Those looking to live out a festive, Hallmark-style Christmas may not need to venture farther than a small town south of Denver.
“Every year, Hallmark holiday movies drop us into snow-dusted towns full of glowing storefronts, festive markets, and built-in nostalgia,” a holiday-themed analysis stated. “The question is which real U.S. towns actually feel that way.”
Littleton, which stands out for its Main Street charm and thriving local economy, ranked first in Colorado for its Christmas movie charm and placed ninth nationally, according to The Action Network analysis.
“In Hallmark terms, Littleton reads like a Rocky Mountain version of a classic holiday town: festive shopfronts, walkable streets, and a community that feels both lively and close-knit,” spokesperson Kathy Morris said in an email to The Denver Post. “It’s the kind of place where the tree lighting on Main Street draws everyone — including the soon-to-be couple at the heart of the story.”
The Action Network rankings are based on a “Hallmark Likelihood Index” — which pulls data from more than 3,000 towns on population, number of small businesses, historic sites and December snowfall — to determine where a real-life Hallmark holiday story is most likely to happen.
In Littleton, the chances are close to 3.3%, according to the analysis.
The town boasts a population of roughly 45,500 and has more than 36,000 businesses, one of the highest totals in the country, the analysis showed. It also gets about 1 inch of snow each December — just enough for a lightly dusted holiday movie scene.
“We can’t guarantee a high-powered executive is returning to Littleton only to reconnect with her hometown crush — but statistically, Littleton gives her a pretty solid chance,” Morris wrote.
Thursday-Dec. 24. ‘Tis the final season for the 23-year-old theatrical tradition known as “Santa’s Big Red Sack,” which is returning with “nonstop sketch comedy, music and technology bursting at the seams,” according to its creators. It’s celebrating its last year of offensive glee, so buy a shot and make sure to leave your propriety at the door. (Note: This bawdy production is not, as you may have guessed, for kids.)
It takes place at various times and dates from Dec. 4 to Dec. 24 at The People’s Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave. in Aurora. Tickets are $39.10 via thepeoplesbuilding.com/tickets.
(Provided by Denver Museum of Nature & Science)
Magical Winter Nights
Through Jan 4. When it comes to holiday light displays in City Park, Denver Zoo Lights tends to have it covered. But don’t count out the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, also located in City Park. The institution this year has launched Magical Winter Nights, its very own holiday celebration running through Jan. 4, 2026. The “dazzling winter wonderland” has “glowing savannah skies, shimmering northern lights and cozy cocoa (to) create memories that will last a lifetime,” according to the museum.
“This experience takes you on a journey through select areas of the museum, specifically the West Atrium and third-floor diorama halls,” organizers added. “These spaces have been transformed into a series of enchanting winter worlds just waiting to be explored. Under sparkling stars and through a series of immersive scenes, there’s something for everyone in this adventure designed to delight all ages.”
The first entry is 4:15 p.m. daily, with 21-and-up nights on Dec. 4, 11 and 18. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for ages 3-18, and $22 for seniors. 2001 Colorado Blvd. in Denver. Call 303-370-6000 or visit dmns.org for more.
The “Moonlight Elves” holiday show blends family-friendly variety acts such as aerial dancers, magicians and more. (Provided by Starry Night Productions)
Fly, Moonlight Elves!
Through Dec. 7. Denver’s always-curious (in a good way) Starry Night Productions and Theatre Artibus this year are debuting “Moonlight Elves,” which they dub “a circus-immersive holiday extravaganza,” playing Nov. 26-30 and Dec. 3-7 at Savoy Denver.
The show blends comedy, circus, interactive games and theatrical spectacle, according to Starry Night’s Amber Blais, with “dazzling aerial artistry, juggling, magic acts, and playful audience participation … costumes and elf ears are encouraged” (ears are, of course, available for purchase on site). Audiences can arrive early for interactive lobby fun, including arts and crafts, holiday drinks from the bar, and special visits from Santa (James Brunt) on Saturdays and Sundays, she added.
The all-ages shows take place at 7 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, at 2700 Arapahoe St. in Denver. Tickets: $35 via ostarrynight.com
Probationary Golden firefighter Lauren La Bella holds a specially designed 9-11 American flag as she takes part in the 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre on Sept. 11, 2022 in Morrison. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
U.S. history, from George Washington to 9/11
Open now. “Our story was never inevitable,” History Colorado writes. “We shaped it at every turn.” But how, exactly? The state’s historical society answers that with a new exhibition as Colorado’s and America’s dual anniversaries approach. “Moments That Made Us” displays rare artifacts that enlighten “nearly 50 turning points in American history from a variety of perspectives,” highlighting “both challenging and celebratory times, from Mesa Verde to Valley Forge to Ebbets Field,” curators wrote.
Get up close with a silver spoon made by Paul Revere, a set of spurs worn by President George Washington at Valley Forge in 1777, one of the first Mexican editions of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo from 1848, Jackie Robinson’s baseball bat, a firefighter helmet from 9/11’s Ground Zero in 2001 and — this one’s pretty cool — the tape recorder used by President Richard Nixon at the center of the Watergate Scandal in 1973, the museum said.
It runs through Oct. 18, 2026, at History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway in Denver. Included with admission. Call 303-447-8679 or visit historycolorado.org/exhibit/moments-made-us for more details.
Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we give our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems.)
A short section of orphan railroad tracks is among the reminders of what came before Denver built one of its more inspired flood-mitigation projects, the 39th Avenue Greenway, in the near-northeast part of town.
So is the auto salvage yard that still sits just over a fence from the walking path.
The greenway, which opened five years ago this month, nods to the past of Denver’s Cole and Clayton neighborhoods — for decades a mix of industry and working-class homes — even as the area is changing rapidly.
As it unfurls for a mile going east from Franklin Street, the 12-acre linear park is centered around a drainage channel that flows gently, like a small stream. Natural vegetation grows alongside the water, while sometimes-meandering walking paths up the embankment connect a community garden, pedestrian bridges, a plaza with seating, playgrounds and several pieces of public art as the greenway continues on to Steele Street.
All of it is within walking distance of century-old houses, factories and the new high-rise apartment buildings that have gone up in the River North Art District to the west.
Anytime I visit the greenway, usually looping it into one of my morning runs, I marvel at the ways it links the underappreciated history of the neighborhoods to the fast-changing face of urban Denver. Others join me, whether playing fetch with their dogs, going for a walk, pushing a stroller or watching their children play on the inventive playgrounds.
It’s a pocket of calm near the increasing bustle of RiNo, near still-working plants like a Coca-Cola bottler and the Nestle-Purina pet food factory — whose proximity you can, alas, occasionally smell, depending on the wind’s direction — and near schools as well as the resurging York Street Yards business center.
In recent weeks, the greenway’s still-developing vegetation and trees offered unexpected bursts of fall color, too.
I remember how unusual the plans for the 39th Avenue Greenway sounded nearly a decade ago, as I covered the advent of the city’s Platte to Park Hill program as a city government reporter. The roughly $300 million undertaking to reduce street flooding across several neighborhoods attracted tons of heat and pushback. Most of it was focused on higher-profile projects — namely the substantial regrading of City Park Golf Course to create stormwater detention areas — and the program’s side benefits for the then-upcoming Interstate 70 project to the north.
The greenway plan, too, sparked worries about chemicals and other pollutants in the soil. City officials said they’d clean up whatever they found as they ripped up abandoned railroad tracks east of York Street and disturbed other parts of the area’s industrial past.
A cyclist makes his way down a path along the 39th Avenue Greenway in Denver on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Now that it’s built, the greenway’s channel usually has some water in it, but it fills up more impressively after storms. The water passes through vaults that capture trash, keeping it out of the South Platte River downstream, and the exposure to sunlight helps remove contaminants. The vegetation helps filter the stream before it disappears back underground at Franklin.
