August’s Picks

Monday.11
[GAMES] No, Castle Quest isn’t a new massive multiplayer online game designed to ruin your marriage. It’s a three-day program for children at the Lafayette recreation center that teaches them all about knights and dragons and fairies. $125, Bob L. Burger Recreation Center, 111 W. Baseline Rd., Lafayette, 303.665.0469

Tuesday.12
[music] We think flute rock is as lame as watching James Lipton interview himself in the mirror, but what’s our opinion against a few million people wearing suede boots with their pants tucked into ’em? Jethro Tull, 7 p.m., Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 2605 Red Rocks Park Road, Morrison, 720.865.2494

Wednesday.13
[music] Help us out here, Liz. Are you crooning to cactuses? Or are there actual cactuses in your band that sing like crooners? If it’s the former, that might be a little weird, but the latter’s downright biblical. Which is it!? Liz Masterson and the Cactus Crooners, 4 p.m., Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Rd., Longmont, 303.651.8969

Thursday.14
[nature] If you suffer from Lepidopterophobia, then this one’s not for you. But, for the rest of us taking a Sunset Stroll trhough the Butterfly Pavilion at dusk is a sure fire way to at least get somewhere with the new love in your life. 6:30 p.m., Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 W. 104th Ave., Broomfield, 303.469.5441

Friday.15
[festival] Billed as the “oldest veterans motorcycle rally in the West,” the Salute to American Veterans Rally & Festival at Winter Park will feature so much awesomeness (jet flyovers, Green Beret jump team, the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall, a tattoo contest, gunfighters, live music, etc.) you’ll think you’ve died and come back in an Oliver Stone fantasy—except without all the misplaced sense of self-importance. 78841 U.S. Hwy. 40, Winter Park, 970.726.4118 Ext. 202

Saturday.16
[bees] Consider this payback for all the times those darned bees got their stingers impaled into your leg. Start your own backyard beehive, and you’ll have honey pouring out in no time. Learn all about Backyard Beekeeping from organic beekeeper Corwin Bell—he’ll even bring along some friendly bees. 10:30 a.m., Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Rd., Longmont, 303.651.8969

Sunday.17
[recreation] They have a “short ride” and a “long ride” at the Venus de Miles women-only bicycle ride. The short ride is 35 miles. Dear lord. Both rides start across from Vic’s coffee shop in Prospect Park in Longmont. The event benefits Greenhouse Scholars, an organization providing mentorship and scholarship support to high-performing, under-resourced students. 7 a.m., Prospect Park, Longmont, www.venusdemiles.com

Monday.18
[history] At one point, Italian immigrants made up more than 14 percent of Colorado’s population, centered mostly in the area now known as the Highlands neighborhood in Denver. The Colorado History Museum explores the influx of the heritage and culture of the Italian people. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., $7, 1300 Broadway, Denver, 303.866.3682

Tuesday.19
[festival] Where else—except maybe Austin—can you see such a collection of uniquely weird and experimental art in one week than at the Boulder International Fringe Festival? For instance, check out this re-working of Chekhov’s classic Three Sisters, as told by two men—in 50 minutes. 5:30 p.m., Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, 1750 13th St., Boulder, $5, www.boulderfringe.com
Tripod Photography Open Session 7:45 a.m., Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 W. 104th Ave., Broomfield, 303.469.5441

Wednesday.20
[art] Face it, nothing’s more economical than pedal power—it’s faster than walking, just as green, and your calves look really buff after you do it for a while (no implants for you, Johnny Chase!). But there are plenty of other uses for a bicycle, too, most notably as a work of art. Check out the Spokes exhibit at the Arvada Center for the Arts and see the cycle from a whole new perspective. 901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada, 720.898.7200

Thursday.21
[education] Call us snobs, but we think there’s something quite apropos about cramming 232 years of The Complete History of America (Abridged) into a two-hour long play—you know with the average American attention span these days. Bonus idea: Bring an immigrant and they can take their test for naturalization after watching it! 7:30 p.m., Mary Miller Theater, 300 E. Simpson St., Lafayette, 720.209.2154

Friday.22
[music] Sure, “Dr. Banjo’s” arguably a well-deserved moniker for Pete Wernick, who’s become as synonymous with bluegrass as Bela Fleck. But creating a whole style of music called Niwot? That one is a little much, don’t ya think, Wikipedia? 6 p.m., Orchard Town Center, 14750 Huron St., Westminster, 303.280.3596

Saturday.23
[music] Angus Mohr was the “great” son and successor of Donald (from whom the MacDonalds take their name), second son of Reginald, son of Somerled, king of the Isles, whose youngest son was also named Angus, according to Electricscotland.com. It’s also the name of the band playing at Nissis. We just like to say the name “Angus.” Haha. Say it again. “Angus.” 7:30 p.m., Nissi’s, 2675 North Park Drive, Lafayette, $12, 303.665.2757

Sunday.24
[lecture] While “Power to Pleasing: The Sex Lives of Teenage Girls” may sound like a biopic of the Spears family, it’s not. Based on real events as described by real teenaged girls, it’s a piece dissecting why so many girls that age transition from a place of power to one focused on pleasing their peers and boys. It’s one every teenager should probably see. Dairy Center for the Arts (part of the Boulder International Fringe Festival), 2590 Walnut Street, Boulder, 5:30 p.m., $15, 720.563.9950

Monday.25
[politics] You may not want to head anywhere south of 104th Avenue starting today. The Democratic National Convention has officially taken over Denver. But if you want to witness mayhem, head over to the Pepsi Center, or Civic Center Park or anywhere within shouting distance of the two. Expect protests, bigwig politicians, motorcades and more!

