Editor’s Picks

Help is on the Way
Shopping sucks for men. Guys know it, gals know it and no matter how much men try to pretend otherwise, the truth seeps out at some point during the 14-hour marathon he’s forced into on Black Friday. And, well, it always results in a silent glare contest on the ride home. Outdoor Divas knows this pain, and the divas are stepping up to the plate to help with a guys’ night out: pizza, beer and shopping advice. Send your man along with a wish list, and Outdoor Divas will make shopping an experience we might actually enjoy. 5 p.m., Dec. 15 , 1133 Pear St, Boulder, 303.449.3482.

Slow Down
With the screaming fast pace of the holiday crunch, finding time to enjoy a moment or two can be tough. The Slow Food Boulder group knows this better than anyone, and it’s offering to help you put the brakes on for a night of fine dining at Restaurant 4580. “A Spicy Holiday” is the theme, featuring foods and wines from Catalonia, Spain. The menu includes four courses ranging from duck breast to grilled mackerel and prawns.
6 p.m., Dec. 7, 4580 Broadway, Boulder, 303.448.1500, $55+

Community Spirit
There’s nothing like the holidays in a small town, and Longmont’s annual tree lighting ceremony captures that community celebratory spirit in spades. Roosevelt Park will be lit like a winterscaped postcard, and the tree lighting will be complemented by free carriage rides and other fun, family-friendly activities. The event kicks off a week of holiday-themed revelry, including ice skating (Dec. 6), a showing of It’s a Wonderful Life (Dec. 8) and more. Dec. 5-11, downtown Longmont.

Worth the Wait
Trumpeting their first album on their own label (kind of), Oasis’ new outing Dig Out Your Soul finds them recapturing the bombast they demonstrated early on in their career—only without the over-inflated sense of ego. It’s been three years since the Gallagher brothers started work on this one, and it turns out to be time well spent. The bonus upside? You don’t have to drive to Denver to hear one of the best-selling bands in the world. Just Broomfield. 7 p.m., Dec. 8, Broomfield Event Center, 303.410.0700, $38+