It’s hard to understate the difference between what seemed, at the time, an underwhelming plan for a dressed-up drainage ditch and the actual reality on the ground. It’s now honest-to-goodness parkland that was well thought out in a part of the city that so desperately needed it.
After covering the controversies around all the stormwater projects and then seeing them built, I didn’t come to appreciate the 39th Avenue Greenway until I moved to Cole a couple years ago from another part of Denver.
I rediscovered it, in a way, on an early exploratory run.
Now I run there most often as part of an out-and-back course, taking in the trees and plants and odd features — like the short stretch of disconnected train tracks that’s there, as a kind of monument to the past, and several pieces of public art.
My favorite is a pair of giant orange metal sculptures resembling megaphones, situated across the channel from each other and positioned to enable people to talk across that distance. Called “Conversation,” the piece draws on the history of discrimination affecting the area, which has been home to some of Denver’s most racially diverse neighborhoods, and is intended to highlight the importance of racial dialogue.
When I turn around to head back west, I look up, taking in Mount Blue Sky and the rest of the Front Range on the horizon as I trot toward the still-emergingRiNo skyline that bookends the other side of the greenway.
The 39th Avenue Greenway in Denver on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
After 18 years of serving seafood, the kitschy, tourist-friendly Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. across from the Colorado Convention Center is now closed and being sued for back rent.
The restaurant at 1437 California St. called it quits last week, according to its landlord.
“Unfortunately, we have permanently closed,” says a sign on the front door, which features its smiling shrimp mascot. “Thank you for allowing us to serve the Denver community.”
The restaurant chain came to Denver in 2006 and planned to stay awhile: It signed a lease for 20 years and eight months, through January 2027. After a build-out, it opened in 2007.
The restaurant’s first struggles came in 2016, when construction of two hotels nearby resulted in fewer customers, according to Kent Cherne, whose father purchased 1437 California St. around 1960. Cherne, whose investment firm owns it now, says he lowered rent as a result.
Cherne also helped the seafood restaurant when the pandemic struck in 2020, when revenue fell in 2024, and when his tenant was struggling again in early 2025, according to a lawsuit that Cherne Investment Co. filed against Bubba Gump and its parent companies Nov. 10.
“From April through November, Bubba Gump was late each month in paying the amounts it owed, and the payments due on Oct. 1 and Nov. 1 have not been received,” according to the lawsuit, which estimates that Cherne reduced rent by $335,000 over 10 years.
Cherne’s firm is suing for October and November rents, along with late fees, taxes, interest and unpaid wastewater fees, according to this week’s lawsuit. It does not list dollar figures.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. gets its name from the 1994 film “Forrest Gump,” in which Tom Hanks’ titular character befriends the shrimp-obsessed Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue. After Blue dies in combat in Vietnam, Gump eventually opens Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in his memory.
In 2010, the real-life Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. was purchased by the Landry’s restaurant group out of Texas. Landry’s owner Tilman Fertitta is currently the U.S. ambassador to Italy.
“This location was licensed to the Kelly Group, who ultimately closed the location,” Landry’s Chief Operating Officer Scott Marshall said. “There are no plans to reopen that location.”
The Kelly Group, of California, did not respond to requests for comment. There are now 20 Bubba Gump locations in the United States and 10 more outside the U.S.
Meanwhile, 1437 California St., which is known for its western-facing murals of Teddy Roosevelt and boxing great Jack Dempsey, is up for sale after 65 years with one family.
“If my dad was still alive, he would probably still be pretty attached to it, but that’s not the case with me,” Kent Cherne said. “I recognize the challenges in trying to manage it myself and I think it’s just time to let it go to somebody else and move on, try to find another use for it.”
At 6,250 square feet across two floors and a basement, it is one large restaurant space.
“Quite frankly, with the times that we are in now, I don’t see anybody rushing to put a restaurant in downtown, so I’m not holding out a lot of hope.” Cherne said.
More likely, it will be converted into something else or torn down, its owner added. Denver’s Landmark Preservation Commission determined last month that it is demolition-eligible, city records show, and Cherne said a teardown “would not bother me.”
“It has served its usefulness to my family. My dad bought it back in about 1960, it was a parking garage, and there have been some other businesses in there since,” its owner recalls.
“Eighteen years,” he said of Bubba Gump. “It was a good run, but every dog has its day, I guess. There are not a whole lot of businesses that are solid and just keep going forever.”
It’s hard to believe Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat used to be a gravel pit.
Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat attracts plenty of wildlife, including a large number of migrating birds in the winter. (Ben Siebrase, Special to The Denver Post)
These days, the 100-acre refuge, at 5201 St. Vrain Road in Boulder County, attracts plenty of wildlife, including a large number of migrating birds that come for five on-site ponds knit together with 2.9 miles of flat, scenic trail.
Even on a cold December morning, it’s worth bundling up to see what’s fluttering through the reclaimed wetlands. Not far from Longmont’s municipal airport, Pella Crossing, a mile south of Hygiene, on the east side of North 75th Street, delivers a similar scene – industrial strip mines transformed into a peaceful haven.
Feeling unseasonably hopeful, I once took my young kids birding at Walden Ponds. The hobby requires a certain level of patience and quiet – not exactly our family’s strong suits. Despite near-constant reminders, my offspring produce their own special calls: a cacophonous blend of screeches, giggles, and bickering that clears a marsh faster than you can say :white-tailed Ptarmigan.” Still, after scattering every sparrow in sight, we caught an unexpected break on the drive out.
“Look,” my husband said, pulling over near Wally Toevs Pond. There were two golden eagles perched on a utility pole, primary feathers ruffling in the cold breeze. I fumbled for my phone, snapped a terrible, zoomed-in photo, and then, finally, we all fell silent.
Car birding
When I told lifelong Colorado birder Peter Burke about this, he wasn’t remotely surprised: “Golden eagles,” he explains, “like to nest on cliffs in the mountains, but they come down here for the winter and often perch on telephone poles while hunting prairie dogs.”
Burke, who founded the guide company Rocky Mountain Birding and currently edits the quarterly journal Colorado Birds, approved of our drive-by-birding technique. In fact, car birding is one of his go-to strategies.
You’re less likely to flush a bird this way. “Humans have the profile of a predator,” he notes. But cars? They’re more like big, slow cows – not particularly threatening.
As a bonus, you’ll be warm in your car on a chilly day. The main message I got when I called up a handful of Colorado’s expert birders is that you truly don’t have to travel far from Denver, especially once the temperature drops.
For some species, we’re south
As Jacob Job from Bird Conservancy of the Rockies puts it, “Winter birding is often overlooked.” That’s a shame because we get a whole new influx of species this time of year. (And it’s worth noting that as milder winters caused by climate change reshape migration patterns, some birds are sticking it out: mountain bluebirds, for instance, can now be spotted here all year long.)
We have an image of migratory birds flying south for the winter, but Colorado’s Front Range is south for many species, including raptors, cackling geese (a close cousin to the Canada goose), and rough-legged hawks, which breed in tundra way above the Arctic Circle then vacation in sunny Colorado. Other birds have an elevational migration within the Centennial State. Northern pigmy owls, for example, propagate in the mountains before coming to the foothills.
This time of year, Colorado birders are primarily searching for raptors, waterfowl and sparrows. Where you go will largely depend on what you’re hoping to spot, explains Burke.
Burke’s a fan of towhees. “They’re big, sparrow-like birds,” he tells me.
When I ask, “Spotted towhees?” he shoots back, “Are you a birder?”
Busted. I admit that I just Googled it.
Red Crossbills at Echo Lake on Mount Evans, 2012. (Peter Burke, Special to The Denver Post)
“I’m not a confident birder,” I say.
