The Fifteen Tastiest Events on Denver's Culinary Calendar, September 9-11

Pedal into the weekend, when Denver's culinary scene will really get rolling. From Tour de Fat to the Denver Food & Wine Festival, the next three days are full of tasty events. Here are our fifteen favorites:

Friday, August 9 

Colorado Startup Brews will bring over thirty home-brewed beer startups to the McNichols Building for a brewing competition today. The event, described as "a mini Great American Beer Festival for the Denver startup community," will run from 5 to 9 p.m. Registration is $25 and includes unlimited beer samples and a commemorative tasting glass; register and learn more here. All proceeds will go directly to the Dear Jack Foundation.  

Oktober comes to Breckenridge early this year, as the town celebrates 22 years of Oktoberfest. The event, which runs through Sunday, will feature German fare, dancing, music, games and, of course, plenty of beer. For more information, visit gobreck.com.    

Spend a Southern-inspired evening on the Pepsi Center grounds during The Shakedown, from 6:30 to 9:30 this evening. For $55, you'll get cocktails from some of Denver's best bartenders, soulful bites and live jazz music, and you'll be able to vote for your favorite drink of the evening. You can find tickets and more information here.  

The Bartender in Residence series culminates with a cocktail competition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. The fun begins at 6 p.m. and is free for members, $5 for non-members after 5 p.m. (which includes a chance to tour the museum). DJ Occidental will provide the tunes; find out more at the MCA website.

The Wildlife Experience at CU South Denver will be showing Office Space, the first feature-length film from writer/director Mike Judge, for today's Movie and a Martini offering. Your $28 ticket ($26 for CU faculty, staff and alumni) includes two drinks, hors d’oeuvres, popcorn, access to museum exhibits and the feature presentation. The fun begins with film trivia at 5:30 p.m.; the movie begins at 7. Grab your tickets here.  

The twelfth annual Denver Food & Wine Festival has been cooking around town all week, and it continues through Sunday, September 11, with the Grand Tasting tomorrow. For tickets and a complete schedule of events, visit denverfoodandwine.com.

Yogurtland will celebrate its tenth anniversary by kicking off a campaign to raise funds for children’s hospitals across the country. Today through October 19, you can donate at any Yogurtland location, and every dollar raised will go directly to local children’s hospitals in the Children’s Miracle Network. During this period, Yogurtland will highlight three of its most popular flavors: Birthday Cupcake Batter, Pineapple Sorbet and Almond Midnight Mocha. Get all the details here. 

Keep reading for more events this weekend.

Saturday, September 10 
 
The Jefferson Park Farm & Flea pops up again from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. The free market features produce and products from many of Denver's urban homesteaders; you can donate produce to area food pantries and receive Bounty Bucks (coupons good for discounts at vendor booths). The monthly markets will continue through October 8; get more information at jpfleamarket.com.

Boy Scout Troop 780 will hold its fifth annual Chilifest from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. This fundraiser for the troop includes a silent auction, a car show, live music by JustUs, Castle Rock Fire Department demonstrations — and chili tastings, of course. To purchase your $8 tickets, call 303-907-0556 or go to castlerockchilifest.com.

Master the art of French baking at high altitude during Cook Street School of Culinary Art's The French Patisserie: Laminated Dough class series, which kicks off today. The session will focus on the croissant; the $89 tuition includes instruction, lunch and a glass of wine. Class will be in session from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Register and learn more at cookstreet.com.  

The fifteenth annual La Fiesta: World Party brings live music, dancing, a cash bar, food trucks, a silent auction and more to the Boulder County Fairgrounds. Tickets to the multicultural celebration are $25 for adults and $5 for kids under twelve. Find tickets and more information here. 

City Park gets weird during Tour de Fat today. New Belgium's traveling celebration of bikes and beers will offer both — and much more. There will be live music, comedy acts, a costumed bike parade and even a kids' area. The event is free, but you can pre-register to grab some TDF gear and give to a good cause: a portion of proceeds will go to Bike Denver and the Denver Cruisers. Register and learn more at newbelgium.com.  

Join the Denver Public Library and North Denver culinary group Women Micro-Entrepreneurs from Globeville/Elyria-Swansea, for a tortilla-making workshop and tasting today. You’ll learn how to make tortillas and you'll get to taste a variety of traditional Hispanic dishes. You'll also find out about the Women Micro-Entrepreneurs new business in RiNo that's a combined kitchen incubator, cultural center and storefront. The workshop will be presented in both English and Spanish  and will run from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Valdez-Perry Library. Get all the details here.  

Sunday, September 11 

Herb Eckhouse, of prosciutto makers La Quercia, will be a special guest at today's Slow Food Farmers' Market at The Source. Eckhouse will host educational talks and tastings at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the RiNo Yacht Club center bar, and will collaborate with both other Source vendors and farmers' market participants. Slow Food runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday. Learn more at thesourcedenver.com.  

KOSI 101.1 presents classic films and tasty brunch offerings twice a month at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Today the theater will be screening Runaway Bride at 11 a.m. Tickets are $40 and include brunch, a cocktail and exclusive shopping deals at Aspen Grove. Get tickets at drafthouse.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].