Denver Nerds After Dark

It’s Halloween week, so let’s get our pumpkins ready! Join us for a cozy night of pumpkin carving with music, candles, and something warm to sip. Go classic with a toothy grin, try something spooky, or attempt a masterpiece that’s way too ambitious for one night. Artistic skill optional, and the lopsided ones are usually the favorites.

Vibe: Doors open at 6:00, and we’ll carve, chat, and snack until around 9.

What to Bring: Your own pumpkin and carving tools. Pick whatever size you want, but keep in mind the big ones take a while!

Clothing: Wear something you don’t mind getting a little pumpkin on. As always, there’s no dress code. From cat ears to alt fashion to safety goggles and a hard hat, express yourself and wear whatever feels like you.

Food & Drinks: We’ll have mulled wine and hot apple cider going all night, plus hot appetizers. If you’d like to contribute, a bottle of red wine or something to spike the cider would be awesome. Got an appetizer that can go in the oven? Bring it along and we’ll keep the trays coming! This is also a BYOB event, and there’s fridge space for your drinks.

Smoking: Cannabis and vaping are welcome in the backyard, but no tobacco smokers please. That includes showing up smelling like tobacco smoke.

Cats: Two friendly Bengal cats live here and may come say hi. Heads up if you have allergies, and please keep the doors closed behind you so they don’t sneak out.

Cost: $10 donation requested on arrival for food and other expenses (PayPal, Venmo, or cash).

Address & Parking: Message the organizer for the address. Free parking.

Other: Our group is mostly folks in their 20s and 30s, and anyone 21 to 45 is welcome to join.

Looking forward to carving with you all!

Let’s slow things down for a night of candlelight, good wine, and great conversation. We’re cooking a steak dinner together, with the lights low, candles everywhere, and Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dean Martin setting the mood. After dinner, head out back to the fire pit and hot tub under the tiki torches. Come for the steak, stay for the conversation!

Vibe: Dim, intimate, and relaxed. This one is all about great food and great company, the kind of dinner party where nobody checks their phone. Help out in the kitchen with a glass of wine in hand, or just settle in and chat while dinner comes together.

Schedule: Doors open at 6, and we’ll start cooking around 6:30. Dinner is around 7:30, then the fire pit and hot tub are open until about 11.

The Menu: Peppercorn ribeye steaks with a brandy cream sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus with shallots and lemon, a big dinner salad, and warm crusty bread. Vegetarian? There will be roasted portobellos available by request.

What to Bring: We kindly ask everyone to bring a bottle of wine to share, plus an appetizer or dessert. A dessert wine to go with the sweets would be amazing!

Clothing: Dress to impress! Think date night best, whether that’s a little black dress, something sexy, a sharp blazer, or your favorite button down. Express yourself and wear as much or as little as you like.

Hot Tub: Opens after dinner, and it’s optional! No swimsuits please. We have two clean showers stocked with shampoo, soap, and towels, so please soap up and shower before getting in.

Smoking: Cannabis and vaping are welcome in the backyard, but no tobacco smokers please. That includes showing up smelling like tobacco smoke.

Cats: Two friendly Bengal cats live here and may come say hi. Heads up if you have allergies, and please keep the doors closed behind you so they don’t sneak out.

Cost: $25 donation requested on arrival for food and other expenses (PayPal, Venmo, or cash).

Address & Parking: Message the organizer for the address. Free parking.

Other: Our group is mostly folks in their 20s and 30s, and anyone 21 to 45 is welcome to join. This event is posted in a few places, so the RSVP list here won’t show everyone who’s coming.

Looking forward to sharing a candlelit dinner with you all!

Hey there! Roll out of bed, keep your pajamas on, and come start your Sunday with us. We’re doing a build your own waffle and pancake bar, mimosas, and a cozy Studio Ghibli movie on the big screen. This one is a laid back social morning, so come hang out!

Vibe: Doors open at 9, and breakfast gets going around 9:30, so there’s time to grab a coffee and meet some new people first. The movie starts around 10, and we’ll wrap up around noon so you still have the rest of your Sunday.

