Beer, Bourbon or 1920s Cocktails?

January 23, 2020

It’s one way to stay warm—attend an event with a featured libation! The Winter Brew Festival is a great way to hang out under heated tents and sample local brews with friends, while the Bourbon and Bacon Fest will entice your tastebuds. To go all out, the Speakeasy Soiree features handcrafted cocktails 1920s-style, as well as an evening of live music. It’s also the closing weekend of the National Western Stock Show, so don’t miss out!

TODAY/TONIGHT, January 23

VENEZUELA LECTURE
The ongoing Venezuela crisis is stunning in its extremities. The political system is chaotic, with Venezuelan Parliament leader Juan Guaido seeking the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro. Food shortages, rolling blackouts, and a crumbling healthcare system have triggered an exodus of millions out of the country. 

Find out how this once-promising economy has collapsed, due to factors such as the price of oil and the policies of the late President Hugo Chavez, and explore what the future might hold for this influential South American country.

Sam Gary Branch Library, 2961 Roslyn St., Denver
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Registration: FREE

AN EVENING OF DANCING HORSES
The horses and riders will be dressed in full formal attire. A live band from the Colorado School of Mines Music & Performing Arts Program will provide the music. This is not your average formal affair! One of the most popular events at the National Western Stock Show, An Evening of Dancing Horses is a must see!

For the 25th anniversary of this exquisite performance between horse and rider, special guests from the past 24 years will be returning to celebrate the magic. If you are one of the first 300 guests (over 21) through the door, you’ll receive a FREE commemorative cup to fill with complimentary wine tastings from 6:00 – 6:45 p.m. You’ll even have a chance to get up close and personal with the performers and their talented horses following each show during the Autograph Party on the Dirt!

Events Center, National Western Stock Show, 4655 Humboldt St., Denver
7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $29-$50 (includes Grounds Admission)
Phone: 866-627-0083

Thursday-Sunday, January 23-26

FINAL WEEKEND OF THE STOCK SHOW
There’s still time to experience the iconic National Western Stock show, with a full schedule of events through closing day! There are plenty of sights to see with your Grounds Admission ticket, including Mutton Bustin’, Stock Dog Trials, kids events, the Western Art Show, Stock Show Tours, and more!

Starting at 8:00 a.m. daily
Grounds Admission Tickets: Adults: $12-$24, Children 3-11: $3-$4, Ages 2 and under are FREE
Phone: 866-627-0083

EXCITING NEW PLAY
As a finalist in the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Festival, You Lost Me is part ghost story, part contemporary human drama. Set in an historic Newfoundland inn that was the site of a shipwreck 200 years ago, the drama weaves through time freely, from the 1800s to current day.

Ricketson Theatre/DCPA, 1400 Curtis St., Denver
Thurs., 6:30 p.m.; Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30 p.m.
Tickets: $35-$45
Phone: 303-571-4401

Friday, January 24

SCREENING OF THE PRINCESS BRIDE
This beloved family film shows up on TV from time to time, but seeing it the way it was intended, on the big screen, will make you love it even more! The Princess Bride is a funny, adventurous, touching tale that your kids will love, If they haven’t seen it yet. 

The Family Film Series is a FREE program located in the nearby Stapleton neighborhood. There’s even a concession stand selling drinks, candy, and popcorn!

The Cube, 8371 Northfield Blvd., Denver
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 303-388-0724

PARENTS NIGHT OUT
Enjoy a night out while the kids are having a great time at the Southshore’s YMCA Kids Night Out. You’ll be able to relax knowing the kids are safe and well-cared for. Their fun night includes the screening of Wreck It Ralph, dinner, games, and a craft. Children must be potty-trained in order to attend, and registration for the event is required.

The Lakehouse, YMCA Southshore, 27151 E. Lakeview Dr., Aurora
6:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Registration: $15-$17
Phone: 720-870-2221

Friday – Saturday, January 24-25

KUNG-FU AND HIP HOP!
Cult classic Kung-Fu films are pretty cool as they are, but this unique film and music experience takes them to a whole new level! Two martial arts films have been scored scene-by-scene with new soundtracks of hip hop, soul, funk and more. At each Can I Kick It event, as the film is screened, the new soundtrack is mixed live by DJ 2-Tone Jones. The result is a live, remixed soundtrack to the movies using music and DJ techniques to accentuate elements of specific scenes and fighting sequences.

Friday night’s film is Enter the Dragon, martial arts master Bruce Lee’s final film before his untimely death in 1973. Saturday night’s film is Blade, a non-stop action film starring Wesley Snipes as the immortal vampire hunter Blade.

