Project Style Denver is holding a Holiday Art and Gift Market, to benefit The Conflict Center, from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at 4140 Tejon St.

The market will host a selection of vendors with art, handmade and unique gifts; with 20 percent of the sales benefiting The Conflict Center. For more information, go to www.conflictcenter.org.

After a major renovation, Crave restaurant in The Spire building at 891 14th St. will celebrate its grand re-opening at 5 p.m. Dec. 11.

Crave will be introducing an expanded concept as a full-service restaurant rather than just a dessert bar with chef-inspired entrees, whimsical small plates, handcrafted plated desserts, wine bar and a local beer list.

Crave’s “shareable” menu features small plates like green curry potstickers and bacon-wrapped dates with apricot goat cheese, plus charcuterie boards with prosciutto, in-house pickling and house-made mustard. Full entrees such as whiskey grilled salmon and chicken carbonara round out the menu. The Crave pastry team whips up an array of desserts, including banana cream cake and coconut milk scones. The whole pastry menu can be paired with lively cocktails, port wines, champagne, coffee or espresso.

“We are excited to unveil our expanded space to accommodate more diners, as well as events,” said Crave owner Allen Milham. “Our venue can host anything from rehearsal dinners and weddings, to corporate meetings, holiday parties and more. Our chefs will customize a menu to make your event a standout. Our grand opening will be an event to remember, as guests sample our latest menu offerings while enjoying laid-back glamor and music mixed by a DJ.”

Guests will walk a red carpet to enter the grand reopening event, where Crave will serve signature handcrafted cocktails at happy hour prices, along with complimentary hors d’oeuvres from the new menu.

More information at www.cravedenver.com.

Wheat Ridge’s newest pet grooming service, Muddy Paws Bath House, celebrates its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a pet-themed art show to raise money for a local shelter from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at 4332 Harlan St.

Muddy Paws offers full- and self-service pet washing and grooming. After six years in business, the shop relocated from its previous home in Denver to a bigger location in Wheat Ridge.

The new building provides owner Zia Meranto with more room and additional parking for her customers. The larger facility includes a walk-in tub to accommodate large or older dogs. Donations from the fundraiser go to Max Fund Adoption mobile. Muddy Paws will have a gallery full of pet-related art for sale for the whole month, a photo booth, refreshments and a pet adoption mobile vehicle from Max Fund.

Eavesdropping on a man having a beer at the 12 Volt Tavern in Olde Town Arvada: “You know you’re in a dive bar when they don’t ask you if you want a menu.”

It’s my birthday (Dec. 2) and I’m

taking the day off from writing my column. It’s girl’s prerogative after all. I’ll be back with more tidbits on Friday, Dec. 5.

The 40th annual 9News Parade of Lights, presented by American Furniture Warehouse and AutoNation, will march through downtown Denver beginning at 8 p.m. Friday and at 6 p.m. Saturday.

To whet your appetite for all that sparkles and shines, here are a few of the highlights.

• Clocktower Float: standing tall and proud. This is the tallest of all floats, reaching 22 feet when fully raised.
• Carousel Float: one of two floats in the Parade that are illuminated entirely with energy-saving LED lights.
• Your Keys to the City Float: play your way through the holidays. This float features two pianos similar to those that are placed along the 16th Street Mall through Dec. 30 as part of Downtown Denver’s public piano program. Local artist Eric Matelski painted the pianos, which will feature two musicians playing a duet of holiday tunes as the float moves along the Parade route.
• Marching Bands: This year, more than 600 band members will march in the Parade, with 250 hailing from Colorado State University’s Marching Band, the largest marching band in the state.
• Two New Balloons: A Snow Tiger and … a surprise you will have to come to see.  The Snow Tiger is 42 feet long, 15 feet tall and requires 2,500 cubic feet of helium to fill it each night. This white tiger is the largest balloon in the Parade. And, spectators won’t want to miss the surprise beloved character who joins the Parade of Lights family this year.
• Drumming Performances: Taiko and African drummers will share their cultural traditions with the Parade audience.

“The Parade of Lights began in 1975 as a way to bring people downtown during the holiday season,” said Susan Rogers-Kark, executive vice president, Downtown Denver Partnership. “Forty years later, with nearly 500,000 people watching the Parade each year in person or through one of four telecasts, the Parade has become a cherished and highly anticipated holiday tradition.”

