What We Learned From the Small Ship Cruising Expo, Denver

The cruise industry has become one of the fastest-growing tourist sectors in recent years. Yahoo Finance reports that the cruise ship market is predicted to be worth $16.7 billion by 2031 from $8 billion in 2021. This has led to exciting innovations across cruise liners, with many companies showcasing their experiences at the annual Denver Small Ship Cruising Expo (SSCE) held this year in March.

The Expo is where cruise companies, including Crystal Cruises, Explora Journeys, and Regent Seven Seas, seasoned travelers, and enthusiastic cruisers come together to share upcoming events and experiences. If you were unable to attend this year's expo in March, here’s what we learned:

Small ships offer unique experiences

Small ships have one advantage over larger cruise ships—they can course through rivers and narrower channels. This is why some small ship cruise lines are preparing to offer unique experiences, like passing through a river for a more intimate traverse through a town.

Earlier this year, Emerald Cruises released two new itineraries in its 2024 European river collection. This includes a fifteen-day “Discover the Rivers of France and Portugal” trip, where travelers can visit and explore more inland destinations, including the Alsace Wine Route in eastern France or the Douro and Côa Valley in Portugal. With this type of trip, cruisers won’t be limited to coastline destinations.

A wider range of options for luxury expeditions

With the cruise industry seeing an increased interest in recent years, more passengers are looking for experiences above the usual cruise trip. And many vacationers are looking for luxury experiences in the countries they visit.

SSCE exhibitor Explora Luxury Cruises launched their first ship this year, and they offer bespoke luxury expeditions for their passengers. The company has wide-arching itineraries in Iceland, Greenland, India, and Africa, as well as the Mediterranean and Western Europe through their “Beyond Boundaries” and “Enchanting Explorations” expeditions. Their “Beyond Boundaries” expeditions will give passengers the opportunity to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences, such as exploring polar mountain peaks and deep ocean trenches, while their “Enchanting Explorations” are expeditions for small groups that want to pursue unique experiences. For example, the small groups can explore the Mykonos coastline or seek solace in the Sistine Chapel after it’s closed to the public. As Explora demonstrated at the SSCE, cruise vacations are becoming much more tailored experiences for those looking for some adventure alongside their relaxation.

Expeditions targeted toward food lovers

The off-season is typically slow for cruise lines, as few travelers take expeditions due to unfavorable weather conditions and other factors.

Atlas Ocean Voyages plans to change this by appealing to foodies during the off-season. They decided to create an expedition focused on food in the Mediterranean, so guests could continue to explore through food despite the cooler temperatures. Their Epicurean Expeditions will feature guest chefs who will give cooking demos and get into friendly competitions with the staff, giving guests a more immersive Mediterranean cruise experience.

What to expect from the SSCE in the future

Because of what we’ve discussed above, you may be looking forward to the upcoming SSCEs. If you'd like a taste of the future, here are some of the things you might expect to see.

Escalon Times reveals that small-ship luxury cruises are increasing in demand, as these are more spacious and provide better service. That means developments from existing exhibitors such as Explora Luxury Cruises and Emerald Cruises. Some recent advancements from these brands in this vein include the Explora I, a smaller yet still luxury line of ships that still accommodates a record number of ocean residences for discerning travelers, and Emerald Cruises, expanding their itineraries to more European rivers in the near future.

Another thing to look forward to is more zero-emission trips, especially for eco-conscious travelers. SSCE exhibitor Hurtigruten plans to utilize AI to monitor cruises’ energy and water consumption and sails with solar panels, so expect more sustainable travels to the Norwegian fjords and Antarctica.

Expos give you insight into upcoming events and activities regarding your favorite pastimes or hobbies. If you are interested in travel, you will also enjoy

Flight to Luxury—a showcase of Denver’s elite jets, exotic cars, and live entertainment. Like the SSCE, it is a great place to learn about the latest travel trends. For similar articles, keep browsing through Ultra5280.

Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns! Oh My Gourd!

The Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, responsible for the 13th Floor haunted houses among other things, is back and ready for spooky season! A much more family friendly approach than their past projects, Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns is an all ages, inexpensive way to get your fall fix! 

Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns at Hudson Gardens (located at 6115 S. Santa Fe Dr. in Littleton)  is an immersive art experience that contains over 7,000 hand carved pumpkins and displays! This isn’t just a display of single, carved pumpkins, but a true exhibition of what can be done with these incredible gourds! A multitude of themes are included in this magical endeavor, including dinosaurs, Disney characters, fine art, and even some of your favorite actors! Complemented by lights, Halloween sounds, and smoke, there is absolutely something for everyone around every bend of this experience (including carnival treats like fried Oreos, funnel cakes, and BEER!) 

Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns is definitely a great seasonal option to take your littles to enjoy the fun of Halloween without the element of fear, or for your older friends who may not like to be scared but still want to participate in the fall festivities. This event runs through October 31st and tickets are available here. 

Written by Lina Skrzypczak


Adidas Releases Yeezy Foam Runners in Ochre

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Kanye West’s collaboration line with Adidas recently dropped a new version of the Yeezy Foam Runner in a new color. This comes hot on the heels of West releasing his contentious album, Donda, which has caused plenty of controversy. West initially introduced the album (then in progress) via Twitter in 2020, and not long after, snippets from the new album were leaked.

Vox reports that Donda had originally been scheduled for release on July 24 of the same year as tweeted, and quickly deleted, by Kanye himself. But his plans of dropping Donda never came to fruition in 2020 and he gave no explanation to fans as to why. On top of the album fiasco, the past year has been quite tumultuous for the rapper’s personal life: losing the presidential election and rumors about the end of his marriage have been rife.

Despite the trials and tribulations of the past year, West was able to release the album, but not without problems. There was a severe backlash when the artist collaborated with Marilyn Manson and DaBaby, both of whom are known to be rather problematic to say the least – they're alleged sexual abusers and homophobic, respectively. And although Donda was able to debut at number 1 on the Billboard 200 charts, it was quickly overtaken by Drake’s Certified Lover Boy which was released just a week after.

West is obviously not going to let his competition overshadow him and has since announced the release of a new color for his Yeezy Foam Runner line to help continue the hype around his brand. The Yeezy line has been immensely successful since its initial release with Adidas in 2015. Forbes reports how the brand reached $1.5 billion in value in 2019. And it's expected to spike with this new album release. This shows how successful the collaboration is and how high the demand for Yeezys is.

The new Yeezy colorway is set to be called Ochre, and as the name suggests, the new shoe drop is expected to have an earthy, yellow shade. The teased photos of the new color closely resemble clay with its muted tinge. The shoe, which boasts an interesting and unique design, is built for comfort and maximum airflow. It was released on September 18 and is available on the Adidas CONFIRMED app and in select stores.

The Foam Runner’s interesting design is an example of how the shoe industry is creating daring designs mixed with usability and star power. Other brands like Nike have been creating new ways to make their products more eye-catching and noteworthy, like re-releasing long-term partner Drake’s CLB collaboration. The label also recently held a celebration showcasing their well-known Air Max where people could acquire Air Max-themed art in an auction. Just like Adidas, Nike is banking on iconic shoe models and collaborations with A-list artists to get ahead.

For Adidas, Kanye West's new shoe release is expected to sell out quickly, similar to how the Yeezy Boost 350 sold out in minutes. The bold design shows how the shoe world is changing and leaning into creating more artsy pieces. This is a trend that will most likely continue in the years to come, and you can expect big names like Kanye West to continue being involved.

I Scream, You Scream, Lowry Screams For Gelato

I Scream Gelato, the Colorado based dessert restaurant, is set to open their newest location in the Lowry neighborhood of Denver on July 15.

The gourmet gelato shop, with locations in both Frisco and Breckenridge, Colo., puts a new twist on the classic Italian dessert. Serving traditional gelato flavors like vanilla and hazelnut alongside eccentrically delicious flavors like donut and cotton candy, I Scream Gelato has a little something for everybody. 


