70 MARCH 26-APRIL 1, 2026 westword.com WESTWORD | FOOD & DRINK | MUSIC & VENUES | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | SPORTS & RECREATION | CONTENTS | times on the plastic columns outside the Pavilions might even cry with such a loss. The United Artist has hung tough for the last two decades, and of all the mall’s stalwarts, the cinema has stood the tallest in its corner atop the Pavilions. Best Holiday Pre-Game Bright Nights at Four Mile 715 South Forest Street fourmilepark.org/brightnights-2/ There isn’t really a fat man in a red suit amicably invading people’s homes via chimney in December. Likewise, Christ- mas in July isn’t a thing. But if you ride your bike along the north side of the Platte River in Glendale, you’d swear otherwise rolling past Four Mile Historic Park from mid-July through the fi rst week of October. With new, elaborate lighting displays every year, Bright Nights at Four Mile is like the best holiday pre-game in the city. If gawk- ing slack-jawed at bright bulbs tickles your fancy, no need to wait until the end of the year to feed your fi xation. Best Arts Venue that Deserves a New Home Prismajic Formerly at 14500 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood prismajic.com When the experimental art space Pris- majic lost its lease earlier this year, it was a blow to the local creative scene. Hav- ing inspired Denverites in two different locations since its visionary inception in 2018, this wouldn’t be the fi rst move that Prismajic has successfully made. Here’s hoping that it lands on its furry Yeti-feet (you’ll understand that reference if you were one of the lucky hundreds of thou- sands of people who wandered through its dreamlike landscape), and soon, in a new and larger location. And don’t forget to include the Night Owl speakeasy bar, too — it’s a place about which a lot of patrons gave a tipsy hoot. Best Move to a New Space (Without Killing the Vibe) Vinegar Syndrome 6451 West Colfax Avenue, Unit A, Lakewood vinegarsyndrome.com After closing its Aurora shop, The Archive, in 2024, Vinegar Syndrome spent nearly a year searching for a new home, which left manager Theresa Mercado worried that Denver’s cult-fi lm faithful might drift away. Instead, they showed up early and lined up outside when the boutique Blu- ray label reopened last summer at Lamar Station Plaza near Casa Bonita. The Lake- wood shop keeps the same obsessive spirit that made The Archive beloved: shelves packed with boutique labels, obscure horror and exploitation titles, rare VHS and laserdiscs, plus Vinegar Syndrome’s own meticulously restored releases. With fi lmmaker signings and collector events, Denver’s weird-movie clubhouse has not only survived but thrived since its move across town. Best Summer Cultural Festival Denver Cherry Blossom Festival 1950 Larimer Street cherryblossomdenver.org Shaved ice, Spam musubi, live performances and a streetful of artisan vendors — what more could you need? Marking 52 years this year, the Denver Cherry Blossom Festival, or Sakura Matsuri, is a tradition every sum- mer at Sakura Square, which serves as both a commercial development and a cultural hub for the Mile High City’s Japanese-American community. The festival is the Tri-State Den- ver Buddhist Temple’s main fundraiser, and is typically attended by an estimated 25-30,000 people. “It’s just a way for us to appreciate and cherish the culture we have, but also to share it with other people,” says Sakura Foundation executive director Stacey Shigaya. Best Fan Convention GhengisCon Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center, 13200 East 14th Place, Aurora gamergirlgames.com/genghis-con-2026 Every year, gamers in Denver and the Rocky Mountain West gather at Ghengis- Con to play, play, play. Dozens upon dozens of dice-throwing opportunities, all orga- nized for a long weekend of nothing but interactive games: role-playing, war simu- lations, superheroes, sci-fi , and a lot more. But that’s not all. Organizer Andre’a Arnold is also putting together an increasingly awesome slate of special guests, headlined in February by YouTube gamer sensation Ginny Di, who was joined by D&D royalty Luke Gygax, Dwarvenforge Stefan Pokorny, designer and author Michael Stackpole, and too many others to list. Can’t wait for 2027 to check it out? You’ve made your luck check: Their other convention, Tacticon, is coming up later this year. Best Civics Club Warm Cookies of the Revolution 576 North Gilpin Street warmcookiesoftherevolution.org In a country that feels increasingly devoid of free community-building opportunities, Warm Cookies of the Revolution contin- ues to make civics fun and informative at its public events. From live dancing at an event focused on the privatization of Den- ver schools to creating culturally familiar civic spaces out of suburban homes for immigrant communities, Warm Cookies is unfaltering in its creativity and enthu- siasm for cultivating civic health in fresh and fun ways. The projects and events that the club hosts can be unpredictable due to their originality, but one thing’s for sure: There will be cookies. Best BIPOC Events Love Vibes instagram.com/thelovevibespresents In the past, LGBTQ+ BIPOC individuals haven’t felt welcome in Denver — even in the spaces where they really should be, like The Center on Colfax. The Center is doing the work to change that, and so is the nonprofi t’s community groups coordinator, Terwanda McMoore. McMoore started Love Vibes, which organizes Arts & Entertainment continued from page 66 continued on page 72