Tuesday.26
[history] The Broomfield Veterans Memorial Museum is a little gem of a spot that houses artifacts and memorabilia covering American wars from the Civil War to today, provided by and highlighting your neighbors in Broomfield. 7.9 p.m., 12 Garden Center, Broomfield, 303.460.6801

Wednesday.27
[theater] Mimes. The most reviled of all the clown subcultures. Even worse? Visiting mimes from San Francisco. Worse than that? Doing a satirical piece on the Democratic National Convention. Too much mockery for any mere mortal to face. Go, and take a log of all the jokes you can’t help but come up with. Then, email ’em to us. Red State, 8:30 p.m., Bindery Space, 720 22nd St. Denver, $20, 720.221.3821

Thursday.28
[festival] Will someone PLEASE tell the people at Jazz Aspen Snowmass that it would be nice for them to actually have some jazz bands at their festivals? Seriously, Widespread Panic, Ziggy Marley, Bob Dylan and Dwight Yokum might all be fine and good, but “Jazz?” Sheesh. Enough of this already. Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival, Downtown Aspen, 425 Rio Grande Place, Aspen, $150/4.day pass, 877.900.9463

Friday.29
[food] What do you call a gazillion Greek Restaurants, hoardes of people eating oversized roasted turkey legs, and more tube tops and cut-off shorts than you can shake a shish-ka-bob at? Well, we call it the Taste of Colorado, Civic Center Park, Broadway and Colfax, Denver, 303.892.1112

Saturday.30
[culture] Remember that scene in the “Golden Child” where Eddie Murphy is able to smuggle a Nepalese dagger through customs by distracting the agents with patriotic “Viva Nepal” rhetoric at the top of his lungs? Yeah, that was awesome. Association of the Nepalis in the Americas, 2 p.m., Broomfield Auditorium, 3 Community Park Road, Broomfield, 303.460.6800

Sunday.31
[music] What better way to celebrate the last Sunday in August than with a quiet dinner with a loved one, enjoying a tasty menu of upscale (but not too pricey) dishes and Live Jazz in the background. Best part? The Broncos don’t open for another week, so you won’t miss a thing soaking in the patio today. 5:30 p.m., Village Bistro, 2821 W. 120th Ave. #300, Westminster, 303.410.2887

Monday.1
[MUSIC] Remember your first birthday party? Hats, cake, crying babies. We don’t either. But a first birthday including beer, burgers and five bands will certainly stick in the memory banks for a while longer. Waterloo’s Birthday Bash, 11:30 a.m., Waterloo Icehouse, 809 Main St., $18.50, 303.993.2094

Tuesday.2
[comedy]”(The George Lopez TV Show) only perpetuates the stereotype that George Lopez is funny.” —Chris Griffin, Family Guy. Tired of hack comics tossing out lame ethnic barbs trying to pass themselves off as “cutting edge?” Well, now’s your chance to show them all how to do it right. New Talent night at Comedy Works, 1226 15th Street, Denver, $10, 303.595.3637

Wednesday.3
[education] Remember Bubbles? Michael Jackson’s pet chimp that captured America’s attention just long enough to distract us from noticing the king of pop has gone completely mad? Well, rest assured, MJ’s not gonna be anywhere near the WOW Children’s Museum’s “Bubbles” exhibit, which has nothing to do with the primate, but instead focuses on how bubbles are made. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 110 North Harrison Ave., Lafayette, $7, 303.604.2424

Thursday.4
[literature] It’s always been a struggle to describe the world in a succinct manner. Author Daniel Levitin can do it in just six songs and 368 pages. Hear him talk all about his book “The World in Six Songs” (and get an autograph) then start to comprehend the deep messages he passes along. 7:30 p.m. 7:30pm, Boulder Bookstore, 1107 Pearl St., Boulder, 303.447.2074

Friday.5
[music] The Informants are taking their third Westword Music Showcase Award on the road. Luckily that road is not very long and it swings through Lafayette. 7:30 p.m., Nissi’s, Lafayette, 2675 North Park Drive, $12, 303.665.2757

Saturday.6
[beer] Why travel all the way to Germany for Octoberfest when you can attend a misspelled version of the beer festival in Lyons at a very special brewery. Oskoberfest is an all day special event that will feature all kinds of good Oskar Blues brews. 12 p.m., Oskar Blues, 303 Main St., Lyons, 303.823.6685

Sunday.7
[recreation] Nothing like a 100-mile joy ride to get your Sunday off to a great start—or if you feel that’s too steep a hill to climb, so to speak, try the 14-, 30-, 50- or 70-mile version of the Buffalo Bicycle Classic. Whatever your conditioning allows for, know that all the miles pedaled will help raise scholarship money for promising students enrolled in the University of Colorado’s College of Arts and Sciences. 7 a.m., University of Colorado, Boulder, www.buffalobicycleclassic.com