Twenty-one Tastiest Events on Denver's Culinary Calendar, for July 15-17

This weekend is packed with gooey goodness. You can beat the heat at Keystone's Wine and Jazz Festival or Copper Mountain's Mac & Cheese Fest, or stay in Denver and sink your teeth into an abundance of tasty events. Keep reading for all the delicious details.

Friday, July 15 

Lou's Food Bar is hosting an all-you-can-eat chicken and waffles brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today. For $14, you can get unlimited waffles and fried chicken. Call Lou's at 303-458-0336 for reservations and more information. 

The Beer Yogis, a cross-country beer-and-yoga tour, makes a stop in Denver this morning at Epic Brewing. Your $25 ticket will get you a sixty-minute, all-levels vinyasa flow led by the Beer Yogis, Melissa and Mikki, as well as a pint. The class runs from 10 to 11 a.m. Register and learn more at thebeeryogis.com. 

The Colorado African Carnival and Beer Fest celebrates all things Africa at Afrikmall this weekend. Starting today, you can enjoy food, beer, a parade, music and comedy performances, dancing and much more. Check out the event's Facebook page for more information. 

Baur's Restaurant and Listening Lounge has a big weekend ahead: The restaurant is celebrating its two-year anniversary in its current incarnation, and the building in which it's located — the Baur's Building — will be celebrating its 125th anniversary.  For the milestone, the restaurant will offer free, homemade mini ice cream cones this weekend, as well as a dinner special through Monday: calamari stuffed with lamb merguez for $18.91, which is the year the original O.P. Baur Confectionery Company moved into the building. For more information, contact Baur's at 303-615-4000. 

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church is holding an Italian Bazaar featuring food, food products, live music, art, games, carnival rides and more. The event runs today through Sunday; for more information, visit the church's Facebook page.    

The ninth season of Old Town Lafayette's Art Night Out continues with live bluegrass music from Blue Canyon Boys. The street festival, which runs from 5 to 9 p.m. tonight (and every third Friday of the month through September), along Public Road from Emma to Cannon streets, highlights local bands, beers, food and more. Various Old Town restaurants, shops, galleries and coffee shops will offer live music, art demonstrations and more in conjunction with the Art Night Out events. Click here for all the details. 

Saturday, July 16 

Copper is the place to be for the Mac & Cheese Fest from 2 to 5 p.m. today. Restaurants will be competing for the title of “Best Mac and Cheese in Summit County” and a $1,000 cash prize. There will also be a 5k run, mac-and-cheese sampling, an eating contest, free kids' activities, live music and more. The event is free to attend, but tasting tickets are $1 per ticket. Get all the gooey details here. 

According to the Loveland Museum, during the 1920s, Loveland was home to the largest cherry orchard west of the Mississippi and produced over $1 million in cherries every year. From 5 to 8 p.m. today, the museum will celebrate Loveland’s berry-bountiful past with the annual Cherry Pie Celebration. The free event will take place in Peters Park and will include live music, vendor booths, food, family-friendly activities and the Art of the Tart Cherry Pie Contest. For more information, click here.

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 markets will continue monthly (usually on the second Saturday) through October 8; get more information at jpfleamarket.com.

The Keystone Wine and Jazz Festival pours into the resort this weekend, bringing with it classes, live music, seminars, tastings and more. You can grab one-day passes for $60 in advance, $65 at the gate; weekend passes are $100 in advance, $120 at the gate. Find tickets and more information at keystonefestivals.com.  

The Holy Transfiguration of Christ Orthodox Cathedral will host the annual Orthodox Food Festival & Old Globeville Days this weekend. Today and Sunday, you can sample ethnic European dishes, tour the cathedral, enjoy live music, dancing, crafts and more. The food festival runs from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Click here for all the details. 

The Colorado Brewery Running Series continues with a 5k run/jog/walk, which starts (at 11 a.m.) and ends at Former Future Brewing. After the run, stick around for live music, food trucks, local vendors and beer. Register — $30 per person —and learn more at breweryrunningseries.com.

Mile High Spirits will be bubbling with fun, food and philanthropy during the Low Down Denver Crawfish Boil today. From noon to 6 p.m., there will be live bluegrass music, food, drinks and more, all to benefit Renewing Smiles. Tickets to the event are $25 per person online or $30 at the door; purchase yours here.

Park Burger RiNo presents the Denver Deluxe, a summertime festival featuring live music, craft beer and gourmet burgers, from noon to 8 p.m. today. Park Burger will shut down an entire block along Walnut Street for the bash, complete with a beer garden, burger stations and bands on the main stage. Festival passes can be purchased for $20, which includes one beer, $15 for a music-only pass, or $30 for a Deluxe pass, which includes two beers and a burger. Proceeds from the event support Denver Urban Gardens. Get your tickets here. 

A dozen Larimer Square restaurants will expand their patios into the street for Dining Al Fresco this evening. From 5 to 11 p.m., you can enjoy a rare dinner under the lights of Larimer Street. Reservations are recommended. Visit larimersquare.com to find a list of participating restaurants.    

Centennial's BBQ & Beer Tasting Festival will feature local breweries, live music and BBQ food trucks at Centennial Center Park today. You can enjoy live music by County Wide Bluegrass from 4 to 6 p.m and New Family Dog from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Admission to the all-ages event is free, but adults can buy a $15 ticket good for ten three-ounce beer samples. Grab them here. 

The Denver Permaculture Action Day will bring music and food enthusiasts together for a day of gardening, educational workshops, yoga and more. The free event, which takes place at Sister Gardens, will feature live music and a celebration of farming and cultivation, culminating with a community dinner. Permaculture Action Day runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; for more information, contact Sister Gardens at 303-455-5600.


Sunday, July 17

Today is National Ice Cream Day and the Inventing Room wants to make sure you stay cool. Beat the city heat with chef Ian Kleinman's liquid-nitrogen ice cream and other frozen treats. Head over to the Ballpark neighborhood dessert bar between noon and 8 p.m. and receive 25 percent off your total tab.

The Palm Restaurant is celebrating twenty years of serving Denver by offering a three-course dinner, which includes two glasses of Palm select wine or two domestic beers, for $59 per person. The deal runs through July 24; call 303-825-7256, for reservations and more information.

Chef Max MacKissock of Bar Dough — and formerly the Squeaky Bean — will lead a farm-to-table pop-up dinner at Acres Farm in Lakewood today. MacKissock will prepare “a progression of goat” in four courses, with almost all of the produce served coming from Acres Farm. The dinner is $64.80 per person; reservations are required and can be made by calling 303-623-2665.  

The Tavern Littleton will be showing Zoolander in the bar's Summer Rooftop Movie Series tonight. Every Sunday thorough the summer, the Tavern will show a different movie and offer drink specials and complimentary popcorn, to boot. For more information, contact the Tavern at 303-730-7772. 

Happy Heart Farm will host an evening of food and giving: The Heart of Summer Farm Dinner, with a four-course menu paired with beers from Equinox Brewing and music by Elise Wunder. Tickets to the event, which runs from 5 to 9 p.m., are $80 per person and can be purchased here. Check out the full menu on the event's Facebook page. The dinner will benefit the Feeding the Families program, which provides families in need with fresh, local and organic food through discounted CSA shares. 

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].