I Scream Gelato has “over 100 archived flavors and features 32 flavors at a time in-shop,” said store manager Ben Paningbatan. The rotating menu offers no room for disappointment and includes vegan, gluten-free and nut-free options. Guests are welcomed to unlimited samples of the unique flavors before making that ever so difficult choice of what flavor to enjoy. To provide maximum freshness each batch of gelato is only available in the shop for no more than 24 hours, making each returning trip feel like the very first time again. “There are three chefs working on-site making the gelato daily,” Paningbaton said. The shop's menu also features a variety of other artisanal desserts including intricate milkshakes, gelato smoothies, bubble waffle cones and an assortment of espresso beverages with espresso provided by Whiskey Barrel Coffee, another local establishment. 

The newest location welcomes guests into what owners Nadav Abergel and Yuval Fuchs describe as, “an authentic gelato experience,” with an Instagram worthy floral-wall that is brightly illuminated by a radiant pink neon sign reading the shop's name. Guests are met with a spacious interior ample for indoor seating. The soft-pink walls paired with contrasting green plants help create an environment that would feel wrong not to enjoy a sweet treat in. 

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I Scream Gelato is located at 63 Quebec St. and will be open daily from 10 a.m to 9 p.m. 

Words and images by Patrick Haney

Cheesman Bark's Charlie Brown Holiday Portraits

Good grief! The holidays are upon us and it’s only appropriate that we celebrate with portraits of our pups. Thursday December 6th, CheesmanBark will be photographing pups in honor of the beloved Charlie Brown character, Snoopy.

We will be creating a custom photo set that will include this iconic scene from Charlie Brown! A sad Christmas tree and a reproduction of Snoopy’s doghouse will bring the set, and your pups pic, to life!

As if you needed another reason to attend, 10% of all of the portrait sales will go to the MaxFund Animal Adoption Center! A wonderful organization who we are proud to align with once again.

CheesmanBark’s Charlie Brown Holiday Portraits:

Thursday Dec 6th 6-8pm @ Skylight

There will be 100 portrait spots for this event and it’s sure to sell out! As of right now, we will only be accepting online reservations.

Each portrait spot is $40 and will include just a few minutes in front of the lens. The purchase of $40 include one printable digital image. Additional images are $25

We’ve done over 40 of these events and typically photograph between 7 and 9 dogs every ten minutes! 1-3 minutes is enough for you to have 3-5 GREAT images to choose from.

IMPORTANT: We will only be photographing one dog per portrait spot, so if you have multiple dogs you must purchase multiple spots! No exceptions!

Things you can do to make sure your dog is a perfect poser:

Exercise them before they come

Arrive early 15-20 minutes early to let them sniff the area and get comfortable

Practice sit and stay in an environment of high stimulation

If your pet has reactivity concerns, let us know! We will gladly make accommodations to ensure your pet’s portrait experience is a successful one!

Pepper X Ultra5280: Bad-ass Babes Behind Denver Based Brassieres

Photos courtesy of Jaclyn Fu

We decided to highlight Denver based brand Pepper, for small boobies, and bad asses alike, take a peek into the journey of Jaclyn Fu.

Tell me a little about yourself, and the brand, Pepper? You must’ve reached a point where underrepresentation got frustrating if you were possessed to start your own brand. Do you feel as though the brand represents you as a person? 

I'm Jaclyn Fu, Co-founder & CEO of Pepper, the first and only body positive bra company for small-chested women that wants you to celebrate your body exactly as it is. Pepper was very much inspired by own frustrations of not being able to find a bra that fit because my size is typically an afterthought for bra companies. The brand does reflect my views on promoting self love and inclusivity, but more-so it represents our vibrant community of women who may be small but are mighty.

How do you even begin a project like this? How does one begin to make a model of a bra? 

Good question, my co-founder Lia and I had zero bra design experience when we started! We did get really good at talking to potential customers and listening to their pains, so we used that research to help design what a better fitting bra for this audience could look and feel like. We started by talking to friends, family, even people I met on Craigslist, to try to understand why current bras don't fit and how it makes them feel. We then did a lot of market research and came up with hypotheses on how to improve on the designs that are out there.

