Get Ready For Valentine’s Day!
February 7, 2019
The weekend before Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to start sharing the love! You’ll have lots of opportunities in the Denver and Aurora area, starting with a delectable wine and chocolate tasting event. Kids can make special Valentine’s Day gifts at a crafty afternoon, or you could attend the opening of a new musical about love—and murder! There are plenty of family-friendly events in town this weekend, so get out there and have some fun!
Thursday-Sunday, February 7-10
FINAL WEEKEND – HOODED, OR BEING BLACK FOR DUMMIES
If you haven’t had a chance to see this electrifying new drama about the search for identity within the African-American community, make it a priority this weekend. This timely play resonates with truth and important issues, as two 14-year-old black boys with very different perspectives meet in a juvenile holding cell.
Marquis is book-smart and influenced by his suburban upbringing to the extent that streetwise Tru declares he has lost his “blackness.” In an attempt to educate him, Tru puts together a manual he calls Being Black for Dummies. This play contains adult language and situations.
Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora
Thurs./Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $20 – $37
Phone: 303-873-6622
Friday, February 8
FREE DAY AT DENVER’S PIONEER PARK
If you didn’t know there was a 12-acre historic park housing the oldest building in Denver right on the banks of Cherry Creek, you are in for a treat! Back in the 1800s, the Four Mile House was a hospitable stop for travelers coming west on the Cherokee Trail into Denver. The house was run as a boarding house for travelers, and the surrounding acres became a thriving farm.
Now the Four Mile Historic Park is a Denver city park and museum where the entire family can get a taste of what the Wild West was like! Best of all, admission is FREE from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. on the second Friday of every month! Enjoy Hay Bales & Tall Tales pioneer story time from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m., and don’t forget to take a tour of the house!
Four Mile Historic Park, 715 S. Forest St., Denver
12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 720-865-0800
WINE AND CHOCOLATE TASTING BENEFIT
Get in the mood for Valentine’s Day with Visions of Love, a special Wine and Chocolate Tasting to benefit the Anchor Center for Blind Children! It will be a whirlwind tour of wines from around the world, paired with delectable sweet and savory treats. Can you imagine a better way to celebrate the season of love than by toasting glasses of fine wine for such a great cause?
Ticket price includes eight wine-tasting tables with multiple varietals at each station, chocolate and savory pairings, a biscotti and coffee lounge, and tasty hors d’oeuvres. Or you can splurge with the VIP ticket and add specialty sensory cocktails, craft beer, and fine bubbly to your experience!
Anchor Center for Blind Children, 2550 Roslyn St., Denver
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: $50-$75
Phone: 303-377-9732
KIDS NIGHT OUT AT THE LAKEHOUSE!
The award-winning movie, Coco, may have parents wishing they could stay and watch, but this event is just for kids! In addition to the movie screening, kids will enjoy dinner, crafts, and lots of fun! And this safe and fun night out for the kids means that parents can treat themselves to their own night out! Children must be potty-trained, and all ages up to 10 years old are welcome. Registration is required.
The Lakehouse, YMCA Southshore, 27151 East Lakeview Dr., Aurora
6:00-10:00 p.m.
Cost: $15
Phone: 720-870-2221
SYMPHONIC TRIBUTE TO COMIC CON
Who says the Colorado Symphony doesn’t know how to have fun? This fifth installment of the Symphonic Tribute to Comic Con is the best cosplay-night-out in Denver, where you can enjoy all your favorite scores from Comic Con-themed movies and video games! Whether you come as Wonder Woman or Bat Man, get ready to be bombarded with pure pop-culture fun!
Boettcher Concert Hall/DCPA, Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St., Denver
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15-$89
Phone: 303-623-7876
Friday-Sunday, February 8-10
THE BALLET OF OZ
Everyone wants to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the legendary movie, The Wizard of Oz—including the Colorado Ballet! This exciting dance premiere is filled with all the characters, plot lines, and visual elements of the classic motion picture, performed live on stage with the magic of ballet choreography. Join Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion as they dance down the Yellow Brick Road!
Ellie Caulkins Opera House/DCPA, 1385 Curtis St., Denver
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $30-$120
Phone: 303-837-8888
WORLD-PREMIERE PLAY ABOUT WHISTLEBLOWING
Be among the first to see The Whistleblower, a world-premiere performance by Tony Award-winning playwright, Itamar Moses, about the lies we tell ourselves and others—and what happens if we decide to come clean.
Eli is a screenwriter whose dream of creating his own TV show has finally come true, but instead of being elated, he finds himself wondering why he had that dream in the first place. So he sets out to uncover some hard truths, creating chaos among his coworkers, family, exes, and friends in the process.
Space Theatre/DCPA, Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe, Denver
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30 p.m.
Tickets: $30-$65
Phone: 303-893-4100
A MUSICAL COMEDY ABOUT LOVE AND MURDER!