Burke laughs: “Really, it just comes down to curiosity and how much time you put into it,” he said. After a beat, he chirps, “And good binoculars!”
He recommends I spend, at minimum, $300 for a nice pair. When I ask Burke where I should take those fancy-pants binocs, he tells me that while lots of people don’t consider Red Rocks, at 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, a birding destination, it can be an excellent place for sparrows and towhees – plus the cliffs are home to nesting prairie falcons.
Follow the prairie dogs
Most of us love big birds. Raptors – and their humungous nests – are much easier to observe in winter-bare trees, explains community naturalist Dave Sutherland, who leads free – and absolutely fantastic – public classes for birders of all ages and skill levels. Visit davesutherland.co for details, and consider joining his upcoming “Hawk Walk” on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. (No cost, but reservations are needed.)
If you’re keen to watch bald eagles in the wild, try Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge at 6550 Gateway Road, a former chemical weapons manufacturing facility that was cleaned up in the 1980s before earning its protected status in 1992, soon after a roost of bald eagles was spotted on the premises.
The refuge hosts bison herds (try the wildlife drive!), a black-footed ferret exhibit, and plenty of prairie dogs. “Any place with a thriving prairie dog town will be a good place to see raptors,” said Sutherland, noting that “people love to hate on prairie dogs, but if you like birds of prey, you need to make peace with them.”
Ferruginous hawks, for example, are prairie dog specialists from Canada and North Dakota, and their numbers are in decline because we’ve wiped out prairie dog colonies on the Eastern Plains.
In addition to raptors – eagles plus ferruginous, rough-legged and Harlan’s hawks – Rocky Mountain Arsenal, with its sprawling plains, provides habitat for a variety of additional species, including white-crowned sparrows and dark-eyed junco.
Explore reservoirs
As long as they’re not frozen over, reservoirs – “pop-up habitat for waterfowl,” Burke said – are another place where bird enthusiasts can’t go wrong. Sutherland and Burke recommend Chatfield State Park, at 11500 N. Roxborough Park Road, home to the Kingery Nature Center, part of Denver Audubon’s holdings.
A Bohemian Waxwing in Boulder, 2013. (Peter Burke, Special to The Denver Post)
In Brighton, meanwhile, there’s Barr Lake State Park, 13401 Picadilly Road, another premium spot, where dozens of bald eagles overwinter. Bonus: Barr Lake puts on a variety of bird-themed walks, talks, and events throughout the year; for details, visit cpw.state.co.us/events and filter by park.
You’ll need a state-parks pass to enter Barr Lake and Chatfield in a vehicle, and Colorado Parks & Wildlife public information officer Bridget O’Rourke wants Coloradans to know that free passes are available through all Colorado public libraries. They’re tucked inside CPW’s “Adventure Backpacks,” which are available to rent anytime – and super fun for kids.
At Aurora Reservoir, 5800 S. Powhaton Road, look for “five to seven species of gulls, including a few rare ones,” Burke said, noting that these long-winged aquatic beauties spend the entire winter in the area, sleeping on ice then flying to the landfill to pick at garbage heaps before returning to the water to bathe. Be aware: Aurora Reservoir is not a Colorado State Park, and you’ll need a $10 day pass to enter (that’s the off-season rate).
Eight minutes north of Niwot, there’s Lagerman Reservoir inside Lagerman Agricultural Preserve, 7100 Pike Road. “It’s the ugliest little reservoir you ever saw, and for some reason birds love it,” Sutherland gushes. The 1.6-mile Lagerman Trail is closed through Dec. 31 for construction and will reopen to birders in the new year.
Reservoirs are popular hang-outs for other waterfowl, too, including the common goldeneye and Barrow’s goldeneye – “a really neat diving duck,” Burke said, that you’ll spot mixed in with mallards, northern shovelers and teals. Gulls can’t dive, so they like to swim with goldeneyes and try to steal their lunch. “It’s a game played out on Colorado reservoirs all winter long,” said Burke.
At Waterton Canyon, you’re likely to spot American dippers, a songbird about the size of a robin that spends its life in rivers and mostly hunts underwater. (Ben Siebrase, Special to The Denver Post)
Hole up on streams
If you want to see a variety of ducks, Sutherland will direct you to Prospect Park in Wheat Ridge, at W. 44th Ave. and Robb streets, where birders can sit tight along Clear Creek.
Waterton Canyon, just south of the intersection of Waterton Road and Glenn L. Martin Boulevard, is another excellent option. Beyond the famed bighorn sheep, you’re liable to spy American dippers, a songbird about the size of a robin that spends its entire life in rivers and mostly hunts underwater.
“Anything along Boulder Creek you can get dippers,” Job added, also recommending Eldorado Canyon State Park, at 9 Kneale Road, and Lair ‘o the Bear Park, at 22550 State Highway 74, the latter a kid-friendly gem in Idledale.
Try state wildlife areas
If you aren’t sure where to go, check out one of CPW’s 350-plus State Wildlife Areas – “the hidden gems of public lands,” as O’Rourke put it. You’ll need a special SWA recreational pass to enter these protected swaths, which are open to hunters and wildlife viewers alike.
But don’t let the hunting deter you: SWAs attract winter owls, including long-eared, pygmy, and screech varietals, said Job. If you try an SWA, do wear very bright colors during open season. Fluorescent orange and pink will do the trick.
To uncover SWAs in your area, check out CPW’s online map, at cpw.state.co.us/swa-finder. And don’t miss the state agency’s nature viewing page, which is packed with useful information for local birders.
Speaking of owls, the last couple of years, there have been snowy owls at Denver International Airport. If you have winter travel plans that include a flight, this might be a good reason to arrive at the airport extra early.
Be a homebody
Front Range residents won’t have to leave home for good birding. “I love dark-eyed juncos,” said Job. Denver gets four to five subspecies in the wintertime. Job added, “They’ll come to the house to hang out by feeders.”
Putting out bird feeders can be a lifeline for migrating birds, and a thoughtful setup keeps feeders truly bird-friendly. Burke recommends placing feeders near bushes or trees, so visitors have quick cover from predators like hawks. It’s easy to protect birds from window collisions by adding visual cues like hanging cords or UV decals to large windows.
All the experts agree that it’s important to keep feeders clean. Wash them with soap and water every few weeks (or when refilling) to prevent diseases; gloves are recommended. A pro tip: If you have problems with squirrels in your feeders, try mixing seed with cayenne pepper. Birds don’t react to the spicy chemical compound but squirrels hate it.
If this sounds like a lot of work, you can always throw seed on the ground. Juncos and towhees happily eat ground seed.
A birding shelter at Fossil Creek Reservoir offers interpretive signs. (Jamie Siebrase, Special to The Denver Post)
Involve the kids
Longtime Colorado birder Carmela Coyle, bestselling author of the “Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?” series for kids, has a new picture book coming out in January, just in time for winter birding. Read “Anyone Else Awake? A Dawn Chorus” (Muddy Boots publishing) with the kids in your life, then explore Coyle’s favorite hotspots – both close enough to count as backyard birding for Denverites.
In Littleton, there’s Ketring Park, at 6028 S. Gallup St., where the quarter-mile dirt trail around Wetland Loop is perfect for very young explorers. Coyle also recommends the Stone House Trail at Bear Creek Greenbelt Park, 2800 S. Estes St. “Park in the lot off of South Estes Street,” Coyle said, “and proceed west to the narrower dirt trails to the south through trees and brush.”
Field wisdom
You’re bundling up and heading out because you want to see some plumage, no? These pro tips help ensure a successful outing.
If a bird changes its behavior because of you, you’re too close. Use binoculars, instead of your feet, to get a better look, and remember: Winter birds are here to rest and refuel, not perform.