What struggles did you face getting started? Did anyone give you slack for what you wanted to bring onto the market? 

It was a constant uphill battle to show we were onto something with Pepper. We were doing something completely new, made most men uncomfortable to talk about, and so had a hard time being taken seriously. However we were able to find some really awesome investors who believe in us and our mission and are grateful to partner with them now to bring Pepper to the masses.

So after the Kickstarters extreme success (470% in the first 13 days is wild, btw), did you get reached out to by major brands/distributors? Who will be carrying Pepper? 

We are a direct-to-consumer brand, so for the time being will only be selling online. This allows us to really get to know our customers and develop authentic relationships with them so we can keep creating designs they'll love. We are open to major distributors in the future, however.

 

What is next for the brand? What’s next for you?

Our customers are already asking for more styles! We're currently working on a new wireless bra, and expanding our All You Bra collection with more colors and fabrics. We're also doing a lot of thinking on what it means to be a body positive brand and how we can live our ethos in everything that we do. For myself, I'm fired up to take Pepper to the next level and make an impact on an industry that hasn't been disrupted in so long!

 

What’s your favorite boobie related saying/slogan/catch phrase/silly saying? 

Embrace the 'flat' in flattering ;)

Thank you for being a Denver babe, working hard to represent all of us. Now onto a few random questions I’m sure our readers will be keen on learning about you. 

Favorite musician lately? I've been listening to a lot of Bazzi, Anthony Russo and Post Malone 
 

Favorite Denver hangout for a drink? for food? for music?

Bar Dough and Sushi Den are a few of my favorite restaurants. Love getting drinks at Death & Co and dancing at Temple!
 

Favorite Denver store?

Alas, I don't do much shopping anymore (the founder life)

Shop the brand at https://www.wearpepper.com/.

Our Take On The Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino

As many of you have seen, the latest craze taking over the internet today just so happens to be the newest flavored coffee drink compliments of Starbucks. I woke up this morning to an alert on my phone from Postmates informing me that they were delivering these delightful and colorful concoctions for free. Whats better than free? So I proceeded to order mine and within a few minutes my drink arrived at my doorstep. At first glance I wasn't sure what I was even about to consume. The colors looked bright with radiant pinks and subtle undertones of light blue. For the sake of journalism I dove right into what I consider one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Not only was the drink salty, but it also managed to feel like I was drinking a combination of sludge from a Lisa Frank factory. The tartness mixed with the sweetness confused my palate and I probably won't be able to recover for a few days. Kudos to Starbucks for a well thought out viral campaign that is currently blowing up the internet. Don't believe us look up the hashtag #unicornfrappuccino on Instagram (BeEWARNED). Read the official description of the drink below.

The flavor-changing, color-changing, totally not-made-up Unicorn Frappuccino. Magical flavors start off sweet and fruity transforming to pleasantly sour. Swirl it to reveal a color-changing spectacle of purple and pink. It's finished with whipped cream-sprinkled pink and blue fairy powders.

Denver's Weekend Lineup

Whether you're soaking up the sun in the mountains or exploring our urban jungle, there's plenty to do in the Mile High City this weekend. From experiencing the top 50+ eateries for $50 at The Big Eat, tasting the globe at a free downtown Bazaar, dancing at summer block parties, catching Pokemon at BBQs, enjoying live music and more... Here's Ultra5280's guide of what to do this weekend!

The Big Eat @ the Galleria at the Denver Performing Arts Complex 7/14

Curated by EatDenver, Big Eat celebrates celebrate Denver's food, art, and drink community. The giant party is a slice of Denver's thriving cultural scene. Bringing together 50+ locally owned and operated restaurants, tickets include unlimited bites, beer, wine, and cocktails.

Alf Queso 45+1 DJ set with Chris Dismuke @ Illegal Pete's Colfax 7/14

Free show starts at 9pm. Happy hour also runs 3-8pm daily.

Keystone Wine and Jazz Festival @ Keystone Resort 7/15

The Keystone Wine and Jazz Festival features classes, live music, seminars, tastings and more.

