Nederland, just 17 miles west of Boulder, retains a reputation for being a hippie town, thanks in part to such well-known, offbeat annual events as the jam-friendly music festival NedFest, happening Aug. 28-29, and winter’s wacky Frozen Dead Guy Days. But today at 10 a.m., Nederland launches into a new era of being not just a hippie town, but a happy town, too. That’s when the Carousel of Happiness starts to turn, the calliope begins to play, and the face of this community breaks into a smile. In 1985, Scott Harrison, a Nederland resident, began carving and handpainting carousel animals, and a year later, bought and set about restoring the workings of an old merry-go-round that long ago graced the Saltair amusement park near Salt Lake City. Since then, with determination, inspi...
Call it Denver’s summer of blockbusters. Three big, very different exhibitions will be duking it out for the public’s attention. Heading the list is King Tut — an abbreviated name that draws instant recognition and conjures the exoticism, mystery and thrill of ancient Egypt. The 1922 discovery of the young pharaoh’s untouched, luxurious tomb drew international coverage and sparked a sensation that continues to this day. The Denver Art Museum is serving as host for the touring show,”Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs,” which will open June 29 and run through Jan. 9 — nine days longer than originally announced. On view will be 50 objects from Tut’s tomb, as well as at least 50 objects related to other Egyptian pharaohs — all on loan from t...
Friends, if you look up the word surreal in the dictionary, you will see a photo of me, sitting in the American Idol finale audience. Because that’s what happened this week – thanks to the Ford Fiesta folks* – a night where my best friend and I got all dolled up, sat in the Nokia Theater and watched America make Lee Dewyze our next Idol – and possibly more importantly – witnessed Simon Cowell’s last. show. ever. Of all time. I started watching American Idol in its second season, long before I had this blog, pretty much right as I was having my son. And the funny thing is, I rarely watch TV. The exception being, you guessed it, American Idol. Why do I like this show so much? I have no flippin’ clue. It’s silly. It’s over the top. It̵...
Saturday. Salute the nation’s fallen servicemen and women at the Denver Memorial Day parade. A tradition for more than 80 years, the parade includes military personnel and veterans marching through downtown Denver. All branches of the service are represented. The parade is sponsored by the Denver United Veterans’ Council, Denver County Veteran Services Office and the city of Denver. 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. Downtown Denver, between Broadway and Welton Street, and 14th Avenue and 17th Street. Admission is free. Saturday. 4 stages. 20 bands. 1 Day of Rock. You won’t want to miss the 2nd Annual Denver Day of Rock presented by Concerts for Kids. The day will feature 20 bands on four stages placed up and down the 16th Street Mall – all free to the public! SkateLegends.com will be p...
A national group that thinks global warming is “junk science” and that teaching it is unnecessarily scaring schoolchildren brought its first petition effort for “balanced education” to Mesa County Schools on Tuesday night. Rose Pugliese, an unsuccessful candidate for a District 51 school board seat in the last election, presented a petition with 700 signatures to the board asking that science teachers stop giving lessons on global warming. Pugliese, a 32-year-old Grand Junction attorney and activist in Tea Party and conservative Republican groups, also presented a petition with 600 signatures demanding Mesa County schools keep political views out of classrooms. Pugliese’s efforts have made her the poster girl for the group Balanced Education for Everyone and h...
CONTEST CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNER MARY-FRANCES MAIN AND THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED! Take the world’s largest outdoor mineral hot springs pool, add an adventure park built on top of a mountain, sprinkle in the Roaring Fork Valley’s crimson rocks and emerald forests and what do you have? Glenwood Springs’ matchless Shangri-La. Conveniently located off I-70 between Vail and Aspen, my family has driven through Glenwood Springs multiple times and often marveled at the tram that appeared to go nowhere. Turns out, the Iron Mountain Tramway soars 4,300 feet up Iron Mountain to a big ol’ somewhere: Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. The 135-acre park features guided tours of Glenwood Caverns and Historic Fairy Caves, an alpine coaster, 4-dimensional theater, a laser ...
