It was standing-room-only on Wednesday night at the Skylark Lounge on South Broadway when Denver Democrats gathered to toast the holidays at the party’s annual bash. The decidedly casual affair brought out more than 100 Dems from all over town, including legislators, city officials, local activists and all manner of political partiers for a shindig that lasted well into the night.

Before the mingling got fully underway, the county executive committee banged the gavel for a brief official meeting to approve next year’s budget, but once that was taken care of it was open season on food, drink and the kind of political chatter that flows freely in the lull the holidays provide.

Will a favorite state House member make a bid for the Senate? Are the primary races that are popping up all over the place going to test friendships and old loyalties? Now that Democrats have prevailed on both congressional and legislative maps, does the party have a deep enough bench to fill all those looming ballot slots? Stay tuned, the merry revelers suggested, because after the Winter Solstice arrives next week, the days are only going to get longer.