RNDZVS: Surf Rock Party @ Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art 7/15

The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting a Surf Rock Party, the second event in its youth-oriented RNDZVS series. “This is a brand-new pop-up series for the 21-and-up crowd that targets places often overlooked and underused,” says BMoCA’s director of education, Nicole Dial-Kay.

Call to Arms Brewing Company Anniversary Party @ 4526 Tennyson 7/16

Celebrating the anniversary of their first year open here in Denver with a day-long celebration with live music, 15 beers on tap, BBQ and carnival games with prizes.

LODOlympics @ Starts at Blake Street Tavern 3-9pm 7/16

Five different LoDo bars will host different drinking games–beer pong, corn hole, flip cup and more. Expect free food from burritos to brats, a raffle for Rockies tickets and huge prizes including a $500 private party at Blake Street Tavern. Tickets run $10-15.

The Mile High Global Bazaar @ Skyline Park 7/15, 16 & 17

A 3-day annual celebration of international cultures, arts, crafts, merchandise, food, and music. The event will consist of exhibitors from around the globe representing a vast array of cultures and goods. This event will also feature several live concerts featuring world music, belly dancers, and other entertainers.

Comedian Nikki Glaser 7:15pm, 9:45pm @ Comedy Works South 7/15 & 16

One Flew West @ Fox Theater Boulder 7/16

With The Longest Day of the Year & Whiskey Autumn

The String Cheese Incident @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre 7/15, 16, & 17th

Denver Deluxe Music Festival @ Park Burger RiNo 7/16

Mini music festival and block party presented by Park Burger featuring 10 Barrel Brewing Co. and a handful of Reggae, Jam, Rock, and Blues bands with The Original Wailers headlining. Tickets run $20-30, check Ultra5280’s social media accounts on how to win tickets!

Mini Pokémon GO meet-up @ The promenade by the boathouse in City Park, Denver 7/17

The Pokemon Trainer community in Denver will be meeting up for a fun-filled day of gotta-catch-em-all this Sunday 2-6pm.

Squeaky Bean Farm + Table Dinner @ Acres Farm 7/17

The special dinner will include dishes prepared from fresh produce for a four course dinner highlighting the "progression of a goat." http://www.thesqueakybean.com/#!product-page/niuhf/4d175ca2-0d85-d122-c3e4-f890ebb90962

Candlebox @ Hodi's Half Note 19th and Blake 7/17

Presented by 94.3 and Soda JerkWith Lullwater, Temple Agents.

Sufjan Stevens @ Red Rocks 7/18

With special guests RHYE 7:30pm

 

The Best of Denver Comic Con 2016

One of the lucky things we get to do around here is let our guard down from time to time, in other words reach into our inner geek sanctum. Let's all face it we all have a bit of nerd inside us all. Our fair city played host (to among what seemed 300 other events) the Denver Comic Con on Father's Day weekend. With record breaking numbers upwards of 110,000+ it was the place to be. Three days full of panels, vendors, cosplay, sci-fi and fantasy and more. In fact Denver's version of comic con although still in it's infancy has become one of the biggest in the country trailing only cons in San Diego and New York.

Record attendance of upward of 110,000+ at this years Denver Comic Con

Denver Comic Con as mentioned has only been around for five years but has already made its mark amongst the youth in our city by promoting Pop Culture Classroom. This initiative aims to provide kids an outlet at con to attend and participate in panels, workshops, and use the abundance of resources provided by some of the industry's most beloved professionals in the field. Everything from storytelling to drawing are part of this event and seeing kids use their creativity is something we loved seeing as we witnessed it for three days.

Toys, Toys, and more Toys!!!

Another part of Denver Comic Con is the massive showroom that takes residency at the convention center. This is full of vendors hawking everything from posters to exclusive toys to one of a kind comic books. In fact if you have never attended a comic con set aside some funds as you will spend money one way or another. We found ourselves geeking out over toys all over the place, and yes we did overspend our budget, but hey that's part of attending an event like this. One of our favorite things is getting to sample the official beer of Comic Con every year by Breckenridge Brewery. This year they unveiled their Snape-ricot Ale which also came with an awesome collectors pint. 

