Sparkopolis is an annual "Anythink Style Party" and fundraiser type event. This was my first year…read moreattending and it was amazing! The library was turned into a gala of sorts with music (performed by The Fever), an art gallery, food and drinks. My taste buds were not disappointed. I tried the Infinite Monkey Theorem Syrah wine, Oskar Blues Old Chub on tap and a Mai-tai. From the drinks to the food the theme of using liquid nitrogen was a great choice. They took boring popcorn into an amazing snack! The popcorn literally shattered in your mouth. The ice cream bar was also amazing. The choke cherry and strawberry were excellent and using peanut butter pop rocks as a topping was a real treat. The tamales were delicious as were the hors d'oeuvres (spicy chicken wanton tacos and trout stuffed mushrooms, ohhhh soooo good!) There was so much to try I couldn't possibly mention it all. On top of the food there was a photo booth and dancing. The decorations were beautiful with lights everywhere and a disco ball in the grand entry. It was truly something I have never experienced before and I look forward to going again next year. Oh Bonus! We had to park across the street and they had a couple guys on bicycle carts shuttling people to and from the building. They didn't skimp on a thing and it saved me a walk in my heels!

Holy crap. I had no idea how serious a theater full of 360+ geek could be about their trivia. But,…read moreI learned my friends, I learned. Geek Bowl 2009 was my first brush with this event and even though I was just a spectator rather than a, um, trivia-er? I could still feel the tangible excitement in the air. What was so exciting you ask? I believe it was either the $500, $1000, and $1500 prizes, the nearness of all the other smarties, or just the booze. It could have been a combination of all of the above though. Geek Bowl is fairly similar to the weekly quizzes in the fact that there are 8 rounds and they have varying topics. But, here each round has 10 questions. And the music round this year was performed live on a ukulele by Ukulele Loki himself. I almost lost it when he played Ozzy's "Crazy Train" on that thing. I imagine this bowl every year takes enormous amounts of effort to pull off and I simply want to say well done to those in charge and that helped out. I'll be back next year, perhaps as a challenger, or um trivia-er.

SUCKTASTIC!…read more Ill-conceived and poorly executed, Geek Bowl IV was the biggest disappointment of our quizzing year. It's very hard to believe that this was actually the FOURTH annual Geek Bowl these guys have pulled off, considering how badly it all went. The finished product was much like the Oscars in every bad way, complete with self-indulgent presenters and performances that didn't know when to end. Our planned 3-hour evening stretched into a 5-hour ordeal that dragged on f-o-r-e-v-e-r. Worst of all, the quiz itself seemed incidental to the "pageantry" and was not given the respect it deserved. Questions were read at a frenzied pace, and not repeated at all, even when mistakes were made in the intial read. The "pageantry," by the way, consisted of a choreographed group dance number by Geeks Who Drink employees (the high point of the evening,) a live music round by a one-man band that featured primal howls and painful screeching feedback from the sound system, and a 5-minute set by a stand-up comic, ostensibly planned to be at the end of the first scoring break; however as the minutes dragged on and on, it ended up being buried inside the longest scoring break ever. During breaks, music was being blasted so loud that our team, despite being huddled around a 2-ft diameter table, had to lean over and shout in each others' ears to make ourselves heard. Did I mention this was all taking place in PITCH BLACK DARKNESS?? By far the most ridiculous oversight in a long list of amateurish mistakes, the majority of the tables in the venue had absolutely NO LIGHT by which to see the answer sheets. Obviously there were a few teams who had a heads-up on this issue, because a handful had brought cigarette lighters or little LED lights with them, despite the threats of ejection from the theater for bringing any outside items into the quiz. One girl had (and I am absolutely not making this up, as bizarre as it sounds,) a FRIGGIN' SPELUNKING LIGHT attached to her head, much like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Petzl-E52-AC-Ultra-Headlamp/dp/B001N0ETU8/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1264955819&sr=1-10 Our team did not get the memo about BYO-cave gear, so we had to make do with the pale blue glow of the neon beer logos above the bar some 30 paces behind us. Even that scant, buzzing light was only available when each team behind us had their bodies turned and legs crossed a certain way. Any slight shift in body position from a dozen other teams would plunge us into utter darkness again. We were writing our answers completely blindly, with no idea whether we'd entered our answer on the correct line. It was also impossible to scan the page to see if we'd left anything blank. With the blinding darkness, the sound system feedback, and the dry, overpriced food offerings, the assault on our senses was nearly complete. Then some nearby team implemented the diabolical strategy of letting a rank one at the beginning of each round so we were overwhelmed with the sulphurous stench of methane while trying to recall the name of the geriatric Polident maven or the cross-dressing journalist from Just One of the Guys. And what's with the ridiculously long scoring breaks? Certainly GWD should have known how long it would take to score for such a formidable number of teams. Why didn't they take EVERY SINGLE present employee and set them to work on scoring each round as it was collected? Instead, these employees were apparently instructed to awkwardly flail about the stage in a drunken stupor to the musical stylings of Journey. I think GWD summed it up best in their opening video: "You paid 25 bucks for this... SUCKAS!" Suckas indeed. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice... I forget how the rest of that goes. Anyway, we're wiser now, and we won't be fooled again. Geek Bowl is a waste of time and money. At least I made off with two fistfuls of free Yelp pens, which inspired me to come home and write this review.

