Eavesdropping on a customer and a clerk at check-out at Trader Joe’s on Seventh and Logan: “I have to run to my car to get my bags out of my car.”

“There’s no running at Trader Joe’s, take your time.”

Moms and brunch are a long-standing relationship on Mother’s Day. Some local eateries which don’t regularly serve the mid-day meal, throw open their doors for this special event on Sunday.

And don’t fret if you’ve procrastinated at making a reservation, Eater Denver, the local edition of the national foodie website, has graciously compiled a guide to Mother’s Day brunches throughout the metro area.

Here’s what Eater said, “Celebrate mom with the perfect Mother’s Day brunch. Check out this year’s go-to restaurants that are serving it up special. From complimentary mimosas to special holiday menu items and buffets – there is something for every taste.”

Check out the list at www.denver.eater.com/maps/mothers-day-brunch-denver-boulder.

Another go-to website for brunch spots on Sunday is www.opentable.com.

On May 1, Good Times introduced all-natural, nitrate-free bacon in all of its locations across Colorado and Wyoming. The bacon has no added nitrates or hormones, is antibiotic-free, and meets standards for the humane treatment and raising of animals.

Good Times is a leader in the fast-food industry in educating and providing customers with preservative-free and antibiotic-free meats that are not only better for them, but better for the environment. This addition of the all-natural bacon adds to the company’s existing menu of all-natural beef and chicken.

To celebrate this new launch, Good Times is running a special at all of its locations this Friday through Sunday and will offer free bacon on any sandwich (two pieces) when a customer says, “#betterbacon.”

Colorado energy industry leaders will gather Wednesday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High for the state’s biggest energy education and collaboration event of the year: The Colorado Energy Expo.

This annual event showcases Colorado’s balanced energy economy, as Colorado ranks ninth in the nation for fossil fuel energy employment and sixth for clean-tech employment concentration.

With 4,270 energy companies in the state, employing 71,000 people, the Colorado Energy Expo provides the opportunity to demonstrate how this critical energy industry cluster affects our state’s economy. Hosted by the Metro Denver Economic Development Council’s industry affiliate, the Colorado Energy Coalition, this free event is open to the public. Here are 10 reasons why you should come “discover our energy”.

1: The Colorado School of Mines is the only university in the nation to offer baccalaureate through doctorate degrees in all key energy fields.

2: The number Colorado is ranked in the nation by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design building per capita, with 102 LEED certified projects.

3: Colorado’s economy ranks third in the U.S. by Business Insider for its large oil and mining sector.

4: Colorado is fourth-best in clean-tech leadership, according to Clean Edge, Inc., which factored in the region’s clean electricity, sustainable transportation, green building, regulations, incentives, financial capital and human capital.

5: Over the past five years, our state’s energy employment has grown by 29.5 percent and 29.1 percent, respectively, for fossil fuels and clean-tech jobs.

6: Denver International Airport generates solar power that currently accounts for six percent of the airport’s electricity needs, which in comparison, is enough energy to meet the needs of about 2,595 homes each year.

7: Colorado is the seventh-largest energy producer in the U.S., generating more energy than 15 states combined.

8: The number of major federal laboratories and research and development centers that call Colorado home, including:

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• National Center for Atmospheric Research
• Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
• U.S. Department of Energy
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• U.S. Geological Survey
• Western Area Power Administration

9: Denver ranks ninth of the top U.S. cities for electric vehicle friendliness, according to ChargePoint, the world’s largest EV charging network.

10: Colorado is ranked No. 10 of the Solar Energy Industries Association’s top solar states. Our state’s solar industry generates as much revenue as our top-ranked craft brewing industry.

The Energy Expo is free to the public and will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Register online at www.COEnergyExpo.org. Follow the Expo on Twitter: @COEnergyExpo,#DiscoverOurEnergy.

The Colorado Chocolate Festival features more than 80 chocolatiers and chocolate vendors from around the region, sampling and selling chocolates of all kinds today and Saturday at The Denver Mart (I-25 at 58th Avenue exit East). Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. today; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

Last year, more than 30,000 samples of chocolates and sweets were consumed by attendees at the Colorado Chocolate Festival. Attendees may also purchase pre-packaged chocolates from the booths to take home or give as gifts for Mother’s Day.