Heeelllooo Harley!

The War Boys were in the building!

On elf the other highlights of every comic con is people dressed in cosplay every year. This isn't your typical Halloween party get up either. We are talking crazy, over the top, insane costumes. Some so good you would think they were straight from the movie studio. As with every year we notice trends of popular characters every year, for example last year you couldn't turn left or right without seeing somebody dressed as Deadpool. This year we managed to see our fair amount of Rey from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a few from Mad Max: Fury Road, but probably the most popular would be Harley Quinn from the upcoming Suicide Squad movie. They were everywhere, we even managed to see a male Harley Quinn (we are still trying to unsee that as we speak). Aside from cosplay one of the other awesome opportunities is getting to see some of tv and movies best in the celebrity area. This year the main attraction was none other than the legendary Stan Lee. He had lines wrapped around the convention all three days with most people waiting hours just to meet and have their photo taken with the main responsible for introducing us to all of our childhood (and adult) superheroes. Other notables were casts from Game of Thrones, Gotham, The Karate Kid, and more. Walking around and seeing Ralph Macchio, it was hard not to think about the importance of "the crane" technique and how it has revolutionized the modern art of kung-fu. Anyways, this was by far the best Denver Comic Con that we have covered and we expect it to keep growing and growing. We will be at San Diego Comic Con in a few weeks and cannot wait to report back from San Diego stay tuned. Check out our slideshow of some of the best images we captured!

Lifestyle | Bud & Burgers Street Festival Presented by Budweiser | June 4, 2016 | 35th and Walnut

As the weather begins to heat up here in the Mile High City, the city of Denver becomes a playground for any enthusiast of the outdoors. This Saturday RiNo (35th and Walnut) will play host to amazing event featuring two of our favorite things...Burgers & Bud.

Beer season is officially here! And what better way to enjoy a cool, refreshing beer than with a delicious burger and listening to some great music. Join Budweiser as they sponsor the Bud and Burgers Street Festival at 35th and Walnut in RiNo. 

Music performances by Barns Courtney, Pandas and People, and AJ Fullerton will be on hand to get the vibes going. Various Denver chefs will be on hand sampling their awesome burger creations. The event is free to those 21+. We will be there with our burger cravings and thirst quenching Budweiser. #ThisBudsForYou #BudandBurgers #sponsored

Lifestyle | The Great American Beer Festival | Review and Photos

The Great American Beer Festival is all about tradition and the present day festival lives up to the high standards set in the earlier years. For example, the first GABF steins were made completely out of glass (whose great idea it was to give a bunch of drunks glass, is beyond us). But, each time someone dropped their cup, the hall would erupt in laughter and shame the poor soul. So now, whenever you hear someone oooh, ahhh, laugh, point, gawk or squeal at someone who has just dropped their tasting cup, it is only the sweet sound of tradition rearing it’s devious head. And it is tradition in itself that has made the GABF the monumental event that it is today. It’s a bunch of easy-going beer lovers, getting together to nerd out and celebrate the artistry of craft beer. And hey, if they can laugh at a few drunk bozos who drop their glass, then it only adds to the fun. 

We were honored and more than excited to cover this year’s festival. If something is going to get us up by noon on a Saturday, you can bet your ass it’s beer. The event was put together very nicely, with minimal to non-existent lines and an eager to help/knowledgeable staff, we were given the tools to explore and make the event our own. With that being said, even if we were sober (which we definitely were not) I still think we would have had a difficult time navigating the arena. The Mountain region was somehow everywhere and nowhere. First it was upper right then it somehow migrated towards the midwest? A thought for next year would be to map it out like America and have the Eastern breweries be on the East and the Western breweries on the West. But what do we know (seriously…) we’re just a couple drunks that were too lazy to open our directory. An added bonus of not knowing where we were was that we threw caution (our detailed and thought out lists) to the wind and followed our beer bellies to the next thrill. Which was everywhere.