We go every year and always have a great time! They have good food trucks, a beer garden, awesome…read moremusic and fun activities for the kids.

When my fellow Yelp friend told me about a "Rockin' 80's Block Party" happening in Lakewood; my…read moreinterest was piqued. Now when she added in that it was FREE and would feature a lawn showing of Labyrinth; I was all in! So we made our way to Lakewood's Heritage Center to rock out like it's 1986! The folks at Lakewood's Heritage Center rolled out the red carpet for patrons of the event. Allowing us to browse the various buildings and exhibits. Many buildings were actually moved from other locations in the area and relocated here for preservation/restoration! Neat! I loved seeing the motel and the school house. Def some great history and knowledgeable volunteers on site. Live music was provided by Hey, Lady! There were a couple food trucks on hand to help satisfy those hungry bellies. Moe's Original BBQ, Eaton Healthy Food Truck, Baker St. Pretzels, and Paciugo Gelato Caffè; all there slinging their tasty wares. The event boasted a "beer garden;" including: CAUTION: Brewing Co, WestFax Brewing Company, Green Mountain Beer Company, Green Mountain Beer Company, Ironworks Brewery & Pub, and LandLocked Ales. Which I was quite excited about! That excitement quickly tapered off when I realized that not all the breweries were well (if at all) represented and the selection was minimal (mostly IPAs, odd). Which made it even more disappointing when they ran out of cider and the back-up was Stella's Cidre. Oh well, it's not a brew fest after all. All-in-all it was a really cute little shin-dig! Love that the Lakewood Heritage Center thought of such a creative way to bring the neighborhood together.

My sisters and I were going to the Girls Only show at the Denver Performing Arts Center, and we got…read morethere early. So we entertained ourselves by sitting in the little bar area inside the theater: we had some fun specialty drinks and cheese and crackers before the show. And then we were able to carry drinks inside the theater: FUN. I was impressed that the drinks were very reasonably priced, and tasty.

