Kentucky Derby

Photos: Capturing the hats of the Kentucky Derby in the wild at the Four Seasons' gala

You could make many different arguments in support of which historical staple of the Kentucky Derby is the best, and mint juleps and the actual race probably tie for a close second. But let's face it: The winners of this race are the hats -- huge, glorious and often feathered -- that pop up at viewi ... More >>

Photos: The Bar Car celebrates the Kentucky Derby with hat and pizza-eating competitions

And they're off! Denver celebrated the Kentucky Derby over the weekend with great hats and strong drinks at quite a few public parties, and The Bar Car welcomed its equine enthusiasts with both a hat contest and a pizza-eating competition. Continue reading for a few highlights from Saturday, and vis ... More >>

Industry Denver's Kentucky Derby supper a winner for Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry

No matter what horse won the Kentucky Derby, everyone who attended Industry Denver's benefit for Colorado Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign on Saturday came out a winner. The event included a three-course, Kentucky-style supper and paired cocktails, prepared by Matt Selby of Corner House, ... More >>

10 things to do for $10 (8 free!) in Denver this weekend, May 3-5

No need to fear a future full of talking machines that are smarter than humans -- that future is already here. Local company Gamma Two Robotics specializes in artificial intelligence, and you can explore its world of wonders at a free open house tonight. But if wandering a room full of robots doesn' ... More >>

The five best Kentucky Derby parties in Denver

You've picked your horse, you've dusted off your largest hat, and you're ready for your annual guzzling of mint juleps -- but if Churchill Downs isn't in your weekend travel plans, where shall you go? Westword has compiled a list of the best derby-themed parties taking place in parking lots, five-st ... More >>

Meet the 2013 Westword MasterMinds

Meet the 2013 MasterMinds: Kitty Mae Millinery

On Saturday, Westword celebrated its ninth class of MasterMinds -- artistic adventurers who are changing the landscape of Denver. Here's our fourth winner: I'm not a hat person, but the first time I saw Susan Dillon's handmade toppers, I had to throw my hat into the ring. Under the moniker of Kitty ... More >>

Help Susan Dillon of Kitty Mae Millinery kickstart her own run for the roses

Millinery -- real millinery, where hats are made and blocked from scratch -- is a dying art, and nobody knows that better than self-taught Denver milliner Susan Dillon, who markets her completely hand-wrought, sculptural work under the name Kitty Mae Millinery. "I am saddened by the number of people ... More >>

Street Style: "If you feel like a witch, then you should dress like a witch"

On Saturday, when a collision of cultural celebrations -- the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo -- had people sporting big hats and sombreros all over town, one person's style statement definitely topped all others. Every witch way. Here's a look at this week's Denver street style.

Down and derby! The best-dressed Kentucky Derby fans we saw on Saturday

There was great fashion, loud music and heavy-pours, and probably some hooking-up and broken hearts: Yes, it was Derby day again in Denver! Apparently, there was also a horse race in Kentucky or something, but those people are all backwoods rednecks, anyway. There were giant hats to be worn, people! ... More >>

Lowrider bicycles, Star Wars and street tubas: First Friday on Santa Fe, 5/4/12

If you haven't been down to Santa Fe in a while for First Friday, you can see what you've been missing through these photos shot by Laura Easley for Westword. This month's art walk included more than a few nods to Star Wars ("May the 4th be with you" and all that) and the Kentucky Derby, as well as ... More >>

Reader: Kentucky Derby list left biggest party at the starting gate

Our list of "Five Kentucky Derby parties that will have you off to the races" offered an array of activities, but didn't include the 2012 Derby Party, which bills itself as "a Colorado tradition" and is an annual fundraiser for the Sean "Ranch" Lough Memorial Scholarship. The party has been held b ... More >>

Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby parties tomorrow: Drinco de Mayo!

Happy Friday! Don't drink too much at First Friday, because Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby will go head to head in a battle for your hearts and stomachs tomorrow. Here's a quick rundown of all the action -- and if you know of any Drinco de Mayo party/deals we missed, feel free to post them in ... More >>

Mint margarita: Toast both the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo

Two of Denver's best occasions for drinking -- the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo -- will collide on Saturday, May 5. The traditional drink of the Derby is the mint julep, of course, and margaritas are always flowing during Cinco de Mayo. But rather than have to declare your alcohol allegiance, i ... More >>

Five Kentucky Derby parties that will have you off to the races

You don't have to go to Kentucky to find a reason to wear a fancy hat on Saturday: Places all over town are hooking parties to the Kentucky Derby. And even if you're not into horse-racing, there will plenty of other things to appreciate: the fashion, the boozy mint juleps, the old-timey slang...and ... More >>

Guess where I'm drinking this mint julep?

