of the festive season.
Thanksgiving is a good time to recommit our energies to giving thanks and just giving. What’s the best thing to put into your pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving? Your teeth.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Sep 26, 2023 | Valley Gadfly
Hello October, we’ve missed you. Awe, “pumpkin spice and everything nice!” Fall is finally in full swing. Albert Camus called autumn, “a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
Breathtaking views of colorful leaves, a chance to go pumpkin picking at local festivals, and sporting comfy sweaters. A time to appreciate what we have, and look forward to the future.
As Halloween grows hauntedly close, here are our choices for shopping, dining, and entertainment to ensure witches fly across the sky, that black cats yowl, and ghosts howl:
Attend Parasol Patrol — Colorado-based non-profit to protect kids from protesters — fundraiser “A Queen’s Cabaret” backed by a live band at the Clocktower Cabaret downtown Oct. 1, 6 p.m. Information: 303-293-0075.
Don’t miss the John Denver Tribute with John Adams and Blue Tulip Music playing at the Newman Center Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-871-7720.
For musical magic, hear violinist Emily Switzer perform Beethoven Symphony No. 5 at the Lakewood Center Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-987-7845.
Aerialists entertain, followed by Halloween movies, as Wings Over the Rockies celebrates Friday The 13, Oct. 13, 6:30-9:15 p.m. Information: 303-369-5360.
After 14 Jane Austen Mysteries, Stephanie Barron brings the series to a close. With wit, character, and suspense, the Ex-CIA analyst reveals final volume at The Bookies Author Event Oct. 28, 4-5 p.m. Information: 303-759-1117.
For a fun, nutty, and earthy start to the month, attend the Film, Chef Talk Back and Hummus Appetizer Reception at the Elaine Wolf Theatre Oct. 3, 2 p.m. Chef Reggie Dotson of Ash’Kara shares Hummus tips. Information: 303-399-1146.
Enjoy music & performances, plus pick pumpkins at Four Mile Historic Park’s Pumpkin Harvest Festival, Oct. 14-15, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Information: 720-865-0800.
Take a spine-tingling stroll through pumpkin sculptures at Glow In The Gardens for eerie Denver Botanic Garden fun, Oct. 17-27. Information: 720-865-3500.
Take the kids for fang-tastic bites & games at Children’s Museum Harvest Hoot on the Marsico Campus, Oct. 27-28, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Information: 303-433-7444.
Featuring music from films & TV, the Halloween Spooktacular at Boettcher Hall is a concert for boys and ghouls, Oct. 29, 2:30 p.m. Information: 303-623-7876.
After a four-year hiatus, make plans to attend Alliance Francaise’s fundraising gala at DU’s Fritz Knoebel Event Center on East Evans Ave. Oct. 14, 6-11 p.m. The Cocktail Attire affair is themed as “La Bella Epoque,” which was the beautiful era of Paris that lasted from 1871 to 1914. Bid big on event’s donated auction items. The magical evening features drinks, accompanied with dinner and French desserts, followed by dancing. Information: 720-568-9976.
The summer sun is fading as the year grows old, and darker days are drawing near. October trees hardly sway before a breeze, as the winter winds begin to feel much colder.
Soon the old autumn sun will bed down in cloud blankets, and there will be days of gray rain before it finally snows. But with reds, golds, and yellows, there’s grandeur in the gloom.
October creates fun family times and gives your home personality. What is the best thing about October? All the cobwebs and dust in your house just become Halloween decorations!
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Aug 28, 2023 | Valley Gadfly
You soon begin feeling the shift from summer to fall in the air. September is a month where change feels inevitable. This is the month when the leaves begin to change colors.
It’s still summer, but the days are getting shorter. It’s still warm, but the sweltering afternoons of August are past. You likely won’t need your jacket, but could take it with you.
As you await the fall season, here are our choices for shopping, dining, and entertainment “to help you remember the kind of September when life was slow and oh so mellow”:
Support Denver families experiencing food insecurity by attending the 12th annual Fill A Plate For Hunger at Reelworks Denver, Sept. 7, 5:30 p.m. You’ll enjoy a fun cocktail hour, and multi-course dinner. Information: 303-388-6022.
Enjoy food, wine, and spirits during the Denver Food + Wine Festival including a Grand Tasting on Auraria’s Tivoli Quad, Sept. 7-9. Information: 303-830-2972.
Help the Denver Zoo care for and provide emergency animal support by attending the Flock Party with music and eats, Sept. 9, 5-9 p.m. Information: 720-337-1401.
