Thursday

Meet antiques expert Wes Cowan. If you're a fan of "Antiques Roadshow" or "History Detectives" here's your chance to meet the shows' host. Cowan -- who has a PhD in anthropology and owns an auction company that specializes in historical America -- will be at a free reception, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Denver PBS station KDBI-Channel 12, 2900 Welton in Denver. Call 303.296.1212 (or 1.800.727.8812) to reserve your spot.

Friday

Eat and sample wine at the Capital Grille in Denver's Larimer Square. The Capital Grille's Master Sommelier George Miliotes is offering a special wine tasting menu through Aug. 23, featuring four of the world's most renowned wine regions. All patrons are entered to win a trip for two to world class wineries with Miliotes as your personal guide. The sampling costs $10 at lunch and $25 at dinner, and each tasting features 11 to 12 selections.

Saturday

Hear the jazz vocals and piano playing of Diana Krall at the Wells Fargo Theatre at the Colorado Convention Center. The Canadian Grammy-winner will perform at 8 p.m. Tickets are $64.50 to $125.

Monday

Learn about women who changed America from Athena Award finalist Jill S. Tietjen, who coauthored, "Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America," and Charlotte S. Waisman, at the Chautauqua Community House in Boulder, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 or $5 for members. Read more about Tietjen here.

Check out:

Norman Provizer’s weekly Jazz Notes column for the latest news on upcoming shows, compliments of KUVO 89 Jazz.

Ongoing and upcoming:

Ride the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad and enjoy a concert in the country; 16 country concerts will be staged across four consecutive weekends through Aug. 2. The railroad is offering a combination ticket from Alamosa to Fir ($39) or from La Veta (near I-25) to Fir ($29), for a limited time. It includes a roundtrip train ride and afternoon admission to the Mountain Music Show, where Michael Martin Murphey features new guest stars at every performance.

Colorado Music Festival
The Colorado Music Festival runs through Aug. 7 at Boulder’s Chautauqua Auditorium. Sundays feature chamber orchestra selections; Tuesdays, chamber and world music; and Thursdays and Fridays, festival orchestra. Tickets are now on sale.   

Cirque du Soleil: Kooza
Cirque du Soleil brings its show to Denver, Aug. 20-Oct. 4, under a special “Grand Chapiteau” big top to be erected next to the Pepsi Center. Kooza tells the story of The Innocent, “a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world,” and combines acrobatic performance and clowning. Tickets, $38.50-$215.

Plan your fall trip to Chaffee County to leaf peep and take in the 2nd Annual Colorado Mountain Plein Air Festival, which runs Sept. 17 - 27. The autumn painting festival, set in historic downtown Salida, offers daily paint outs, “quick draws”, workshops and exhibits where you can purchase your favorite paintings and meet the artists. Registration before Aug. 2 is $25. 

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