Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum invites you to join in this epic Star Wars event at the hangar from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
• Train with The Jedi Lightsaber Academy and walk away with your own foam Saber.
• Attend Trooper Training School with real storm troopers.
• Create your own Ewoks and Wookiees in the Galactic Zoology Nursery.
• Visit the Denver comic book classroom and bring your own comic and characters to life.
• Purchase your tickets in advance online for an opportunity to sit in the only Star Wars X-wing signed by Harrison Ford and members of the cast.
And don’t forget to wear your Wookiee costume or other attire to celebrate the day with fellow Star Wars fans. The event location is Wings Over the Rockies at 7711 E. Academy Blvd., Denver.
Admission: Museum members, free; adults 13-64, $20; children ages 4-12, $10. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to http://www.wingsmuseum.org/component/jcalpro/view/209.
Barry booster
I was invited to attend Denver music icon Barry Fey‘s funeral on Tuesday where nearly 200 of his friends and family gathered within a few hours notice to honor the man who really put this town on the music map.
The service, held at Feldman Mortuary at 17th and York, was a standing-room-only event, as Barry would have loved. His sons gave testimony in honor of the father who was complicated and imperfect yet a profound influence on each of their lives.
After the service, Patty Calhoun, Wendy Aiello and I thought it would be apropos to raise a glass to Barry at Strings, which was also seeing its end that evening, but we were turned away because the restaurant was readying for the auction and cocktail party later that night.
It was an ironic moment because I could never imagine Strings owner and founder Noel Cunningham ever turning away anyone.
Instead, we drove over to another Denver institution – the 17th Avenue Grill. There, we ordered martinis with bleu cheese olives (sparkling wine for Calhoun) and toasted our fallen friend who didn’t drink.
On the up side…
Opie Gone Bad lead singer Jake Schroeder has been leading the effort to have a statue of Fey placed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Here’s what Schroeder told me:
“I reached out to Geoff Fey and asked him for his blessing in moving forward. I told him to take his time and get back to me when things calm down a bit. I figure if they’re good then I’ll just coordinate getting artists to submit to the family and I’ll try to raise the money and lead the unavoidable battle against the Parks department to get it done.
“I knew Barry enough to say hello, but that was about it. He never booked my band, or had anything to do with it, really. I just think he helped create an environment in Denver that allowed me to grow up seeing the best concerts in the world and allowed me to have a 25-year career (so far) playing music here. He should have a huge statue at Red Rocks. I think it would even be cool to have it backstage in the wings, so all the famous artists that play there forever would know why they’re there.”
If you’d like to donate to Schroeder’s effort, you can email him at jschroeder@denverpal.com.
On another note…
Jobs list guru Andrew Hudson has taken up the good fight to honor Fey’s wish to be buried in Morrison below Red Rocks, which makes total sense considering how much the concert promoter did to bring international attention to the amphitheatre.
Here’s what Hudson posted on Thursday: “The number to the Morrison Cemetery Commission is 303-973-5916. It is probably too late to do anything, but feel free to share your concerns with their decision to deny the request to allow Barry Fey to be buried there.”
Baby steps
Bob Bonner, the Denver-based director of operations for Richard Sandoval Restaurants and his wife, Marj, welcomed their first child, Oliver, into the world at 6:49 p.m. Sunday at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
Baby “Ollie” weighed in at 8.3 pounds and measured 19.5 inches long. Congrats to the new family!
Also on the baby boom, Elway’s executive chef Tyler Wiard and his wife, Jennifer, are expecting their second child on July 18. They knew ahead of time that their first – who’s now 2 years old – would be a girl, but the couple opted to have the second child’s gender kept as a surprise.
Congrats ahead of time to them!
Bob Bonner with baby son, Oliver. Bob’s wife, Marj Bonner, gave birth to their first child on Sunday.
Best bet
The Celtic Tavern and Delaney’s Cigar Bar and Lounge at 1801 Blake St. are the only facilities in Denver licensed to allow off-track betting.
This now makes the pubs the only spots in Denver where people can place bets in person for the Kentucky Derby. The pubs will celebrate with a Kentucky Derby party starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, which will give patrons plenty of time to place bets for the first race, which begins at 8:45 a.m. our time.
There will be a contest for best-dressed man, best-dressed woman and, of course, best hat. Table reservations are recommended and are available for $40 per four-top. Walk-ins are welcome on a first-come, first-served basis after reservations are filled.
The Celtic Tavern is a non-smoking establishment while Delaney’s Cigar Bar and Lounge is smoker friendly.
For reservations and more information, call 303-308-1795.
Get happy
USA Today has come up with its top 10 list of happy hours at high-end restaurant chains across the country. Many of the top 10-ers have outposts in the metro area, with McCormick & Schmick’s logging in at No. 1.
Check out the entire list at http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2013/03/09/the-best-happy-hour-deals-nationwide/1974659/.
Think pink
Adam Vance, Elway’s Cherry Creek sommelier, needs your help choosing pink wines to put on the summer menu. Join Adam on the Elway’s patio to taste and evaluate more than 30 rose wines from France, Spain, Austria, California, Italy and Greece that are under consideration for a summer rose flight on the Elway’s wine list.
The event, from 6 to 8 p.m. May 29, costs $35 per person including tax and tip.
Chef Tyler Wiard also will prepare light hors d’oeuvres to enjoy during the sip soiree. For reservations, call Lara at 303-399-7616.
The seen
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor dining at Benny’s Restaurant and Tequila Bar (nice choice!) in Capitol Hill Wednesday night. Sotomayor was in town to attend the opening ceremony of the new Ralph L. Carr Justice Center downtown Thursday.
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, second from left, dined at Benny’s Wednesday night before attending the opening ceremony of the Ralph L. Carr Justice Center on Thursday in downtown Denver.
Eavesdropping on a female nurse to a man during a pre-op appointment for a knee replacement: “Sir, please take your shirt off.”
“You first!”
Did you hear that I have a new column, “Mile High Life,” in Colorado Community Media’s 17 weekly newspapers circling Denver? Be sure to like my Facebook page! Also, here’s where you go to get my column emailed to you Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I’m now the social-media liaison for the Mile High Chapter of the Colorado Restaurant Association, so read my latest restaurant news there. My email: penny@blacktie-llc.com.
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