This year, however, was different. I arrived at 5:22 to a bristling crowd of at least 200 people. Nowhere to sit and almost too loud to hear yourself speak. After waiting at the edge of the terrace for either a seat to open up or a tray to come by, my party found me at 5:45, still without my first drink. And it was evident that there would be none coming by, nor any staff to check on the patrons.

I won't be back for this party again next year. It has always been something that I've looked forward to throughout the winter; the beckoning of Spring; the entrance of Summer.  This year the event seems cheapened a bit.  They had much fewer staff and trays of food were going by at a rate of about one every 20 minutes, and the waiting crowd was so eager for the trays that they circled like hungry dogs every time a waiter came around with new treats - the entire tray of treats gone within a mere 30 seconds; reduced to crumbs and napkins. The margaritas were smaller on some trays than others, and as soon as you ran out of your two drink tickets you found yourself wondering whether it was worth staying there to fight the crowds for a spot to stand and a possible morsel chew on.

It seems that this event has become like many other events in Denver: overhyped, oversold and overcrowded. Unfortunately it is no longer something that I will look forward to as the entrance to summer but rather as yet another waste of time in the struggle to get downtown in 5 pm traffic.

Too bad Tamayo; you used to be up there in my mind as one of Denver’s classiest places for a party.