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!

You will find this little nugget right outside of the Residence Inn, in a small alcove. It is the…read morework of Sean O'Meallie who did the sculpture in 2008. It is starting to show signs of wear and is a bit weathered. It also has some graffiti on it. It is 20 feet tall, weighs about 3,000 pounds, and is made from bronze and acrylic paint. It is rumored to have chosen the Residence Inn as the site of the sculpture because the hotel had hosted has a Pajama Party fundraiser benefiting Denver's Road Home program in the past. It is an interesting piece that depicts a cowboy holding up two side arms. The cowboy has heart shaped balloon hat and what looks like a magnet for legs. It is all on a platform. As I mentioned, it is abstract AF. You have to stare at it for a little while to decipher what it is, a cowboy in pajamas. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. Even though I passed it a few times since I was staying at the hotel next door. I recommend making this stop part of a larger itinerary or checking it out if you are in the area and/or on your way somewhere else, to maximize your time.

Unless you know the precise location of this sculpture, you can easily drive right past it! You…read morecan find it on Champa St. between 17th & 18th Streets. It is set next to the Hotel Registration sign leading to the Residence Inn. Drive by viewing! I couldn't find parking, so luckily, traffic came to a stop and I snapped a quick pic. This is definitely a whimsical piece! It's also a sort of abstract since there's basically only a pair of pants and an odd shaped abdomen with a belt in between. What might be perceived at first as arms are actually pistols. There's no face, arms, hands, nor feet. In summary, this is a cowboy with its guns drawn. Cowboy Pajamas is a solid work made from bronze, weighing three tons! It stands at over 20 feet tall. The sculptor is Sean O'Meallie. It was installed in 2008. Why is this sculpture in front of a hotel? This hotel, the Residence Inn at this address, hosts an Annual Pajama Party fundraiser. The fundraiser benefits and raises awareness for the homeless.

Don't ask me why this was the #1 thing I really wanted to see during my first trip to Denver of my…read morelife! Blucifer is just such a wild sculpture and has such a morbid history around it (Blucifer literally killed the artist when a piece of it that the artist was installing fell and punctured him right in his femoral artery). It's truly so odd in both placement and vibe. You can't miss it as you leave the Denver airport, you will always pass by it. It's located essentially in the middle giant island of a highway up on a hill. It's a whole royal blue colored mustang horse rearing up on its hind legs with red eyes that shine red at all hours of the day. Truly a devil horse LOL! It's definitely a sight to see, but I'm disappointed in the fact that you can't get close to it. There's no pathway to drive up close to it like a tourist stop and like I mentioned, with its located in the middle of a highway, there is really no option to pull off to the side to stop and check it out, so it also feels a bit impossible to appreciate it and take a good picture of it! Given how excited I was to see it for myself, this was a huge bummer that I had been anticipating being able to get close to it, but ultimately falling very very short of that. Still such a sight to behold though!

This 32 foot tall horse guards the entrance to Denver International Airport. A bright blue with…read moreglowing neon eyes, ain't nobody going to mess with this place! And yes, his nickname is "Blucifer" and - no kidding - he killed the artist. Yes, in 2006, a huge portion of the sculpture fell and injured the sculptor. There is no stopping or standing or parking on Peña Boulevard. There is no parking nearby. Getting to this statue is a PITA. The local cops will definitely try to move you along. If they could just have some sort of "15 minute parking only" nearby, that would be awesome. [Review 18980 overall - 80 in Colorado - 2504 of 2022.]

What a gem in the heart of downtown Denver! We came here on a spectacular weather day and…read morethroughly enjoyed watching an NFL game in the big screen in the Adirondack chairs while drinking a beer or High Noon. The service was great and there were several beers on tap to choose from. I like they offered a water station and clean port o potties. The rooftop umbrellas are so fun for pics! We did try out the putt putt course and loved the themed Denver holes but found it to not be in great shape- wrinkles in the mats but it was free!

Bears are my favorite animal, and blue is my favorite color. Who knew there would be such a bright…read moresight greeting us all at the convention center for our conference? The Big Blue Bear gets 5 stars from me! Fun for the whole family to take pictures with!

