This weekend is frighteningly busy: If you play your cards right, you can flit seamlessly from event to event for 72 hours, getting your brunch, snacks, dinner and drinks at spots all over town. Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Here are nine of the best food and drink events from Friday, October 26, through Sunday, October 28, plus upcoming events in November and December.
Friday, October 26
Halloween falls on a Wednesday this year, giving inveterate creeps and costumed celebraters two chances to party: the night of or the weekend before. Union Station's Terminal Bar, 1701 Wynkoop Street, is kicking off fright night early, on Friday, October 26, with a Spooky Speakeasy from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Throw on your most impressive disguise for the costume contest — and don't think a store-bought getup will do the job, since the winner gets a free night's stay at the Crawford Hotel. Enjoy themed cocktails and a live DJ to go with the masquerade. Get more info on the bar's Facebook page.
Saturday, October 27
Get ready for a ghoulishly glam tea party on Saturday, October 27, as French for Sugar, 1201 East Colfax Avenue, hosts its inaugural Halloween Drag Queen High Tea from 2 to 4 p.m. Expect teacups, finger sandwiches (possibly made of real fingers), a fashion show, swag bags, costume contest and — of course — some scary-good makeup, all for just $35. Book your seat at frenchforsugar.com or call the bakery at 303-522-6886 to ensure your seat at the table.
If you aren't sick of pumpkin-flavored everything yet, there's still time to enjoy the orange gourd (the real one — not the syrupy, overspiced concoction that's added to everything from coffee to cream cheese this time of year) before the end of the month. Golden's Nomad Taqueria and Beer Garden, 18485 West Colfax Avenue, is hosting a Pumpkin Bash on Saturday, October 27. From 2 to 6 p.m., the patio will have live music, a cornhole tournament, a pumpkin-carving contest, mole and pumpkin tamales, and crispy pumpkin tacos with black-bean sauce. Can't make it to Golden this weekend? No worries: The vegetarian menu items (plus posole and pan de muerto) will also be available at the eatery for lunch and dinner on November 1 and 2 to celebrate Día de los Muertos. Buen provecho!
It's often difficult for non-Muslims to understand the role of women in Islam — and specifically, how the sartorial symbol of the veil fits into the faith. From 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, October 27, the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, 1373 Grant Street, is hosting Unveiled and Unguarded, a dinner bringing women of all backgrounds together for a conversation about the role of wearing (or rejecting) a veil. Over a meal of pan-African cuisine from African Grill and Bar, attendees will be treated to live music, dancing, henna art and stories from Muslim women about the choices they have made about covering their heads and faces. Tickets, $15, are available at eventbrite.com for this women-only event.
Ah, last Halloween...the weather was cold, and you didn't wear a coat — it would have covered up your sexy nun costume — and the scariest thing about the evening was fighting your way through the crowds at the bar and paying $14 for a watered-down cocktail. Up the class factor this year while still celebrating at Uncorked Kitchen's Gothic Dinner Party. The cooking school at 8171 South Chester Street in Centennial is hosting a couple's class from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, October 27, where the menu includes vegetarian sushi with black sriracha; black spaghetti with scallops; roasted beet, squash, apples and Brussels sprout salad; merlot-poached pears with skull cookies; and some boozy witches' brew to keep you hydrated. Get your tickets ($210 per pair) at uncorkedkitchen.com before they're gobbled up by greedy goblins. NOTE: This event is now sold out.
We've written about MCA Denver's Dinner Society before; the meals are always impressive and the setting enjoyable. But the next installment in the series promises to raise the bar even higher: Ian Kleinman (of the Inventing Room) will be cooking a meal inspired by Tara Donovan's Fieldwork exhibit on Saturday, October 27, from 7 to 10 p.m. The entire museum, 1485 Delgany Street, is currently taken over by Donovan's elaborate and engrossing site-specific sculptures, and there's no one in Denver we'd rather see interpret her vision on a plate than the wildly creative Kleinman. Tickets, $125, include a tour of the exhibit as well as a three-course meal (miso crepe with lemon crab, béchamel, coconut caviar and saltwater bubbles; hoisin and orange sous-vide pork with black-tea jelly and smoked potatoes; and mousse with peanut butter Pop Rocks, nitro puffed rice and a sugar slinky) and drinks from the Family Jones. Reserve your seat at eventbrite.com before tickets are gone like a puff of liquid nitrogen.
