Brewery of the Month: Black Ski Brewing (Denver,Co.)
We’ve all got a lot of angst right now — and what better way to deal with it than gorging yourself on beer, pizza and metal? Those are the three tenets of Black Sky Brewing in Denver and they do them well. Most of their beers are metal themed, they’re delicious and their pizza is the perfect hard-core accompaniment. And, of course, the only music you’ll hear blasting out of their speakers is HEAVY. \m/

Try cross country skiing
Hungry for some exercise? Want to get outside and into the mountains? Need something to do that’s COVID-safe? We’ve got just the sport for you: cross country skiing. Most big ski resorts have cross country tracks and offer rentals for relatively cheap — but there’s a lot of smaller ski mountains like Ski Cooper that will be less crowded, even cheaper and more local. You can take it casually and slide gently along, or go hard in the paint and skate yourself into a good sweat. 

Hit up some virtual galleries and museums
Gallery- and museum-hopping might be a thing of the past (for now) but that shouldn’t stop you from getting out to virtually explore them. Many internationally famous galleries and museums are offering virtual exhibits, like the Guggenheim in NYC, the British Museum in London, and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Meaning art and history buffs can still explore famous artwork and historical artifacts from the comfort of their own quarantine. 

Learn Latin Dance (Outside!)
Join Latin dance instructor Carmen Duran every Saturday, outside the Stanley Marketplace, for a socially distanced Latin dance class. It’s safe, it’s active and it’s equal parts fun and sexy. And afterwards, enjoy half priced beer and non-alcoholic beverages courtesy of Cheluna Brewing Company. Ole!

Take a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) or Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course 
The majority of people living in this state enjoy doing things in the great outdoors — be it hiking, biking, skiing, climbing, rafting, hunting, or fishing. But the backcountry is a dangerous place, and it’s hard to understate the functional utility of knowing wilderness first aid. These courses are extremely useful, they’re really fun to take, and they teach you skills that could save lives someday. 

Watch a virtual American Drag Show (Jan 9th)
Stories On Stage is a non-profit theatre and literary organization. Most of their events are centered around musical performances or plays — but this year, they’re also featuring an American Drag show, that should feature a lineup of colorful, empowered characters. 

Free Entrance Day to National Parks (MLK Day, Jan 20) 
Colorado is home to four totally beautiful National Parks: Rocky Mountain, Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Mesa Verde. All of which you can visit FOR FREE on MLK day this year. Normally, entrance fees run between $25-35 depending on the park — so this is a great day to get outside and enjoy some of the state’s most iconic landscapes, at no cost. 

Virtual Ouray Ice Festival (Jan 21-24)
The Ouray Ice Fest is renowned among climbers as one of the premiere ice climbing competitions in the world. The town features several waterfalls that freeze in the winter and make for some badass terrain for ice climbing. Unfortunately this year, attendees are limited to athletes and associated parties. The rest of us however, can enjoy the competition and festival evening events virtually — which is still bound to be really entertaining and educational. 

Sundance Film Festival screenings at Denver’s Sie Filmcenter (Jan 28 – Feb  3rd)
Normally held in Telluride, the Sundance Film Festival is one of the biggest events in independent film. Stars and famous Hollywood names gather to watch some of the year’s most acclaimed up and coming films. Of course, this year is a little different, so the actual screenings will  be held in Denver’s Sie Filmcenter for the first time ever — because the shows must go on!