Excuses to get off the couch
Universal Studios
Abide with the Dude - All hail the Coen brothers! Okay, the Lebowski Fest doesn’t take place until September, but we figure you’ll need time to polish your bowling shoes and mix a few White Russians. Watch “The Big Lebowski” on Sept. 8 at the Ogden Theatre, or join the Bowling Party at Bowl-ero on Sept. 9. Movie tickets are $20.50, bowling runs $25 to $30.
www.lebowskifest.com
Iron Chef Competition - Head to Lakeside Amusement Park on August 15 for the inaugural Can’t Stand The Heat: Iron Chef Competition, produced by Denver Gives. Tickets for the event, tastings, farmers market and unlimited rides are $30 for adults and $10 for children under 12. Funds raised go to support local nonprofit organizations. Allez cuisine!
303-991-1231, http://www.denvergives.org/calendar/calendar.htm
Ride ’Em, Cowboy - Gather your chaps and spurs and mosey on over to the High Country Stampede Rodeo in Winter Park. They’re riding bulls and wrestling steers every Saturday from July 4 to Sept. 5.
Tickets are $8 to $10; admission is free for children under five.
970-406-1335, www.highcountrystampede.com
Reasons we love
Amy Adams
- She graduated from Douglas County High School in Castle Rock
- She once worked at The Gap and Hooters
- Her first major purchase after earning some money? Matching towels from Target
- She loves studying American history
- She held her own against Meryl Streep in “Doubt”
- She’s paired with Streep again in “Julie & Julia,” which opens August 7
Columbia Pictures
Star-studded events
- International Year of Astronomy
2009 is the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first use of the telescope to explore the heavens, and the publication of Johannes Kepler’s “Astronomia Nova.” Among the many events planned is Galilean Nights, October 22 to 24, when professional and amateur astronomers will track the same wonders that first captivated Galileo.
www.astronomy2009.org - Perseid Meteor Shower
One of the best meteor showers of the year, the Perseid shower will peak on August 12. Find a dark spot away from the lights of the city, and enjoy one of nature’s finest spectacles. State parks (http://parks.state.co.us) are a good bet: Eleven Mile has a viewing on Aug. 8, and Castlewood Canyon hosts one on Aug. 13.
http://stardate.org/nightsky/meteors/
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Stars Over Aspen Grove
The World at Night Photo Exhibit, featuring famous landmarks set against celestial backdrops, shines in Littleton’s Aspen Grove from August 1 to August 16. There’s even a tie-in with their Family Film Festival, which screens “E.T.” on August 5.
www.shopaspengrove.com
Gates Planetarium
The Gates Planetarium at Denver’s Museum of Nature and Science has a stellar lineup of shows running until August 28: The Little Star That Could, Cosmic Collisions, Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity, and Cosmic Journey: A Solar System Adventure.
www.dmns.org
Chamberlin Observatory
The observatory at DU is open to the public on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, along with a monthly open house, which takes place on August 29. Tickets are $3 for adults and $2 for children, and reservations can be made via their Web site.
www.thedas.org/Calendar.html