Celebrate Your Favorite Gala!

February 22, 2018

There is plenty to celebrate and honor in our community this weekend, from veterans to women to the arts. It’s time to go all out and get dressed up for your favorite gala or celebration—and help support a worthy cause in the process. If you’d rather begin planning your summer garden, the annual Colorado Home and Garden show also opens this weekend! Film buffs will want to make their way over to the Boulder International Film Festival, and the Colorado New Play Summit continues with their Festival Weekend, brimming with readings, events and parties!

TODAY/TONIGHT Thursday, February 22

VETERANS’ PASSPORT TO HOPE GALA
Who would ever guess that honoring and supporting our veterans could be so much fun? The Veterans’ Passport to Hope Gala is an unforgettable evening of great food, company, and entertainment! You’ll enjoy three different food stations, all paired with signature cocktails from Sailor Jerry’s. Beer from Breckenridge Brewery and wine will also be available at the bar. Don’t miss out on the chance to win a brand new car, compliments of Infiniti of Denver!

This is a chance to dress up in cocktail attire and spend an elegant evening with your community in support of a great cause. By organizing events such as this and initiating volunteer drives, Veterans’ Passport to Hope has helped hundreds of our U.S. military veterans.

The Cable Center, 2000 Buchtel Blvd. S., Denver
6:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Tickets: $125-$200
Phone: 720-276-0186

Thursday-Sunday, February 22-25

ONE OF THE COOLEST FILM FESTIVALS IN THE WORLD!
The 14th annual Boulder International Film Festival is worth the drive to Boulder! BIFF features over 40 acclaimed and new film programs for every taste—shorts, comedies, docs and features—along with gala parties, filmmaker talkbacks, celebrity interviews, live music, a CineCHEF culinary competition and more! If you are a film enthusiast, you owe it to yourself to experience this world-class film festival in your own backyard.

Featuring a wide variety of films from local, national, and international filmmakers, BIFF has been proud to host and celebrate some of film’s most talented people, including Alec Baldwin, Shirley MacLaine, Alan Arkin, Martin Sheen, Oliver Stone, William H. Macy, Peter Fonda, Chevy Chase, and many more. Enjoy everything BIFF has to offer (and bypass the ticket lines) with a festival pass, or make your own schedule with a la carte tickets available to film screenings and special events.

Various locations, Boulder
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Tickets: Starting at $14
Phone: 720-276-0186

LAST CHANCE TO SEE AMERICAN MARIACHI!
Set in Denver in the 1970s, American Mariachi is the story of a young Latina woman named Lucha who discovers that mariachi music seems to be the answer to her problems. What she doesn’t realize is that it will also create a whole new set of problems she must face over the course of this heartwarming and inspiring play about family and music’s power to heal.

Lucha is the caretaker of her mother with dementia, and when she finds a mariachi record that briefly brings her mother back to life, she becomes determined to learn how to play this magical song for her before it is too late. But it’s also a time when being a female mariachi player is unheard of, so Lucha’s hopes for performing seem like a fantasy until she assembles a spunky group of female mariachi musicians who help make her dream come true. Director James Vásquez describes American Mariachi as the story of underdogs: “We get to tell the story of five underdogs who have been pushed down, and they step out into the world and make a change. I think the world is ready for that.”

Stage Theatre/DCPA, 1101 13th St., Denver
Thurs., 6:30 p.m.; Fri./Sat., 8:00 p.m.; Sun., 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20-$72
Phone: 800-641-1222

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: A SHOW ABOUT WOMEN!
Take a musical journey through decades of Top 40 music that celebrates the many facets of being a woman! This new off-Broadway musical production by Dorothy Marcic is a timely look at the world through a feminine lens—and is also a whole lot of fun! Songs range from the tender Someone to Watch Over Me to the victorious I Will Survive, from the codependent I Will Follow Him to the angry These Boots are Made for Walking, from the cynical What’s Love Got to Do with it to the ultimate strength of Hero. Aretha had it pegged when she belted out RESPECT, and this exhilarating show picks up where she left off! Combining excerpts of 60 songs with women’s own stories about finding dreams, lost love, relationship issues, entering the workforce, gaining independence, and more, this show is more than a story worth telling, it’s a must-see and must-hear.

MACC – Pluss Theatre, 350 South Dahlia Street, Denver
Thurs.,7:00 p.m.; Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $30-$35
Phone: 303-800-6578

Friday, February 23

KIDS NIGHT OUT AT THE LAKEHOUSE!
The kids will be in stitches when they see tough-guy Dwayne Johnson dressed up in a tutu as The Tooth Fairy, the hilarious movie that’s being screened on this Kids Night Out! Starring as a rough-and-tumble hockey player, Dwayne Johnson is a terror on the ice, earning the nickname “Tooth Fairy” by separating opposing players from their choppers. When Derek dashes the dreams of a young fan, he is quickly sentenced to serve time as a real tooth fairy, complete with wings and magic wand.

With the kids at this safe and fun event, sponsored by the Southshore YMCA, parents can treat themselves to their own night out! Children must be potty-trained, and all ages up to 10 years old are welcome.

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

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN AN ARTY PARTY!
Artopia is Denver’s annual celebration of art, culture and fashion, set in a trendy downtown nightclub, and this year will feature art created before your eyes. All night long, dozens of artists will fill The Church—painting, sculpting, performing, modeling and offering guests full immersion in the artistic process. Party-goers can explore scenes and spaces curated by Jolt, while sampling cocktails and listening to some of Denver’s best DJs and musicians. And once again, they’ll be able to browse booths featuring some of Colorado’s coolest shops and services, as well as applaud the fourteenth class of MasterMinds. Please note that this event is strictly 21+.

