August 12
Author Patricia Hersh doesn't just report on American teens in her book A Tribe Apart: A Journey Into the Heart of American Adolescence--she quietly weaves herself into the fabric of their lives, the result of which is a fascinating, immediate cultural study that reads like an especially good episode of Dawson's Creek. Teen angst, dreams and realities will all be part of the discussion when Hersh signs A Tribe Apart tonight at 7:30 at the Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St., Boulder. For information, call 303-447-2074.
Friday
August 13
Gay, out and hilariously funny--that's all you need to know (and not necessarily in that order) about comedians Bob Smith and Scott Kennedy, tonight's headliners of Laughing for Life, a comedy benefit for Dave's Place Supportive Living Residences, a new facility currently under development for people living with AIDS. Both nationally known stand-up entertainers, Smith and Kennedy will be joined by emcee Emily Grove, a local comic who's creating a buzz at comedy clubs throughout the region; a silent auction and catered reception round out the event beginning at 7 p.m. at the Temple Events Center, 1595 Pearl St. Tickets are $20; call 303-477-4774, ext. 10, for reservations.
Any time conga maestro Poncho Sanchez gets on stage, you can expect a regular battle of the hands, and tonight's no different. When Sanchez's nimble knuckles fly at 7:30 at the Arvada Center's outdoor amphitheater, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., they'll coax up a cauldron of rhythms that careen naughtily back and forth between straight-on jazz and the many faces of Latin dance music, which is where feet come into the picture. Most Sanchez audiences can't resist getting up on theirs to rumba, mambo and cha-cha-cha the night away. Tickets are $14 for lawn seating and $24 for reserved covered seating; call 303-431-3939.
Saturday
August 14
Even if your kids didn't spend their entire summer reading books, they're still invited to an End of Art's Tail Party at the Denver Central Library, 14th and Broadway, which marks the end of the library's Art Tells a Story summer reading program. But, hey, reading helps--how else would the small-fry be able to recognize the Cat in the Hat, Bunnicula and other favorite characters from children's books, who will be on hand for festivities, along with a variety of performers? Artworks by reading-program participants will also be on display next door at the Denver Art Museum, where admission is free every Saturday; library events take place from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information log on to www.summerofreading.org.
What better place is there to hit the street then at the Old South Pearl Summer Street Fair, an old-fashioned neighborhood do highlighting South Pearl Street's friendly hole-in-the-wall merchants and restaurants, both upscale and homey, to the tune of live local music? In addition, this year's fair will feature a merchants' area from the nearby Antique Row district, with a shuttle to bring folks to and from South Broadway. Attend the fair from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today or tomorrow between the 1400 and 1500 blocks of South Pearl; admission is free, but partial proceeds from sales will benefit the Urban Peak facility for homeless kids. Call 303-698-0885.
It's tough to imagine engaging in sport in order to cool off, but that's just the way it'll be at today's Skating Expo '99, a Skating Club of the Rockies-sponsored event guaranteed to put all your curiosities about skating on ice. A family-friendly mixture of workshops, demonstrations and gear expo, the skate fair takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Big Bear Ice Arena, 8580 Lowry Blvd. Admission is free; call 303-343-1111. Want another cool way to finish your day? If you're a night owl, the Moonlight Classic offers its annual invitation to area cyclists willing to pedal away during the wee hours, beginning at the Auraria campus at midnight. Riders can choose from ten- or twenty-mile courses, snaking through downtown Denver and inner-city neighborhoods under the light of the moon; proceeds benefit Seniors! Inc. A pancake breakfast, live music and a general to-do await riders back at the finish line; for registration information, call 303-282-9020.
Sunday
August 15
The history of India gets a multimedia treatment today during Phases of India, a pageant with music and dance celebrating Indian Independence Day being staged at 3 p.m. at George Washington High School, 655 S. Monaco, by the Aeolian Art and Music Center. Of course, no East Indian festivity would be complete without food; thankfully, this extravaganza ends with a Delicacies of India food court featuring crisply fried munchies, kebabs and other Indian treats. Ticket prices range from $3 to $9; special reserved seating can be purchased for $20, $50 or $100. Call 303-790-2224.
The art of tea, in every aspect, soaks up the spotlight today during a Colorado Handcrafted Teapot Show and Celebration at--where else?--Boulder's Dushanbe Tea House, a beautiful jewel of a room transported to Boulder from Tajikistan and now located on 13th Street between Arapahoe Ave. and Canyon Blvd. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., you'll be able to view functional teapots while enjoying live music and tea tastings. Admission is free; call 303-444-4993.
Monday
August 16
Unzip your senses--and your belt: Master Chef Cristina Brayner, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts of Paris, will teach you to create an incredible oh-so-French meal and will then invite you to help eat it during one of two sessions--9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.--today at La Brasserie Restaurant, 2191 Arapahoe St., courtesy of the Alliance Française de Denver, a local organization for Francophiles. Tuition for one three-hour session with Chef Brayner is $38; call 303-831-0304 for a reservation.
Fair-weather Rockies fans, wither dost thou goest? Not to the ballpark, it seems--Coors Field attendance is dropping like fly balls on our lackluster diamond as the big-batted heroes of old lie down and die, day after day, week after week, ad infinitum, oy vey. Oh, what a difference yet another losing season makes. Well, what the heck--there's bound to be some excitement tonight when your Colorado Rockies meet the formidable Atlanta Braves for the first night of a three-game stand. Balls may fly out of the park, but we're not betting on whose they'll be. First pitch at Coors Field, 20th and Blake streets, is at 7:05 p.m.; call 1-800-388-7625, check any LoDo street corner for a desperate scalper or stride bravely up to the box office for tickets.
Tuesday
August 17
An incredible journey lies at the heart of journalist Leslie Chang's opus, Beyond the Narrow Gate: The Journey of Four Chinese Women From the Middle Kingdom to Middle America, the story of four students at the First Girl's School of Taipei, one of them Chang's mother, who migrate to the United States, each meeting separate challenges along the way. Chang signs the true-life, cross-cultural saga tonight at 7:30 at the Tattered Cover Book Store, 2955 E. 1st Ave.; for details call 303-322-7727.
Wednesday
August 18
Hop on the bus for today's Historic Mountain Parks Tour, a guided voyage sponsored by the Denver Public Library and the Park People, and you'll get more than just a tour--you'll also get a trip into antiquity, courtesy of parks experts Carolyn Etter and Cappy Shopneck. The tour, which leaves the Denver Central Library, 14th and Broadway, at 8:45 a.m. and returns at 3 p.m., will benefit the library's Denver Historic Parks Documents Collection, a trove of parks-related drawings, plans, photographs and other papers dating from 1868 to 1947. The $45 fee includes lunch at the Chief Hosa Lodge; for reservations call 303-640-6192.