See Hear Do: Brewhaha of Fun

A good time is always brewing in early October, at least for lovers of a good lager. Motley Brews’ Downtown Brew Festival has been capitalizing on the Oktoberfest zeitgeist for 11 years, and is back again with more beer, good things to eat with beer (think burgers, seafood, and sweets), and good things to listen to with beer (live bands). It might be the closest us desert-dwellers will get to a Bavarian Biergärten, so don’t let the foam settle on tickets.

Getting your hands on delicious (hot) dogs isn’t the only reason to make a day of Boulder City’s annual Würst Festival — there’s also alcohol on tap, an antique show, the Würst Dam Car Show (which, contrary to what the name suggests, is the Best Dam Car Show in Boulder City), and live auctions and entertainment. In other words, plenty to do at this food festival, for carnivores and vegans alike.

Allow me to paint a picture for you: It’s 2012, and an amateur Spanish painter named Cecilia Giménez has botched a restoration of a sacred “Ecce Homo” fresco so badly, that it makes international news. Though this might sound like an unlikely plot for an opera, Andrew Flack and Paul Fowler saw the potential, and the result is the world premiere of a rollicking, irreverent, and oh-so-witty comedy. Humanizing Giménez, the opera is a study in the power of internet memes, the unexpected twists and turns of life, and the economic wellspring that is tourism in the social media age — all in a soaring libretto.

Very few people love a good autumn pun more than I do, especially when it’s associated with a stellar dance theatre, as the Fall in Love with Contemporary West Dance Theatre Fall Concert Series is. Featuring four contemporary dance performances choreographed by artists Ray Mercer, Adrienne Hurd, and Contemporary West founder Bernard Gaddis, it’s a great introduction for those unfamiliar with the first dance company in Las Vegas (and the wider state of Nevada) to be founded by two people of color.

Pride comes to Vegas in October, bringing with it parades, festivals, and lots of other ways to celebrate our LGBTQ+ community. If you’re looking for a fresh take on the festivities, or perhaps something a bit quieter and more reflective, consider popping by the Charleston Heights Arts Center Gallery to catch the tail end of Forever Queer. The exhibit, featuring works from the likes of Martin Kreloff, Robin Slonina, and Keena Lough, is a thought-provoking window into the history and future of the LGBT community.