The Church, 1160 Lincoln St., Denver
7:00 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.
Tickets: $30-$50
Phone: 303-296-7744

TIFFANY HADDISH LIFE!
Tiffany Haddish calls herself The Last Black Unicorn, which is also the title of her new biography. Maybe it’s because she had a rocky childhood bouncing between foster homes after a car accident forced her mother to give up custody of she and her siblings. She lived out of her car in Beverly Hills for a time before jump-starting her comedy career in 2005. Now a well-known, sought-after actress and writer Tiffany was the first black comedienne to host Saturday Night Live in 2017. She was seen in the Universal movie Girls Trip recently, and other film credits include Meet the Spartans and Keanu. On television Tiffany’s had a recurring role on the Tyler Perry/OWN series If Loving You is Wrong and last August debuted her comedy special for Showtime titled Tiffany Haddish: SHE READY. Vanity Fair calls her “the funniest woman alive,” and this is your chance to see her stand-up show live this weekend!

Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm, Denver
7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $45-$55
Phone: 303-623-0106

Friday-Sunday, February 23-25

COLORADO NEW PLAY SUMMIT’S FESTIVAL WEEKEND!
If you are seriously into theatre, you will seriously not want to miss this weekend brimming with opportunities to connect with fellow thespians and experience polished versions of brand-new workshopped plays! You will see the latest draft of the fully-workshopped plays and have the opportunity to mix and mingle with artists and industry leaders in an array of social gatherings!

The four boundary-breaking new plays include Mama Metallica, a comedy about a young black playwright who is trying to emerge from the shadows cast by her drama-queen mother; The Couches, a psychological drama about an alcoholic trying to escape the painful aftermath of killing four people while driving drunk; Celia, A Slave, a work of historical fiction about a 19-year-old slave in 1855 who was hanged for killing her master; and Christa McAuliffe’s Eyes Were Blue, a drama about twin brothers with drastically different destinies stemming from the fact that one is dark-skinned, while the other one passes for white.

Packages to this event include readings, meals, events, parties, world-premiere productions of plays from previous Summit playwrights, and a chance to hear up-and-coming talent from The High School Playwriting Competition. Individual tickets are also available for individual readings.

Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex/DCPA, Speer Blvd. and Arapahoe St., Denver
Fri., 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.; Sat. 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: $10-$55 (Individual Events); $195-$330 (Packages)
Phone: 303-446-4841

Saturday, February 24

BEAUX ARTS BALL BENEFIT

Not only is it the social gala of the year, the Beaux Arts Ball is also the largest local fundraising event benefiting National Jewish Health. This year’s theme, Bollywood, will transport over 1,200 guests to the exotic colors and textures woven throughout the art and culture of India. It will be non-stop fun and excitement as the world-famous Bollywood film industry will serve as the inspiration for the evening’s music, dance performances, and décor.

Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center, 650 15th St., Denver
Sat., 6:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Tickets: $500 and up
Phone: (303) 728-6546

RED CARPET REWIND – MUSIC FROM THE MOVIES!
In anticipation of the upcoming Oscars, this special evening is dedicated to music from the silver screen. The Colorado Symphony Pops presents a concert to celebrate the greatest works of film music—scores that were nominated or won Academy Awards®—in this red-carpet affair that features Colorado Symphony Associate Concertmaster Claude Sim performing The Red Violin: Chaconne for Violin and Orchestra. By the end of the evening, you’ll be seeing stars!

Boettcher Concert Hall/DPAC, 1000 14th St. #15, Denver
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20-$94
Phone: 303-623-7876

Saturday-Sunday, February 24-25

OPENING WEEKEND – COLORADO HOME AND GARDEN SHOW
If Spring Fever has already hit, and you are flipping through seed catalogues and dreaming about digging in your garden, run—don’t walk!—to the Colorado Home and Garden Show! This is the Rocky Mountain region’s oldest, largest and most prestigious garden and home show, where you will find inspiration from the latest trends in landscaping, gardening and home improvement. Thinking of remodeling or building a new house? This show is a must-see for you, too!

A multitude of fragrances will greet you as you stroll through more than an acre of professionally landscaped gardens. You can visit with the region’s gardening gurus and home improvement experts about the best ways to get started on your home and garden projects. Spring really is in the air!

Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St., Denver
Sat., 10:0 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.; Sun., 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Tickets: $10-$12
Phone: 303-932-8100

Tuesday, February 27

SEE THROUGH THE EYES OF YOUR VERY OWN DRONE!
Experience for yourself all of the cutting-edge technology that allows you to view the world from the perspective of a pilot—with your very own Tiny Whoop miniature FPV (First Person View) drone! Able to fit in the palm of your hand, the mini-drone gives you a pilot’s eye view with goggles that show exactly where you’re flying. The FPV Drone Academy begins this week and runs every Tuesday for the next four weeks.

You will learn how to use, and then take home, everything you need to fly and support your own Tiny Whoop drone, including a video monitor with headset, four-channel transmitter, camera mount and micro-camera, and the battery and charger. As you fine-tune your skills in the class, you can practice on our race course that will be set up in our hangar which includes lighted gates and pylons.

Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, 7711 E. Academy Blvd., Denver 
6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Cost: $549-$599 for 4 weeks
Phone: 303-360-5360

Get Ready to Soar at Southshore!
Southshore is an amazing master-planned community, ideally-located near all of the events and entertainment Denver and Aurora have to offer! And things in the amenity-rich community just keep getting better! Explore the beautiful models and additional designs from Toll Brothers in Vista Point, Century Communities in The Hills, and Richmond American Homes at Lakeview. New ranch and two-story models in Southshore are priced from the upper $300s to the $700s.