Twenty-Two Tastiest Events on Denver's Culinary Calendar, August 4-7

You may not be able to make it to Rio for the Olympics,  but this weekend you can still taste victory — or even better, oysters. Today is National Oyster Day, and several restaurants will be offering shucks for under a buck. That's just the start of the tasty culinary events over the next few days; from oysters to Olympics, here are the delicious details.

Friday, August 5

Today is National Oyster Day, and Jax Fish House is celebrating by shelling out 100 free plates of a half-dozen Emersum Oysters at each Jax location, starting at 4 p.m. For more information, contact the Jax location nearest you or go to the Jax website. 

Blue Island Oyster Bar is celebrating National Oyster Day with a progressive oyster celebration. Starting at 11 a.m., suckers'-choice oysters will be 25 cents each; they'll increase by 25 cents each hour until 9 p.m. The restaurant will also offer a bottle of sparkling wine and a dozen oysters for $30, and will be giving away a pair of Tiffany & Co. pearl earrings. For more information, call Blue Island at 303-333-2462.  

The Olympics in Rio get under way today and to celebrate, The Pig & the Sprout, which opened this summer behind Union Station, will offer $3 Caipirinhas and $3 Olympia beers. Call 720-535-9719 for more information. 

Thirsty Lion wants you to get excited about the Olympics, and as a little extra incentive, the pub will offer half-price gold margaritas every time the U.S. wins a gold medal. The deal is available at both Thirsty Lion locations (Cherry Creek and Union Station); contact the location nearest you for more information. 

NEXT Gallery is holding an all-Colorado art fundraiser today, featuring unlimited wine tastings from Bonacquisti Winery. The event runs from 5 to 10 p.m., with the wine tasting from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here.

Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel is celebrating the launch of the Olympic games with an opening-ceremony watch party and a Brazil-themed pairings menu, which will be available for the duration of the games. The watch party will feature a Brazilian meat station at 16Mix, along with Brazilian dance performances by Samba Colorado. For more information, visit sheratondenverdowntown.com.

Celebrate the opening reception of "Archetype Revival" at the Museum of Outdoor Arts, with food, drinks, music and art. The free opening reception will run from 6 to 9 p.m.; get all the details at moaonline.org.   

Kick off the weekend at the Infinite Monkey Theorem’s First Friday celebration from 6 to 10 p. m. today. Come dressed in your most epic '80s attire, cool off with wine slushies, and nosh on bites by chef Kelly Whitaker of Basta and Unit 15.  A portion of the evening's proceeds and $1 from the sale of each wine slushie will be donated to the University of Colorado Cancer Center. For more information, check out the IMT Facebook page. 

The ninth annual Sabor Celebration brings Hispanic flavor to the Denver Botanic Gardens from 5 to 9 p.m. today. Enjoy live music, drinks and food from over forty restaurants, all while taking in the gardens. Tickets to the event are $100, or $150 for VIP. Visit sabordenver.com for tickets and more information. 

Keep reading for more events this weekend.
Saturday, August 6 

The Pig & the Sprout is launching weekend brunch starting today. The restaurant will serve brunch from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, call The Pig & the Sprout at 720-535-9719. 

Five Points will be smoking today during the 5 Points Brew & BBQ, which will bring together a dozen craft breweries and some of Denver's hottest grill masters, restaurants and food trucks. There will also be an artisan market, live music and more. General admission is $5, or you can grab an Unlimited Sampling ticket for $40; find tickets and more information here.  

As the Olympics heat up in Rio, the Denver Beer Olympics will pour it on in Civic Center Park. The fifth annual Beer Olympics will bring more than a dozen breweries to the park for booze-filled games, live music, food trucks and plenty of beer. Tickets to the event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., are $35 at the door or $30 online. You can grab tickets or register your team of four (two guys and two girls per team) at denverbeerolympics.org. The Denver Beer Olympics is a nonprofit dedicated to raising money to fight blood cancers. 

The Winter Park Beer Festival runs from noon to 5 p.m. at Hideaway Park, with over 100 beers from more than forty breweries, as well as live entertainment. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $30 for unlimited tastings and $70 for VIP; grab yours and learn more at winterparkbeerfestival.com.   

Avery Brewing Company is celebrating its 23rd anniversary from 3 to 8 p.m. today. The anniversary party will feature over sixty rare and vintage Avery beers, family-friendly fun, and live music from the North Mississippi Allstars and Wood & Wire. Tickets are $20, or $60 with beer and food included; purchase yours at averybrewing.com.  

The Colorado Brewery Running Series continues with a 5k run/jog/walk, which starts (at 11 a.m.) and ends at Declaration Brewing. After the run, stick around for live music, food trucks, local vendors and beer, of course. Register — $30 per person — and learn more at breweryrunningseries.com.  

Chef Jorel Pierce hosts a Stoic & Genuine School of Fish cooking class on the first Saturday of every month. Today from 10 a.m. to noon, you'll learn everything you need to know about octopus, squid and cuttlefish. Tuition for today's class is $60; RSVP to [email protected]. 

Wine on the Rocks will bring over 1,000 wine enthusiasts and 150 wines to T.E.V. Edelweiss from noon to 5 p.m. today. The event will also feature music, vendors, food and more. Tickets are $40, or $240 for VIP; you can find tickets and more information here. 

Odd13 Brewing is throwing its annual block party from noon to 11 p.m. today. There will be more than twenty taps, beach vibes from DJ Way Way, live reggae by Irie Still, and plenty of food trucks to keep your hunger at bay. Admission to the party is free; check out the event's Facebook page for a complete list of beers to be tapped. 

The Keystone Bluegrass and Beer Festival will take over River Run Village today and tomorrow. The event will feature more than forty breweries and over 150 beers to sample, as well as a home-brew seminar, live music and much more. Tickets are $40 for a one-day unlimited pass and $75 for a full-weekend, two-day pass; grab yours here.  
Sunday, August 7 

The Beast + Bottle team will be joining forces with Sea to Table to host an Invasive Species Mutiny at the Bottle dinner this evening. The six-course invasive-species dinner is $65 per person, with optional wine pairings available. Make your reservations at 303-623-3223.

Brunchasana will bring together two of Denver's favorite past times, brunch and yoga, at Union Station Plaza from 8 to 10 a.m. today. The event is a part of the Denver Yoga Festival; for passes and more information, click here.    

The Tavern Littleton will show Goonies during the bar's Summer Rooftop Movie Series tonight. Every Sunday through the summer, the Tavern will show a different movie and offer drink specials and complimentary popcorn. For more information, contact the Tavern at 303-730-7772. 

For more Food & Drink events, go to our online calendar. If you know of an event that should be included in that calendar, send information to [email protected].