Fifteen Tastiest Events on the Culinary Calendar for Denver, July 22-24

This weekend is going to be hot, but you can cool off by celebrating Christmas in July, hitting an ice cream and shandy social, or tapping into a barbecue and brew fest. And that's just a taste of everything that's cooking around Denver; keep reading for our top fifteen culinary events.

Friday, July 22 

Sink your teeth into local produce during a Vail Farm to Table Dinner featuring local chefs and farmers, hosted by Vail Farmers' Market and Art Show at West Meadow Drive in Vail Village. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. and tickets are $95; purchase yours here. 

Summer Brew Fest pours into Mile High Station today and tomorrow. The fest will feature live music, food, vendors and, of course, plenty of cold beers. Tickets are $35 for general admission or $45 for VIP; grab yours and learn more here. Proceeds benefit the Swallow Hill Music Association.
Saturday, July 23 

VegFest Colorado brings chefs, speakers, musicians, vendors and more together for a weekend of vegan-centric fun. VegFest sprouts up at the Jefferson Country Fairgrounds today and tomorrow, from 10:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door; kids sixteen and younger get in for free. For more information, including a complete schedule of events, visit vegfestcolorado.org.

Arvada on Tap will bring beer, bands and BBQ to Ralston Park from noon to 7 p.m. today. The event will feature more than thirty craft breweries, live music, a home-brew competition and a grilling competition sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, which will feature BBQ from 36 teams. Tickets are $5, or $40 for VIP. Click here for all the details. 

Beat the heat today with Denver Beer Co.'s Ice Cream and Shandy Social. Denver Beer Co., Little Man Ice Cream and Rocky Mountain Soda will team up to make beer shandies from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $15 and include five four-ounce shandies and five mini ice cream scoops; get your tickets here. 

The Brighton BikeDown rolls into Great Divide Brewery from 2 to 7 p.m. today. Grab your bike and pedal down to enjoy beers, food trucks, live music, displays from local bike shops and builders, and more. Tickets are $5, which includes one Great Divide Beer; purchase yours here. Proceeds benefit BikeDenver. 

Enjoy an authentic, five-course Burmese feast and enjoy traditional dance and food demos between courses during Fooition's Burmese Village Benefit Dinner at Mango House. The event runs from 5 to 9 p.m. and costs $90; buy tickets and learn more at fooition.com. Proceeds support nutrition classes for refugees. 

Uncorked Kitchen's 21 for Everyone walk-around wine-tasting event will highlight 21 wines from Spain, all paired with cheeses, dips, meats and flatbreads. The event runs from 4 to 6 p.m. and is $36 per person; register and learn more at uncorkedkitchen.com. 

The Colorado Brewery Running Series continues with a 5k run/jog/walk, which starts (at 11 a.m.) and ends at Tivoli Brewing. After the run, stick around for live music, food trucks, local vendors and beer. Register — $30 per person — and learn more at breweryrunningseries.com.

The first annual Barley’s Buddies Dog Walkathon will take place from 9 a.m. to noon today at Fort Collins Brewing. The event will kick off with a dog walk around the neighborhood, followed by a party with food, drinks, a costume contest, vendors and more. The entry fee is $20 per team (one human, one dog) and includes FCB’s housemade Spent Grain Dog Biscuits, a goody bag and a pint. Register and get all the details here; proceeds will benefit Animal House Rescue & Grooming. 

Keep reading for events on Sunday.
Sunday, July 24 

Rosenberg's Bagels, which sustained collateral damage in a fire, won't be reopening until September at the earliest, but if you need your bagel fix, you're in luck: Rosenberg's will become a permanent weekly vendor at the Slow Food Farmers' Market at the Source, popping up in RiNo Yacht Club every Sunday through October from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more on the Slow Food Farmers' Market, visit thesourcedenver.com. 

It's National Tequila Day, and La Sandia Northfield-Stapleton and La Sandia Park Meadows are celebrating the occasion by offering $2 tequila popsicles in a variety of flavors, including grapefruit, pink peppercorn, green apple, coconut, plum and mango. The boozy pops are available today only; contact the La Sandia nearest you for more information. 

Epic Brewing is bringing some holiday cheer to July with its Mele Kalikimaka in July Pig Roast & Luau, which starts at noon today. The Hawaiian-style Christmas in July celebration will feature a pig roast from Mile High Cajun, Huli Huli Chicken from Denver 808, and a variety of other luau-inspired foods. There will also be specials on stouts and porters, as well as a firkin tapping. To top it all off, Santa himself will be cruising down from the North Pole to take a few pictures with guests. Check out the event's Facebook page for all the details. 

Zengo and La Biblioteca will celebrate National Tequila Day with a special cocktail: the Sweet & Spicy Paloma. The drink features chef Richard Sandoval’s Patron anejo tequila, muddled grapefruit and serrano peppers, fresh agave nectar, lime juice and a splash of soda. Contact Zengo at 720-904-0965 for details.  

The Club at Ravenna, in partnership with the Infinite Hero Foundation, is hosting Tailgate for the Troops from 6 to 9 p.m. today. The event will feature live music, tailgating food and drinks, celebrity guests and more. Tickets for the event are $150 for adults, $50 for children; purchase them and find more information here. The Ravenna is located at 11118 Caretaker Road in Littleton. 

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].