While apps like Merlin are great tools, overusing playback can stress out our migratory birds, sending them searching for threats that aren’t there. Let the landscape speak first, and use calls sparingly.
Don’t forget to stay on designated trails and obey private property signs. Birders should always strive to be great stewards of the land.
The birds are waiting. Grab your binoculars, and let’s see what winter on the Front Range has to offer.
There will be no cliff divers entertaining guests at Casa Bonita on Halloween as the restaurant’s cast of performers initiates a three-day strike.
On Wednesday, the Actors’ Equity Association announced that Casa Bonita’s divers, magicians, roving actors and other unionized performers would picket outside the pink palace, at 6715 W. Colfax Ave. in Lakewood, following unsuccessful efforts to bargain their first contract. The strike is scheduled to take place on Oct. 30 through Nov. 1 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Casa Bonita serves thousands of diners each week and actors previously told The Denver Post there have been numerous incidents involving guests that had staff concerned for their safety.
The bargaining unit of 57 people has been engaged in negotiations since April, according to the Actors’ Equity Association, and last month, it filed an unfair labor practices charge after performers’ hours were cut to accommodate a Halloween pop-up event.
Now, the union says management failed to deliver responses to key proposals that would move toward a contract. A representative of Casa Bonita could not immediately be reached for comment.
“Casa management came to the table today offering an additional 11 cents over their last unfair wage offer, and very little for future layoff protections,” said lead negotiator Andrea Hoeschen, assistant executive director and general counsel for Actors’ Equity Association, in a statement. “Despite that insult, the negotiating team responded with major compromises to try to get a deal. And then Casa Bonita walked away from the table without responding.”
Arapahoe Basin ski area will open for the season on Sunday, marking the first of Colorado’s resorts to get — and make — enough snow for skiers and snowboarders to hit the slopes.
A-Basin will open the Black Mountain Express lift to High Noon at 8:30 a.m., officials announced Saturday.
“The resort has plans to continue snowmaking, opening more terrain as quickly as possible, heading up to the summit and starting next with Lenawee Face and Dercum’s Gulch,” A-Basin leaders said in a news release.
Opening day attendees can also take in live music, score giveaways in the lift line or grab a bite at 6th Alley Bar & Grill, Black Mountain Lodge or Legends Cafe.
Opening day lift tickets go on sale at noon and are $129 for adults. Ikon Pass holders have unlimited season access until Dec. 19, when pass holders have five days for the rest of the season.
A-Basin, along with Loveland and Keystone ski areas, started snowmaking operations more than a week ago.
When Briar Patch opened in Denver’s Congress Park neighborhood this summer, its owner wanted the food to be a little more “elevated” than the pub fare he served at his Jefferson Park brewery, Briar Common.
A season later, however, customer input and economics have led Kent Dawson to bring in a new chef and make food similar to what is found at his brewing enterprise, which he opened nine years ago.
“We had some items that were a bit too prep-heavy, a little bit too involved for what people were wanting,” Dawson said. “In several ways, we’ve simplified things.”
Part of the adjustment was to dispel a neighborhood perception that Briar Patch, at 1222 Madison St., was a “date night” spot in comparison to the more casual cafes on the block, he said.
The jalapeño popper burger at Briar Patch, one of the newer items on the menu at the restaurant, which opened in July of 2025 in the Congress Park neighborhood of Denver. (Provided by Kent Dawson)
Gone are the “Tots and Lox”, for instance. The dish, consisting of tater tots with salmon belly that was cured in-house, required too much time and too many ingredients.
“It’s just not something that people were buying,” he said. “So now, we have wings with three different sauces and we’re selling the heck out of them.”
“We’re definitely looking to do the neighborhood thing,” Singh said about the food, adding that the restaurant’s food costs have dropped by 23% with the new menu.
That will be important, since Briar Patch is the fourth concept to give the space a shot over the past few years. The others were Crepes & Crepes, Billy’s Inn and TAG Burger Bar.
In addition to the wings with three different sauces (buffalo, barbecue and garlic parmesan), there are sliders, rotating burgers (currently it’s the jalapeño popper burger), Reubens and chicken pot pie. Brunch will begin next month, with Singh cooking eggs Benedict topped with salmon cakes and her hollandaise sauce.
If the dinner problem — defined, broadly, as “what should I make for dinner?” — is difficult to solve, picture solving it every night for the choosiest audience imaginable. This audience is not composed of food critics, or exacting chefs. It’s children. Nothing in the kitchen is more reliably frustrating than trying to feed a picky one. (I say all of this with love.)
That’s why my NYT Cooking colleague Margaux Laskey has created a collection of kid-friendly recipes to please whole families — children and adults, eating the same meal in harmony.
Four recipes from that list are below — I was just going to feature one, but they looked so good I picked a whole bunch — along with a personal pick that my own children scarf down routinely.
1. Broccoli Rice With Eggs
This simple one-pot broccoli rice is a cozy weeknight option that will delight both adults and children alike. When cooking a simple bowl of rice, adding oil and salt to the cooking water is an easy way to bring indulgence, and, in Cantonese home kitchens, this is often a way to repurpose oil previously used for deep-frying. Oil imparts a silky mouthfeel to the rice while preventing the rice from sticking, resulting in slick, pearly, separated grains. Finely chopped, crisp-tender broccoli adds a fresh, subtle sweetness and hearty texture to the rice. Complete the dish with a hearty fried egg, drizzled with an easy soy sauce and oil seasoning to add savoriness that is not overly salty. If you’re lucky enough to have any leftover broccoli rice, it can easily be repurposed into fried rice.
By Hetty Lui McKinnon
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups white rice, preferably short-grain (other types of rice can be used but cook times will vary)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Salt
2 small heads broccoli (1 pound)
4 eggs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Preparation
1. Place the rice in a medium Dutch oven or similar heavy pot. Wash the rice, swirling it around with your fingers, and then carefully pour out the starchy water. Repeat this two more times, until the water runs clear. Add 2 1/4 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 teaspoons of salt and stir to combine. Place on medium-high heat and when it comes to a rolling boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 14 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, separate the broccoli head from the stem and then slice or peel off the woody exterior from the stem. Finely chop the florets and the stem. (You can use a food processor to do this, pulsing a few times until the broccoli is finely chopped. Remove any larger pieces and chop by hand to prevent overprocessing.)
3. After 14 minutes, add the broccoli to the top of the rice, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and then cover again with a lid. Cook until the rice is tender and the broccoli has softened and is bright green, 8 to 10 minutes. (The prescribed cooking time yields broccoli that is crisp tender but if you prefer a softer bite, add it to the rice 2 or 3 minutes earlier.)
4. While the rice finishes cooking, heat a wok or large well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high. When hot, add a drizzle of oil and crack in the eggs, adding however many will comfortably fit in your pan; you may need to work in batches.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and fry until the edges are frizzled, the whites are set and the yolk is cooked to your liking. Season with a pinch of salt. Remove and repeat with the remaining eggs. Set aside.
6. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the soy sauce. (It won’t emulsify, and that is OK.)
7. When the rice and broccoli are ready, turn off the heat and stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.
8. Divide among bowls and top each with a fried egg. Give the oil and soy sauce a quick stir and drizzle a little over each egg. Serve immediately.
