Hard Cider Tasting, 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 7, Heritage Center, 801 S. Yarrow St., Lakewood. Information: lakewood.org/ciderdays. Details: The Rocky Mountain Cider Association hosts its debut tasting of ciders from Colorado, Michigan, England and France as part of Lakewood’s Cider Days
Denver Urban Homesteading, 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 5, 200 Santa Fe Drive, Denver. Information: denverurbanhomesteading.com. Details: Unique city market features goat milk, goat cheese and goat meat, plus local beef, honey, eggs and wine
Balistreri Vineyards 10th Annual Harvest Party, noon-6 p.m. Oct. 7, 1946 E. 66th Ave. Denver. Information: balistrerivineyards.com. Details: First taste of the winery’s 2011 wines, cheeses, antipasti, wood-fired pizza, a pig roast and grape-stomping for kids
Denver’s Best Street Food Trucks, noon-8 p.m. Oct. 7, Olinger Moore Howard Parking Lot, Denver. Details: Gathering of gourmet food trucks includes Capt’n Crabby, Hey Pb&J, Crock Spot, Good Food, Street Eats, Aikopops, Tasterie Truck, and Left Hand Brewing
Cultivate Festival, Oct. 6, City Park, Denver. Information: https://chipotle.com/cultivate/Denver.aspx. Information: Sustainability fair features music, games, farm-to-table chefs’ cooking demos and a first local taste from Chipotle’s new Shophouse Southeast Asian Kitchen (only open in Washington D.C.)
Feed Your Soul: Stories from the Kitchen, Oct. 7, Su Teatro, 721 Santa Fe Drive, Denver. Tickets: storiesonstage.org; 303-494-0523. Details: Actors read from culinary literature including “The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef” by Gabrielle Hamilton, “A Really Big Lunch” by Jim Harrison, “Yancey’s Red Hots” by Wright Thompson, “A Rat in My Soup” by Peter Hessler and “Saints, Cakes and Redemption” by Allison Parker
4th Annual Colorado Cheese Festival, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Oct. 7, El Jebel Event Center, Denver. Information: cocheese-fest.com. Details: Yes Virginia, there really are fine artisan cheeses being produced in Colorado. This event celebrates that fact with cheese-sampling, cheesemaking demos, a grilled cheese contest, and pairings of chocolate and cheese and also wine and cheese. Among the participating Colorado cheese companies are James Ranch, Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy, Fruition Farms, Avalanche Cheese Company, and Cozy Cow Dairy
UPCOMING EVENTS
Beer and Cheese Tasting, Oct. 11, Coper Kettle, 1338 S. Valentia St., Denver. Reservations: copperkettledenver.com. Details: The Truffle Cheese Shop guides a tasting of artisan beers and cheeses
Food Day 2012, Oct. 24, Denver Botanic Gardens. Information: botanicgardens.org. Details: All day free festival with cooking demos for adults and kids, nutrition experts, and film screenings
A World of Dumplings, Nov. 3 or Dec. 22, Colorado Free University Lowry, near 1st & Quebec. Information: freeu.com. Details: Robin Vives teaches a hands-on class in making sweet or savory, steamed, boiled, or fried dumplings from Asia and Europe
Send information about food events, classes, festivals, wine dinners and tours in the metro area and all over Colorado to: jlehndorff@aol.com