Uptown features a plethora of intriguing and much talked about restaurants that for some reason or…read moreanother, I never make it to. Which is why I was thrilled to take part in the 21st annual Uptown Sampler. Overall, the event was well executed. Unlike the Feast on the Fax, lines in each of the restaurants were minimal and many places offered quality samples - which resulted in me being uncomfortably full at the end of the evening. Here are my findings: Jonsey's EatBar - Yum and double yum! Talk about putting your best foot forward. My first stop left a great impression by offering some of their best appetizers from their menu. Mac & cheese, truffle fries, shredded lamb sliders and thin crust pizza. I'm not talking little dinky Dixie cup sized samples either - they had some full portions out - self serve. I was tempted to part it here and load up on sliders all night, but alas, other options were waiting. Uptown Square - You know that big, new apartment complex? Me neither. Anyways, the apartment complex got the tenant businesses to contribute to a little mixer in the Uptown courtyard patio. Wine samples from Above the Rim, iced coffee from Fluid, cheese samples from...Safeway? According to the hostess, an employee from the complex, the cheese and crackers came from Safeway. Huh? What happened to Chedd's Gormet Grilled Cheese? I feel shafted! Steuben's - Steuben's was nice enough to reserve the entire take out section of the restaurant for Uptown Sampler. Yep. All 150 square feet. Cramped space aside, the food was good, despite their wartime-like rationing of portions. The gazpacho had a beautiful southern spiciness to it, while their deviled eggs were simply classic. Tavern Uptown - I drive by this place everyday...I had no idea that they have such a huge patio. It was gi-normous. Their food was comforting - though I'm hazy on the details. There was a calzone-like thing with Italian sausage and a Philly cheesesteak. I decline to state an opinion on the cheesesteak b/c some Philadelphian will undoubtedly berate me with comments on how I don't know anything about a Philly cheesesteak b/c I am from California (I liked it!). The calzone thingy was primo - sausage gives everything a boost. Hamburger Mary's - Once again, I had no idea they had such a nice big patio. These places need signs that say "Hey, we've got a big-ass patio here!" Bravo to HM for not being cheap on the samples. Three different types of gutbusting sliders available at a self-serve bar. Knowing that I no longer have the powerful stomach I once took for granted when I was 18, I opted to try just one item, the bleu cheese bacon burger. Kudos on thick (but not nasty) tomato slices. Good burgers - wish they didn't possess so many calories. Avenue Grill - We were greeted by a somewhat snooty staff that gave us an eyeballing that said, "God! What a bunch of freeloaders." I couldn't eat their food it sucked. Their New England clam chowder tasted like Rocky Mountain oyster chowder. The other food only left an impression of butt. I won't be coming back to this place. Tastes Wine Bar - A complete 180 from the last experience. The staff was kind, charming and helpful. The atmosphere was relaxing and comfortable. This is the kind of place that I would like to hang out at - sporting a colorful room with whimsical art mounted all over the walls. The food was okay - nothing head spinning. A creative African peanut soup, an interesting chunky chili, a sweet crepe with chocolate, olive tapenade brushetta, and a wonderfully refreshing pineapple meatball w/ curry sauce. With such a great atmosphere, we decided to chill for a bit and sample all of the beers on tap - all were great. I will come back to this place after work to have a drink and snack. Las Margaritas - Winner of the 2008 Least Appetizing Buffet Line! I couldn't bring bring myself to try the mystery food that awaited underneath 2 inches of melted cheese. I did try their corn cakes and chips & salsa. Those were okay. Pasquinis - I am not a huge fan of doughy pizza. Pasquinis makes doughy pizza. I am not a fan of ice cold pizza. Pizza, when left to sit outside in the cold, gets cold. I took two bites. It tasted like pizza and I was losing steam fast. Strings - Worst in show. They had two items: cream of broccoli soup and an ity bitty bite of something they claimed was a curried pickled scallop. Their host seemed a little hurt that I did not want to try their soup. Hey, I had a full belly and I was expecting something a little more exciting than a cream of broccoli soup. The scallop was lame - I was sure if I was eating a scallop or a booger rolled onto a toothpick. If you don't want make any effort, don't participate. D Bar Desserts - They just got their liquor license and decided to celebrate by giving out wine samples to accompany their bomblicious chocolately dessert cup.

I was extremely disappointed in the Uptown Sampler this year. The majority of the restaurants had…read morevery limited variety of food compared to previous years, with Las Margaritas and Hamburger Mary's being the exception. I think this event is dying. One of the restaurants that opt'd out this year on 17th told me the previous years have been a complete waste with no real return on business. As a 7 year resident of the area, it's sad to see an event with such potential suck so bad. :( We did have a fun time. It pretty much turned into a bar crawl! The new Dessert bar on 17th looked really nice. They are supposed to be getting the liquor license soon, so it could potentially be a cool little Sunday brunch place.

