Charlie Brown-approved
Last year, one Wheat Ridge gardener wowed the Rocky Mountain Giant Vegetable Growers with a pumpkin that weighed more than 1,100 pounds and measured more than 12 feet in circumference. Today, pumpkin lovers will attempt to top that local record during the group’s fourth annual Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off. The event is at Jared’s Nursery, 10500 W. Bowles Ave., Littleton, and includes a junior division at 10 a.m. and then the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off at 11 a.m. Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend. “It is always fun to see the children’s faces the first time they see the pumpkins,” says the group’s president and CEO, Gary Grande. The gourds “are something straight out of a fairy tale.” For event details and information on how to grow giant pumpkins or vegetables, visit .
Tech-head haven
Furniture is being removed from more than 100 rooms at the Denver Tech Center Marriott Hotel in anticipation of the sixth annual Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, happening Friday through Oct. 4. Stereo and speaker manufacturers will use the rooms to set up complete equipment displays featuring the newest top-of-the- line audio gear. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own iPods, discs or vinyl records to the show, as most exhibitors will play one or two favorite songs to show off the equipment’s sound quality. And for the first time, this year the event will include an area dedicated to headphones. Admission is $10 for one day or $25 for a weekend pass. Students and seniors pay half-price. Tickets are available through .
Planning makes perfect
Award-winning architect, less-is-more muse and author of “The Not So Big House” series, Sarah Susanka has made her residential plans available for purchase through the online store Houseplans.com. Eight of Susanka’s appealing and accessible architectural plans are now available there. ” ‘Not So Big’ puts the emphasis on quality rather than quantity and is designed to fit the way we really live today,” Susanka says. Plans cost $5,000 to $6,500. offers free quotes for custom changes, and its customer-service staff is available to answer building questions.
Beyond rustic
Beetle-kill pine, also known as blue-stained pine, is already popular for rustic floors and case goods. Now one Colorado furniture maker, Ryan Schlaefer Fine Furniture Inc., based in Loveland, hopes to introduce beetle-kill pine furniture to the luxury design world through a line of high-end furniture. The first piece in his collection is the large wall mirror pictured at right, appropriately named “Colorado.” It is available for wholesale purchase through the Carter Didlake showroom at the Denver Design District, 595 S. Broadway. The mirror’s frame is made entirely of beetle-kill pine and finished in two tones: a lighter finish to show off the blue streaks, and a secondary trim detail finished in metallic pewter for a contemporary look. More about Ryan Schlaefer at . To inquire about the mirror, call the Carter Didlake showroom at 303-794-4722.
