Pony Up to These Celebrations

By Steve Graham

You don’t have to follow horse racing to celebrate the sport’s biggest day of the year. Kentucky Derby parties and events are coming on Saturday, May 1, around Colorado. And most of them just require a fancy or interesting hat to earn drink specials and more.

If you actually want to watch the race, be ready by 4:50 p.m. for “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” But of course, the drinking and partying will continue all day all around the state.

The traditional Denver Derby Party, benefitting the Sean Ranch Lough Foundation, was canceled this year, but there are plenty of other events.

As always, please adhere to local COVID restrictions and business guidelines to keep everyone safe.

The Cliff House

The Junior League of Colorado Springs starts the party early with a brunch fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cliff House in Manitou Springs. A $90 ticket gets a full breakfast, two drinks from the bar, and access to a silent auction, hat and suit contests, and more. An additional $35 gets a VIP ticket that includes a private tasting of Axe and Oak Bourbons.

Flying Horse Club

Later in the day, the Steakhouse at Flying Horse in Colorado Springs hosts a whiskey tasting featuring 35 whiskeys. Tickets cost $60 per person, including a commemorative crystal whiskey glass, and proceeds benefit the Colorado Professional Fire Fighters Foundation. Dress to impress, and to win a $100 steakhouse gift card.

School House Kitchen and Libations

The School House, built in Old Towne Arvada’s original 1882 school building, is teaching everyone how to celebrate the derby. The restaurant will have live music from the Low Road at 3 p.m., as well as prizes for the best-dressed patrons, and specials on drinks and the Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich, which includes turkey, bacon, tomatoes and mornay sauce.Reservations are required, and only allowed for groups of 4 to 8.

Bootstrap Brewing

Longmont’s Bootstrap Brewing takes a break from designing cool cans to throw a derby party, starting at 3 p.m., with the tapping of a new mint julep hard seltzer. At 4 p.m., Big Mouth Bob will run a stick horse race, with a $50 gift card prize. Winners of the best hat and best dressed contest will be announced at 4:15 before the big race. At 6, the Custom Shop Band will play live music.

Derby Grille

The aptly named Derby Grille in Berthoud hosts an all-day party with traditional cocktails and appetizers, as well as male and female hat contests.

Monkey Barrel

The Monkey Barrel bar in Denver is combining its Kentucky and Louisiana tributes with a crawfish and derby party, including Kentucky beers and crawfish boil.

White Horse Inn

The White Horse Inn is a sports bar in Garden City, outside Greeley. It will host an early happy hour from 10 a.m. to noon, kicking off a day of games and themed drink specials, including juleps and Deep Eddy Sweet Tea. Anyone wearing a wild hat will be entered to win a gift basket. Another happy hour runs from 4 to 8 p.m., and karaoke starts at 9.

Loveland Aleworks

Loveland Aleworks hosts a Kentucky Derby Party from 4 to 5:15 p.m., with discounted pints for anyone in an ‘interesting and celebratory’ hat. The brewery also recently tapped a new strawberry rhubarb American sour ale, the newest addition to a diverse lineup.