Hello Parrot Heads!

Happy Thursday! It’s March 1st, and you know what that means… the countdown has officially begun for the Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade! This weekend we will begin to build our float for the parade, and today we have all the details about the float build. We hope you will all come and join us, and help build and decorate this year’s float! Read on for the details, and more, in this week’s news.

Float Building Begins This Saturday, March 3

It’s time to build our float, and we want you to help! If you’ve never built with us before, no problemo! You don’t need to be an expert to help. Yes, we need builders and painters, but we also need people to hold things, carry stuff, and help with cleanup. Sometimes just being there and telling us we’re doing a great job is all that we need. So if you can’t swing a hammer, we can still find a job for you if you want to help.

Build Days & Times:

This weekend we’ll be working on the float on Saturday 3/3 and Sunday 3/4 from 10AM until around 4PM. We will probably do the exact same times next weekend, Saturday 3/10 and Sunday 3/11, and again on Friday 3/16, but stay tuned to our weekly newsletters to confirm the times each week.

Build Location:

Again this year we’ll be building in Pete Grosskreuz’s backyard in Arvada (please see your original CPHC newsletter or email  for the full address). There may be a few open spaces in Pete’s driveway, but if you park there please don’t park so that you block anybody in. Additional parking can be found adjacent to Pete’s backyard at Jordan’s Time To Eat Restaurant. They have agreed to let us use their parking lot again this year. You’ll also want to enter Pete’s backyard through the gate by Jordan’s, but if that changes, we’ll post signs so you know where to go when you arrive.

A few reminders about the build location:

  • Pete has been nice enough to let us use his yard, but that doesn’t mean you get full access to his home. Do not go inside Pete’s house unless he invites you to. We have a port-a-potty that you can use when nature calls.
  • You may see building supplies in the yard since Pete builds for a living. That doesn’t mean everything you see belongs to us. If you aren’t sure, ask me before helping yourself to any of the supplies you may see in the yard or sheds
  • This should go without saying, but be considerate and mindful of your surroundings. Pick up after yourself, and when painting, make sure you don’t get paint on any of Pete’s property. I know, it’s basic stuff, but worth a reminder.

What to bring to the build:

  • Comfortable work clothes and shoes. Don’t dress to impress, and don’t wear anything you don’t mind getting dirty or splashed with paint. The weather forecast calls for mostly sunny and cool weather this weekend, so dress appropriately and layer up as needed.
  • Tools that you may want use if you plan on building. This includes things like saws, saw horses, drills, hammers, jigsaws, sanders, etc. Please label any tools you bring and keep your eyes on them so they don’t get lost. Just like luggage at the airport, many tools look alike!
  • Work gloves, because splinters are no fun.
  • Paint brushes. We will have a bunch but you can almost never have too many.
  • BYO beverage of choice. This is a Parrot Head event, so yes adult beverages are allowed. Just keep in mind, if you will be working with power tools you may want to some non-alcoholic drinks too. We don’t want anyone to lose a finger.
  • Food for yourself, or snacks to share. We will not be cooking lunch on site, so plan accordingly. We have not confirmed that Jordan’s will be open, so be prepared, or plan on picking up lunch nearby.
  • A folding chair, so you can take a break and get off your feet during the day. There are usually a few around so you may be able to find someone to share theirs if you don’t want to bring yours.

Please understand… there is a lot to do, but it can take some time to organize what needs to be done and get everyone working on a project. We often have more volunteers than tasks, especially during the first few build days. Be patient with us! We appreciate you donating your time so we’ll do our best to keep you busy. Still, it’s a good idea to bring a chair in case there is some downtime.

Parade day volunteers are also needed.

If you can’t make it on the build weekends, we could still use your help. We will need volunteers to meet us at the staging area early on parade day for finishing touches, volunteers to check IDs, and even more volunteers to help with our float tear-down on Sunday, March 18. If you’d like to help out with either of those things, please respond to this email to let me know.

Need Wristbands? Need to Renew your Membership?

If you still need to renew, or if you need to pick up parade wristbands, yes, you can do this during the build. Ask for me or Chris, and we’ll help you out. Again, be patient with us. We’ll likely be busy, so just find us and know that we’ll take care of whatever you need just as soon as we can. As a reminder, you need to get your wristbands before parade day, so please stop by and pick them up during a build day.

Did I forget anything?

If you have questions, please email me. If you’re wondering, someone else probably is too, so let me know.

Parade Day Info

The parade will be held on St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday, March 17. I’m still confirming what time we will need to show up to the staging area, so those details will be coming very soon. Watch your email for our upcoming newsletters for all the specifics.

As for attire, we want all Parrot Heads to wear their finest Parrot Head and/or St. Paddy’s Day gear. Lots of green, lots of tropical attire. It’s going to be lots of phun! We will be handing out candy, so please pick up a few bags to bring with you on parade day. If you prefer to bring beads and/or leis, that would be great too – especially if it’s green. The club will be ordering some items to hand out but we always run out, so donations are always appreciated.

Our parade after-party will be at The Fainting Goat Pub (846 Broadway, Denver 80203). We hope you plan a full day of Parrot Head fun, and join us there!

Save The Date: Party With A Purpose details

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade may kick off our party season, but it’s just the beginning of the fun we’ll have this year! Make sure you save the date for our annual Party With a Purpose, being held July 21 at Lee & Robin Grodsky’s house. For a number of reasons, this may be the last hurrah at the Grodsky’s, so they are pulling out all the stops! Musical acts this year include Thom Shepherd, Coley McCabe Shepherd, and Donny Brewer. We already know and love Thom and Coley, but in case you’re less familiar with Donny Brewer here’s all you need to know: Donny Brewer took 5 awards in the 2017 Trop Rock Music Awards, including Male Vocalist, Entertainer, Album AND Song of the year! In short, this is a PWAP you will not want to miss! Tickets will be on sale soon, so save the date, and plan on being there for the party.

FYI – We will need lots of Parrot Head volunteers to make this year’s event the best ever. Right now, we are looking for volunteers to help us get some awesome items donated to our raffle and silent auction. Reach out to me or to the Grodskys for more details on how you can help. As a reminder, all proceeds for this party will benefit TLC Meals on Wheels.

That’s all for now. I hope to see you all this weekend!

FINS UP!

Jeff