From Mixology to Marijuana, 17 Tastiest Events on the Culinary Calendar

Trick or treat? The week's culinary calendar includes a grab bag of fun, ranging from special wine and beer dinners to restaurant birthday parties to cooking classes devoted to oysters and cannabis. And that's before all the Halloween events kick in. Keep reading for all the tasty details.   

Monday, October 26

Frasca Food and Wine's Monday Night Wine Dinner Series will explore Craft Wines with guest Paul Stroud today. The evening is $50 for a prix fixe four-course tasting menu, not including the optional wine flights, which range from $40 to $50. For reservations and more information, call Frasca at 303-442-6966.  

The Athena Project's fourth annual Mixology Competition Fundraiser starts at 7 p.m. today at the Corner Office. The event will mix up more than just drinks: There will also be live comedy from Timmi Lasley and headliner Mara Wiles, appetizers and more. Admission is $35 in advance or $40 at the door; there's also an artist rate of $25 if you can produce a business card, professional website or a head shot and résumé as proof.  For more information, go to athenaprojectfestival.org.

The Seasoned Chef Cooking School is dedicating a whole evening to that very special aphrodisiac: the oyster. Chef DJ Nagle, of Blue Island Oyster Bar in Cherry Creek North, will be educating guests on what to look for when purchasing fresh oysters, the techniques of both shucking and eating oysters, and the best wine pairings with oysters. Class runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and tuition for the course is $75; register and learn more at theseasonedchef.com. 

Tuesday, October 27 

The District Bistro is holding a "Friendsraiser" for the Red Cross from 6 to 8 p.m. today. As guests mingle and make new friends, 25 percent of proceeds from their food and drink purchases will be donated to the American Red Cross. Contact the restaurant at 303-813-6688 for more information. 

In celebration of the newly released Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook by Robyn Lawrence, the Highland City Club will serve up lunch and a cannabis-infused recipe featured in the book. Robyn Lawrence, Donna Shields and Jane West will be on hand to teach participants some tips and tricks for cooking with cannabis. Tickets to the event, which runs from noon to 1:30 p.m., are $31.35, and can be purchased here. 

Wednesday, October 28


Sarto's is celebrating the restaurant's one-year anniversary from 6 to 9 p.m. today. The celebration will include small bites, an oyster and Prosecco bar, hand-carved charcuterie and cheeses, a wine-tasting room, hand-rolled chocolate truffles, signature cocktails, a roaming risotto bar, whole-roasted Cinghiale and more. For tickets, $60, call 303-455-1400. 

Goldyn will host an Autumn Alchemy potluck to celebrate a special jewelry collaboration between Lightonance and Talia Migliaccio. The potluck runs from 5 to 8 p.m. and will feature live music, tarot readings by Rory Joyner, potions by DRAM Apothecary, and much more. Guests are encouraged to bring a small dish for sharing. For more information, check out shopgoldyn.com. 

Today at 6:30 p.m. the good fellas at Firenze a Tavola will hold their annual Halloween "Gangster" Dinner. Throw on your best pinstripe suit and join the restaurant for spaghetti with meatballs and other traditional East Coast Italian-American fare. The multi-course, family-style meal is $33 per person; for reservations,call the restaurant at 303-561-0234.

The Denver International Wine Festival will showcase the largest selection of international and domestic wines of any grand tasting in the Rocky Mountain region at the Omni Interlocken Resort. The eleventh annual food-and-wine festival will feature dinners, seminars, tastings, competitions and more. The festivities get under way today and will continue through October 30. Ticket prices vary by event; get all the details at denverwinefest.com. 

Thursday, October 29 

The second annual Kids Halloween Parade and Party will roll into Union Station today. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. you and your little devils can enjoy trick-or-treating in the merchant shops, a magic show, palm readings, a costume parade led by Dayle Cedars and Lisa Hidalgo from Denver’s 7NEWS, and a costume contest with prizes for best overall and best group/family costumes. The parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. and prizes will be awarded at 6:30 p.m. For more information, head over to unionstationindenver.com. 


Friday, October 30 


Frasca Food and Wine welcomes guest Daniel Brunier for the restaurant's Tastemakers Series, which provides an intimate opportunity for a small number of guests (just twelve or thirteen at each dinner) to get to know a winemaker over a meal, paired with their own wines. Reservations for tonight's dinner are $235; make yours by calling Frasca at 303-442-6966.

Satchel's on 6th is gearing up for Halloween with a night of pumpkins. The evening starts with a pumpkin-carving contest with prizes and happy-hour specials from 4 to 6 p.m. followed by a pumpkin-throwing contest and late-night happy hour from 9 to 11 p.m. For reservations and more information, call Satchel's at 303-399-2560.

The West End Tavern in Boulder is getting totally radical for its Throwback Bash today. The '80s-themed party will feature drink special, '80s jams, and plenty of fanny packs, neon colors and side pony tails. Grab your mobile and call the West End at 303-444-3535 for more information.

From 6 to 9 p.m. Larimer Square will be transformed to the realm of the dead. The square will be holding a free Dia De Los Muertos celebration that will feature salsa dancing lessons, sugar-skull face-painting, mask-making, Latin music, tequila tastings, special menus and more. Check out larimersquare.com forinformation.  

If you're feeling brave enough, head down to Riverside Cemetery's Moonlight Hops 'n Mysteries event at 5:30 p.m. tonight. Guests can partake in cemetery tours, beer from Tivoli Brewing Company and food, all to help raise money to improve and preserve the cemetery. Tickets are $45 and must be purchased in advance at eventbrite.com. 

World Vegan Day is November 1, and today KCMJ and JL Fields, host of the KCMJ radio show Easy Vegan, are throwing a huge celebration in Colorado Springs. From 6 to 8 p.m. guests at the Tim Gill Center for Public Media, at 315 East Costilla Street, can watch a live broadcast while they enjoy food from local restaurants, vegan prizes and more. Tickets are $5 in advance; $7 at the door; proceeds benefit KCMJ. Ticket holders get one free entry into a drawing with prizes valued at nearly $500. For more information, click here. 

The Terminal Bar will be transformed into a Spooky Speakeasy at 9 p.m. tonight. The bar will be showing The Shining and serving up killer Halloween cocktails as well as beer specials. There will also be a costume contest with prizes, including a one-night stay at the Crawford Hotel plus a $100 gift card to Denver Union Station. For more information, go haunt unionstationindenver.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]. And watch for our big Halloween events calendar coming this week.