Sunday, October 28
What's better than brunch? Brunch with brushstrokes — which is what the Art of Brunch is offering up on Sunday, October 28. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., over twenty galleries and businesses lining the Art District on Santa Fe are offering complimentary brunch bites to guests as they visit and view the art on display. Visit the event Facebook page for a complete list of participating establishments. The only downside? This brunch doesn't come with bottomless mimosas (or any booze, for that matter), so fill up your water bottle with some hair o' the dog before you start gallery hopping.
Good grief! It's the Great Pumpkin (and Pig Roast), Charlie Brown! Julep, 3258 Larimer Street, is carving not only the orange veggies on Sunday, October 28, but a whole pig, as well. From 4 to 7 p.m., $49 will get you a gourd, carving tools and succulent roast pork, plus drink specials including $5 beers and $22 bottles of wine. The restaurant's Facebook page has details and tickets. Now go on and start planning your jack-o-lantern; we recommend the timeless tableau of Lucy pulling the football away from good ol' Charlie Brown.
It's unusual for us to recommend a church-type event, but House for All Sinners and Saints isn't your usual church. Besides, when was the last time you went to a wholesome, old-fashioned bake sale? On Sunday, October 28, the inclusive, queer-friendly Lutheran church at 1595 Pearl Street is hosting its tenth annual Selling of Indulgences bake-and-make sale, with proceeds from the sale of sweet treats and handmade goods going to Rainbow Alley, a drop-in center for LGBTQ youth. Those with an appreciation for homemade goodies (and a healthy sense of humor about ecclesiastical history) should visit the church at 4:45 p.m. to get their hands on goods that will ensure the continued DIY blessings. Find out more about the sale at the church's Facebook page.
Keep reading for upcoming food and drink events.
November 1 through November 4
If you want to improve your knowledge of French wine (or French geography, as the two go hand in hand), consider attending the Boulder Burgundy Festival from Thursday, November 1, through Sunday, November 4. The four-day fair will include an old and rare burgundy tasting and silent auction; a beaujolais wine seminar; meals at Corrida, Mateo, Frasca and Arcana; and the finale, a Grand Tasting. Still not sure if you want to attend? Let's make it simple: You'll be drinking pinot noir, chardonnay and gamay. Event prices start at $85 and are on sale now at the Festival's website.
Friday, November 2
In the past year, The Bindery, 1817 Central Street, has established itself as one of the most creative eateries in Denver — and one of the few places we know of where you can always find rabbit on the menu. And on Friday, November 2, the kitchen is celebrating its first birthday with an epic dinner party. Starting at 6 p.m., apps will start coming out of the kitchen as a live band takes the stage. Tickets, $125, are on sale at eventbrite.com; if you don't want to commit to a full meal (why not, though?), show up between 3 and 6 p.m. for a community happy hour, with complimentary apps and the bar's excellent cocktails for sale.
Saturday, December 15
Is it too early to be training for the Feats of Strength? Not if you want to crush your family and friends (physically and emotionally) at this year's Festivus. Nor is it too early to start planning for this year's Denver Beer Festivus, which takes place on Saturday, December 15, at the Sports Castle, 1000 Broadway, from 3 to 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at denverbeerfestivus.com; get yours quickly, or you'll be the focus of your drinking buddies' Airing of Grievances. NOTE: Early bird tickets are now sold out; regular tickets are currently on sale for $40 or $65.
If you know of a date that should be on this calendar, send information to [email protected].