Over the past few years, the Crested Butte Nordic Center has offered full-moon ski and snowshoe tours, wherein participants suit up for the weather and glide away by the light of the moon to explore a winter wonderland. “In the past, we had a tepee set up in Magic Meadows,…

“One of the things I’ve noticed about my closet is that I have some really pretty things that never get worn because I never get to go to anything formal,” notes Shakti, founder and CEO of the non-profit Yoga World Reach (which is committed to bringing yoga into communities and…

Fruitcake has a reputation for being the worst gift ever — at least here in the United States. And there’s a good reason for that: The fruitcake we’re used to seeing in these parts is of very poor quality. “I think it’s important to bring back really high-quality fruitcake,” says…

With the start of ski season, it’s time for all of the different resorts to start rolling out the red carpet and tempting skiers and riders to their runs. And sure, there will be concerts at Vail Snow Daze, but the real attraction off I-70 is the fest’s third annual…

Most pet lovers have heard of the bestselling novel by journalist John Grogan, Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog. Hollywood couldn’t wait to get its hands on the story: A mere three years after the book was published, 20th Century Fox is releasing the film…

Ever wonder why Santa’s sleigh is pulled by reindeer instead of, say, polar bears? There’s no real way to tell, but Jungian analyst Linda Leonard thinks the reindeer symbol might tie into certain Arctic-area tribes and their reindeer goddess. “These people believe that they were put on Earth to take…

Think your holiday sweater is more ridiculous than my holiday sweater? Put your money where your mouth is! Pull yours on and head down to Lakewood’s Belmar for Dated Holiday Sweater Night, an evening of ice-skating, contests and a warm-clothing drive to benefit the Jeffco Action Center. “Everyone can relate…

I don’t have kids, so the closest I can get to understanding the childhood joy of Christmas morning are my own memories — and my dog, Marshall. He just loves tearing the wrapping paper off of presents (I usually let him help with mine, too), and this year, I’m going…

What did everybody think of Across the Universe? Personally, I loved it — enough that I bought it on DVD and watch it fairly regularly — but I have a problem: It’s damn near impossible for me to sit through the whole movie without bursting into song along with Jude,…

It’s all over: You came, saw and conquered the Thanksgiving feast — now what? Well, Christmas (and other accompanying holidays) is the obvious answer, so why not head to A Grande Finale Patisserie, 641 Main Street in Louisville, for Desserts Galore? “We tried it a couple of years ago for…

The African American Leadership Institute has a lot to be proud of. “We’ve graduated more than 220 adults and served more than 10,000 youths in our youth program,” says board chair James Ellis. “And we’ve done that with only two employees, which is absolutely incredible, but I think what it…

Date nights are great in theory, but how many dinners-and-a-movie can one couple really enjoy before it becomes a chore? Thanks to Lakewood’s Belmar, we won’t know the answer to that question for another couple of weeks. Date Night at Belmar offers two-for-one ice skating and dining at participating restaurants…

To me, nothing says “holiday season” like lights. Once Daylight Savings ends, nothing keeps my spirits up during these short days and early nights as much as the luminous displays that pop up all over town. And this evening flips the switch on the granddaddy of them all: Downtown Denver’s…

If you like your holiday shows with a liberal dose of fabulousness, then you’re going to just love tonight’s third annual Holy Shit It’s Christmas program, dahling. “It’s just a typical drag show,” demurs diva Jasmine Rice — who, along with the Ladies of the Lake and other assorted special…

When it comes to tea, I’m undeniably spoiled. My father used to take frequent business trips to China, and he’d return laden with loose-leaf greens, blacks and oolongs that tingle the tongue. And now it’s possible to get high-quality Chinese tea right here in Denver: You’ll find it at Seven…

Arguably my favorite aspect of the holiday season is that it’s also home-tour season. What could be more fun than strolling through someone else’s beautifully decorated home, soaking up the atmosphere of cheer and goodwill? And the granddaddy of Denver holiday home tours is back for the 32nd year running:…

You might be thinking about hopping on the local-food bandwagon, but how do you launch such a daunting project as winter approaches? By attending the Cornucopia of Local, an indoor/outdoor farmer’s market with live music, presentations, displays and more, hosted by the Boulder County Farmers’ Market, Boulder Independent Business Alliance,…

It’s a Wonderful Life is “one of the classic Christmas stories,” notes Rod A. Lansberry, artistic producer at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities. That’s why this year, the Arvada Center is wholeheartedly embracing the holiday spirit and producing a stage version of the tale of George Bailey…

Full disclosure: I’ve never read Twilight, the 2005 young-adult novel by Stephenie Meyer that spawned three additional novels and a serious fan following. But I know dozens of people who are addicted to the series, from adults to my thirteen-year-old niece, who read Twilight “in, like, a day,” she says…

Okay, fine — so times are tough. You’re couch-diving to scrape up enough change to fill your gas tank, you get chest pains every time you check your 401(k), and you’re scrimping and saving and pinching pennies till they beg for mercy. But that’s no reason to miss out on…

What happens when you take a group of inmates at an overcrowded, maximum-security Alabama prison and introduce them to meditation via a Vipassana retreat — in which they must sit in complete silence for ten days, breaking only for meals and sleep? A new documentary, The Dhamma Brothers, chronicles just…