Secrets of the Suburbs

From gourmet pizzerias and beer gardens to eclectic boutiques and Asian markets, our Mile High suburbs are overflowing with places worth discovering. We’ve pulled together an assortment of spots that embody the vibrant, appealingly quirky spirit of our city’s outlying areas. So read up, get out there, and try something new in the next town over.

The Stalwarts

We couldn’t offer a list without a nod to the mainstays of the metro area. You know ’em, you love ’em—and so do we. Here, our go-tos for a good time in the ’burbs.

ROCKING OUT

• 1st Bank Center /// Broomfield www.1stbankcenter.com /// April 21 John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High, an Earth Day Concert
• Red Rocks Park and amphitheatre /// Morrison www.redrocksonline.com /// April 24 Easter Sunrise Service, 6 a.m.
• D Note /// Arvada www.dnote.us /// Throughout April Salsa lessons, bluegrass, Zumba, Baby Boogie, DJ Chonz and Friends
• Comfort Dental Amphitheatre /// Greenwood Village /// Summer hours only

INDULGING

• Opus Restaurant /// Littleton www.opusdine.com Try the chef’s six- or nine-course dinner ($69 to $195).
• The Fort /// Morrison www.thefort.com Order the Game Plate ($44) for a taste of the Wild West.
• Colterra /// Niwot www.colterra.com Take your pick from the locally sourced, seasonal menu.
• Coors brewery tour /// Golden www.millercoors.com It’s Coors, it’s Miller, it’s Molson…who cares—it’s free.
• Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids /// Longmont www.oskarblues.com
• Pick a bluegrass night, grab a pint, and get your jam on.

LEARNING

• Foothills Art Center /// Golden www.foothillsartcenter.org /// Through April 17 Colorado Watercolor Society 20th Annual State Exhibition /// Through April 8 The Art of Charles Lovett
• Butterfly Pavilion /// Westminster www.butterflies.org /// April 13 Guided Sunset Stroll /// April 23 Egg Hunt
• Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities /// Arvada www.arvadacenter.org /// Through April 16 The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley /// Through April 17 Cabaret /// April 26—May 22 The Lady with All the Answers
• Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield /// Littleton www.botanicgardens.org /// April 22 SCFD Free Day
• The Wildlife Experience /// Parker www.thewildlifeexperience.org /// April 2 Rocky Mountain Reptile Rescue /// April 9 HawkQuest /// April 14 Movie and a Martini

SHOPPING
Behold, our favorite retail playgrounds in the metro region.

• FlatIron Crossing /// Broomfield www.flatironcrossing.com
• Belmar /// Lakewood www.belmarcolorado.com
• The Streets at SouthGlenn /// Centennial www.shopsouthglenn.com
• Park Meadows /// Lone Tree www.parkmeadows.com
• Outlets at Castle Rock /// Castle Rock www.outletsatcastlerock.com
• Colorado Mills /// Lakewood www.simon.com/mall/?id=1237