The Best Things to Do in Colorado in November

A Good Run For Your Money | November 4

So far, most of the running events in Broomfield have been kitschy 5Ks. But the Broomfield Trails Marathon is out to prove the suburban enclave should be a go-to place for serious mileage. The inaugural race will wind along the Lake Link, Rock Creek, and Big Dry Creek trails, offering brochure-worthy views of the Flatirons. A portion of your registration fee ($129) goes to the Broomfield Rotary Charitable Foundation and A Precious Child, a nonprofit that works with partner organizations to assist local kids and families facing difficult situations.

(Not) Politics As Usual | November 17

In this age of partisan squabbles, Politicon—an annual conference in Los Angeles—is a rare event that caters to conservatives and liberals alike. The Denver stop of the on-the-road version, Politicon Live! ($35 to $70), at the Bellco Theatre will feature a debate between Hasan Piker of left-leaning the Young Turks and Charlie Kirk of conservative-minded Turning Point USA. Conversation topics will depend on the news cycle, but you’re sure to hear a fair exchange of ideas.

High Fashion | November 19 – March3

New York City and Los Angeles may have more cachet than Denver when it comes to posh clothing, yet it’s the Denver Art Museum that has the honor of hosting the Western Hemisphere’s first major retrospective of legendary French fashion company House of Dior. (You can thank the museum’s contemporary design, which fits the exhibit’s avant-garde aesthetic, for the privilege.) Dior: From Paris to the World ($12 to $29) will examine the brand’s seven-decade history through more than 170 couture dresses, oodles of rare accessories, and years of archival footage, all of which detail iconic moments in fashion history. Christian Dior, for example, was the first designer known for pieces that emphasized female silhouettes instead of hiding them.

Your Locally Grown Dinner Is Served | November 20

Back in the early 2000s, before the farm-to-table movement dominated the United States, Eden Vardy stumbled across a network of popular Brazilian cafes that only used inexpensive, locally grown ingredients. The concept inspired the Aspen environmentalist to host a free dinner, incorporating a similar approach, for Roaring Fork Valley residents in 2008. Vardy still holds his Farm-To-Table Free Community Meal each November, now on behalf of his environmental education nonprofit, the Farm Collaborative. At least seven local chefs will make this year’s Thanksgiving-themed supper, with about 75 percent of the food coming from farms within 35 miles of the event venue, the Hotel Jerome. (The other 25 percent will come from other Colorado growers.) Vardy will also elaborate on the Farm Collaborative’s expansion from two-thirds of an acre to 14 acres and new agritourism opportunities. That way, even more people can experience what it’s like to feast on the fruits of their neighbors’ labor.