Restaurant Deals Dave & Busters is offering 1/2 price off all games on Wednesdays. The deal will run all summer long so be sure to mark your calendar and visit either of their two Colorado locations. Orange Julius is offering some summertime relief with a printable coupon for Buy 1 20 oz Smoothie, Get One for $1. Restaurant.com has their gift certificates available at 80% off! Grab a $25 gift certificate for only $2! One day only, Papa John’s is offering 50% off your total bill of $20 or more. Use the code customer50 at checkout to receive your discount. Quizno’s current printable coupon is for $2 off a regular or large sub. This is a good one to use if you’ll be traveling over Memorial Day weekend. Quizno’s is quick, but won’t leave you feeling guilty...
What happens when 200 Mile High Mamas and their families pop into the Children’s Museum of Denver for a night of bubbling revelry? Enough good, clean, soapy fun to negate the need for baths that night. Hey, my kids convinced me. On Wednesday, May 19th, the Children’s Museum of Denver threw open their doors for an after-hours special event in celebration of their new interactive Bubbles playscape. The bubble room was bursting with curious kids of all ages. It’s impossible to find a person who doesn’t appreciate the beauty of bubbles, especially when the museum has discovered so many different ways to have fun with them. One of the busiest stations of the night was The Drop Zone. This cool contraption blows a fog-filled bubble high above the crowd. When it’s nic...
The newly created vegetable garden at Smith Renaissance School of the Arts in northeast Denver already has taught students a few important life lessons. First, and obviously, the garden is teaching students about botany and how food is grown. Second, and unfortunately, students learned a hard truth when someone broke into the garden and stole plants. The final and heart-warming lesson is one of community, which pulled together to donate plants and made a promise to help keep the garden green over the summer. “It’s a great lesson that when something bad happens,
The final chapter in a constantly charming franchise, “Shrek Forever After,” proves what has been increasingly clear in the decade since the titular ogre (voiced by Mike Myers) leapt so famously onscreen from William Steig’s 1990 children’s book: The animated journey of Shrek, his beloved, Fiona, and Far Far Away buddies Donkey and Puss in Boots is pitched to adults even more than young’uns. It’s not that kids are an afterthought. Far, far from it. Wee ones are given plenty to giggle about: burping ogre babies, a flatulent father, impossibly winning talking animals, nasty villains with silly grudges and so on. But the writing has, from the first sequel, been rife with knowing wisecracks for parents and chaperones. With Far Far Away resembling Hollywood, ...
The three wounded women in writer-director Rodrigo Garcia’s memorable drama, “Mother and Child,” are connected, and separated, by adoption. The trio of Naomi Watts, Annette Bening and Kerry Washington touchingly convey just what varied forms emotional defense can take. Better: As their characters’ interwoven tales gain force, they show how profoundly those defenses can crumble. Elizabeth (Watts) is a cool customer. When she arrives at a law firm for a job interview, her confidence could daunt mere mortals. Female bosses, she tells not-so-cowed senior partner Paul (Samuel L. Jackson), can be “intimidated” by her. Later, she demonstrates why when she casually seduces a married neighbor. Her control issues come from having been given up for adoption. Bening...
Every month, Mile High Mamas features a Q & A from The Children’s Hospital on a different health topic. This month’s topic is all about knowing the difference between your child’s stomach pain and appendicitis. Learn how to tell distinguish a tummy ache from potential inflammation of the appendix. Appendicitis typically affects children between the ages 11 to 20. If left untreated, the condition can have serious consequences — including the spread of infection due to rupturing — which is why parents should know the difference between stomach pain and something potentially more serious. What is appendicitis? Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix, a small organ within the digestive tract. Although it is one of childhood’s most distressing medical concerns, with early diagnosis app...