The Fifth Annual LoHi Music Festival, presented by Summit Distributing, rolls into town from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday at 2219 W. 32nd Ave.

The lineup features fast-picking Nashville wunderkinds The Infamous Stringdusters (two sets), Kung Fu, Hot Buttered Rum, Roosevelt Collier’s Colorado Get Down, The Malah, Joey Porter’s Vital Organ, and Vine Street Vibes.

The festival also includes a safari costume theme and food from Highland Tap & Burger, Uncle and Bar Dough, and benefits the Denver Police Officers Foundation. The festivities continue at Cervantes’ at 2637 Welton St. for the Official After Party.

Tickets for the festival and after-party are available at www.lohimusicfestival.com.

Henry’s Tavern, a Portland-based restaurant built on the site of the Blitz-Weinhard Brewery, will open its fifth location in the Denver Pavilions on the 16th Street Mall in August. Henry’s has other locations in the Portland Airport; Seattle, Wash., and Plano, Texas.

According to the website, “The restaurant pays homage to the Blitz-Weinhard Brewery, which brewed beer on site for more than 140 years. Henry’s Tavern, which now offers over 100 beers on tap, occupies what was once the brewery’s power house. The original brewhouse is now the dining room and bar area, the Weinhard Brewery smokestack, an iconic element preserved in the development of Henry’s, is clearly visible from the courtyard and the lounge and kitchen areas now fill what was once the malt storage building. Today, Henry’s combines its rich history with an avant garde approach to beer inspired food and a dedication to local brews, making Henry’s a true Portland OR-iginal.”

The Denver eatery serves lunch, dinner and brunch with happy hours Monday through Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to close and all day Sunday.

Check out the menu, which will be tweaked for the new Denver spot to reflect local tastes, at www.henrystavern.com.

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival is looking for more than 1,000 dedicated, engaged, community-minded volunteers to make the Festival possible. Volunteering at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival gives participants an exclusive, behind-the-scenes appreciation of the artists and art that make up the Festival.

Volunteers sign up for four-to-five-hour shifts from 10 a.m. to  8 p.m. July 3 and 4; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 5. Additional times and dates may be added.

The Festival takes place from Second to Third avenues on the six blocks between Clayton and Steele streets in Cherry Creek North.

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival’s mission is to provide access to a broad array of arts experiences and support arts education in Colorado. The volunteer team understands that mission and works toward its goals by volunteering for one of many committees during the event.

Go to www.cherryarts.org/volunteer for more information.

Eavesdropping on two women at Elway’s Cherry Creek: “Are you rooting for Tampa Bay or Chicago to win the Stanley Cup?”

“You just told me which two teams are playing.”

Local news outlets were buzzing Monday over the surprise bigwig lunch guests at Uptown’s Humboldt Farm, Fish + Wine restaurant.

International heavyweights former President Bill Clinton, U2 front man Bono and former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton (briefly) wowed the restaurant’s lunch crowd when they strolled into the 1700 Humboldt eatery.

Denver PR pro Stefanie Jones, who represents Humboldt, was there meeting with her clients and gave me this eyewitness report:

“I was meeting with my clients at Humboldt, Sean Huggard, director of operations, and David Tuitele, GM, and we knew that President Clinton and Chelsea were coming in for lunch.  The kitchen was busy preparing several items specifically for President Clinton, including a vegan version of their popular crispy broccoli starter with an egg-free aioli. We were not informed that Bono would be joining them. There were a number of secret service agents in the building who decided where the former President would be seated…

“The Clintons came in and were escorted to the back of the restaurant.  I looked at the gathered group and saw one guy that stood out from all of the ‘men in black’ and realized in an instant it was Bono (I’d gone to the show on Saturday night at the Pepsi Center and am a lifelong U2 fan).

“The restaurant was full with a lunch crowd and as they walked through you could hear people buzzing.  All of the guests and staff were very respectful and left the President, his daughter and Bono alone to have a leisurely lunch.  No one approached the table.  Chelsea was there for about 10 minutes before heading out. President Clinton and Bono were engaged in a deep conversation over lunch.  The former President enjoyed Humboldt’s kale salad while Bono ordered the sesame ahi tuna and noodle entrée.

“They were there for about an hour and 45 minutes and many of the diners lingered over their lunches to see them depart.  Both guests were incredibly gracious, taking photos with the staff and greeting Chef Will Tuggle and the managers.”

Meanwhile, Piper Vitale, a local graphic artist and daughter of Colorado Expression magazine owner Terry Vitale, had joined Jones for lunch.

“Piper and I said hello as they were departing and spent a couple of minutes speaking with them,” Jones said. “Piper had previously been in the art department at Vanity Fair and Bono served as a guest editor for three weeks while she was there so they’d met and worked together years ago.  They spoke about the issue and Bono sweetly kissed her hand as they left. Once they’d taken a large group shot with the Humboldt team, they headed out of the restaurant.”

