Paint it

Splash! now open

Downtown's newest business is adding color to the local landscape. Lots of color. And lots of interactive fun. You'll find it at 115 N. Tejon, across the street from Old Chicago.

Splash! is owners Donna and Charles Schwers's local incarnation of a trend sweeping the country: group painting in a pleasant, party-like atmosphere. Even the most artistically challenged typically emerge from sessions saying, "I can't believe I painted this!"

Splash is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, with open painting until 4 p.m. and group classes typically beginning at 6:30 p.m. Each session features a different artwork to be replicated. Resident artist Hunter Chambers "deconstructs" the elements of the selected painting and helps coax out your inner artiste. To see what painting is featured on a given day and/or to make a reservation (highly encouraged as the place fills fast!), visit www.splashsprings.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/splashsprings. Splash reserves Mondays and Tuesdays for private parties and events. Groups of up to 52 people can be accommodated.

For $35 (Friday and Saturdays; $30 on other nights) you get an apron, paints and brushes, blank canvas and more fun than you can anticipate. And you get to take your masterpiece home with you! Before, during and after your painting session, enjoy Bristol Brewery beer or regional wines, locally made chocolates and other light snacks or shop the intimate retail boutique. For more information, check out the sites above or call (719) 302-1100.

Hot diggity

Dick's Dogs and Diner

Who doesn't hanker for a hot dog every now and then? And not just any dog, but gourmet on your terms? Now there's a great little diner offering a wide variety of dogs, subs, sandwiches and soups. That's seven different daily soups, more than 10 varieties of hotdogs inspired by cities around the world, a breakfast menu featuring eggs and sausages in an array of dishes, and a cake menu to boot.

And if you're too busy to make it into the shop, they'll deliver!

Dicks' Dogs and Diner at 101 N. Tejon (northeast corner of Tejon and Kiowa, next to the Verizon store) is the lifelong dream of co-founders Kevin "Sarge" Mac Donald II and Josh "Homer" Simpson. Hours are Sunday through Wednesday, 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Check out the full menu at www.dicksdogsanddiner.com or call 635-1951 for info and delivery.

Young Chautauqua

Experience the 1950s like never before

Do you have a burning question to ask Albert Einstein? How about Marilyn Monroe? Or General George MacArthur or Richie Valens?

These historical figures come to life in the exhilarating interactive performances of Colorado Springs Conservatory students who have studied them in an intensive six-week total immersion course (think academic and art, music, dance and theater) developed by the nationally acclaimed Young Chautauqua program.

This is the program's first appearance in El Paso County and is a collaboration of the Conservatory, Colorado Humanities, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, District 11 Galileo School of Math and Science, and the Pikes Peak Library District. 

TWO two-hour performances are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, February 15, 6 p.m., at the Colorado Springs Conservatory, 1600 N. Union Boulevard, (719) 577-4556.

Saturday, February 19, 10 a.m., Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, 215 S. Tejon Street, (719) 385-5990.

To learn more about Young Chautauqua, visit www.coloradohumanities.org.

A wee bit of fun plus a run

St. Patrick's Day Parade

May the luck of the Irish be upon you! This year's St. Patrick's Day parade will take place on Saturday, March 12, beginning at noon. The parade route begins on North Tejon Street at St. Vrain and travels south to Vermijo.

To properly warm up for spectatorship, enter the 5K race at 10 a.m. or at least encourage the wee ones (10 and under) at the 11 a.m. Leprechaun Fun Run. The adult race starts and ends in Acacia Park, and is the official kick-off to the Grand Prix yearlong running series. The fun run raises funds for the ever-popular Uncle Wilber Fountain. To register for the races, go to www.csgrandprix.com.

It's not too late to participate in the parade as a vendor, sponsor or with a float, marching or other display group. Go to www.csstpats.com/download/2011EntryForm_Rules.pdf so you can be sure to get your entry in by the February 20 deadline.

For general information about all these festivities, go to www.csstpats.com.  

How many can you answer?

Downtown PUZZLE!

How well do you think you know Downtown? Pencil or pen? Have at our first-ever crossword puzzle and let us know if you want more.

Can we be friends?

Find us on Facebook

More than just books

PPLD classes, workshops, events and more

Looking for a job? Starting a business of your own? Crazy about but confused by digital cameras? Want to learn the ins-and-outs of Excel? How to speak another language? Looking for a discussion group? Book club? There's one great place you can address all of these interests.

It's the Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD). And at our Downtown branch - Penrose - you'll find a multitude of offerings. Go to www.ppld.org/penrose-library and start exploring!  

On the Colorado College Campus

Movies, music, and more

If you're not on the mailing list for Colorado College's Events Calendar, you may be missing some of the most interesting, thought-provoking, head-or-belly-scratching opportunities around.  Hint: to sign up for it, or just to view who's headlining what when and where, go to www.coloradocollege.edu/news_events/.

Coming up soon:

February 17               Film: "Illegal"

February 23               Panel: IDEA Cabaret: The World
                                    is Our Canvas

                                   Talk:Tim Wise --- Between Barack and a
                                   Hard Place: Racism, Privilege, and Denial in
                                   the Age of Obama

February 24               Reading: Steven Hayward, Colorado
                                   College's own, the author of The Secret
                                   Mitzvah of Lucio Burke, will read from his
                                   new novel, Don't Be Afraid.

February 27              Try not to fall: Skate with the Tigers

March 3                    Talk: Van Jones--- globally recognized,
                                  award-winning pioneer in human rights and
                                  the clean-energy economy.

For all the details regarding these and other CC events, go to www.coloradocollege.edu/news%5Fevents/calendar/?month=2&year=2011.