The Parade of Lights begins from the Denver City and County Building at 14th and Bannock streets, where spectators can view the action by purchasing grandstand VIP tickets.  Spectators can view the Parade for free along the two-mile route on Tremont between 14th and 17th streets, on 17th Street from Tremont to Arapahoe, on Arapahoe between 17th and 15th streets and on 15th Street from Arapahoe to Glenarm. Visit www.downtowndenver.com to see the entire Parade route.

Tickets for grandstand VIP seating can be purchased through Altitude Tickets or by calling 1-866-461-6556. Tickets are $19 for adults and children 13 and older. Tickets for children ages 2-11 are $16. Children under 2 years of age are free if the child sits on the lap of a ticket holder. All tickets are $20 when purchased the day of the event.

Parade viewers are encouraged to utilize public transportation. The 16th Street Mall Shuttle provides free service and passes by the California, Stout and Union Station Light Rail Stations. Mall shuttles will not operate during the one-hour parade, but will be running before and after the parade. RTD’s Light Rail provides uninterrupted service before and after the Parade with parking available at RTD park-n-ride locations. The H, F and D-lines will bring spectators directly to the Parade route. However, during the Parade, these lines will be temporarily suspended on Stout and California between 14th and 18th streets, and passengers will need to get off at the Theatre District/Convention Center or 18th and Stout stations. For more information and light rail schedules, call RTD at 303.299.6000 or visit www.RTD-Denver.com.

For more information about the Parade of Lights, please visit www.DenverParadeOfLights.com.

The Cat Care Society, Lakewood’s cage-free shelter for homeless, abused and abandoned cats, will host its annual family friendly bake sale and craft bazaar  for the holiday season. The Santa Paws Festival, a feline fundraiser, returns for two days from noon to 5 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at The Cat Care Society, 5787 W. Sixth Ave., Lakewood.

Featuring baked goods, handcrafted items, cat toys and much more available for purchase at the CCS Meow Mart, all proceeds from the Santa Paws Festival benefit cats in need. In addition to scoring holiday treats and gifts, festival-goers can enter a drawing for prizes donated by artisans like Pandora, Trice Jewelers and Laurel Burch. On the second day of the festival, families can ring in the season with face painting and visits with Santa Paws.

‘The Santa Paws Festival is a treasured holiday tradition at our cat shelter,” said Jane Dorsey, Cat Care Society volunteer coordinator. “We’re proud to showcase the baking and crafting skills of our amazing volunteer corps, while welcoming the community into our facility to see the important work we’re doing to care for cats in need. Bringing the public into our shelter also helps to encourage cat and kitten adoptions into forever homes, which is our number-one goal at CCS.”

The Cat Care Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for homeless, injured and abused cats in the Denver metropolitan area. In an effort to prevent animal neglect and abuse, CCS offers educational programs that promote responsible pet ownership and humane treatment of all animals; provides shelter for cats in a healthy, cage-free environment and works to find compatible families for every feline that comes into the facility. The shelter provides a loving, temporary refuge for more than 50 cats at any given time, affordable veterinary services to the general public and a free food and litter bank for cat owners experiencing temporary financial challenges. For more information, please visit www.catcaresociety.org, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.

The Colorado Symphony and Imbibe Denver announce the return of Beethoven and Brews, an original fundraising series that celebrates music and Colorado beer while supporting the Colorado Symphony.

Tickets are now on sale for the next Beethoven and Brews event to be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at VFW Post #1 Gallery in the Santa Fe Arts District. The event is sponsored by Renegade Brewery, which will provide with four-ounce samples of their signature beers. In keeping with a holiday spirit, guests are encouraged to wear “ugly” holiday sweaters; sponsor Buffalo Exchange will have sweaters available for loan – and modeling in a photo booth.

Launched in 2013, Beethoven and Brews features small ensembles of Colorado Symphony musicians performing in casual, non-traditional venues, including art galleries and local breweries. Patrons enjoy an exclusive beer tasting paired with light hors d’oeuvres and musical performances. Proceeds from Beethoven and Brews support the Colorado Symphony

Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 on site/day of, and include four four-ounce pours. Additional beverage and signature Beethoven and Brews pint glasses will be available for purchase. A portion of each ticket purchase is tax deductible.

For tickets: www.coloradosymphony.org/Events/Beethoven-Brews.

The EatDenver Dining Deck is the gift that gives all year long with 52 $10 gift cards – a $520 value for $50 – redeemable at select EatDenver restaurants throughout 2015.

Dining Deck participants include EatDenver members Steuben’s, Duo, Linger, Mizuna, Tables and more. Dining Decks are available at Tattered Cover stores or online at www.eatdenver.com.