The event, a big deal by any Denver standards, made international headlines in England’s Daily Mail newspaper, which Humboldt posted on its Facebook page.

“We made international headlines and local of course. It was an honor to have Mr. President Bill Clinton, Chelsea and Bono of U2 having lunch at Humboldt!”

The story said, “The old friends just happened to be in town on separate business – a Clinton Foundation event and an arena tour respectively – and couldn’t resist the opportunity to catch up … The Clintons were in town for the Clinton Global Initiative, which started Monday at the Sheraton in downtown Denver.

“Bono, who wore his trademark shades throughout the meal, had just performed two nights at the Pepsi Center on the Irish band’s Innocence And Experience tour.”

Read more at: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3116943/Salad-days-Bill-Bono-President-Clinton-U2-frontman-dine-Denver-opt-healthy-option-power-lunch.html#ixzz3caP76d2U.

Above, President Clinton, Bono and Chelsea Clinton. Below, Bono with PR pro Stefanie Jones.  (Photos courtesy of Humboldt)

The first of the Unwind summer series at the Denver Botanic Gardens invites guests to chill out from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday.

Each event has a different theme with a festive appetizer menu, special drinks and entertainment. The events are 21+ and crafted to present a different perspective of the Gardens with a drink in hand with the sun setting.

Thursday: Escape

There will be roaming performance artists, drinks (wine and local beer) and a movie theater themed appetizer menu with gourmet popcorn, a nacho counter and a 3D candy bar featuring popular movie favorites.

July 16: Elements

Celebrate plant science in the Science Pyramid and extract DNA from strawberries, sample food dipped in liquid nitrogen and test the oxygen bar. The signature drink mixes cucumber vodka, basil lemonade and black cherry boba (tapioca pearls). Other nibbles include flatbread, barbecued buffalo sausage and donut lollipops.

Aug. 13: Explore

Wander through beautiful gardens that showcase plants that grow around the globe including the Japanese Garden, the Bill Hosokawa Bonsai Pavilion, South African Plaza, Rock Alpine Garden, June’s PlantAsia and the Plains Garden with internationally themed food and entertainment.

Tickets are $40 for nonmembers, $30 for members and available at www.denverbotanicgardens.org.

Summer evenings in Olde Town Arvada will again come to life at the upcoming Second Saturday Street Festivals, presented by Historic Olde Town Arvada.

The music of top-notch local favorites Big Paddy, Under a Blood Red Sky and Hey, Lady! will echo down Grandview Avenue from 4:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 11, and Aug. 8. Visitors will find plenty of food choices, beer and wine, shopping options from vendor booths lining the street and a wide array of kids’ activities.

“Second Saturdays is now in its fourth year and has quickly become a summer tradition.  Our community loves to celebrate in Olde Town,” said Historic Olde Town Arvada President Karen Miller.  “What better way is there to spend a lovely Colorado summer evening than on Grandview Avenue enjoying the music, kids activities and our charming shops.  We hope more people discover these free events each year.”

Historic Olde Town Arvada will be closing down Grandview Avenue, just east of Olde Wadsworth Boulevard to Vance Street, for each 2^nd Saturday Street Festival. Entry is free of cost and all are invited to come. Tickets to purchase drinks will be sold at locations within the event area. Parking is free, with the best spots available in the long-term parking lots near the Jefferson County Library, the Vance Lot and the Vineyard Church.

For more information on these festivals, including vendor, volunteer, and sponsorship opportunities, visit the Historic Olde Town Arvada website at www.oldetownarvada.org

To celebrate independent business and the opening of its Cherry Creek location at 215 St. Paul, locally operated and employee-owned Alpine Bank is hosting “Indie-Pendence Day” in Cherry Creek North from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday by giving away $20 cash to consumers who present a receipt of purchase for $20 or more from a Cherry Creek North business.

Cherry Creek North is home to the largest gathering of independently owned stores in the region. Businesses participating in “Indie-Pendence Day” run the gamut from clothing stores to pet stores to restaurants and hotels and include neighborhood favorites such as: Garbarini, Le Soutien, Harriet’s, The North Face, Kouture, Mariel, Alicia, St. Croix, Vertu, Echo Consignment, Bloom Salon Plus, Simply Moore, Cucina Colore, Bad Daddy’s, Syrup, Mici’s Handcrafted Italian, Harman’s Eat & Drink, Pikka’s, Piatti, Cherry Cricket, Sugarlicious, Firefly, The Inn at Cherry Creek,C herry Creek Custom Floral, Scented Studio, Luca Décor, Show of Hands, Canvas and Cocktails, Castles Interiors, HMK, Twisted Tulip, Hermitage Booksellers, Two Pals and a Pup and many more.

For more information on Alpine Bank Cherry Creek’s Indie-Pendence Day promotion, visit the Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/events/1572081623042312/. The promotion is limited to one per person and is valid for the first 1,000 customers. Consumers must be 18 or older to participate.