From Birthday to Beer Bashes, Eighteen Tastiest Events on the Culinary Calendar

From restaurant anniversaries to food festivals to the omni-present beer bashes, you won't have to look far to brew up a good time this weekend. The culinary calendar is spilling over with tasty events; keep reading to find the perfect one (or two or three) for your palate.  

Friday, August 7 

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver and the Denver Botanic Gardens are teaming up for Sabor tonight. The eighth annual event will whisk participants to an evening at Carnaval with feasting, dancing, drinking and colorful costumes. More than forty restaurants will be at the gardens to provide the food, and there will be beer, wine and spirit distributors on hand as well. The fun will run from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $75 for general admission and $150 for VIP; get yours here.  

In celebration of its one-year anniversary, The Nickel is inviting locals and tourists alike to toast the occasion with a three-course pre-fixe menu priced at $50 with cocktail pairings. Use the code phrase “Happy Birthday,” and the first select cocktail is on the house. The deal is available today and tomorrow from 5 to 11 p.m.; for reservations and more information, call the restaurant at 720-889-2128. 

Range is hosting a three-course Two Mountain Winemakers dinner tonight at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $60; for reservations, call the restaurant at 720-726-4800.  

The Paramount Cafe is celebrating thirty years on the 16th Street Mall and throwing a party to celebrate. Starting today and running through the weekend, guests can enjoy parties, trivia, giveaways and more. The fun gets under way with Service Industry Team Trivia from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. tonight.; the winning team will take home $200. For more information, call the Paramount at 303-893-2000.


Saturday, August 8  

Settembre Cellars is holding a Riesling Vertical Tasting today and tomorrow from 1 to 6 p.m. Guests can taste the Dry Riesling from the winery's first Riesling vintage (2009) through its current release; $20 gets you five wines and four vintages. For more information, click here. 

Punch Bowl Social is celebrating National Bowling Day today with a DJ from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., a signature cocktail and a strike of a giveaway: The bar will award the bowler with the top score for the day a party for up to twenty guests with complimentary punches, chef’s snack selection, plus free bowling for one hour. Call Punch Bowl at 303-765-2695 for more information. 

From noon to 5 p.m. today, Winter Park will be turned into a beer lover's paradise. The Winter Park Beer Festival will bring over forty breweries, food, karaoke and live music to Hideaway Park. Tickets are $30 for an unlimited beer tasting ticket, and $70 for VIP tickets, which will get you bigger pours, a commemorative mug, food and more. For tickets and more information, click here.

SCOPE (Schools in Communities Offering Programs that Empower), a Denver-based nonprofit that works in rural Kenya, will hold a fundraiser at the Park Hill Hub, 1502 Ivanhoe. Included in admission are a glass of wine (or other beverage), small bites and music. Tickets to the event, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m. this evening, are $15 for individuals and $25 for couples. Find more information at scopeint.org.

Head over to Balistreri Vineyards to chill out to some cool jazz. Live at the Vineyards, a fundraising event for KUVO Jazz Radio, will be jamming at Balistreri from 6 to 10 p.m. this evening. Guests can enjoy several live performances and a Balistreri Wine Tasting with two KUVO Signature Label wines and over a dozen other award-winning wines, along with food from restaurants from around Denver. There will also be a silent auction to benefit the station. At last report, though, tickets to the event are sold out.

Cherry Creek Food & Wine will celebrate the "diverse and sophisticated tastes of Cherry Creek North dining," complemented with wine, beer, spirits, live music and more. The event includes menu items from over twenty neighborhood dining establishments and wines from William Hill Estate, Columbia Winery and LaMarca. The event takes place in the Fillmore Plaza today from 6 to 9 p.m. (5 to 9 p.m. if you pop for VIP tickets). Tickets are $60 for general admission and $80 for VIP; get yours and learn more about the event here. 

Every Saturday through August you can bike to brunch at Lala's and enjoy food and giveaways, including an opportunity to win a free cruiser bike. For reservations and more information, call the restaurant at 303-861-9463. 

Avery Brewing is celebrating 22 years of beer and the first anniversary of its new brewery by pulling out some rare beers. The party runs from 4 to 8 p.m. today, and $40 will get you six vintage brews, a commemorative glass, live tunes and more. Get tickets and learn more here.

Old South Pearl will be rocking with Blues and Brews from noon to 10 p.m. today. Guests can enjoy beer from over a dozen breweries while they enjoy live music (which starts at 1 p.m.). Admission is $5 at the gate; for more information click here.    

As a part of the Out on the Town Brunch Series, today Lena will donate 20 percent of its brunch revenue to The LGBT Center — specifically the Transgender Programs and Rainbow Alley. For reservations and more information, call Lena at 720-550-7267 or visit glbtcolorado.org.

Boulder Farmers' Market is celebrating stone fruit today from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the third of the market's seasonal festivals. The Boulder Stone Fruit Festival will feature a peach tasting with varieties from Colorado orchards, cooking demonstrations with The Kitchen, a peach poetry contest, a stone fruit bake-off and peach-inspired fare. Free kid’s activities include face-painting, jewelry-making, yard games and farmers' market coloring. For more information, visit bcfm.org.  

Growing Gardens will host the sixteenth annual Cultiva Farm Dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. today. The outdoor dinner will feature a five-course meal prepared by award-winning local chefs, an open bar and an auction. For more information, visit growinggardens.org.

Sunday, August 9 

Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen will celebrate its fifth anniversary today with some help from its friends: A.D. Laws Whiskey House and TRVE Brewing Company. Chef Jake Grant has created a special five-course menu paired with beers from TRVE Brewing and special whiskeys from A.D. Laws. The celebration starts at 4 p.m.; tickets are $75 and can be purchased here. 

The Tavern Littleton is hosting movies on the rooftop this summer; today the bar is screening Old School. Kick back and enjoy free popcorn and drink specials while you watch the film under the stars. For more information, visit tavernhg.com.  

For information on dozens of culinary events around town, visit our online Food & Drink listings — and if you have information for a culinary event you'd like included in our online calendar, send it to [email protected].

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