Audio By Carbonatix
For the first time in the thirty-year history of Westword‘s Best of Denver, we’ve split the Best of Denver Readers’ Poll into two rounds, giving you the chance to look at the leading vote-getters and then vote again for your favorite galleries, theaters and entertainments in metro Denver. And the results of the first round are in! Keep reading to uncover the five finalists that you, the readers, have selected for the Arts & Entertainment categories on this year’s Readers’ Poll. And know this: You still have the chance to change the results. Just get out the vote!
See also:
– Best of Denver Readers’ Poll 2013: The Food & Drink finalists
– Best of Denver 2013 Readers’ Poll: The first round of Shopping & Services finalists
– Vote in the 2013 Best of Denver Readers’ Poll
The finalists listed below are by no means shoe-ins — meaning that in the next (and final) round of voting, you can either vote for your favorite finalist or start over with a completely different entry. The final deadline for online voting is 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, at which point we’ll close the poll and calculate the results one last time. You’ll be able to read both the Westword and Readers’ Poll winners when our annual Best of Denver issue hits stands on March 28.
In the meantime, let us know what you think of the first-round finalists in the comments section below. And don’t forget to vote!
Best new book by a Colorado author:
Tenth of December by George Saunders
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
East of Denver by Gregory Hill
Taft 2012 by Jason Heller
Water: A Vic Bengston Investigation by Richard J. Schneider
Best new festival:
Phibstock
Festivus
Chef N’ Brew
Summer Grind
Snowball
Best annual festival:
Cherry Creek Arts Festival
Great American Beer Festival
Taste of Colorado
Tour de Fat
Beer, Bacon and Coffee Festival
Best arts district:
Santa Fe
RiNo
Cherry Creek
Tennyson
South Broadway
Best new public art:
Colorado map at History Colorado
David Choi murals
DCPA
Arvada Art of the State
Mike Whiting Metal pixel rhino
Best unofficial new public art:
Banksy on Santa Fe
Graffiti on Matchbox
The purple witch on Colfax
Robots at Pablo’s on Penn
TiredPirate stickers
Continue reading for more Best of Denver 2013 Readers’ Poll finalists.
Best public art at DIA:
“Mustang ”
Leo Tanguma murals
“America: Why I love Her”
Patty Ortiz airplane display
Gargoyles
Best museum exhibit:
Becoming Van Gogh at the Denver Art Museum
Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective at the Denver Art Museum
Denver A to Z at the History Colorado Center
A Day in Pompeii at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Denver Diorama at the History Colorado Center
Best museum shop:
Denver Art Museum
History Colorado Center
Denver Zoo
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
MCA Denver
Best gallery show — solo:
TiredPirate at the Art Salon
Kevin Hennessy
Knew Conscious
Sally Stockhold
Scott Sheridan
Best gallery show — group:
Redline
History Colorado
Robischon
Swapmeet: Artpace and the Dikeou Collection
Unibrow at Unit E
Best theater season:
Boulder’s Dinner Theater
Bunport
Arvada Center
Denver Center for Performing
Curious Theater
Continue reading for more Best of Denver 2013 Readers’ Poll finalists.
Best free entertainment:
Jazz in the Park
First Friday on Santa Fe
Cherry Creek Arts Festival
16th Street Mall
Louisville Street Fair
Best reality-TV star from Colorado:
Mondo
Tierra
Dog the Bounty Hunter
Tyler Waird
Jenna Johansen
Best film festival:
Starz Denver Film Festival
Boulder Film Festival
Aspen Film Festival
Telluride Film Festival
Mile High Horror
Best movie theater — food and drink:
Mayan
Landmark Greenwood Village
Cinnbarre
Sie FilmCenter
Century Lakewood Belmar 16
Best movie theater — programming:
Esquire
Mayan
Landmark Greenwood Village
Cinnbarre
Sie FilmCenter
Continue reading for more Best of Denver 2013 Readers’ Poll finalists.
Best movie theater — comfort:
United Artists Colorado Center 9
Sie FilmCenter
Mayan
UA Denver Pavilions 15
Hollywood Theaters SouthGlenn
Best theater production:
The Book of Mormon
Tommy Lee Jones Goes to the Opera Alone
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Cult Following at The Jones
Byers Evans House Museum Theater
Best comedy night:
Fridays at Voodoo Comedy Playhouse
Comedy Works
The Grawlix
Wednesdays at Deer Pile
Denver Improv
Best roller-derby skater:
Afterburner
Gator Dunn
The Terrible Suz
Suri Brawl
Shadow Cat
Best burlesque night:
Lannie’s Clocktower
3 Kings Tavern
Bar Standard
Naughty Pierre’s Burlesque & Comedy Extravaganza
Charlie’s
It’s your turn to weigh in! Vote for one of these finalists — or any other favorite — in the second (and final) round of the Best of Denver 2013 Readers’ Poll.