2. Sesame Salmon Noodle Bowls With Ponzu
Silky salmon, chewy noodles, crisp vegetables: These cold noodle bowls are refreshing and satisfying, and don’t require much effort. Inspired by zaru soba and udon — cold noodles served with dipping sauce — this recipe uses supermarket stars to deliver flavor fast. Coating the salmon with toasted sesame oil and seeds accentuates the fish’s richness, while ponzu, a sauce of citrus juices, soy sauce and dashi, brightens straight from the bottle. If you like, add a kick with wasabi, grated ginger, shichimi togarashi, yuzu kosho or thinly sliced serrano pepper.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Salt
4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless or skin-on salmon fillets
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (any color)
10 to 12 ounces dried udon or soba
Any combination of salad greens and sliced cucumbers, radishes, snap peas, and scallions, for serving
1/2 cup ponzu
Preparation
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. On a parchment-lined sheet pan, rub the salmon all over with salt and sesame oil. Arrange skin side down, if there is skin, then press sesame seeds into the top and sides of the fish. Bake until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily, 14 to 17 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water until cool to the touch, then shake dry.
3. Divide the noodles, vegetables and salmon among 4 bowls. Drizzle with the ponzu.
3. Cheesy Gnocchi With Corn and Pesto
Tasty and effortless, store-bought gnocchi offers a much-needed shortcut for busy weeknight dinners. You can bypass boiling a pot of water for the gnocchi, and instead simply give them a quick sear over high heat, which creates perfectly crispy edges. Toss the crispy gnocchi with lots of sweet, fresh corn kernels, prepared pesto and a hefty sprinkle of grated cheese, and broil until the cheese gets bubbly, gooey and slightly charred in spots. The molten cheese brings all the ingredients together, but a high ratio of corn to dumpling and the bright basil in the pesto keep this dish light enough for summer.
By Carolina Gelen
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound shelf-stable gnocchi
About 3 cups canned or fresh corn kernels (from two 15-ounce cans or about 4 fresh cobs)
1/2 cup store-bought or homemade pesto, plus more for topping
1. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until sizzling hot, about 2 minutes. Add the gnocchi and sear, undisturbed, for 4 minutes, until crispy underneath.
2. Add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat.
3. Stir in the pesto. Season with salt as needed, and add a few cracks of black pepper.
4. Place an oven rack underneath the broiler. Set the broiler to high.
5. Top the gnocchi and corn with the cheese. Place the skillet underneath the broiler and broil for about 4 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and slightly charred on top.
6. Top with more pesto and divide among bowls.
4. Crispy Baked Tomato-Oregano Chicken
Baked in the oven and sealed with a layer of tomato paste and yogurt, this chicken — your choice: breasts or thighs — stays juicy as it cooks on top of a bed of tomatoes. The tomatoes deflate and collapse, becoming a little saucy, as the panko and Parmesan layer on top of the chicken crisps and melts. To maximize this dish’s appeal to kids and crowds alike, it doesn’t have any heat, but red-pepper flakes would be a welcome addition, as would grated garlic or chopped basil. You can serve the chicken with rice or bread, to soak up the pan juices, or bring it as is to picnics and potlucks.
By Yasmin Fahr
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons full-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces, or breasts cut horizontally to form cutlets
Salt
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
Preparation
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, tomato paste, soy sauce and 1 tablespoon oregano. Add the chicken; season lightly with salt and toss to coat.
2. Add the halved tomatoes to a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish, season with salt and the olive oil, and spread out into an even layer. Nestle the chicken on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle the Parmesan and remaining 1 teaspoon oregano over everything. Cover with a layer of panko.
3. Bake in the oven until the top crisps and the tomatoes collapse and get saucy, 20 to 25 minutes for breasts and 22 to 25 for thighs, depending on the thickness.
5. Everyday Dal
The warming, soothing and downright healing effects of dal are well known throughout South Asia and its diaspora. This is an everyday dish for a good reason: It’s simple to make but tastes complex, and the flavor only deepens over time. There are countless ways to make dal; this version requires just 10 minutes and five ingredients (not including salt), all serving important purposes: The lentils cook quickly, the turmeric lends an earthy wholesomeness and the rich chhonk, or tempering, made by sizzling spices with ghee, brings instant depth. To gussy it up, try adding a packet of frozen spinach, or stirring minced garlic into the chhonk. If you’re tempted to use ground cumin instead of cumin seeds, resist! The seeds have a distinctly smokier flavor and add a pleasant texture to the dal.
By Priya Krishna
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup red lentils (also known as red split lentils or masoor dal)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt
3 tablespoons ghee
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red chile
1/8 teaspoon asafetida (optional but extremely good, see tip below)
Rice or roti, for serving
Preparation
1. Combine the lentils (no need to rinse them) with the turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan. If you like your dal a little soupier, add an extra cup of water here. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the lentils resemble a loose porridge. If the lentils are too thick, add a little hot water.
2. In a small pan or pot, melt the ghee over medium heat and add the cumin seeds. Let them cook until they are aromatic and a darker shade of brown, about 1 minute. Stir in the red chile powder and asafetida, let them toast for a few seconds until fragrant (the asafetida will give off a garlic-esque scent), then remove from the heat.
3. Taste the lentils and add more salt if desired. Pour the hot ghee over the lentils — you can either stir to combine or leave it be, for a dramatic presentation — and serve with rice or roti.
TIP: Asafetida is a tree resin used commonly as a seasoning in South Asian cuisines. It has a wonderfully potent, sort of allium-esque flavor that adds depth to many dishes. It can be ordered online or found in South Asian grocery stores, and it is worth going out of your way to purchase — it really makes this dish sing. An imperfect but somewhat suitable substitute is garlic powder.
Denver prosecutors on Tuesday opened their long-awaited criminal case against former business owner Jay Bianchi, who is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting three women at his Grateful Dead-themed bars between 2020 and 2024, as well as drugging another man and a woman during that time period.
“This is not about character or lifestyles or choices the victims may have made,” said chief deputy DA Chris Curtis in his opening statements. “It’s not a memory test … (and) it’s absolutely not some kind of gigantic conspiracy against Jay Bianchi. So don’t get distracted. Focus on the evidence.”
Bianchi, 56, was arrested in April 2024 and charged with three counts of sexual assault dating to Oct. 31, 2020, in the 700 block of East Colfax Avenue; one count of unlawful sexual contact, a misdemeanor, on Nov. 1, 2020, in the 900 block of West First Avenue; and three counts of felony sexual assault on April 7, 2024, in the same block of West First Avenue.
He has pleaded not guilty on all counts.
The first sexual assault, alleged by Bonnie Utter, took place following a Halloween party at Sancho’s Broken Arrow, formerly at 741 E. Colfax Ave., in 2020. Utter’s friend Kylie Heringer, who worked as a sound engineer for Bianchi, also alleged that Bianchi groped her the next day in his office at So Many Roads Brewery, formerly at 918 W. First Ave., and that Bianchi attempted to discredit the women with character assassination and coercion. Both of his businesseshave since closed.
The Denver Post is identifying Utter and Heringer because they previously agreed to speak to the newspaper about their experiences.
Another woman identified during the proceedings alleged she was sexually assaulted by Bianchi in March 2024, and a man and a woman separately said that Bianchi drugged them — in the man’s case, for attempting to intervene in a conflict at Sancho’s. All will testify as part of the case, Curtis said.
Bianchi, dressed in a black jacket with a maroon tie, sat expressionless most of Tuesday as he watched each witness and speaker, occasionally taking notes. His case has been delayed multiple times as more people have come forward to make claims against him. Bianchi, who has several past arrests and convictions for drug charges and assault, has denied those allegations in multiple interviews with The Denver Post. His past convictions and arrests were not mentioned on Tuesday.
The trial, which could potentially last through mid-November, began Friday with a jury and evidence review that ran through Monday. On Tuesday, the first witnesses were called: a pair of police detectives and a former nurse from Denver Health who conducted a sexual-assault examination of Utter after she reported it on Nov. 1, 2020.
Bianchi’s defense team on Tuesday vigorously maintained his innocence. In her opening statements, deputy state public defender Megan Jungsun Lee previewed a strategy that will cast the prosecutor’s witnesses and experts as tainted by misinformation and rumors on social media, as well as news reports in The Denver Post and Westword.
