A jolly old Santa crawl
Saturday. In just over a year, the craft brewery scene on South Broadway in Denver has undergone a nearly complete overhaul as two breweries closed and three opened. You can check all three of them out, along with the street’s matriarch, Grandma’s House, during the first annual South Broadway Santa Brewery Crawl, which kicks off at 5 p.m. and continues north.
Public Offering Brewing, 1736 S. Broadway, will be your first stop on this merry journey, where you’ll find $1 off all drafts, along with music. After that, it’s a short jaunt to Grandma’s House, 1710 S. Broadway, at 6 p.m.; the brand-new taproom of Burns Family Artisan Ales, 1236 S. Broadway, at 7 p.m.; and the newest brewery on the block — and crawl sponsor — Monolith Brewing, 1290 S. Broadway, at 8 p.m. That’s where the Santa Costume Contest takes place at 9 p.m. — Jonathan Shikes
Tidings of joy
Saturday. Over the last decade-plus, Our Mutual Friend Brewing Co. has grown from a one-gallon brewing system to a 10-gallon system, collecting numerous accolades for its beers along the way and solidifying itself as a River North Art District pioneer. And that calls for a toast. The brewery, at 2810 Larimer St., celebrates its 11th anniversary with a day-long party (11 a.m. to 10 p.m.) that includes specialty releases, such as the fittingly named This is a Birthday IPA. The first 100 people in the door also receive a free commemorative tasting glass. — Tiney Ricciardi
7 levels of the Candy Cane forest
Saturday: McGregor Square will be rife with holiday spirit all weekend, but Saturday includes an all-star cast of activities because, as Buddy the Elf says, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” Things kick off with a free outdoor showing of “Elf,” at 5:30, on a 66-foot LED screen (previewed by a Buddy impersonator); you can stay warm by grabbing a personal s’mores kit for use at the firepits and/or some warm seasonal cocktails at the pop-up Sleigh Bar beforehand, including a Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins, which organizers said tastes like “a vanilla sugar cookie old fashioned, topped with a cloud of pink cotton candy.”
Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will also be on hand inside the attached Milepost Zero food hall at the square from 5 to 7 p.m.; both Clauses will be available for photos. And, finally, there will be ice skating in McGregor Square’s rink while live DJs spin mixes featuring “top holiday hits, classics and everything in between.” McGregor Square is located at 1901 Wazee St. in Denver. — Jonathan Shikes
Buzzy King Bee goes big
Saturday. Denver’s King Bee, a.k.a. songwriter and performer Fox Linnea Dickey, is closing out a blockbuster year for local music with one of her finest releases. On Saturday, Dec. 16, she and her experimental cohort will take over the Holiday Theater, a restored gem owned by the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, in Denver’s Highland neighborhood.
The immersive concert, dubbed “The Mystery,” features bluegrass act Sound of Honey, the Greek-style Rainbow Chorus, theatrical elements, and a full complement of musicians to recreate King Bee’s luminous, melody-drenched new album, “Amethyst Heart.” Dickey, a former Chimney Choir member, moves away from past work with indie compositions that go down like hot tea (and all the soothing intensity that implies) and otherworldly acoustic-electric touches. The show starts at 7 p.m. at 2644 W. 32nd Ave. Tickets: $22-$44 via eventcreate.com/e/themystery. — John Wenzel
Top Brass
Sunday. One of Denver’s most charming holiday traditions returns when the big boomers of brass instruments come together in Sculpture Park, at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, on Dec. 17 for the annual TubaChristmas event. As usual, more than 200 musicians will play Christmas songs and other holiday music on tubas, sousaphones, baritones and euphoniums.
Founded in 1974 by Bill Clark, this is the 49th iteration of the Denver concert, during which both the players and their instruments are typically decked out in their holiday finest. TubaChristmas, which is free and open to the public, runs from 11 a.m. to noon at the park, located at 1350 Curtis St. Get more information at tubachristmas.com. — Jonathan Shikes
