I briefly enjoyed a stint as the editor of über society magazine Hamptons, covering all the glamour and glitterati of that moneyed paradise.
I always felt gleefully wicked and subversive about the fact that I, a small-town girl from Fruita, had become an arbiter of taste for this world. But at one point a friend asked me if I even read the magazine. "Why?" I replied.
"Because your 'must have' this week is a $7,000 whiskey set. A $7,000 whiskey set? Have you lost your mind?" my friend exclaimed.
In fact, I had. It was time to return to reality. Still, I secretly miss the pretension of one Hamptons party: the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge. Everyone came out in their finery, drank copious amounts of booze and tried to gain access to the VIP tent, where the C-list starlets all worked on their tans and looked coy.
Back in Denver, I can indulge my blue-blood fantasy today and tomorrow at the Denver Polo Classic, which is being held at the Columbine Polo Club, 4401 West Mineral Avenue. "Mayor Hickenlooper will be there for a while, and a couple of years ago John Elway was there," says Bill Young of Denver 20-30, the young business-leaders group that organizes the event as a fundraiser for children's charities. "The typical client is the stereotype of Pretty Woman, but the reality is that Saturday is family day, and we try to provide an outlet for a lot of kids and their families who can't afford to see polo to come and watch. That makes a nice flavor."
It's certainly far better than having to worry if Tara Reid or Paris Hilton is about to vomit on you.
For a schedule and tickets, $30-$275, call 303-832-8390 or visit www.denverpolo.org. -- Amy Haimerl
See What Counts
The BioBlitz gives folks a chance to eye nature.
FRI, 7/15
Usually, the concept of a blitz conjures up something sort of violent, such as a linebacker blindsiding an unsuspecting quarterback.
But the BioBlitz festival, organized for the second year at the Audubon Center at Chatfield, South Wadsworth Boulevard at Waterton Road, by the Audubon Society of Greater Denver, has a gentler purpose: counting living organisms. "This gives children and families an opportunity to be involved in citizen science," says Audubon spokeswoman Sandy Elliott. "It helps families become closer to nature."
Visitors team with experts to study creeping, flying or slithering creatures. For example, things begin at 6:30 p.m. tonight with a "bats of Colorado" workshop, during which the group will try to catch the critters with mist nets for study. Other explorations, including a hike, will last until 10 p.m.
This eco-fest picks up again at 7 a.m. tomorrow with an early-bird bird count. A variety of other offerings and displays, covering everything from butterflies to wetlands, will continue until 3 p.m. And the gathering is not just for amusement: The tallies will be recorded as barometers of the environment's health.
"That's the point of counting things. It keeps our eyes on what's happening with species," Elliott says.
For more information, call 303-973-9530 or visit www.denveraudubon.org. -- Ernie Tucker
Alive and Kickin'
SAT, 7/16
Let's get ready to rumble! It's kickball season, and the biggest game of the year is happening tomorrow on the fields of Morey Middle School, 13th Avenue and Emerson Street. The Hot Lunch and Sack Lunch All-Star teams will be duking it out at 3 p.m. today for Big Dick Kickball supremacy, but before they can do that, they've got to get their drink on. Starting tonight at 9 p.m., the hi-dive, 7 South Broadway, will be buzzing with ballers rockin' out to Machine Gun Blues, Atlas and the Laylights. There's a $5 suggested donation at the door; another five-spot buys a copy of the DKBC All-Star Album, featuring kickball-themed music from local bands. As always, the Denver Kickball Coalition is doing it for charity, with the night's proceeds benefiting the C. Henry Kempe National Center for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. Play ball! -- Amy Haimerl
Gals on the Go
A Roller Derby revival revs up.
SAT, 7/16
Barely a year ago, most of the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls could hardly stand up on eight wheels. But at 7 p.m. tonight, they'll be cruising on all cylinders as they re-launch Roller Derby here with the Sugar Kill Gang jammin' against the Red Ridin' Hoods in a bout staged at the Bladium, 8797 Montview Boulevard.
This sport involves -- roughly -- a race between two teams on roller skates, during which a player scores points by overtaking opposing players after skating completely around the track within a certain time limit. Despite its roots in Depression-era entertainment, the derby has undergone several cycles, including an upswing in the '70s, and now has grown to 31 U.S. Rollergirl Association leagues. Adding to tonight's retro-vibe, acerbic Sid Pink will emcee and Gina Go Faster will provide halftime entertainment. Tickets, $10 in advance or $12 when doors open at 6 p.m., allow fans either a coveted (and slightly dangerous) trackside seat or a more removed perch in the upstairs bar overlooking the rink. For information, call 303-521-7416. -- Michelle Baldwin