Star Wars In Concert features the Colorado Symphony playing film’s musical scores at Boettcher, Sept. 9-10, 7:30, Sun. 2:30 p.m. Information: 720-865-4220.
Stop at Boris’s Home Decorating Services to add color, style to your home for the holidays. Custom cushions, decorative pillows, drapery, window treatment, more. Showroom: 1402 S. Parker Rd., Unit A-102. Information: 303-751-2921.
Make sweet September even sweeter by enjoying chocolate entrees, cocktails, and desserts at the Chocolate Lab at E. 3rd & Holly St. Chocolate combined in every dish, cocktail. Enjoy indoor-outdoor seating. Information: 720-536-5037.
Fund home-apartment fire losses at the Our Front Porch dinner-drag show fund drive at Clocktower Cabaret on Sept. 15, 5:30 p.m. Information: 303-293-0075.
Take swing dance classes, enjoy contests, and social dancing at Lindy On the Rocks in the Curtis Hotel, Sept. 15-18, 7 p.m.-12 p.m. Information: 303-883-6691.
Hear artist Patrick Marold, Denver’s Public Art Manager, at Lowry Speaker Series in the Eisenhower Chapel, Sept. 21, 6 p.m. Information: 303-344-0481.
Bi-annual Latino Suave Fest has a lineup of musicians and performers plus food and drinks at Raices Brewing, Sept. 30, noon-6 p.m. Information: 720-295-2437.
Despite the speed at which summer comes and goes, it’s still such a fun season. Rain plus cold-hot snaps somewhat impeded us; hence, Infinity Park is wrapping up the season with the Colorado Music Experience on Sept. 23. Originally from Denver, Nashville-based indie rock band Wildermiss entertains. Their headline shows have sold out since 2017. Emma Cole sings and plays synth, Joshua Hester plays guitar, and Celeb Thoemke is on drums. Information: 303-692-5799.
It’s the time of year when you don’t need to run the furnace or air conditioner. A chance to recoup, redeem. It’s a return to the routine and back to normal. Or maybe a new normal. The kids are in K-12 or college and the football season is off and running. How many times have you heard a coach proclaim, “This will be our year!” In September, that is possible.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Jul 20, 2023 | Valley Gadfly
Sure, it’s sizzling summer, but by “playing it cool” August can be quite delightful. Planned with a frosty twist, you’ll discover most of the 31 days are “devilishly divine!”
Denver usually enjoys low humidity, making for beautiful, sun-filled days, and cool, comfortable evenings. The average daily high in August is a mild 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Stirred with a spade so you’ll have it made in the shade,” here are our choices for shopping, dining, and entertainment to cover a cool, cheerful, and carefree summer romp:
Wicket & Stick It — Colorado’s longest running croquet tournament — returns to Wash Park’s Croquet Lawn Aug. 4, 2:30 to 6 p.m. Tourney has 32, 2-people teams. Spectators get three drink tickets, English Croquet Box. Information: 303-388-6022.
Chill each Sunday during brunch at ART Hotel’s Sounds of Summer Concerts on the rooftop restaurant patio of Fire, noon to 2 p.m. Information: 720-709-4431.
For sandy toes and sun-kissed nose, sail to Pelican Bay at Cherry Creek to enjoy rock-driven Beachside Blues Aug. 9, 5:30 p.m. Information: 303-741-2995.
Enjoy violin, piano, and guitar music at the Smash Fine Arts Festival on Fillmore Plaza in Cherry Creek Aug. 12-13, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Information: 303-394-2904.
One of Cherry Creek’s few remaining quaint shops, Adornments is celebrating 20 years in the chic district this October. Shop fashionable-flattering clothing, jewelry, and accessories to adore at 2401 E. 2nd Ave. Information: 303-321-7992
Make Sam’s No. 3 in Glendale your cool diner for breakfast, lunch, and dinner this summer. Famous for steak and eggs plus Mexican cuisine, eatery is equally as popular for cold beer, cocktails & milkshakes. Information: 303-333-4403.
Experience the dynamic-sassy daughter of B.B. King and the Gregory Goodloe Band playing at Dazzle@Baur’s Aug. 18, 7 p.m. Information: 303-839-5100.
Load up on tacos from 40 eateries during this year’s sixth annual Tacolandia being held at Civic Center Park Aug. 19, 4 to 7 p.m. Information: 303-861-4633.
Join Cancer League of Colorado’s Race for Research at Wash Park Aug. 20, 9-11 a.m. Run by volunteers, goal is to raise $40,000. Information: 303-292-8065.