“You will hear that during this time … that gossip, speculation assumptions were repeated again and again,” Lee said during opening statements. She also cast doubt on the years-long, on-and-off Denver Police Department investigation into the assaults, which she said had been compromised by the gossip-driven narrative and by news reports.
“Ms. Utter was alert,” Lee said of the events before the alleged assault on Nov. 1, 2020, noting that defense witnesses saw Bianchi and Utter “cuddled up.” The pair was laughing and holding hands as they went downstairs to the basement at Sancho’s that night, Lee said.
That’s where Utter said the assault took place. However, there was no evidence she was unable to make her own choices despite consuming alcohol, cocaine and cannabis that night, Lee said.
“(Bianchi) did not hand her a drink, touch her drink, offer her food or offer her drugs,” Lee added. “There is no evidence he caused her any kind of fear or made any threat. She was fully capable of exercising her own free will.”
The District Attorney’s Office spent much of Tuesday afternoon establishing the physical layout of So Many Roads with dozens of on-site photos, which included an unidentified substance in a baggie in Bianchi’s office, where Heringer’s assault allegedly took place.
In March 2024, a woman alleged she was raped by Bianchi, also at So Many Roads Brewery, which was co-owned by Tyler Bishop. That bar closed the next month, having been the subject of Denver Police Department stings for underage drinking and drug sales. Bianchi had also been the subject of protests outside the brewery in June 2021, after Utter and Heringer came forward to discuss their experiences, first on social media and later with The Denver Post. Local musicians who felt they had been mistreated by Bianchi rallied during the protest.
“We will sit here as long as it takes,” Curtis said, noting that the DA’s office will call a mix of eyewitnesses, detectives and experts who can comment on toxicology and crime lab results, sexual assault, consent, how memory works, and various firsthand details of the investigation.
Bianchi has been a fixture of Colorado’s jam-band scene for more than two decades, previously owning and booking bands at “Don Quixote”-inspired venues including Quixote’s True Blue, Dulcinea’s 100th Monkey, Be on Key Psychedelic Ripple, and Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom.
The Great American Beer Festival welcomed drinkers to Denver over the weekend to experience the best in craft beer and cider, and it turns out Colorado residents don’t have to travel far to sip the best suds the industry has to offer.
The festival’s prestigious awards, which took place Saturday, are a testament to that. Colorado breweries and cideries made a phenomenal showing, collecting a total of 40 medals, 19 of which were gold. That is down slightly from last year’s haul of 41 medals, but the straight numbers don’t tell the full story.
In 2025, three different producers were honored as “brewery of the year” in their respective size categories – a huge honor considering more than 1,500 breweries and cidermakers entered this year’s competition. (The Denver Post did not include these accolades in the total medal count.)
“It was a great showing for Colorado’s craft breweries at the GABF awards ceremony. With three brewery of the year awards and 16 gold (beer) medals, Colorado craft breweries continue to prove that they consistently brew some of the best beers in the country,” Shawnee Adelson, executive director of the Colorado Brewer Guild, said in a statement. “The diversity of styles shows that breweries in Colorado can make exceptional beer for all types of palates.”
Westbound & Down Brewing Co. was the biggest company to earn the “brewery of the year” title, in the 5,001 to 15,000-barrel category, and it did so with six medals awarded to its IPAs and lagers. That includes three gold medals, one of which was in the West Coast IPA category, the competition’s second-most competitive. The brewery’s How the West Was Won IPA beat out 299 other entries to take the top of the podium.
As added icing on the cake, the company’s subsidiary Aspen Brewing Co. also garnered gold in the brand-new Mexican-style pale lager category with a beer called Casa Bonita. It doesn’t get more Colorado than that.
Denver’s River North Brewery was named “brewery of the year” in the 1,001 to 2,000-barrel size range after it collected two medals, both of them gold. And Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. in Golden, a mainstay at the GABF awards, took home the title in the 501 to 1,000-barrel size category with three total accolades.
Other notable standouts include Denver Beer Co. winning silver for its non-alcoholic Tangerine Cream ale; Our Mutual Friend Brewing Co. grabbing silver in the American-style IPA category; and Fritz Family Brewers landing atop the podium in the Pro-Am competition for a collaboration with homebrewer Christopher Owens of Longmont. Interesting, the now-defunct Banded Oak Brewing Co. in Denver also took home one bronze medal.
Local cideries Haykin Family Cider and Snow Capped Cider also made a commendable showing with a total of seven medals. They collectively swept the single-varietal cider category with Haykin Family Cider earning gold and bronze and Snow Capped Cider taking home silver.
This year, the Brewers Association gave out awards for the best beer packaging and branding. While Colorado didn’t officially win, we thought River North’s Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun, which won a gold medal in the coffee beer category, deserved an honorable mention.
See the full list of award-winning local beers below. You can find all the competition results at greatamericanbeerfestival.com.
Gold
American-Style Pale Ale – Parallel Pale, Westbound & Down Brewing Co., Lafayette
Belgian-Style or French-Style Specialty Ale – River North White, River North Brewery, Denver
Coffee Beer – Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun, River North Brewery, Denver
A Denver rotisserie chicken spot with a Boulder pedigree is closing this month after almost a decade in Lower Highland.
Brider, at 1644 Platte St., crafts roasted chicken sandwiches, salads, soups, polenta bowls and pastas from morning to 8 p.m. every day. It’ll close after lunch Oct. 23, according to a post on its Instagram page.
The post didn’t state why the fast-casual restaurant was closing. Brider owner Bryan Dayton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dayton and chef Steve Redzikowski opened Brider in 2016 with two concepts under their belts: Oak at Fourteenth, a fine-dining restaurant in Boulder, and Acorn, which at one time was the flagship restaurant for The Source in Denver. Brider’s kitchen quickly drew raves for its eclectic fare, such as its Cajun shrimp sandwiches, quinoa salads and hearty meatballs and porchetta dishes.
Redzikowski was a semifinalist for best chef in the southwest region at the James Beard Awards in 2015 and a nominee for the category in 2017. He and Dayton closed Acorn following the outbreak of coronavirus in 2020.
Dayton still runs Half Eaten Cookie Hospitality, which also owns Corrida in Boulder and C Burger, with locations in Boulder and Englewood.
A Denver brewery known as a hub for the Latino community closed suddenly this week after city officials seized the property’s assets due to unpaid back taxes.
Raíces Brewing Co. in Lincoln Park owed $98,703 in sales and personal property taxes, according to a distraint warrant issued by the city. The business closed on Wednesday when the warrant was issued.
Brewery CEO José Beteta was not immediately available to comment on the circumstances, but a detailed goodbye note on Raíces’ website states the company had been working with the city for about a year to establish a payment plan for the taxes. The company blamed “a series of unexpected charges” issued by the city that it said are related to what’s called a business personal property tax. That’s essentially a tax on whatever assets a business owns.
The note alleged that Raices had “never received prior billing notices” and that all invoices dating back to 2019 “arrived together in 2024, already including years of interest and penalties — despite our lack of prior information.”
However, city spokesperson Laura Swartz said in a statement that the personal property taxes owed only amounted to $10,765, or about 10% of the business’s total outstanding balance. Raices owed nearly $69,000 in sales tax and about $30,000 for penalties and interest, she said.
“It’s unfortunate that this situation has gotten to this point. We want Denver’s businesses to succeed and that means offering the best customer service we can to them,” Swartz said. “Before issuing a warrant, we attempt to reach the business by phone, mail, email, and in person to both collect the sales tax and ensure they can continue to operate. As Raices has noted, the city has attempted to work with them for years, including on a payment plan that was not fulfilled.”
