Perfect Last Minute Fourth of July Fixes
Well folks, it's that time again. The time to eat insane amounts of hotdogs and beer and celebrate all things 'Murican. What could be more patriotic than blasting colorful explosives into the sky for half an hour to scare the crap out of your neighbor's annoying dog? Nothing, except perhaps this compendium of Denver's best events to celebrate this sacred drinking weekend. Whether you'll be stuffing your face at Ace Eat Serve or thrashing around with Bud Bronson & the Goodtimers, Denver has everything one city could offer.
TONIGHT, JULY 3RD
BUD BRONSON & THE GOOD TIMERS @ HI-DIVE WITH PANTHER MARTIN & VIC N' THE NARWHALS
-21+
-$10
-7pm doors & 9pm show
INDEPENDENCE DAY EVE @ CIVIC CENTER PARK
Event starting @ 8 PM.
Prepare for the holiday weekend with Independence Eve 2017, the eighth-annual free community celebration featuring a concert, light show and fireworks finale on Monday, July 3rd, in Downtown Denver’s Civic Center Park (Colfax & Broadway) beginning at 8:00 p.m. The concert will feature performances by Soul X and the 101st Army Band of the Colorado National Guard.
Lawn seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis; arriving early is greatly encouraged, as are blankets or low-rise concert/beach chairs. Attendees are welcome to bring their own picnics; a variety of food trucks will also be available on-site. The event will take place rain or shine.
Produced by the nonprofit Civic Center Conservancy, the 2017 Independence Eve Celebration is made possible by the generosity of community partners: Anadarko Petroleum Corporation; the City and County of Denver, and VISIT DENVER. Special thanks to our media partners CBS4 Denver, Comcast and The Denver Post Community.
FIREWORKS @ THE AVANTI PATIO (JULY 3RD & 4TH)
Event starts at 8 pm.
Join Avanti on the patio to watch fireworks over Coors Field! Get in early to snag a spot on the stadium seating for the best views in town. There will be fireworks both Monday and Tuesday night!Avanti is always family-friendly but the firework's crowd tends to be very lively and festive on the night of the Fourth.
TOMORROW. JULY 4TH
PUNCH BOWL SOCIAL- PATRIOTIC PUNCH & MORE
Looking for a spot to cool off this holiday weekend? Punch Bowl Social (65 Broadway http://www.punchbowlsocial.com/) created the perfect patriotic punch - Dawn's Early Light with New Amsterdam Gin, Crème de Violette, Teakoe Spiced Plum, lime juice and lavender syrup. Pair the punch with The Knockoff Burger and you’re set for an all-American meal. Don’t forget about the indoor gaming options including bowling, ping-pong, giant Scrabble, private karaoke rooms, bocce, foosball, darts and more. (Facebook @PunchBowlDenver, Twitter @PunchBowlDenver, IG @punchbowlsocial)
CHERRY CREEK ARTS FESTIVAL W/ OIVE & FINCH EATERY
Olive & Finch Eatery. Photo: Westword
Fourth of July in Cherry Creek can mean hot temperatures, hot crowds, and hot festival-goers for Denver’s favorite artsy weekend. Beat the heat (and the long food lines) at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival with extended Burger Nights at Olive & Finch (3390 E. 1st Avenue - www.oliveandfincheatery.com) Cherry Creek. Chef/Owner Mary Nguyen and team will be flipping and grilling all weekend evenings on the patio, meaning $10 gets you a burger or brat with a beer and a side from Friday until Sunday. Looking to get outdoors to watch fireworks? Impress your friends and family when you grab a picnic to-go from Olive & Finch: for $50, you choose your four favorite signature cold sandwiches, a delightful quart of fresh and savory pesto pasta salad, a green garden salad that serves four and four assorted bakery cookies, fresh from the talented pastry team. Please call ahead at 303.955.0455 to reserve your picnic and please your people. (Facebook @OliveAndFinch, Twitter @OliveAndFinch, IG @oliveandfincheatery).
DEL FRISCO'S GRILLE ROOFTOP PATIO
Del Frsico's Double Eagle Steak House
(100 St. Paul St. - www.delfriscosgrille.com/cherry-creek) in the centrally-located Cherry Creek neighborhood and you can catch fireworks from surrounding communities. As a special treat for the Cherry Creek Arts Festival weekend, from Friday June 30 through Tuesday July 4 you can get the special White Sangria cocktail for just $6: it’s a fruity summery sipper made with tart Pinot Grigio, house-made white peach puree, Peach Schnapps, and fresh berries and arrives table side with a fresh and fruity popsicle garnish – really! With seating at the expansive open-air bar, at community tables or on lounge-like couches and chairs, the rooftop patio at Del Frisco’s Grille with a White Sangria in hand is a must-do for easy fireworks watching. (Facebook @DFGrilleCherryCreek, Twitter @DFGrilleCC, IG @dfgrille).
OR
Celebrate Amercia’s Birthday with Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse (8100 E. Orchard Road, www.delfriscos.com) where the Prime Pair will be offered Saturday, July 1 – Tuesday, July 4. For $59 indulge in a pre-fixed menu and choose from a perfectly prepared 8 oz filet, Manhattan-Cut New York Strip, or Seared Salmon Fillet paired with their signature Crab Cake, plus a salad and side. End the meal with Executive Chef Mario Hernandez’s Decadent Apple Pie. Cheers to America with a bottle of XXXCherry Wine ($58 a bottle). Reservations are strongly recommended, 303-796-0100. (FB @DelsDenver, Twitter @Del_Friscos, IG del.friscos)
MIMOSAS @ TUPELO HONEY SOUTHERN KITCHEN & BAR
Start the day right with a $3 Mimosa from the brunch pros at Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar (1650 Wewatta Street – www.tupelohoneycafe.com). Soak in the southern hospitality as brunch is extended a few days to both Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4 in celebration of Independence Day. We suggest the “big as your head” Banana Pudding Layered Pancakes or our Sockeye Salmon Loaded Grit Cake, and serving our famous $3 mimosas. Bonus: Tupelo is opening early both days, at 9 a.m., for maximum brunching opportunity. (Facebook @TupeloHoneyDenver, Twitter @@tupelohoneycafe, IG @tupelohoneycafe).