Remember that scene in Family Guy where he gets locked in the brewery and drinks his way out? Well, that’s what the Great American Beer Festival is like, except you’re drinking rare, expensive craft beer and there is no bottom of the distilling vessel. With over 750 breweries in the brewery hall and 3,800 beers served there was no possible way to try them all… We don’t all have the tolerance of Peter Griffin.. But with that being said, there were a few that stood out to us.

Mcclain Morris (Lifestyle Editor)

1. Goose Island Beer Company: Lolita

2. Black Bottle: Cerealiously Count Chocula

3.  Revolver Brewing: Sangre Y Miel

4.  Deschutes: Zarabanda Saison

5.  The Perch Pub & Brewery: Perch Belgian Peach 

Matt Smith (Photographer)

1.  Almanac Brewery: Valley of The Heart's Delight

2.  All Rise Brewery: Three Orange Wit

3.  The Collective Brewery: Petite Golden Sour

4.  Santa Fe Brewery:  Los Innovadores Kriek

5.  Dry Dock Brewery: Apricot Blonde Sour

Robert Castro (Managing Editor)

1.  Revolver Brewing: Blood and Honey

2.  Avery Brewing Company:  Rumpkin

3.  Short's Brewing Company: Key Lime Pie

4. Boston Beer Co:  Sam Adam's Utopias

5.  512 Brewery: Pecan Porter

Click Here for a list of complete winners.

Best Booth: Uintas Brewing

Best place to get this adorable glass mustaches: Squatters Brewing

Best use of a can for a necklace: Oskar Blue's

Best use of marketing: Bull and Bush photo cut-out.

Overheards:

"I think this was made with real blood"-random white dude

"I don't understand all the pretzel necklaces"-random white girl

"Do they have a happy hour here?"-Anonymous

"Where is the wine section?"-Kristal (I think that was her name)

"I could do this all day!"-Castro "sampling" Twin Peaks Brewing

From small to large, each brewery is just living out their own unique version of the American Dream. And it warms our heart and our cheeks to watch it all unfold during this one monumental event. From finding our new favorite beers, getting a fake tattoo sleeve and downing an entire bag of GF pretzels, we had the time of our life. And we owe it all to you… GABF. Until next year… Our livers could use a break. 

Lifestyle | Wanderlusting in Aspen-Snowmass | Review

Wanderlust Festival (Photo Credit: Ali Kaukas)

Wanderlust Festival bestowed the gift of positive energy, music, healthy eats, and, of course, delicious yoga over July 4th weekend. Aspen, Colorado is one mountain town that needs no introduction. The sweeping landscape, the sunshine, the fresh air, and the plethora of outdoor sports is a haven for a mindful festival like Wanderlust Festival. 

The layout of the festival was vaster than in past years at Copper Mountain. It forced you to unintentionally explore Snowmass Village, either by gondola or hike, from one end to the other.  The festival staff did a tremendous job of turning conference room spaces into a pseudo yoga studio with different lighting, rugs, and geometric altars donned with organic trinkets. The space felt intentional and inviting. This is something that in past years was not given any attention so it felt like you were doing yoga in, well, a conference room. Not the most grounding experience.

Wanderlusting in Aspen (Photo Credit: Ali Kaukas)

The festival has evolved and seen improvements, much like the yoga spaces, in other areas as well. The music scene had more variety, which catered to a wider crowd. Of course, the resident dj’s, Moby and DJ Drez, were both present. Singer-songwriter Nikki Lane offered a style different from the eclectic, electronic beats we’re used to hearing at Wanderlust. The folk-rock vocals were the perfect pair to a cloudless afternoon. High and Mighty Brass Band had a lively, party-like way of having a presence. Throughout the festival they would stop, drop, and get down. It could be mid-afternoon amongst a sea of people hustling from class to class and they were shaking Snowmass Village with their buoyant sound, reminding attendees that it’s okay to slow down and shimmy and shake with a stranger! Sometimes yoga can be so serious and personal that we forget the community aspect. Live music brings out the creativity and movement that is a delicious compliment to an inward practice.