Opened in late 2019, Raíces Brewing Co. offered a welcome dash of diversity to Denver’s craft beer scene. Raíces means “roots” in Spanish, and the brewery quickly became a hotspot for events and traditions celebrating Latino culture. Its annual Suave Fest spotlighted Latin beer makers from across the country.
Raíces’ closure is notable because of its unique space in the community, and also because the beer was worth seeking out. In 2022, it won a silver medal at the U.S. Open Beer Championship for its Furia imperial red ale.
“Raíces Brewing Co. has always been more than a business – it has been a space of community, culture, and human connection. A meeting place where thousands of people celebrated their roots, their identity, and their diversity. We are profoundly proud to have built a place that served our people and the city of Denver with love, respect, and purpose,” the goodbye note says. “In times when the world often feels increasingly divided, spaces like this become essential.”
From inside the pods – which served as the backdrop for the first five of six episodes that dropped on Oct. 1 – it was hard to tell if that sentiment would ring true of the guys cast for this unique matchmaking experiment. In fact, there were few clues at all that these folks lived in Mile High City.
None of the eligible bachelors had large beards or sported brewery T-shirts. Only a few mentioned the outdoors in pod dating conversations, and only one admitted to driving a Toyota 4Runner. (The woman he was courting, on the other hand, owned two different Jeeps.)
“He is not the mountain man I envisioned,” said one woman named Annie after meeting her partner Nick at the highly anticipated post-engagement “reveal,” where couples get to see each other for the first time since they started dating. “I was fully ready for him to have a beard down to his chest and his work boots.”
Still, there were hints of the Colorado aesthetic peppered throughout. One couple hosted a camping-themed date that included s’mores, and in a departure from past “Love is Blind” seasons, it was mostly women who had more than one option to choose for a partner. That led to a couple of guys desperately pitching themselves as “the one” in the final day or so before an expected engagement.
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In all, six couples ended up getting engaged and therefore earned the opportunity to meet their fiancée in the flesh. Only five made it to Mexico for the honeymoon phase of the experiment – more on that in a minute – and that’s where some of the Colorado bro behavior started to peek through.
After a few days spending time as individual couples, the entire cast met up for a pool party and after a few tequila drinks, several of the women were visibly perturbed that their partners were focusing more on their friends than their fiancées. The vibes were officially off with many of the couples and viewers then got to see how they handled conflict. For the most part, it did not go well.
Based on that insight and the initial chemistry, we’re rating how likely it is we think each couple will say “I do” at the altar. Warning: spoilers ahead.
Kacie Mcintosh (left) and Patrick Suzuki got engaged sight unseen on "Love is Blind." But before they could even reach the honeymoon phase of the experiment, they broke it off. But they swear it wasn't because of looks. (Provided by Netflix)
Kacie and Patrick
Likelihood of staying together: 0% chance
Even from within the pods, hair/makeup artist Kacie and construction manager Patrick seemed like an unusual match. Though they both like sports and seemed to laugh a lot, many of their interactions felt forced. Like the time Kacie was dirty-talking Patrick with sexually explicit language that seemed to make him squirm awkwardly. Nonetheless, the two got engaged, and at the reveal, it was clear on Kacie’s face that she had made a mistake. Before they could even get to the honeymoon, the two met in a hotel lobby where Kacie broke off the relationship. Patrick didn’t seem to get the hint, though, probably because she was jumping into his arms, kissing him and telling him it was definitely not his looks that made her want to quit filming. He fully expected to try to continue their relationship off-camera. But based on Kacie telling producers, “I don’t think my attraction to him can grow,” we aren’t buying it.
Edmond L. Harvey and Kalybriah Haskin meet for the first time after being engaged on "Love is Blind." Somehow they knew instinctually to coordinate outfits. (Provided by Netflix)
Kalybriah and Edmond
Likelihood of staying together: 75% chance
Kalybriah and Edmond seemed to hit it off and have natural chemistry. Edmond, who was raised in the foster care system, is a deeply sensitive dude, and that appealed to Kalybriah, who is a social worker. They somehow even showed up in matching red outfits for their reveal. Their candor with one another also showed a genuine willingness to figure out how to do life together. After the pool party, both agreed they were one of the strongest couples. But later in that conversation, things devolved when talking about intimacy. Kalybriah and Edmond were the only couple not to sleep together, and Kalybriah said she would likely wait until after they were married to have sex. Edmond, on the other hand, wasn’t keen on that. The night ended with many tears and much misunderstanding. Still, we think they have what it takes to find a middle ground.
Denverites Joe Ferrucci (left) and Madison Maidenberg enjoy a solo date sailing in Mexico, following their engagement on reality TV show "Love is Blind." (Provided by Netflix)5
Madison and Joe
Likelihood of staying together: 10% chance
From the moment of the reveal, it seemed like Joe wasn’t feeling the relationship with Madison. Perhaps he was unable to adequately express his emotions, but he came off as more surprised than delighted. Things continued to spiral downward in Mexico when he commented about “thinner women” being his usual type. And when Madison tried to confront him about not prioritizing her at the pool party, Joe shut down and went solo back to their room for a nap. The couple continually struggled to communicate thereafter, and given that they haven’t so far been able to resolve conflict effectively, we don’t see this relationship being sustainable.
Nick Amato (left) and his fiancée Annie Lancaster arrive at the group pool party in Mexico, where they connected with all the other "Love is Blind" couples from Denver. (Provided by Netflix)
Annie and Nick
Likelihood of staying together: 50% chance
Judging solely by their interactions together, Annie and Nick seem to have it all. Their chemistry was instant at the reveal and seemed authentic. They also seem to align on their values and enjoy being in the company of one another. However, Nick, a luxury watch dealer, raises a few red flags. For instance, in the pods, he abruptly broke it off with his top choice when she said she wasn’t religious – even after Nick had already said “I love you.” From what viewers have seen so far, he doesn’t appear to have been forthright with Annie with that information. In the pods, Nick says his mom once asked him when he was younger if he was gay. He said no but we’d be lying if we said the thought hadn’t crossed our mind.
Anton Yarosh (left) and Ali Iappe were the first Denver couple to get engaged on season nine of "Love is Blind." (Provided by Netflix)
Ali and Anton
Likelihood of staying together: 50% chance
Ali and Anton are the wildcard couple, who seem like a good match. Ali is a nurse with Brazilian heritage, while Anton works in transportation logistics and has Russian heritage. Both speak multiple languages and seem like well-traveled, well-rounded individuals. They were the first couple to get engaged, in episode one no less. But their time in Mexico showed where there may be a few fractures. When Anton says he spent $5,000 on the engagement ring, Ali insists it should have cost at least $10,000. After all, “it’s an act of appreciation for the future mother of your children,” she says. Still, all the other women were jealous of how attentive Anton is to Ali. We feel like it could go either way simply because the couple didn’t get as much screen time as others.
Jordan Keltner (left) and Megan Walerius enjoy a private date while in Mexico, following their engagement on reality dating show "Love is Blind." (Provided by Netflix)
Megan and Jordan
Likelihood of staying together: 75% chance
Megan and Jordan knew in the pods they were something of an unlikely match, but one that viewers were rooting for. “Sparkle Megan,” as she calls herself, is a wellness entrepreneur with a taste for the finer things in life. Jordan is a no-frills dad to a five-year-old. They bonded over the fact that Jordan’s son has Type 1 Diabetes, which Megan’s late father also dealt with. But at the pool party, Megan was not shy to say she was annoyed with Jordan after finding some of his jokes juvenile. He immediately promised to stop the banter, but Megan didn’t seem satisfied. We’re hopeful this won’t be a serious speed bump and that they can continue to level each other out.
“Love is Blind” drops new episodes on Wednesday, Oct. 8 on Netflix.
