May the Fourth Be With You, Denver Style

Denver might not be a Mos Eisley-esque hive of scum and villainy, but on May the Fourth, it sure parties like one. Cantinas all over town are opening their swinging doors to creatures of all types, no matter what alien race you might come from, no matter if you have a death sentence in twelve star systems or you’re just a moisture farm boy looking to wet your whistle. Pull up a seat, have some blue milk, and keep an eye on the guy across from you whose hand has dipped under the table to rest casually on his blaster.

If you understood even half those references, you owe it to yourself to get out and share Star Wars Day with your fellow rebels. Even when it might feel like the Empire is winning, remember that as long as there are people willing to fight, there’s also hope. And we all need a little righteous rebellion right now. Celebrate the magic and inspiration at these venues and events around the Mile High City. And May the Fourth be with us all.

Star Wars Crafternoon
Longmont Public Library
409 4th Avenue, Longmont
303-651-8470
9 a.m.
Even the most heroic among us at some point might settle down and have younglings. (Word to the wise: Don't send them to the Jedi Temple for training.) Longmont Public Library has parents and their little rebels and siths covered with Star Wars Crafternoon, where kids under eighteen can make and take "everyone's favorite adorable baby alien in puppet form." That's a long way of saying "Baby Yoda," but man, the Disney lawyers have everyone spooked.

Stormtrooper Sugar Skulls
Whimsy Studios Denver
8246 Northfield Boulevard, #1425
303-373-5555
6:30 to 9 p.m.
Want to drink and mingle but don't really want the bar-trivia scene? Here's another option: painting Stormtrooper sugar skulls. Yes, if you've ever wanted to pretend to be an Ewok, decapitating Stormtroopers with teddy-bear violence and using their heads as xylophones, then this might be the drinking opportunity for you. Whimsy is, by the way, the only painting place in Denver with a full bar — so sip your dirty martinis, paint your Stormtrooper skull, and yub-nub it up.

May the 4th Pop-Up Exhibition and Art War Star Wars Party Modis in the City, 1553 Platte Street
7 to 11 p.m.
Building mates Modis and the BRDG Project gallery are mixing it up for a twenty-artist Star Wars art exhibit and raffle, a costume party and food and drink specials, which will aid navigation among all the Ewoks, Darth Vaders and Wookiees in the house. Admission is free; the show will be up until May 7.

Star Wars Trivia
Rails End Beer Company
11625 Reed Court, Broomfield
30-353-8121
7 p.m.
Rails End will be adding another "damn good beer" to its list: Darth Lager, an homage to the Dark Lord of the Sith himself. This is a beer that's so dark it could force-choke you in the hallway of your own diplomatic transport and casually toss you aside when you refuse to talk — but it won't. It's actually quite tasty; once you get to know it, you'll sense there's good in it. As a bonus, there will be Star Wars Trivia starting at 7 p.m. so you'll have some entertainment with your slow slide toward the Dark Side. Bottoms up.

Star Wars Trivia
Greg's Kitchen & Taphouse
4433 West 29th Avenue
720-387-7965
7 to 9 p.m.
If you're suffused with the knowledge from Star Wars — and we're talking about episodes one through seven plus Rogue One specifically here (that's a rebellious bird being flipped at episodes eight and nine) — then come out and prove it, nerf-herder. "Whether you’re an acolyte of the Rebel Alliance or a loyalist to the Galactic Empire, do come to Star Wars Trivia," Greg's Kitchen & Taphouse says. "Or do not come. There is no try." To reserve tickets to the event (for you or a group), or to make a reservation at the Star Chamber Cafe, check out the Eventbrite page.

FamBAM Silent Sessions: May the 4th Be With You
Marijuana Mansion
1244 Grant Street
720-446-5433
7 p.m. to midnight
Join the FamBAM for a Star Wars cosplay silent disco, with three different genres of music to choose from: Top 40, electronic or hip-hop. Dance like there’s a TIE on your tail the whole night — but bring your best Star Wars outfits to do it. There’s a cosplay contest, as well, and the winner gets two tickets to FAN EXPO Denver. The event is for ages 21 and up only; for tickets (just $4.20!), check out Eventbrite.

Geeks Who Drink: May the Fourth Be With You
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
8905 Westminster Boulevard, Westminster, and 7301 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton
Spangalang Brewery
2736 Welton Street
7 to 8:30 p.m.
The Krayt-Dragon of cool bar trivia is undoubtedly Geeks Who Drink, and May the Fourth is definitely one of the outfit's high holy days. GWD is teaming up with the equally-powerful Alamo Drafthouse and Spangalang Brewery to celebrate the occasion, but with a little more Mandalorian mixed in. "Are you sworn to follow the creed?" GWD asks. "Do you often end statements with I have spoken?" The outfit says it will "never tell you the odds," but promises that seats for its May the Fourth quizzes will "fill up faster than it takes to do the Kessel Run. This is the way." One of the ways, anyway. (The event will also be at Alamo Drafthouse Sloan's Lake, but on Thursday, May 5.) No tickets required — just show up. You'll have a good feeling about this.

Talnua Distillery
5405 West 56th Avenue, Arvada
Through Friday, May 8
303-431-4949
"A short time from now, in a distillery not so far away, the force will be with you," promises Talnua Distillery, America's first single-pot still distillery. It'll be serving up creative and limited Star Wars cocktails all week long to help 21+ customers "hone their inner Jedi." The proprietors want to carefully state that they are "in no way affiliated with Disney," and are "just a bunch of nerds who love epic space sagas." Aren't we all?