I love me some public art! This 40-foot blue bear is so cute and curious peering through the glass…read morewindows of the Colorado Convention Center. I wonder what the bear is looking for? :) https://yelp.to/JG18P-mkUp I probably only spent a total of 5-8 minutes looking at the sculpture but definitely worth the photo op while walking around Downtown Denver.

This was an unexpected surprise. I didn't know about the lego americana roadshow until I entered…read morethe mall and saw that that it was extremely packed more than usual with people and gathering in certain places. It wasn't until closer inspection that I realized that there was a special event right in the mall itself. This show consisted of American landmark historic buildings and other patriotic iconic symbols that were totally recreated entirely in legos. These also were very detailed and in a very large scale. There was also contests to win prizes and also workshops for the kids to play and build with big bucketfulls of loose lego pieces. I enjoy seeing events of this nature. But this event was very crowded and it was difficult to obtain quality pictures.

Great coffee & chocolate shop in the Westwood area. Hours are limited, so be sure to stop by when…read morethey are open (Th & F 4:30-8:30pm, S/S 10:30-2:30pm). They honor Mexican tradition, using cacao & maize in their products. In addition to its products, Cultura Chocolate is a community hub for events. I stopped by on a Sunday morning to enjoy a café negro cold brew and also picked up some chocolate (60% espresso & sea salt). Filled with vibrant red walls, shelves lined with glass jars filled with a variety of maíz y chile, and carved molinillos hanging throughout the shop, it was a perfect start to the day.

Stopped in here while waiting for a table at La Reyna Del Sur! So so so cute inside love all the…read moredried goods displayed and there's some trinkets and good you can also purchase! Ordered the chocolate chai and cafe negro, chocolate chai was super yummy would definitely come back when I'm in the area to try their other chocolate drinks!

I love Doors Open Denver Unique experiences everywhere…read more I took the tour of the Evans School that is being renovated by the Eber family...what a work of love! I tip my hat to them for their efforts to renovate this beautiful building I even climbed up to the cupola!

I went to DOD this past weekend and it was a really interesting journey. The city of Denver is an…read morearchitectural treasure trove filled with many different and historical buildings, each one with a unique and varied history. The Denver Architectural Society along with help from current building owners opens up these buildings for the public to enter and gaze upon their architectural splendor and learn about their history. DOD also is a time where many museums also open their doors free to the public. This year there was many new additions to the list including some newly constructed downtown high rise skyscrapers and other points of interest such as a behind the scenes tour of the Broncos Stadium and Denver Performing Arts Center, many of these places would be off limits to the general public otherwise.

Striking and Bold. This work of public art is on the corner of 3rd Ave and Highway 119 and was…read morecreated by Greg Reiche. Is was Inspired by the people, the history and the natural environment of the Longmont area, the conceptual basis for Flor del Llano (Flower of the Plain) is the merging of the past, present and future into a welcoming and uplifting city "gateway" sculpture. The sculpture incorporates iconic elements of Longmont's skyline, such as the sugar mill tower and Longs Peak into its design. The artwork extends into the surrounding park through the 391 limestone posts representing the original shareholders of the Chicago-Colorado Colony.

This abundantly large sculpture is located outside of the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse. There is a…read morelarge walkable area called the Dale Tooley Plaza between 14th Ave & W Colfax Ave. I used it to walk to the sculpture from Elati St. & W 14th Ave where I parked. There is street parking, but I wouldn't recommend coming during courthouse business hours! The sculpture was designed by Dennis Oppenheim. It is 45 ft tall and made of 29+ tons of galvanized steel. It's basically a flower (maybe a Calla Lily) opening up. You walk inside of those flower petals. True to the name, its structure allows for ample light to penetrate to the interior. It's cool to walk in between the petals and leaves! The shadows cast on the ground are pretty cool as well as eerie. You almost feel like you're in a jail! I don't think that was an intentional feature he was going for. Chamber in the name is for the Judge's Chamber. Come take a look! I thought it was pretty unique!

This is an interesting and interactive art sculpture in Downtown Denver around the 14th and Colfax…read morearea next to the Lindsey Flanigan Courthouse. The interactive part as that since this artwork is formed in a circular pattern, you can walk inside and look at the sunlight shine through the translucent building material. I love to explore Downtown Denver, there is so many displays, murals, statues, and other works of art to admire.