Beer and Blossoms: Nineteen Tastiest Events on the Culinary Calendar

Get in condition for Labor Day at one of the many food and drink events in and around Denver and up in the mountains this weekend. From family-friendly events to international festivals to beer bashes, the culinary calendar is overflowing. Keep reading for details.

Friday, August 21

Park Burger is hosting a craft-beer charity golf tournament from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Aurora Golf Club at Heather Ridge. The tournament will feature nineteen beers spread throughout the course, burgers on the ninth hole, contests, prizes, a silent auction and a raffle. Registration for the tournament is $100 per person; you can register here. The event will benefit Urban Peak, a Denver foundation helping youth to overcome poverty and homelessness.

Lets talk tequila: Museo de las Americas and Arta Tequila will host an event revolving around the spirit from 5 to 8 p.m. today. Two Denver bartenders will be shaking it up and competing for best drink — featuring tequila, of course. The cocktail competition is $5 at the door, free for museum members. For more information, check out the Facebook page.  

Today and tomorrow, Keystone's River Run Village will be rocking with the sounds and flavors of the Mountain Town Music Festival. A combination of nationally known bands and musicians and a harvest of Colorado's Palisade peaches, sweet corn and melons, this festival promises to serve up a great way to celebrate summer in the Rocky Mountains. The event is free; for more information, click here.  

Saturday, August 22

Raw Vitality will hold a class on Healthy Eating for Healthy Healing today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn how to use food as medicine to address common ailments, weight issues, energy issues and much more. This class will teach you how to optimize your digestion, make fresh, nutrient-dense meals in under thirty minutes, find your perfect weight naturally and increase overall health and well-being through food. The class is $99; you can register and learn more here. 

From 2 to 8 p.m. today, your taste buds can tour the globe during Global Fest at the Aurora Municipal Center. There will be food from around the world, beer, dancing and much more. Experience all the world has to offer for free; find more info at auroragov.org.   

Today you can celebrate Colorado’s agricultural abundance and culinary creations at Cherokee Ranch and Castle's second farm-to-table dinner, with an acoustic performance by America’s Got Talent finalist Miguel Dakota. Reservations are $100; make yours here. 

From 4 to 8 p.m. today the alley between Curtis and Champa streets off the 16th Street Mall will become Brewers Alley, and taken over by ten craft brewers; there will also be live music by That Damn Sasquatch, appetizers and lawn game. Enjoy tastings from Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Rockyard Brewing Company, Jagged Mountain Brewery; tickets are $25 in advance or for $30 at the door. A portion of the proceeds will benefit American Heart Association. Grab your tickets here. 

Join Don Q Rum for a Swizzle Cocktail tasting and demonstration at Molly’s Spirits today from 3 to 5 p.m. Bartender Rae Raymond, bar manager at Terminal Bar, will demonstrate how to create swizzle cocktails – a tropical tiki drink that uses a swizzle stick and crushed ice to achieve dilution. Attendees will receive a complimentary Don Q Swizzle Stick and samples of swizzle cocktails. In addition, Raymond will show how to make your own tiki garnishes at home, as well as demo "Flaming" tiki garnishes and ice-crushing techniques.

FRESH Longmont will take place at Roosevelt Park and Pavilion today at 5 p.m. The benefit will feature a live auction, award-winning artwork, a farm-to-table culinary competition and music. The culinary competition will challenge seven Front Range chefs to create a unique farm-to-table dinner. Tickets for the event are $75, grab yours and read more here. FRESH will benefit Arts Longmont and Firehouse Art Center.

The Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival will be smoking at the Omni Interlocken Resort today from noon to 7 p.m. In addition to a wide variety of cigars, there will be craft brews and spirits, fine wines and more. Tickets are $50 for non-smokers, $165 for general admission and $250 for VIP. To purchase tickets or find more information, click here. 

Servicios de La Raza’s trademark event, the Fiesta Cookout is a day full of culture, entertainment, resources, a car show, free food, free health services and much more. The fun gets cooking from noon to 7 p.m. at Chaffee Park — and it's all free. For more information, check out fiestacookout.com.  

Mac and cheese: these words can bring a lot of happiness to many people, and today those people will be in cheese heaven at the Mac and Cheese Fest at Copper Mountain. Eight restaurants will compete for the best mac in Summit County, and guests get to sample the treats, each of which will be paired with a signature cocktail. A la carte tasting tickets are $1, or you can pop for a "Mac Daddy" pass starting at $10 for kids and $20 for adults. For tickets and more information, click here. 

Mirada Fine Art Gallery will host a Fine Wine and Art Summer Gala today from 4 to 7 p.m. The bash will feature fine art, wine samplings, live music, hors d'oeuvres and live painting by Bruce Marion. tickets are $40 and an RSVP is required; get all the details here. 

Today from 1 to 6 p.m., Main Street in Central City will be awash with beer during the Great Central City Beer Festival. Eighteen breweries, food and live music set in the old mining/now gaming town make this a beer festival you don't want to miss. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 the day of the event; for tickets and more information, click here.  

Spirit Hound is throwing a release party for Spirit Hound's first Single Malt Whiskey today. The event will also feature live music, food from local food trucks, cocktails made with the full lineup of Spirit Hound spirits, and more. Bottles of the whiskey will be available for purchase, but are limited to one bottle per person. The party goes off from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. today. For more information, visit spirithound.com. 

The beer will be flowing at the Boulder Craft Beer Festival today. Come fill your cup with beers from 27 Boulder County breweries, enjoy live music, and dive into some great food. The festival takes place at West Central Park from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets to the event are currently sold out; you can check for updates boulderdowntown.com.   

Sunday, August 23 

The first annual BBQ, Blues and Banjos will be pickin' from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Castle Pines. The shindig will feature live music, cold brews and smokin' BBQ, all included in the $25 ticket price. You can get down at the Bar Double F Ranch today, but grab your tickets first here. The event will benefit the Douglas County Sheriff's Y.E.S.S. program and the youth programs of the Rotary Club of Castle Pines Foundation.

The Denver Art Museum and the American Culinary Federation Colorado Chefs Association are teaming up to bring guests "Summer in Bloom" cooking demos starting today. Feast your eyes on works of art from master painters like Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne and Van Gogh, then dig into the culinary arts with cooking demonstrations featuring flowers in recipes. The cooking demo runs from 11 a.m. to noon today and is included in the price of admission to the museum; find more information at denverartmuseum.org.

Author and kitchen ninja Eugenia Bone will present a book-signing and tasting to celebrate her newest cookbook, The Kitchen Ecosystem, today at BookBar from 6 to 8 p.m. For all the details, visit bookbardenver.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].