From Cheese to Chocolate, the Thirteen Tastiest Events on the Culinary Calendar

This weekend you can grab some early gifts at the Holiday Flea, celebrate the awakening of the 4th at Infinite Monkey Theorem, get some local grub at the Winter Market, and indulge in chocolate from over eighty vendors at the Holiday Chocolate Festival. And that's just the beginning of the tasty events on the culinary calendar.  

Friday, December 4    

Lucky Pie Pizza & Tap House in LoDo will host River North Brewing today for a tap takeover. The River North team will be handing out free samples and swag, and the restaurant will be tapping five beers (IPA, White, Farmhouse, Big City Quad and Barrel Aged Avarice Imperial Stout) starting at 4 p.m. For more information, call Lucky Pie at 303-825-1021.

Wassail Days, a week-long celebration, gets under way today in Frisco. This year’s Wassail Days will showcase more than sixty local businesses, each sharing its own special wassail recipe for the festival; guests can complete their “12 Sips of Wassail” card and vote for their favorite recipes. Other festivities during Wassail Days include an Ugly Sweater Challenge, Sup Cup Classic and more. For all the details, visit townoffrisco.com. 

The Denver Holiday Flea kicked off yesterday, but today is when the real fun starts. The flea will be holding an all-you-can-drink kickoff party from 6 to 10 p.m., for a night of shopping debauchery. All holiday vendors (more than 150) will be present for the party, which will feature live music, food trucks, shopping galore and free-flowing drinks. Tickets to the party are $35 and can be purchased here. The flea will be open to the masses Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets then are $5 and include a Denver Flea tote, New Belgium beer and a donation to local nonprofit Reading Partners Colorado. For more details visit denverflea.com.   

The holidays can be a stressful time of year, so head to The Chocolate Crisis Center today to de-stress with a little chocolate therapy. The center's First Friday-Stress Free Holiday will feature plenty of chocolate, along with visits from What We Love Winery and Samana Float Center. You can get your daily dose of chocolate—and wine—from 5 to 9 p.m. this evening. For more information, click here.

The 4th Awakens at Infinite Monkey Theorem, as the winery turns the RiNo taproom into the Mos Eisley Cantina for a “force-filled” First Friday. The first eighteen—give or take a few—guests at the winery can receive a Star Wars tattoo courtesy of Marion Street Tattoo. There will also be Star Wars-themed food and drink specials, Star Wars art, music from DJ Ejay, Star Wars movies playing and more. The celebration runs from 4 to 10 p.m. and admission is free. Tomorrow the fun continues with a family-friendly party from 2 to 5 p.m. featuring more art, food, drinks and Star Wars fun. For more information click here.     

Station 26 Brewing Company is celebrating two years of beer with a weekend of live music, food trucks and, of course, plenty of beer. Today at 1 p.m. the brewery will be releasing bottles of a Second Birthday Beer Doppelbock. Learn more by visiting the event's Facebook page.   

Saturday, December 5 

The Boulder County Farmers' Market may have officially wrapped up its 2015 season, but you can still enjoy a little local flavor at the BCFM Winter Market today. The Winter Market will feature over seventy local vendors of fresh produce, specialty meats, eggs, baked goods, preserves, cheese, hot sauces, wine, prepared food, coffee, kombucha and more. Sixty Colorado artists will sell photography, candles, jewelry, ornaments, skincare items, clothing, kitchenware, books and home goods. There will also be activities for the kids, a chef demo by The Roost, live music and more. The Winter Market will happen in the warmth of the Boulder County Fairgrounds Exhibit Building from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and tomorrow. Admission is free. For more information, visit bcfm.org.

From 1 to 3 p.m. today, Pat Miller, aka The Gabby Gourmet, will broadcast her radio show live from the Tattered Cover Colfax, where she will be signing the latest edition of The Gabby Gourmet 2016 Restaurant Guide. For all the details, head over to tatteredcover.com. 

Allegro Coffee Roasters Tennyson welcomes coffee producer Aida Batlle from 9 to 10 a.m. today for a special pour of El Salvador Los Alpes, and a discussion with Aida and Allegro's director of sourcing, Darrin Daniel. Aida will be sharing the story of her family farms, unique processing methods, and the challenges she and other coffee farmers face. All attendees will receive a quarter-pound bag of El Salvador Los Alpes and an ACR coffee mug. The event is free, but space is limited — so RSVP here to save your seat.

Head to Tapas D'Jerez tonight for an evening of gypsy flamenco guitar and dance. René Heredia will perform a cross-section of the various flamenco forms, including Spanish and South American pieces. With Heredia on guitar, dancers Michael Miguel Bernal and Flamenco Fantasy Dance Theatre soloist Mila Popovich will be dancing Farruca, Alegrias, Sevillanas, Buleria and other traditional Spanish dances. There will be two dinner shows, at 6:30 and 8 p.m. For reservations and more information, call the restaurant at 303-488-0101. 

Many of us need all the help we can get when it comes to gift ideas. That's where Haystack Mountain Creamery's Home Cheesemaking: Holiday Gift & Dessert Cheeses class can help. The class will teach you how to make homemade chèvre and dry-salted feta, and how to turn these cheeses into tasty gifts. Students will leave the class with a few samples and a head full of cheesy gift ideas. The class runs from 10 a.m. to noon and tuition is $39; register and learn more here.

Green Russell is celebrating 82 boozy years since Prohibition was repealed with a Repeal Day Party starting at 5 p.m. For a $10 cover, the speakeasy will be offering one complimentary punch and a special menu with $9 cocktails. For more information, call the bar at 303-893-6505.  

Sunday, December 6 

The Broadmoor will host more than 85 chocolate vendors, which will be handing out over 100,000 samples today for the Holiday Chocolate Festival. There will also be live music, contests, a visit from Santa Claus and a full day of stage activities and entertainment. The decadent festival runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 and tasting tickets will cost you $10 for twelve. For tickets and all the chocolaty details, visit holidaychocolatefestival.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].