Wanderlust Festival Aspen-Snowmass (Photo Credit: Ali Kaukas)

The festival was a beautiful success, per usual. We can’t say enough of the venue, the people, the teachers, and the vendors. It’s a weekend well worth the dollar spent as you leave feeling fulfilled and rejuvenated. As a teacher, I left feeling inspired by my fellow yogis who consistently push themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually. This festival has seen tremendous growth over the past few years, spanning the world, and I can’t wait to find out where they will go next. I am appreciative that they allowed us to capture the journey and share it with you. 

-Amanda Spilos

Lifestyle | Totally Tennyson Street Crawl

This past Saturday, April 25th was the 5th annual Totally Tennyson 70s-90s themed street crawl. Many of the restaurants, bars, shops, and businesses located on Tennyson from W. 35th to 46th Avenues open up to attendees and offer a “free” takeaway with ticket purchase. Tickets cost $25 with proceeds going directly to 15 local participating schools and includes an awesome 80's cover concert from the 6 Million Dollar Band at the Oriental Theater.

This was my second time attending and my friends and I had a totally fun night! We started at 6pm at Elitch Lanes (which closes May 18th FYI) on the North end, checking in to receive our punch card with all the destinations that were giving things away. Before even leaving that parking lot we received samples from Little Man Ice Cream, some candy, and my friend won two Colorado Rapids tickets from a spin the wheel game! From there we waited in a few different lines to receive a beer sample, food bites, or to browse in some boutiques. About an hour after we began, we reached the South end and took a break to grab a drink and mingle at Local 46. They have a big bar with a pool table and a nice outdoor patio with a bar, tables, fire pits, cornhole, and lots of greenery. 

As we danced our way up the other side of Tennyson we came across a parking lot dance party, a few good-looking new restaurants, and then one more dance party at The Berkeley Inn. After a free beer sample and some dancing we waited a couple minutes for the party bus. Yep, the event had a party bus open to everyone with an event ticket so you could quickly and easily get from one end to the other. It was 9pm and time for us to hit the party bus so we could get to the concert! The party bus lived up to its name as people, myself included, were dancing, sharing pizza, and chatting all under black lights with crazy laser light specks. 

The Oriental Theater was packed full of fun-lovin, costume-wearin people, just as I’d remembered from my first experience. Both times the culminating concert was the highlight of my night and the 6 Million Dollar Band rocked our tube socks off! They played all the best hits from the 80s and sprinkled in a few 70s and 90s jams. My friends and I managed to get front row center and danced our fannies off past midnight. 

If you love a good decade-themed crawl or live cover bands I highly recommend getting tickets to Totally Tennyson next year. We had a great time, got our money’s worth of free samples, discovered some cool new eateries, and danced our way though the 70's, 80's, and 90's. On top of all that we helped raise money for Denver’s public schools, with a total of over $140,000 in the past four years. 

http://www.totallytennyson.com
http://www.theorientaltheater.com
http://www.elitchbowling.com
http://www.local46bar.com

Tiffany Candelaria 

Lifestyle | Illegal Pete's | "Smother It" For Autism

Smother it, for Autism that is. Our favorite philanthropic, punk, burrito haven, Illegal Pete's announced their third annual campaign to benefit The Joshua School & individuals affected by Autism during the entire month of April. It's a win win for the charitable burrito lovers of Colorado (which is like every citizen of our fine square state).

DEETS:

  • For every smothered burrito, $1 is donated to Joshua School
  • This year's funds benefit the Music Therapy program

EATS:

Smothered burritos.

DO GOODS:

  • Illegal Pete's will donate $1 to The Joshua School every time someone smothers their burrito.
  • Customers can donate in $1 increments and mark their donation with leaves to write their name on.
  • Customers can also "round up" their orders as a donation through Pete's Mobile.

Get your eat on for a good cause this April. Trust us, there's nothing better than a Pete's burrito smothered in pork green chile. Trust. Us.

INFORMATION:

www.illegalpetes.com, www.joshuaschool.org