From rooftop patios in the city to farm dinners in fields of green, Colorado is lush with possibilities in the summer.
Farm Dinners
As more and more people get closer to their food sources, Colorado farms are opening up some idyllic properties for events and farm dinners. The type of dinner varies by the experience level of the farm. Some provide family-style casual dinners, while others have experience planning more elaborate events.
On the western side of the state where agriculture is a way of life, Kelli Hepler, with the Delta County Tourism Cabinet, has embraced farm dinners in a big way. Hepler’s office even owns tableware for 100 people to help defray some of the costs for local farmers who wish to host dinners. There are too many farms to list here, but Hepler can help decide the best match.
(Photo credit: Kirsten Boyer)
Zephyros Farm and Garden in Paonia, for example, is gaining a stellar reputation for farm dinners, accommodating about 70 guests. Since the farm grows both food and flowers, there is a colorful, bucolic backdrop of delicate roses, bold zinnias and giant sunflowers. You’ll also find a bounty of purple and white eggplants, yellow and red tomatoes and greens of every imaginable variety.
In the north-central section of the state, Boulder County is ripe with farm dinner options. Lyon’s Farmette has chef relationships with Black Cat, The Fork and The Kitchen to host dinners. They also partner with local caterers like chef Pieter Dijkstra from Spice of Life and chef Katie Bruzdzinski, owner of Eat Private Chef & Catering Co. During pizza dinners (five a season), Lyon’s Farmette also has family-friendly activities like lawn games, antique tractors, goats, chickens and farm tours.
Another duo with years of experience hosting some of Boulder’s best farm parties is Pastures of Plenty Farm and Big Bang Catering. Owner Lyle Davis is both a farmer and a chef. His menus are distinctively Colorado, but his influences are internationally rooted from his world travels, with hints of Mexican, Italian, French, Greek and Eastern European flavors in his dishes. The farm is so divine that it’s been featured in Better Homes and Gardens and Sunset magazines and on Food Network. The farm is a tree-lined shady respite and provides a vivid splash of color with perennials and flowers that Davis grows for commercial sales.
Adventure Cuisine
If you want to combine a little adventure with your dining, Awe-Struck Outdoors is the company to call. It will plan a bike-to-farm party, where guests bike in the countryside to a secluded farm where the table is set for dinner. A kayak tour or stand-up paddleboard lesson followed by a catered lunch is also an option, or hike to a verdant mountain meadow for appetizers and a picnic lunch.
Urban Outdoors
Perhaps a farm dinner or outdoor adventure is a little too natural for your group. Not to worry; there are great ways to be outdoors in the burbs and the city. Denver’s restaurant scene is moving up, and rooftop patio dining is truly on the rise.
ViewHouse near Coors Field is a new spot with a breathtaking rooftop view and a theme that spells fun with ground-level lawn games. The upscale menu features local beers and handcrafted specialty cocktails.
(Photo credit: Ale House at Amato’s)
Ale House at Amato’s, located in the LoHi neighborhood, is part of the Breckenridge Brewery family and has a great rooftop patio holding up to 100. Inside, the Amato Room can hold up to 40 seated or 50 for a reception. With 42 craft beers on tap, including a dozen or so from its own line, and 25 from Colorado comrades, there will be plenty to discuss. The beer lineup changes daily, but ale experts are happy to select a special brew or two for your event.
Summer means baseball and beer, and you can find both at Blue Moon Brewing Company at the Sandlot in Coors Field. The large bar, restaurant and outdoor patio can accommodate as many as 300 for a reception and 60 or more for a sit-down event. The Sandlot location is only open during baseball season, but it brews beer year-round, on-site and is known for limited releases during the season. Past home run beers include Right Field Red Ale, Slugger Stout and Bellyside Belgian Wheat.
Denver never looked better from Linger. The former mortuary, now international street food eatery with a rooftop patio, looks east over the city. The patio has a food truck for small plates and cocktails.
North of Denver and east of Boulder is Louisville, home to Lucky Pie, a hot spot for outdoor summer parties. The pizza and tap house has an outdoor AstroTurf patio that is perfect for cocktail gatherings. In the summer, the space includes gardens and Adirondack chairs for lounging. The staff will plan a pizza and small plate menu with local beers. Lucky Pie shares its outdoor space with Sweet Cow, a retro ice cream parlor with an ice cream truck-a perfect partner for a pizza and ice cream lawn party.
Sizzling Activities
Outdoor endeavors don’t always have to be sporty. Food and beverage walking tours, garden parties, picnics, nature strolls and concerts abound during fair-weather months.
(Photo: Denver Botanic Gardens)
Take in a bit of the local flavor with a Local Table Tours culinary or cocktail tour of Denver or Boulder. Tours last between one and three hours and stop at three to five top-rated restaurants or bars on Boulder’s historic Pearl Street or in Denver’s downtown or Highland neighborhoods. Guests are offered samplings of venues’ fare and one-on-one time with insiders like chefs and mixologists, all in the company of expert local guides.
“As a Boulder resident, you might think you know all the local spots to indulge in food creations, but this tour forced me to slow down and really appreciate the individuality of the food industry in the area,” says Irene Gawel, regional director of GlobaLinks Learning Abroad. “It was wonderful to taste test a few restaurants, gaining a sense of what a full meal would be like. This was a great way for our group to interact and not be forced to one spot and for the discussion to be diverse and exciting throughout the night.”
