Monday, September 4
What's better than free beer on a day off work? Not a damn thing. Bruz Beers, 1675 West 67th Avenue, has figured this out and is kicking off its monthly Customer Appreciation Day on Monday, September 4. From noon to 8 p.m., your first beer at Bruz is free — no strings attached. Going forward, the offer will be good on the first Monday of each month.
Broken Shovels Farm, the no-kill farm-animal sanctuary at 8640 Dahlia Street in Henderson, fights for animal rights and works tirelessly to save goats, cows, chickens, turkeys and more from neglect and brutality. The public is invited to scratch bellies and hug the farm's animals at a fundraiser with musician Nathan Kalish on Monday, September 4, from 5 to 9 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring apples, celery, citrus fruits, kale and other farm-friendly foods for the animals, and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under twelve. It's BYOB, and the Wanderculinarilust food truck will be on the premises. For more information, including details about the animals' food, visit facebook.com/brokenshovels.
Tuesday, September 5
The Denver Food + Wine Festival is upon us: Starting on Tuesday, September 5, and running through Sunday, September 10, the fesival promises to be an orgy of drinking, eating, imbibing, indulging and, well...drinking. Tickets are still available at all price points; depending on what whets your appetite, they'll set you back a very reasonable $40 to a steep $195 — and there's even a VIP Grand Tasting ticket available for $250 if you want to go all in. Our pick? The Culinary Cinema Series will screen the documentary Barbecue on Tuesday, September 5, at 7 p.m. at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 East Colfax Avenue. The movie is sure to make your mouth water, which won't be a problem, as the $40 ticket includes bites from Hearth & Dram, Rolling Smoke Bar-B-Que and the Nickel; drinks will be available for purchase at the theater's bar. Snag tickets and find the rest of the festival's schedule at denverfoodandwine.com.
Grab a seat at Spuntino's bar for Wine Corner Wednesday and let the staff take care of you.
Danielle Lirette
Spuntino's Wine Corner Wednesday on Wednesday (natch), September 6, showcases six Nebbiolos; this tricky varietal is difficult to cultivate outside its native Piedmont, so the fact that all six of the bottles on the menu are from outside this region is something special. The wine starts flowing at the cozy bar, 2639 West 32nd Avenue, at 6:30 p.m. Appetizers are included in the $40 price, and seats will go fast since there are so few of them. To make sure you get in on the fun, call 303-433-0949.
Thursday, September 7
Food lovers fed up with sprawling, high-end festivals will feel at home at the much more relaxed, family-friendly Taste of Highlands on Thursday, September 7. From 6 to 9 p.m., the corner of West 32nd Avenue and Osceola Street in Highlands Square will host more than twenty north Denver restaurants, wineries and breweries for your sampling pleasure. Nibble on dishes from Bacon Social House, Mizu Izakaya, Brazen and Little Man Ice Cream while sipping beers from Briar Common Brewery, spirits from Rising Sun Distillery and wine from Bonacquisti Wine Company; there will also be a Beverage Garden for additional drink purchases. Tickets are $40 or $60 (VIP entry is at 5 p.m. and includes a drink ticket and swag bag); kids eight and older do require a ticket purchase, but you'll save $40 if you buy four at a time. See tasteofhighlands.com for a complete list of participating vendors and tickets.
You're not really Irish if you don't drink your ale out of a horn.
Westword file photo
Everybody says they're Irish on St. Patrick's Day, but there's not much to that amateur hour other than a single day of watery green beer. Claim (or fabricate) your Irish or Scottish heritage for a much better celebration: the Long's Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival on Friday, September 8, through Sunday, September 10. A single day pass will run you $25 ($5 for kiddos ages five to ten, $10 for those eleven to sixteen), but it gets you so much: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, Stanley Park Fairgrounds, 1209 Manford Avenue in Estes Park, will be packed with jousting (light and heavy armor), strongman (and -woman!) competitions, cloggers, bagpiping contests, Irish dancers, military bands and color guards, live music, dogs of the British Isles — and, of course, whisk(e)y and British beer. Check out scotfest.com for tickets and a complete schedule, then don your best tartan and get back to your roots.
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