Studio Loft, 1400 Curtis St., Denver
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15
Phone: 303-571-4401

Friday – Sunday, January 24-26

DRAFT HORSE SHOW
You’ll fall in love with these gentle giants, the work horses who inspired the phrase “horse power.” The National Western Draft Horse and Mule Show features the grandeur and sheer force of the breeds that helped build this country in past eras.

Each unique performance is filled with competitions including cart-pulling, team hitch classes, mules performing, and the ever-popular Feed Team Race. The entire family will be in awe of these beautiful beasts of burden.

Events Center, National Western Stock Show, 4655 Humboldt St., Denver
Fri., 7:00 p.m.; Sat., 1:00 and 6:00 p.m.; Sun., 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: $22 (includes Grounds Admission)
Phone: 866-627-0083

SPECIAL NIGHT AT THE SYMPHONY
The Colorado Symphony presents an exciting evening of music that takes you back to the early 20th century, with three classics that span two continents. The concert opens with the uniquely “American sound” of Aaron Copland’s Suite from Billy the Kid, which mixes cowboy tunes and American folk songs. Next is Leonard Bernstein’s somber ballet, Facsimile, performed with dancers joining the musicians on stage. 

Closing the performance is Rachmaninoff’s brilliant and challenging Third Piano Concerto, featuring gifted pianist Lukáš Vondrácek in his Colorado Symphony debut. Vondrácek reprises his role as featured soloist on the piece he performed to critical acclaim en route to winning the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition in 2016.

Boettcher Concert Hall/DCPA, Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St., Denver
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15-$89
Phone: 303-623-7876

SMART SOCIAL COMMENTARY
Following up on last year’s controversial drama, Hooded or Being Black for Dummies, Aurora Fox Arts Theatre’s first production of 2020 will make just as big an impact. The Squirrels is a wickedly funny satire about class, prejudice, and politics. Broadway World hailed this demented dark comedy as “a very entertaining and timely play that will make you laugh and think at the same time.”

Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $12-$33
Phone: 303-873-6622

Saturday, January 25

DENVER WINTER BREW FEST
Grab your best pals and head to the annual Winter Brew Festival! This festive event takes place indoors and outdoors (under a heated tent) where there will be live music and food trucks. 

You’ll get to taste from a selection of 100+ beers, ciders, and more from 40 different breweries at one of two sessions.

Mile High Station, 2027 W. Lower Colfax Ave., Denver
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.  and 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Tickets: $35-$50

BOURBON AND BACON FEST
If you are a bacon fanatic, this is the event for you! Local chefs and restaurants will be preparing their best bacon dishes, and all will be accompanied by an array of specialty bourbons & unique whiskeys.

There will be a cool vibe with OCR playing some great 60s and 70s rock, soul, and Motown. It’s a party you won’t want to miss!

McNichols Building, 144 W. Colfax Ave., Denver
2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: $55-$125
Phone: 720-856-5550

SPEAKEASY SOIREE
2020 meets 1920 in this glamorous Roaring 20s Soiree! Dress up in your best flapper dress or gangster suit and enjoy a handcrafted cocktail, speakeasy-style! There will also be a full evening of live music with the Jeremy Mohney Trio and Denver’s finest gypsy jazz band, LaPompe, featuring Chloe Feoranzo, full-time member of the Shake’EmUp Jazz Band and guest performer with Postmodern Jukebox.

Take a swing dance lesson with Swingin’ Denver, or just watch them perform! This festive evening of music, dancing, and imbibing is all for a good cause! A portion of the  proceeds will benefit Youth on Record, a non-profit empowering Colorado’s underserved youth to achieve their academic, artistic, and personal best by employing local, professional artists as their educators.

The Hangar at Stanley, 2501 Dallas St. #135, Aurora
7:00 – 11:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20-$100
Phone: 973-787-4502

Sunday, January 26

PRO RODEO FINALS
It’s time to see the best of the best compete in events like bronco-busting, bull-riding, lassoing, and barrel racing—the athleticism and showmanship of these cowboys and cowgirls will amaze you!

The National Western Stock Show closes today with the Pro Rodeo Finals! You don’t want to miss this!

Denver Coliseum, 4600 Humboldt St., Denver
2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $42-$85 (includes Grounds Admission)
Phone: 866-627-0083

Winter in Southshore!

It may be winter, but there are plenty of things to do near the master-planned community of Southshore! This time of year lakeside living means brisk walks and runs through the wide open spaces, and as always, with easy access to your favorite urban activities. Stop by and see for yourself how great Life at the Lake can be! With beautiful model homes from Toll Brothers, Century Communities, and Richmond American Homes, and William Lyon Homes, it’s easy to picture yourself in your own new home, priced from the upper $400s to the $700s.