This hilarious Tony Award-winning musical is a Denver premiere! Monty Navarro is down on his luck, juggling two girlfriends and the constant threat of landing in the slammer. When he finds out he’s the heir to a family fortune, he can’t believe how his luck has turned—until he realizes he first has to eliminate the eight pesky relatives who are in line before him.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder will have you laughing out loud—and wondering why you are actually rooting for Monty!
Vintage Theatre Productions, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $38
Phone: 303-856-7830
Saturday, February 9
VALENTINE GIFT-MAKING FOR KIDS!
Nothing makes children happier than creating special gifts to give to those they love. This craft-making workshop for kids ages 5 and older is the perfect event for them to prepare for Valentine’s Day. Each child will make three wrapped gifts to take home—all materials and instruction will be provided. Parents are welcome to stay or you can drop off your child and come back when the workshop is over. Snacks will be provided!
MoonDance Botanicals, 601 Corona St., Denver
1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Register: $25
Phone: 303-263-7275
CHINESE NEW YEAR BASH
Come out to the biggest and best Chinese New Year Party in Colorado! The Nathan Yip Foundation is known for throwing the liveliest and most colorful East meets West celebration in the Rocky Mountain area, and this year—the Year of the Pig—is no exception!
The evening includes a sumptuous dinner, cocktails, silent and live auctions, and a festive marketplace with a calligrapher, palm reader, portrait artist and more! Watch thrilling lion dances and stroll under shock-red lanterns as you usher in the Lunar New Year. The Year of the Pig is forecast to be one of great prosperity and few problems!
The Grand Hyatt, 1750 Welton St., Denver
6:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Tickets: $125 – $250
Phone: 303-817-8400
TAKE A TRIP BACK IN TIME!
The event everyone’s been waiting for is finally here! The out-of-this-world 80s Dance Party is back at the Air and Space Museum, with a nostalgic night of fun for all ages! There will be a killer costume contest, so start inflating your hair and dig out those shoulder pads! This year’s theme has expanded to include the 90s for those who are too young to remember what the 80s were all about!
This fun-filled blowout will be a night of righteous fun, with drinks for those over 21 and dancing for all! Price includes a themed arcade and delectable food from Denver’s best caterers. Costumes are HIGHLY encouraged!
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, 7711 E. Academy Blvd., Denver
7:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Tickets: $25-$35
Phone: 303-360-5360
EVERYTHING’S COMING UP BROADWAY
Broadway musical theatre wouldn’t be what it is today without two composers who redefined the theatric genre again and again. This Colorado Symphony tribute concert features the show-stopping scores of the most beloved musicals of Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber, with spectacular guest vocalists singing all your favorite songs.
This showcase of song and stage includes tunes from blockbuster musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeny Todd, Gypsy, and more! It will be one hit song after another, as the Symphony and guest vocalists perform Send in the Clowns, Everything’s Coming Up Roses, Don’t Cry for Me Argentina, Memory, Music of the Night, and more.
Boettcher Concert Hall/DCPA, Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St., Denver
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20-$94
Phone: 303-623-7876
Saturday-Sunday, February 9-10
COLORADO GARDEN AND HOME SHOW
It won’t be long before the crocuses and daffodils are sprouting up through the snow—and you can look forward to a beautiful yard this year after attending the Colorado Garden and Home Show! Find some inspiration as you stroll through more than an acre of professionally landscaped gardens!
Meet Denver area gardening gurus and home improvement experts to get advice about all your project ideas and learn about the latest trends in landscaping and home renovation. All this, and you’ll also be contributing to a great cause! 100% of the proceeds from tickets is invested in college scholarships for education in agricultural industries and to fund horticulture-related grant projects throughout Colorado!
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
Sunday, February 10
LOONEY TUNES
What better way to introduce the kids to classical music than through the wacky world of cartoons? This creative concert by the Aurora Symphony Orchestra is a family-friendly experience, with a shorter music presentation, stories and entertainment, face-painting, balloon animals, and more!
The concert itself is a cartoon marathon, with a wonderful selection of timeless animated classics. From the earliest days, cartoons have incorporated everything from light opera to German symphonies to set the stage for some of the funniest gags in cartoon history. Among the most memorable are The Rabbit of Seville, (The Barber of Seville Overture), The Cat Concerto (Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2), Pigs in a Polka (Hungarian Dance No. 5), What’s Opera, Doc? (Tannhäuser Overture), and many more!
The Hangar at Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Aurora
11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 303-873-6622
Fun Abounds near Southshore!
When you live in the master-planned community of Southshore, there’s always something fun to do nearby! This family-friendly way of life is only moments from music and entertainment in Aurora and Denver. Stop by and take a look at the beautiful model homes from Toll Brothers, Century Communities, and Richmond American Homes! This amenity-rich community offers ranch and two-story options, priced from the upper $300s and the $700s.