Saturday could very well be a national holiday for drinkers, with Cinco de Mayo celebrations colliding with Kentucky Derby-watching parties. It's not hard to find a good margarita around town -- but a great mint julep? That's a much more elusive creature. Still, I recently found a perfect version -- ... More >>

Cinco de Mayo at El Diablo and more on this week's calendar

Cinco de Mayo is this Saturday, as is the Kentucky Derby -- offering plenty of reasons to celebrate Southern cooking as well as Den-Mex. If you know of a particularly good party connected to either of these two events, send the info to cafe@westword.com or post it in the comments section below. But ... More >>

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, Salt unveils a $25 "Millionaire's Margarita"

On May 5, you'll be able to pick your reason to drink: not only is it the date of this year's Kentucky Derby, which is our favorite reason to suck down mint juleps while wearing a funny hat, it's also Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that always brings Denverites out to drink, usually to the tune of pitcher ... More >>

Tebowing, the horse: Not too late to buy piece of filly who can even outrun Tim Tebow (PHOTOS)

Gary Fenton of Woodland Hills, California's Little Red Feather Thoroughbred Racing was caught off-guard by the attention garnered by the latest horse the stable is syndicating -- but in retrospect, it shouldn't have been. After all, her name is Tebowing -- a nod to the genuflecting trend that's eve ... More >>

Green Tea Mint Julep and Cupp O Spring at Row 14

​I stopped by Row 14 Bistro & Wine Bar, the stylish new restaurant in the Spire whose bar is stashed behind floor-to-ceiling, chain-link drapes, just before the Kentucky Derby -- which was why the bartender's suggestion of a Green Tea Mint Julep ($10) seemed like a sacrilege. Some things, lik ... More >>

Moscato: The wine to drink when you don't feel like getting drunk

​Last weekend's back-to-back Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby party shenanigans left us feeling more than a little ready to lay off the sauce for a minute. Yet by noon on Sunday, there we were, staring down the wine list at brunch, feeling that familiar urge. That's when it hit us: There is a ... More >>

Photos: The White Trash Derby Bash

​One hundred years from now, if anthropologists were to use these photos from Saturday's White Trash Derby Bash to try to determine the cultural meaning of the term "White Trash," they would probably conclude that it involves the drinking of lagers and a lot of sleeveless shirts. Conceived fo ... More >>

Get ready to run for these five winning rosés

​We knew something was up when we noticed Denver-area wine shops stocking up and tasting customers on the 2010 rosés a good four weeks ago. And by "something," we mean the notion that maybe -- just maybe -- dry rosés have finally kicked that monkey of pink wine-prejudice off its undeserving ... More >>

Culinary calendar for the week ahead: Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day and more

A Flickr photo.​Mother's Day is Sunday -- so if you haven't yet made arrangements for a beautiful bouquet and fabulous brunch for Mom, get moving. Also on the culinary calendar this week: Cinco de Mayo and a little race called the Kentucky Derby...

Delegating Denver #21 of 56: Kentucky

Drink of the Week

Mint Julep

Steel Magnolias

There are no shrinking violets in the BACC's metalwork exhibit.

Smarty's Party

A fairy-tale horse runs for the Triple Crown, and all the railbirds cheer.

Drink of the Week

Ten High Bourbon Whiskey and 7-Up

Rosy Dreams

Derby fantasies stand on the spindly legs of a colt at CSU.

In the Lead

Bill Shoemaker, though small, stood as tall as any athlete.

End Run

Long shot Arapahoe Park seeks a place in the winner's circle.

Horse Play

Funny Cide, the people's choice, embodies every railbird's dream.

Go Crazy!

Get your sculptures ready

Going for Three

A new Triple Crown could be the spice that broken-down horseplayers need.

Horse Sense

Nine things you need to know before the Kentucky Derby.

Avs and Av-Nots

Dedicated roller-hockey players shoot for their chance to score a pro league.

Hurrah for Hay-Burners

Horse racing nears the finish line.

Place Your Bets

But whatever you do, don't place them on the favorite in Saturday's Kentucky Derby.

Horse Sense

The Vanishing Horse

Losing at the Track

The Third Time for Charm

A Horse by Only This Name

Splendor in the Bluegrass

BURNING UP THE TRACK

DERBY DAZE

A SPORT PULLS UP LAME

FILLIAL LOVE

THE SCIENTISTS OF BASEBALL