Cafe Sci always is the highlight of my week! I am a huge geek, and love hanging out at the Wynkoop,…read morehaving a beer, and learning about something new and interesting. I have often dragged along my non-science friends and they enjoy it just as much. While there is some jargon thrown around, for the most part if the speaker sounds interesting to you, he/she probably will be and you'll be able to keep up. It is too bad that they meet in the Mercantile room though. I went once when it was downstairs at Wynkoop in the Impulse theatre...it was so much bigger and had a much better layout. But if you get there early (around six) you won't have a trouble finding a seat either way.

These are drinking socials for the uber-intellectual. Once a month, (on a Tuesday night), there is…read morea distinguished speaker, usually from one of our local universities, that presents on an interesting and relevant topic. The Mercantile room at the Wynkoop has more eggheads per square inch than can possibly be healthy. There's a diner and most everybody has a beer in hand. I have heard some really fascinating talks there. The Wynkoop is awesome. The only real negative that I can comment on is that the setting isn't big enough for the huge crowd that this attracts. It is standing room only by the time the speaker takes the mic. If you get there early you can stake claim to a chair at one of the tables. If you get there maybe 15 minutes before then there is still some carpet space for you to sit at. If you get there on time, you're gonna stand the whole time. Do SomeThing Good, C

A painting of a cowboy on horseback, glancing right back at you--with a case of Whisky strapped to…read morehis saddle. It's part badass western vibes, part whisky ad. Artist CodyKuehl painted it in a hurry with some community help * Photo op gold: That cowboy stare is intense--perfect for pretend-duels in front of your phone. * Witty branding: Whisky + wild west = classic Denver humor. * Quick pit stop: Pull into the Star Bar lot, snap a pic, and you're out in under five minutes--just like the Yelp reviewer said . A fun roadside "hey, howdy!" that blends straight-shooter western style with a cheeky whiskey nod. Perfect for a quick snap and a chuckle. Not a gallery-mover, but a solid mural with some character. Rating: 4drinks out of 5 Drop by, say howdy to the cowboy, then hit up Star Bar itself for some arcade games or live tunes.

This mural is on the side of the Star Bar, overlooking its parking lot. It was commissioned by with…read moreNaked Grouse Whisky and the Star Bar and is the work of Cody Kuehl who got help from the community due to a short turnaround time. The mural measures 19 and a half feet by 19 and a half feet and only runs about half the length of the full wall. The mural depicts a cowboy on a horse while it appears he is looking at the mural's viewer. You will see a silhouette of a cowboy in the background and a nod to the mural's sponsors with a big Star Bar logo in the upper right corner and a case of Naked Grouse Whisky strapped to the horses back. By the look of the size of each sponsor's image, Star Bar provided most of the funding for the mural. You may be able to get a parking spot in the lot the mural overlooks to get out and take a closer look. There is also metered street parking within a reasonable walking distance from the mural as well. Not only does the mural serve as an advertisement for Star Bar and Naked Grouse Whisky, but it also has a public service announcement to drink responsibility. The artwork is very detailed and nice. Kuehl is very talented and specializes in old western paintings. The detail that he uses in his paintings is simply amazing. As with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. With that being said, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Adding in to a prior review. Still mostly a small community of residents with lots in apartments…read more Money being spent by town to attract paying visitors . It still remains a great source of tax revenue for Glendale/Arapahoe County.

If you love a decent commute, neighborhood, and shopping centers, Glendale is the ideal place to…read morebe. I often drive through Aurora, gett off of Alameda, and have a straightforward drive to Fairmount and see a very nice and peaceful cemetery nearby. There is also one of my favorite doctors on Cherry St., and I love how it also takes me to Cherry Creek Shopping Center almost 20 minutes without the heavy flow. My favorite Natural Grocers is on the way from Glendale and the parks are incredibly close. I do love how you don't see lots of factories, mostly buildings, but nothing smoky or industrial. This area is very safe, at least for all the times I've been here. I do recommend anyone to come and visit Glendale at least once.