Who grows the hops in your beer?
Friday-Saturday. Colorado is famous for its beer, breweries and its beer-drinking culture, but “have you ever seen a photo or mention of the people who do the vital groundwork for growing hops?”
That’s the question Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora is asking in advance of a visit by Christie Tirado, a Mexican American artist and elementary school art teacher in the nation’s premier hop-growing region, Washington state’s Yakima Valley. Tirado uses the vintage block-printing medium to celebrate the unsung Mexican migrant workers and Mexican Americans who work in the hop fields of Yakima Valley.
Timed for National Hispanic Culture Month (Sep. 15-Oct. 15), Dry Dock will present Tirado’s handmade and hop-focused prints at its North Dock location, at 2801 Tower Road. On Friday, Sep. 9, guests can meet Tirado, who will talk about her art and her mission of highlighting these workers. On Saturday, Sept. 10, she’ll offer a block printing workshop for kids and adults alongside Denver’s Latino Cultural Arts Center. drydockbrewing.com or lcac-denver.org. — Jonathan Shikes
Horror fest’s gruesome return
Through Sunday. This year’s Colorado Festival of Horror is going full-funhouse-themed after a modest virtual showing last year.
The in-person event returns Friday, Sept. 9-Sunday, Sept. 11, at the Embassy Suites at Denver Central Park, 4444 N. Havana St., with horror artists, writers and filmmakers including Dean Gates, Jorge Corona, Mario Acevedo, Angie Hodapp and Warren Hammond, Joshua Viola, Sheri Davis, The Enigma and more, plus panels, vendors, films, cosplay, tattoo contests, trivia and all-around “delicious creepiness,” organizers wrote.
That includes new festival merch and a new beer, Boozo’s Funhouse, created just for the con by Outworld Brewing. The festival got off to a rousing start Thursday with an appearance from Troma Films founder and indie-horror madman Lloyd Kaufman, at the Sie FilmCenter with his new and unprintably named movie, and continues through Sunday. Tickets: $15-$90 at cofestivalofhorror.com. — John Wenzel
Arvada welcomes national guitar fest
Friday-Monday. There will be tons of strumming this weekend when the Rocky Mountain Archtop Guitar Festival comes to Olde Town Arvada with live music, workshops, clinics and ticketed events, as well as the Blue Guitar exhibit, previously on display at the Smithsonian.
“This unique music festival is the only one of its kind and features more than 30 of the world’s premier guitar builders showcasing their work, along with world-class players, teachers and clinicians,” organizers said.
What is an archtop guitar? Wikipedia is glad you asked: “An archtop guitar is a hollow electric or semi-acoustic guitar with a full body and a distinctive arched top, whose sound is particularly popular with jazz, blues, and rockabilly players,” the website reads. Events take place at a variety of locations throughout Olde Town. archtopfestival.com/schedule. — Jonathan Shikes
Emerson String Quartet’s rousing farewell
Sunday. As one of the world’s most acclaimed string groups, The Emerson String Quartet seems like an ideal opener for the 69th season of Friends of Chamber Music (FCM). But after 47 years, the Quartet is also disbanding following this season.
That makes including their 18th and final concert for FCM, at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, at Gates Concert Hall, inside the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, a banner event and one of the last chances to see the quartet. Expect rousing performances of Mendelssohn, Ravel, Dvorák and more.
Tickets to the show are $40 for those aged 30 and over, $15 for under-30, and $5 for students. Single, series and streaming tickets are available by calling 303-871-7720 or visiting fcm.newmantix.com. — John Wenzel
