Grin and beer it
Friday-Sunday. Fifteen years ago, there were fewer than 10 breweries in Denver, all of which packaged their beer and sold it in stores or served food like a restaurant. That’s when Tim Myers decided to do something different by opening a straightforward taproom. No bottles, no food. Just beer. What a difference 15 years make. These days, there are close to 70 breweries in Denver, but only a very few have been doing it as long as Myers and Strange Craft Beer Co.
You can celebrate everything Strange this weekend (and give a nod to the annual American Craft Beer Week) when the brewery hosts food trucks and live music acts all three days in honor of its quindecennial anniversary. Strange, at 1330 Zuni St., will also release two beers: a West Coast Pilsner brewed in collaboration with 14 other breweries, and a chili black IPA brewed with the company’s longtime friends at the Black Sky and Chain Reaction breweries. — Jonathan Shikes
Rainbow connections
Saturday-Sunday. By this time each year, Arapahoe Basin is usually the last (or one of the last) ski resorts still open in Colorado, which makes the fourth annual pride party known as Gay Basin even more special. “We are overwhelmingly proud of our inclusive community here at A-Basin that uplifts our staff and guests alike,” the resort said in a statement. “This is a positive place with a positive vibe. Join us to celebrate, support, and welcome each other.”
This year’s two-day celebration in Summit County begins at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, with a Pride Parade from the summit to Black Mountain Lodge, followed by a live DJ at 11 a.m. At 5 p.m., check out the afterparty at Outer Range Brewing in Frisco. Sunday, May 18’s slate of events will also include a parade and DJ. Get more information at arapahoebasin.com/event/gay-basin. — Jonathan Shikes
Kids go Catawampus
Friday. The newest major exhibit at Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus debuted this week in the form of Catawampus, a “wild, wonky and beyond the ordinary” installation by Gallery Uno. “Guests to the new exhibit will grab a lantern and challenge themselves to uncover what lurks beyond.”
That means turning oft-derided animals, such as mosquitoes, “into lovable new friends,” the museum said — all of it through color-splashed, character-driven creatures and custom environments. Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. every day. Admission: $16.75 for age 1, $18.75 for ages 2-and-up, and free for under 1-year-olds. 2121 Children’s Museum Drive in Denver. mychildsmuseum.org/visit — John Wenzel
Sun Valley rising
Saturday. The popular Sun Valley Night Market returns on Saturday, May 17, to the underutilized area beneath the Colfax Viaduct in West Denver. Hosted by Sun Valley Kitchen + Community Center, the free, all-ages event features more than 70 vendors, as well as food trucks and booths with West Denver chefs. There will also be entertainment, a visit from the Denver Police Department’s Lion Dance Team, murals and pop-up roller skating.
“Attendees can enjoy a cold beer in the Raíces Brewing beer garden, try a wide variety of global street foods, or stop by the booth for NOW Pho, which will host a high-stakes Pho Eating Contest,” organizers said. The contest will be co-MC’d by Denver City Councilwomen Jamie Torres and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez. The market runs from 4 to 10 p.m. in the southernmost parking lots of Empower Field at Mile High, 2705 W. Colfax Ave. sunvalleyrising.com — Jonathan Shikes
Mom’s “Unstoppable Legacy”
Friday-Sunday. If you’re looking to vaunt the mothers in your life this weekend — and you should be — check out Denver’s renowned Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and its final show of the artistic season, the Mother’s Day-themed “Unstoppable Legacy.”
The Friday, May 16-Sunday, May 18 performances at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theater feature young choreographer Hope Boykin’s world premiere work, as well as Cleo’s reworked Mary Lou’s Mass, “inspired by Ms. Mary Lou Williams’ passion for jazz and her devout Catholic faith, along with an excerpt, Strange Fruit, by (Cleo’s) own mentor, Katherine Dunham,” as CPRD wrote.
Performances of the all-ages show take place at 119 Park Ave. West in Denver. Tickets: $35-$45 via cleoparkerdance.org/tickets, with group discounts available. — John Wenzel
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