Chocolate and whiskey pairings, chocolate martinis, live music and more. Admission is $5. Tickets available at www.chocolate-festival.org.

Rockmount Ranch Wear, the Denver-based Western wear company, has been asked by the John Denver Estate to develop a special shirt collection to celebrate his music and cultural legacy.

“John holds a special place in American culture, especially the Rocky Mountain West,” said Steve Weil, Rockmount’s president and third generation owner. “In his honor, we have remade a number of designs he wore in floral prints, denim and embroidery. The shirts are a special limited edition.”

Weil is inviting folks to pick a favorite John Denver Collection Rockmount shirt design by going to www.surveymonkey.com. The winning shirt design will go into production and will be available to purchase this summer.

Eavesdropping on corporate phrases that would not work at home: “We need a deep-dive readout with our son’s teacher to drill down on collaborative skills. This is table stakes for his advancement to third grade.”

Here’s a best list I can get my beak around.

Thrillist.com, the arbiter of all things “best” in Denver’s food world, has assembled a coop of 13 local eateries serving the best fried chicken, in the opinion of the Thrillist hipsters.

And although fried chicken heads up my last meal wish list, I can’t say I have found a place yet that makes me want to scratch my way back over and over again. Lou’s FoodBar, mentioned first on the Thrillist list comes closest, but I am willing to try out the rest of the top chick picks to find a fave.

Here’s what Thrillist said, “If good fried chicken were as easy to come by as it is to describe, there’d be a lot fewer vegetarians in the world. When it’s crunchy and well-seasoned on the outside yet tender and juicy on the inside, resistance is futile. But far too often, the skin is doughy or dripping grease or peeling off like a nasty scab while the meat is half-raw or dry and stringy. Then no one eats it, and everyone’s depressed that a bird had to die for nothing, and the herbivores win.

Fortunately, 13 places help preserve the integrity of the food chain by serving the best damn fried chicken in and around Denver.

The list: Lou’s FoodBar, Sunnyside; Welton Street Cafe, Five Points; CoraFaye’s Cafe, Park Hill; African Grill & Bar, Green Valley Ranch; The Asian Cajun, Southwest Denver; Funny Plus, Aurora; Jamaican Grill, Santa Fe Art District; Kirk’s Soul Kitchen, Aurora; Jus Cookin’s Restaurant, Lakewood; Jezebel’s Southern Bistro & Bar, LoHi; The BSide, Uptown; Block & Larder, Berkeley; The Post Brewing Co., Lafayette. And assorted special mentions.

Check out the whole story at www.thrillist.com/eat/denver/the-best-fried-chicken-in-denver.

Fried chicken at Lou’s Food Bar on 38th Avenue.

Wheat Ridge’s Historical Society will present its May Festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The free outdoor/indoor festival will be held at the Wheat Ridge Historic Park at 46th Avenue and Robb Street and will provide a day-filled with entertainment and pioneer history.

Festival activities/features include:

* A children’s Maypole dance – a tradition that dates back to 16^th Century Europe.

* Performances by local bluegrass and Celtic musicians.

* A traditional lunch cooked on an antique, wood-burning stove.

* Antique appraisals performed by internationally renowned dealer and appraiser Eron Johnson. Appraisals will be available for five dollars per piece from noon to 4 p.m. Money raised from the event will fund museum maintenance.

* Knitting, quilting and rug making demonstrations.

* Vintage car displays.

The event will also feature guided tours of the five buildings at the 160-acre park, which include the James H. Baugh House, the oldest cabin still on its original site in Colorado;  Wheat Ridge’s first post office, the Coulehan-Johnson Cabin, a red brick classic cottage built in 1910 and the Sod House, a National Historic Landmark.

For more information about the festival, visit the historical society’s website at  www.wheatridgehistoricalsociety.org/Joomla/ or check out the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/events/470259743138507/.