(Photo: Local Table Tours at SALT Boulder)
Food, Gardens & Music
Another option is treating your group to a private farm-to-table cooking lesson at Boulder’s St. Julien Hotel & Spa. Groups can sign up for the Bon Vivant Boulder Package and arrange for a guided tour of the famous Boulder Farmers’ Market (Saturdays and Wednesdays from April through November) with the hotel’s executive chef, followed by a cooking demonstration utilizing ingredients sourced from the market and the hotel’s on-site garden. Yoga and juicing demonstrations are also healthy programming options.
Gardens also provide a wealth of outdoor options. Aside from the incredible summer lawn concert series that can be utilized by large groups, Denver Botanic Gardens also offers interactive programming such as tours, classes, lectures and chef-driven private dining. From now through January, Catalyst: Colorado Sculpture exhibit is a sensational backdrop for any event.
The state has no shortage of incredible gardens offering group hikes and classes on local landscapes and demonstrations of cocktails from herb gardens. Favorites include the newly constructed Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon, Yampa River Botanic Park in Steamboat Springs and Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail.
(Photo: Grasshaven Outdoors)
The Fort Collins Natural Areas Department offers night hikes and activities. Beginning around dusk, there are various options, such as Starry Nights at Bobcat Ridge, Hunting for Meteors and Natural Areas Night Walks.
Guests from all corners of the nation flock to Colorado during the summer for phenomenal mountain music. Almost every town in the state has a free concert series at a local park, plus there are multiday events such as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Crested Butte Music Festival. Or, plan a catered barbecue or picnic-inspired evening in tandem with renting a local amphitheater or outdoor stage and hiring a band.
Decor & Dishes
Taking a cue from popular events, décor this season will mirror Mother Nature and her simplicity. However, simple and outdoors doesn’t have to mean dirty.
Dawn Bitz, owner and founder of Boulder-based Grasshaven Outdoors (think the Pottery Barn of family camping supplies), says the outdoors can be very chic. “You don’t have to sacrifice style when it comes to being outside,” explains Bitz. “I think that is one of the biggest nuisances I hear when talking about the outdoors.”
From Kentucky Derby-themed parties to fall harvests in the cornfields, natural décor and alfresco events can always be classy. “We carry five collections and counting of gorgeous dishware suited for picnics and festivals. Many use Melamine, a higher-end plastic that looks like fine china, really; people are always shocked!” Bitz says. “What’s very popular for large groups and reusable is the Cristales collection- they’re a replica of vintage paper plates.”
Other items from Bitz’s collection popular for groups wanting that French Country style is polycarbonate, a nonbreakable glassware that allows guests to savor a good sip of wine sans plastic aftertaste. Composite bamboo, which comes in brilliant citrus colors such as yellows, greens and oranges, is one of the most popular items this season.
Don’t forget the classic brown wicker picnic basket and blanket- vinyl sided, of course. Whether it’s used as décor or for function, these updated relics never lose their class and sense of cheer. “Throw up some adult swings in the space between some trees,” suggests Bitz. “People love to let loose. I’ve brought in hammocks and even baby pools for décor. There’s just something about summer that brings out the child in everyone.”
Also, use picnic supplies to engage guests. “A gorgeous jar of tapenade, bowl of olives or stunning jam jars, they all help the scene of luxury and carefree times,” explains Bitz. Browse through aisles of local grocers for Colorado-made products; there’s a plethora out there, even customizable peanut butter flavors.
A Natural Look
Certainly flowers light up any space, but Susan Fort of DSC’s Colorado Springs office thinks parties are going to want to go one step further with a touch of sustainability. “With farmers markets and farm-to-table so popular, we created a new means for people to enjoy their décor in the most sustainable means possible- they can eat it,” she says. “We’ve had groups come in and choose gorgeous fruits and vegetables that we use to create a centerpiece. During the next day or two in the conference, they get to attend a special chef cooking class and learn how to use and eventually eat their décor. It’s fabulous and cost-effective.”
While every event might not be suited for consumption of harvest squashes, you can still pull off a natural look with minimal costs and impact. “We have done chandelier twig lighting for an ambient feeling. We’ve used natural elements from the outdoors such as moss, evergreens and rocks inside gorgeous vases. The best part of this centerpiece is we return it to nature once we are done,” Fort explains. “Even hanging simple lighting strands in trees and bushes really sets the mood.”
(Photo credit: Grasshaven Outdoor)
A typical centerpiece with natural elements is extremely affordable, says Crystal Garner, designer at Johnson’s House of Flowers in Grand Junction. “Pine cones, twigs and leaves are all very easy to locate and turn into a stunning piece.”
Val Catt, owner of Flowers by Lorraine in Grand Junction, is in complete agreement when it comes to price and popularity. “Earthy and organic are it this summer,” she says. “With low price points and many resources, we can really give any event a natural feel without a spot of dirt.”
Margaret Bergman of Margaret’s Garden in Tabernash notes how easy is it is to line a walkway with nothing but beautiful, sustainable, earthy materials that still liven things up. “Grab a Colorado spruce tree planted in a fiber pot and accent with lots of colorful pansies,” she says. “This can enhance any type of outdoor event and then be potted in the earth.”
A similar approach creates tablescapes that look and smell terrific. “Centerpieces can be inviting, colorful and bring great aroma, while at the same time remain reusable and great for the environment like lavender, sage and assorted colors of pansies in fiber pots,” she says. “These, too, can be planted outdoors or even kept inside.”