PING PONG PATIO @ ACE EAT SERVE
If you’re spending the long 4th of July holiday weekend in the city, consider popping by Ace Eat Serve in Uptown (501 E. 17th Ave http://www.aceeatserve.com/) for the Asian inspired cuisine, refreshing cocktails, sake flights and ping pong playing options. As the temperatures keep rising, cool off on the expansive Ace patio with exterior misters and enjoy the Saturday Sunshine Soundsystem on Saturday, July 1st from 2pm – 6pm with Dj Bernie Luau’s Hawaiian Summer Jams and a Ratio Beerworks tap takeover with drink specials (no cover). Call (303) 800-7705 for reservations. (FB @AceEatServe, Twitter @AceEatServe, IG ace_eat_serve)
HIGHLAND 4TH OF JULY PARTY
Kick off the weekend right with the 10th Annual Highland 4th of July Party. Residents of the Highlands can begin celebrations on Saturday, July 3, with a water-balloon fight, along with pizza bites and tunes from High Desert Band, a local bluegrass band. On the holiday, guests can enjoy bike decorating contests plus a parade down 32nd Street led by an old-fashioned fire truck that ends its route at the 200-foot long ice cream sundae at Little Man Ice Cream {2620 16th Street, Denver; 303.455.3811}. The ice cream shop will have a “drum-line” of ice cream buckets in the parade, and there will be free food, live music, face painting, water balloon fights, and field day games. Click here for more info.
UNCORKED KITCHEN IN CENTENNIAL
There’s nothing more patriotic than gazing at purple mountain majesty from the patio at Uncorked Kitchen {8171 South Chester Street, Suite A, Centennial; 720.907.3838} The unparalleled Front Range vista is the perfect backdrop for watching fireworks display all across the city. For the fourth, the restaurant is offering a Tacos and Margs date night with patio reservations at 7pm, plus an extended menu of small plates and a chef’s special dish. Call ahead to make your reservations.
Breckenridge Brewery: Opening Day Party 2016 // An Interview With Nick Hughes
For the past four years, Never Summer Industries and Breckenridge Brewery have teamed up to welcome the new season with a custom designed snowboard. Always one of our "Things To Do" events this time a year, we have had the chance to attend all the previous parties. The event itself has become a rite of passage amongst snowboard and skiing enthusiasts as well as the beer drinkers of our fair state.
It's this time of year that we get together with our friends at Never Summer to prepare for Opening Day of the winter sports season. Opening Day isn't just a day, though; it's a living, breathing, mini-season that varies by region. It's celebrated across the country with events throughout November and into December.
They are officially kicking off Opening Day in Denver on Saturday, November 5th, at the Punch Bowl Social. Plan to join the party and enter to win the first of the snowboard giveaways. From 5:00 - 10:00 pm they will be serving up Breck beer with live music from MF Ruckus. Never Summer is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and they'll be showing their new full-feature film. Be sure to check out Nick Hughes' art exhibit & play some games with friends while you're there.
So, put those golf clubs and fishing poles aside and bring out your snowboards and skis for a fresh wax courtesy of 7Twenty Boardshop. It's a free parking lot party you won't want to miss!
We had a chance to catch up with Nick Hughes who designed this years board and asked him a few questions about how the idea came to be and a little bit of his background.
(U5280) How long have you been designing and tell us a little about yourself (background).
(Nick) I've been an artist and designer for about 10 years now. I started getting really serious about art in college and got a studio in downtown Denver right after graduating. Nowadays I work primarily as a large-scale designer, designing vehicle wraps and graphics for interior and exterior walls. However, my background is in large scale painting and digital art.
(U5280) How did you get involved in this series?
(Nick) I did a pretty cool piece for Breckenridge Brewery's Agave Wheat beer a while back. After that they asked me if I wanted to have my artwork featured on the board this year, and I couldn't say no.
(U5280) What was the inspiration for this series and design?
(Nick) I really wanted this board to scream Colorado, from the old west to today. You could say the girl is just like Colorado: outdoorsy, classy, bold, and beautiful.
(U5280) Do you snowboard yourself?
(Nick) Absolutely. That is one of the great privileges of growing up in Colorado.
(U5280) Who are some of your influences in the design world?
(Nick) The design world is a bit bland and predictable these days so I focus more on the art world. And with that said I like what the illustrators James Jean and Tomer Hanuka have done the past few years.
(U5280) How much work goes into the process of designing a snowboard?
(Nick) On some designs I can jump right in and get an idea out in one sitting. Other times I spend weeks on a design gathering reference material, sketching out compositions, creating linework, coloring, shading and refining everything as I go.
(U5280) If you could help design or be part of a large project what would it be and why?
(Nick) I have always had the idea of wrapping one of those crazy angular rooms in the Denver Art museum from floor to ceiling with artwork printed on vinyl. I think it would be really great if you entered the room and you were basically inside of the artwork itself because it was that big. That would be the most extreme version of digital art that I can think of.
(U5280) Finally what is your favorite Breck Brew?
(Nick) Agave Wheat, hands down.