Eighteen Tastiest Events on Denver's Culinary Calendar, August 12-14

From fleas to food-rescue rides, this weekend is brimming with tasty events — including the first Tacolandia, our celebration of street tacos.  Keep reading for all the delicious details.  

Friday, August 12

The resurrected Tivoli Brewing Company will celebrate its first anniversary with a festival of music and beer from 5 to 10 p.m. today. The bash will feature live music, burgers, brats, and beer from a dozen breweries. Admission is free, but for $25 you can purchase a tasting glass that will get you unlimited samples from all the breweries on hand. For more information, visit tivolibrewingco.com.  

The Posner Center for International Development will host Cooks for Books at 5:30 p.m. today. For $35, you'll enjoy an interactive Cambodian cooking class and a three-course dinner, as well as beer and wine. You can purchase tickets and learn more here; all of the proceeds will support Children's Future. 

More than half of the country’s 68 Certified Master Chefs will be in Denver today, where they will team up with local chefs and farmers to cook up a masterful spread of Colorado cuisine. The event begins at the Governor’s Residence, starting at 7 p.m.; tickets are $75 and can be purchased here. 

Vail will once again celebrate its local harvests with a Farm to Table dinner featuring top local chefs and farmers. The dinner, which is $95 per person, will run from 6 to 8 p.m. on East Meadow Drive in Vail Village. Get tickets and all the details at vailfarmersmarket.com. 

The Jackalope Art & Craft Fair hops into Anderson Park alongside the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival today and tomorrow. The fair will feature over 200 vendors, a beer garden, food, fireworks, games and more. Check  out all the goodness the free fair has to offer from 4 to 11 p.m. today and noon to 11 p.m tomorrow. Get the full scoop at jackalopeartfair.com.   

Keep reading for more tasty events on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday, August 13 

Pedal with a purpose today at the Food Rescue Ride, which will benefit Denver Food Rescue. The event will feature a fifteen- or thirty-mile bike ride (with or without a 100-pound trailer), followed by a party at Cherry Creek Reservoir with food, drinks, entertainment and prizes.  The ride starts at 8 a.m., but get there at 7:30 a.m. — and don't forget to dress as your favorite fruit or vegetable; prizes will be awarded for the best outfit. You can register for $25 and get more details at denverfoodrescue.com.   

Rowdy Mermaid will tap its Wild Sour Dry Hopped Kombucha Beer today at 5 p.m. The beer is $5 for a twelve-ounce pour, and there will also be food from Zeal Foods. Rowdy Mermaid is the first kombucha maker in the Boulder region to produce an alcoholic version of the tea-based fermented beverage. For more information, visit Rowdy Mermaid's Facebook page.  

The Denver Flea hops into City Park today and tomorrow, bringing with it food trucks, crafts, jewelry, art, beer, and much much more. You can get in on the action from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days; admission to this Flea is free. Learn more at denverflea.com.  

The Jefferson Park Farm & Flea pops up again from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. The free market features produce and products from many of Denver's urban homesteaders; you can donate produce to area food pantries and receive Bounty Bucks (coupons good for discounts at vendor booths). The monthly markets will continue through October 8; get more information at jpfleamarket.com.

The Duke Street Kings' nineteenth annual Blues & BBQ for Better Housing will run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Citizens Park in Edgewater. The event will feature vendors, hot food, cold beers and cool blues. Tickets are $10 for adults, free for kids twelve and under; grab yours and learn more here. Proceeds from the event will benefit Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver. 

Cherry Creek North Food & Wine will highlight area dining with dishes paired with beer, wine and spirits from 6 to 9 p.m. today along Fillmore Plaza. Tickets are $60 for general admission, $80 for early-entry VIP, and include all food and drinks. Purchase your tickets here. 

Fly over to Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum today for Hops at the Hanger. The event, which runs from 5 to 9 p.m., will feature beer from over thirty local craft breweries, barbecue from Jim ’N Nicks, and much more. Tickets are $45 for general admission, $95 for VIP. You can find tickets and more information at wingsmuseum.org. 

The Grand Lake Brewfest, part of the fourth annual Brews and Crews Weekend, will take place from noon to 5 p.m. today. The beery event is a fundraiser for youth outdoor environmental education programs and is the world's first fully solar-powered beer festival. You can get an amateur ticket for $20, which includes two beers, or an aficionado ticket for $30, which will get you unlimited samples. Either way, grab your tickets here.  

The Nickel is launching a $20 Bottomless Bar Car Brunch today. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, $20 will get you access to a “Big” White Russian Bar, a charcuterie Bloody Mary bar, and bottomless mimosas with choice of juice. The restaurant will also offer new à la carte menu items. For reservations and more information, contact the Nickel at 720-889-2128.  

Marczyk Fine Foods on Colfax is celebrating its fifth year of business with a New England-style clambake from noon to 2:30 p.m. today. For $34.99 per person, you'll get a 1¼ pound lobster, clams, local corn, potatoes and melted butter. Pre-order your clambake at marczykfinefoods.com.  

Sunday, August 14

Today we pay homage to the humble street taco during Tacolandia at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The event, which started at DISH last September, will feature samples from some of Denver's best taquerias and Mexican restaurants, beer, live entertainment and more. Come enjoy tacos from dozens or restaurants from 4 to 7 p.m.; VIP tickets get you in at 3 p.m., with access to a special area with food from Lola. Get tickets and all the juicy details at westwordtacolandia.com.    

Start your weekend with a bang at Caffeine Crawl Colorado today. The caffeinated coffee-shop crawl will highlight Denver's best coffee, chocolate, tea, juice, kombucha and more, from over twenty local businesses. You can walk, bike or drive any of four routes, with varying start times. Snag your tickets (either $25 or $28, depending on the route you choose) and get all the details at caffeinecrawl.com. 

KOSI 101.1 presents classic films and tasty brunch offerings twice a month at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Today the theater will be screening Breakfast at Tiffany's at 11 a.m. Tickets are $40 and include brunch, a cocktail and exclusive shopping deals at Aspen Grove. Get tickets at drafthouse.com. 

For more Food & Drink events, go to our online calendar. If you know of an event that should be included in that calendar, send information to [email protected].