Movie: We’ll pick the movie together when everyone’s here. Think Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, or Howl’s Moving Castle. We’re screening it on the big screen with a 4K laser projector and 5.1 surround sound, which is perfect for Ghibli’s hand painted worlds. Pillows, blankets, and your favorite plushie are welcome if you want to get extra cozy. Totoro plushies get bonus points.

Clothing: Pajamas are highly encouraged! As always, there’s no dress code. From cat ears to alt fashion to a full Totoro onesie, express yourself and wear whatever feels like you.

Food & Drinks: We’ll have a waffle and pancake bar with all the toppings, plus bacon, sausage, and fruit. Coffee, tea, and hot cocoa will be going all morning. There’s also a mimosa bar! I’ll have juices and a bottle of bubbly to get us started, but we’ll need more to keep the mimosas flowing. If you’re planning to have a few, please bring a bottle of champagne or prosecco to share, or anything else you’d like to mix into a breakfast drink. This is a BYOB event, and there’s fridge space for your drinks.

Smoking: Cannabis and vaping are welcome in the backyard, but no tobacco smokers please. That includes showing up smelling like tobacco smoke.

Cats: Two friendly Bengal cats live here and may come say hi, probably hoping for bacon. Heads up if you have allergies, and please keep the doors closed behind you so they don’t sneak out.

Cost: $10 donation requested on arrival for food and other expenses (PayPal, Venmo, or cash).

Address & Parking: Message the organizer for the address. Free parking.

Other: Our group is mostly folks in their 20s and 30s, and anyone 21 to 45 is welcome to join.

Can’t wait to share a stack with you all!

Got a cosplay you love and want great photos of it? Come get in front of the camera with full studio lighting on seamless backdrops. Daku Con is that weekend, so it’s a perfect time to get photos before the con, but you don’t need to be going. Any cosplay or character look is welcome. Bring your favorite look and let’s have some fun with it!

Vibe: A cosplayer hangout with a photo set on the side. Meet other cosplayers, check out each other’s looks, trade costume and makeup tips, and relax in the house with music and snacks while you wait your turn in front of the camera.

Timing: Drop in anytime between 6 and 10, event may run as late as 11 if we're still shooting. We’ll rotate through cosplayers as people arrive.

The Shoot: This is a TFP (time for photos) collaboration using professional gear. You’ll get edited images back, and we’ll both be able to use them for portfolios. We’ll go over a simple model release together before shooting. Bring reference images or a mood board for your character, and we’ll work out poses together. We’ll get full length shots, close ups, and detail shots of your build, props, and makeup. Can’t make it but still want to shoot? Message me and we can try to find another time.

The Set: The set is separate from the hangout space, and you decide who’s in there during your shoot, whether that’s just you or you and a friend.

Getting Ready: Private room and bathroom available for changing, makeup, and hair, so feel free to show up in street clothes and get into character here. Got more than one look? Bring them all. This one is for anyone with a cosplay they’d like photographed, plus a friend to help with makeup and hair if you need one.

Props: Prop weapons and live steel are both welcome. Just no real firearms please.

Clothing: Your cosplay, whether it’s con ready or still a work in progress. There are no coverage requirements, so everything from full armor to revealing or spicy character designs is welcome. There’s no expectation to show skin or do suggestive poses.

Food & Drinks: Snacks will be out all night. This is a BYOB event, and there’s fridge space for your drinks.

Smoking: Cannabis and vaping are welcome in the backyard, but no tobacco smokers please. That includes showing up smelling like tobacco smoke.

Cats: Two friendly Bengal cats live here and may come say hi. Heads up if you have allergies, and please keep the doors closed behind you so they don’t sneak out.

Cost: Free!

Address & Parking: Message the organizer for the address. Free parking.

Other: Our group is mostly folks in their 20s and 30s, and anyone 21 to 45 is welcome to join.

Looking forward to collaborating and making some fun images with you!