A round-up of can’t-miss events this month:
- Holy Smoke BBQ Showdown, a weekend devoted to barbecue, with competitions, live music and plenty of ‘cue to eat. June 3-5. Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, 4218 County Road 3A, Cañon City.
- Brunch featuring Upslope Brewing, the first brunch by Brewer’s, which will feature four paired courses highlighting Upslope’s suds. See the full menu (to include sweet potato pancakes, and a frozen watermelon dessert) online. $40. Sunday, June 5, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Brewer’s Republic, 112 N. Nevada Ave.
- Manitou Springs Colorado Wine Festival, sip vino grown in the Centennial State from 30 wineries. With food, live music and other vendors. Go online for tickets and a complete list of participating wineries. Free for designated drivers. Saturday, June 4. Memorial Park, 505 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs.
- PCBC Beer Dinner, a five-course paired dinner. Seating limited to 30; call 635-2800 to make a reservation. $55. Tuesday, June 7, 6 p.m. Phantom Canyon Brewing Company, 2 E. Pikes Peak Ave.
- The Cheese Shop Opening Party, taste samples from this new venture, which promises artisanal Colorado jams, jellies, charcuterie and local cheeses. Saturday, June 4, 5-9 p.m. The Cheese Shop at Cherokee’s of Manitou, 351 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs.
- Feast of Saint Arnold: a “family friendly” beer festival showcasing Colorado craft breweries, wineries and distilleries. The family part comes via a separate fun zone just for kids. Proceeds benefit Westside CARES and the mission of the Chapel. $25-$35. Saturday, June 11. Chapel of Our Savior Episcopal Church, 8 Fourth St.
- Loaf ‘N Jug Boats, Bands and BBQ, the 16th annual barbecue competition happening in Pueblo, with live music, a cook-off and the Third Annual Steel City Brewfest on Saturday. June 10-11. Pueblo Riverwalk, 101 S. Union Ave., Pueblo.
- 2016 Colorado Springs Western Street Breakfast, a local tradition to kick off rodeo season, with eggs, pancakes, coffee, juice and milk, all for $5. Wednesday, June 15, 5:30-9 a.m. Held at Tejon Street and Pikes Peak Avenue.
- Moments in History Wine Dinner Series Part IV: The Portuguese Empire, a seven-course paired dinner featuring Portuguese cuisine and vino. $65 per person, plus tax and tip. Wednesday, June 15, 6:30 p.m. Margarita at PineCreek, 7350 Pine Creek Road. Call 598-8667 for reservations.
- Dueling Knives Episode II: Battle the Broadmoor, the next battle, this time pairing reigning champ Chef Brent Beavers against
a Broadmoor chefChef Zach Ladwig of the Penrose Room. RMFR’s Bryce Crawford is slated to be one of the judges. More info to come, but catch up on the first Dueling Knives competition here. Monday, June 20, 8 p.m. The Blue Star, 1645 S. Tejon St. - Moonlight on the Mountain, a grown-ups-only night of food, drink and mingling, with full access to the zoo, live music and unlimited samples of beer, wine and spirits as well as food from regional restaurants. $55.75-$65.75. Thursday, June 30, 6-10 p.m. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road.
And some new ongoing events, including Bottomless Bingo Brunch, Sundays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at McCabe’s Tavern (520 S. Tejon St.). Bingo starts at noon. McCabe’s is also the host bar for UpaDowna’s weekly Pedal Parties that pairs beer with bikes, thanks to a New Belgium partnership. Wednesdays, 6 p.m., through Sept. 7. Open to all ages and abilities.
Back at the Margarita at PineCreek, the patio is open, with live music Wednesday through Friday evenings, dinner and a movie every Friday starting June 10, and new patio menu items, including: crisp eggplant and Italian sausage flatbread with Stracciatella cheese; red braised pork ribs with Asian pear slaw; and Korean fried chicken sliders and roasted chicken and chorizo cream cheese tacos.