Rock band Kansas, that also plays Ukrainian rock, bring their 50th Anniversary tour to the Paramount Theatre Aug. 25, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-623-0106.
Make Aug. 25-27 your sports holiday weekend, as world rugby converges on Glendale’s Infinity Park for the 8th RugbyTown 7s Tournament. See 20 world teams plus all five U.S. Military branches play. Fri. and Sun. tickets $5; Sat. $15. Fri. has beer, food, kids 12-under free, and fireworks. Military plays Sat. plus the Bruises & Brews Beerfest is from 3-7 p.m. See the championship match Sunday. Gates open at 11 a.m. with luau brunch and mimosas. Information: 303-692-5799.
Featuring sudden thunderstorms, Denver is a masterpiece of weather bluster in August. On August 1, 1976, the Mile High City received 1.50 inches of rain in slightly over one hour.
This is the month for early morning or late evening walks, pool parties, picnics, cycling, barbecues, and homemade ice cream. It brings a sense of freedom and a “yes” to everything.
Just another 31 days of summer, but it certainly gets one primed to welcome and enjoy the fall. Why do watermelons wish for lavish August weddings? Because they cantaloupe!
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Jun 23, 2023 | Valley Gadfly
Who doesn’t love the month of July? It’s the summertime, the sun is out, and the days last longer. Plus, we celebrate the 4th of July with food, friends, family, and fireworks.
It’s time to hail the U.S. of A. with groovin’ patriotic songs from the nation’s best-loved pop, rock, hip-hop, and country music artists. We just want “our piece of the American pie.”
To get you fired-up and set to shout-out to America, here are our choices for shopping, dining, and entertainment. Pay homage to our county as you enjoy summer’s second month:
Blast into July to the sounds of Denver Concert Band’s Independence Day Instrumentalists playing at Four Mile Park’s Independence Celebration July 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. See history, as re-enactors mine for gold. Information: 720-865-0800.
Park Hill’s July 4th Parade, starting at 1:30 p.m. with floats, costumed characters, and classic cars captures the holiday’s historic spirit. Information: 303-918-6517.
Relax to the rhythms of Billboard’s top Smooth Jazz guitarist Gregory Goodloe, as he entertains at Dazzle@Baur’s July 8, 7 p.m. Information: 303-839-5100.
Shop the streets for not-to-miss sales and discounts at Cherry Creek North’s 16-block Sidewalk Sale July 14-16, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Information: 303-394-2904.
Oh, time for some beers and sunshine at Comrade Brewing, open noon every day, just East of Quebec on Iliff Ave. World Beer Gold Cup’s 2023 Winner for Chili Beer, their 4th Gold in five years. Mmm, oh, yeah. Information: 720-748-0700.
When the family screams for ice cream, head to Heaven Creamery in Cherry Creek, serving 500 rotating flavors, plus frozen desserts. More: Also bringing savory crepes back to Cherry Creek this summer. Information: 303-635-6779.
Experience the Brass Band Extravaganza, featuring the finest-rowdiest horn and percussion players at City Park, July 16, 6-8 p.m. Information: 303-744-1004.
Catch Cypress Hill doing their album Black Sunday with the Colorado Symphony at the Mission Ballroom July 20, 8:30 p.m. Information: 720-577-6884.
This year’s indoor-outdoor Summer Brew Fest at Mile High Station, is the hot spot for music and beers July 22, 1-4 & 6-10 p.m. Information: 720-946-7721.
End July listening to 150 bands on Broadway from 6th Ave. to Alameda at the Underground Music Showcase. Information: undergroundmusicshowcase.com.
Swallow Hill Music’s Shady Grove Picnic Series ends with three Thursday evening shows at Four Mile Historic Park July 6, 13, and 20, 6:30 p.m. Miguel Avina kicks things off with folk ballads, pop, and indie sounds. High-energy stage antics by Los Mocochetes follows with politically charged lyrics. The series ends with Colorado-based string band High Lonesome doing hard-driving bluegrass with good pickin’ and two- and three-part harmonies. Information:303-777-1003.
To really sense what it means to be an American, listen to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” Song is from his 1984 country music album “You’ve Got A Good Love Comin.”
Bruce Springsteen’s super-patriotic, “Born in the U.S.A.” is a song where he scream-sings the title. It’s about a Vietnam vet who returns home to find life isn’t the way he left it.
It’s Woody Guthrie’s lyrics, “this land was made for you and me,” that reminds us the U.S. isn’t for a specific group, but rather, it’s all of us who make it an amazing place to live.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