It’s not too early to start planning for 2026 concerts, given that tickets for some of these just-announced shows are already on sale as of this week. Here are seven big shows coming to metro Denver next year.
Chris Pizzello, Invision/AP
Cardi B performs at the BET Awards on Sunday, June 23, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Cardi B
Bronx hip hop queen Cardi B is taking to the road for her new album “Am I the Drama?” with a March 9, 2026, concert scheduled for Ball Arena. Tickets for that Little Miss Drama tour stop are available as of Monday, Sept. 22 via ticketmaster.com.
Yonder Mountain String Band
Colorado bluegrass favorites Yonder Mountain String Band are set to play Frisco’s 10 Mile Music Hall (Jan. 8, 2026), followed by a two-night run in Denver at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, Jan. 9-10, 2026, as part of a winter tour that extends through March. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26, at etix.com. Prices are not yet available.
Ed Sheeran
British singer-songwriter Sheeran returns to Empower Field at Mile High on July 4, 2026, as part of his seemingly never-ending tour over the past three years (also part of the North American leg of his Loop Tour). The public on-sale period begins at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26, via promoter AEG Presents’ axs.com. Ticket prices were not immediately available.
Ray LaMontagne
The 20th anniversary of this singer-songwriter’s album, “Trouble,” arrived back in 2024, but LaMontagne is still plotting his “Trouble” shows with a sentimental Red Rocks Amphitheatre concert on Aug. 26, 2026, with opener Weather Station. Tickets, $80-$272, are on sale at axs.com.
My Chemical Romance
This pop-punk act is joining dozens of other big names in playing one of its classic albums all the way through on tour — in this case, the moody 2006 chart-topper “The Black Parade.” The band’s nostalgia run has a wide canvas, with an Aug. 27, 2026, concert already set for the 50,000-seat Coors Field, including opening act and ’90s trailblazers The Breeders, which is enjoying its own comeback in recent years. Tickets are on sale at noon on Friday, Sept. 26 via ticketmaster.com. Prices are not yet available.
Wil Baptiste, left, and Kev Marcus are the classical/hip hop duo Black Violin. (Colin Brennan, provided by Gold Mountain Entertainment)
Black Violin
Downtown Denver’s historic Paramount Theatre already has an impressive 20 comedy, touring-celeb and music shows (including ABBA and Bee Gees tribute acts) booked for 2026. But our current favorite is Black Violin, the classical-meets-hip-hop duo of Lauderdale, Fla.’s Kev Marcus and Wil B. The act plays on April 21, 2026; tickets, $48.70, are on sale at ticketmaster.com.
Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. So we asked them, and all Denver Post readers, to share their mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com. – Barbara Ellis
“A Slowly Dying Cause,” by Elizabeth George (Viking, 2025)
George follows her typical, successful formula, but with intriguing new details in her latest Lynley crime novel. A murder in Cornwall. Too many potential suspects. A distracted lead investigator. Inspector Lynley and loyal sidekick Sgt. Havers swan in to show the locals how to run a murder investigation. Did I also detect a potential rekindled love interest for Lynley? Can’t wait for the next installment to find out. — 3 1/2 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“Alfie & Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe,” by Carl Safina (W.W. Norton & Co., 2023)
“Alfie & Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe,” by Carl Safina (W.W. Norton & Co., 2023)
The tiny creature originally looked like a wet washcloth and was not expected to live, but it survived and over time became identifiable as an Eastern screech owl. Luckily for us, the chick’s feathers were damaged and an early release back into the wild was impossible. So, Carl Safina listened, watched, and took meticulous notes as this little being gradually became a free-living owl spending most of its time a few feet from the author’s back door. His masterful telling of Alfie’s story would have been enough for me, but Safina, well established as one of the world’s best science writers and author of the acclaimed “Beyond Words,” has turned this story into something grand and monumental. Alfie’s coexistence with the author’s family and the progress she makes in her recovery inspires Safina to tap into his background in philosophy, religion, world literature and traditions. He lays out the most sensible and persuasive explanation as to how we got away from connection and onto the path of destruction that I have ever read. — 4 stars (out of 4); Michelle Nelson, Littleton
“The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi,” by Wright Thompson (Penguin Press, 2024)
This is a deeply researched account of the 1955 murder of Emmitt Till, the cultural circumstances that led up to it, and the resulting cover-up. Thompson argues forcefully about the South’s determination to forget its history rather than to learn from it. He grew up just miles from the barn in which Till was killed, and meticulously re-creates the horror of the times, the crimes, and its lessons. This is a story of power, of white supremacy, and the institutional racism that continues to contaminate our culture. The book made several “best” lists. A powerful read. — 4 stars (out of 4); Jo Calhoun, Denver
“Longbourn,” by Jo Baker (Knopf, 2013)
“Fireweed,” by Lauren Haddad (Astra House, 2025)
Haddad explores issues of race, class and gender through the lens of a young woman living in a small industrial town in British Columbia. Jenny struggles with underemployment, loneliness, condescension from the men in her life, the disapproval of her cougar mother and, worst of all for her, her failure to conceive a child. Jenny moves beyond her prejudices to offer friendship to her First Nations neighbor. She is shocked when the police, along with everyone else in her life, turn a blind eye when that woman disappears. Yet, the community rallies and moves heaven and earth to find a missing white woman. The injustice is not lost on Jenny. Haddad chose the title “Fireweed,” because that ubiquitous plant is known as a wound healer, a hopeful metaphor. The Indigenous women of this novel sadly have little more than hope to go on. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“Longbourn,” by Jo Baker (Knopf, 2013)
Charming from the first page, “Longbourn” is a fresh look at the events of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” through the eyes of three servants in the Bennett household. This tale doesn’t require in-depth knowledge of P&P, but if you recall the main events your enjoyment will be greater. Baker wisely doesn’t attempt to write entirely in Austen’s wry style, but glimmers do peek through. The way Baker slips her story within Austen’s masterpiece is inventive and essentially seamless. The characters have depth, and I cannot choose a favorite: Sarah the maid, Mrs. Hill the cook/housekeeper, or James the footman. I felt for them all. — 4 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker
“Fagin the Thief,” by Allison Epstein (Doubleday, 2025)
Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. So we asked them, and all Denver Post readers, to share their mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com. – Barbara Ellis
“Fagin the Thief,” by Allison Epstein (Doubleday, 2025)
Character reimagining has given us Elphaba from “Wicked” (“The Wizard of Oz”) and “James” (“Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”). Epstein presents the backstory of Jacob Fagin, Dickens’ much-loathed villain in “Oliver Twist.” Alternating between 1793 and 1838 in Victorian London, this story humanizes Fagin and shows him to be a somewhat sympathetic character, although still a manipulative mentor to young thieves.
The original story was branded as antisemitic due to Dickens’ descriptions of the prejudicial norms of society in those times. This story of Fagin highlights the cruelty of discrimination, the plight of the poor and the importance of role models. Readers are left with the questions “Is it acceptable to feel sympathy for an evil man?” and “Is morality only for the rich?” It is not necessary to have read “Oliver Twist” to enjoy this book. It stands on its own as a historical novel with excellent descriptions of 19th-century London and brings the characters of “Oliver Twist to life.” — 4 stars (out of 4); Terry Romer, Denver
“Bug Hollow,” by Michelle Huneven (Penguin, 2025)
“Bug Hollow,” by Michelle Huneven (Penguin, 2025)
Family dynamics propel this fast-paced novel. The Samuelson family in Altadena, Calif., endures an unwieldy casserole of experiences and emotions from the 1960s to the 2010s. Don’t let the humor lull you: The pivotal event is the accidental death of a son at 18, who is a continuing presence in the family. In a fairly brief novel, Huneven garnishes the story with surprises, detailing her characters with precision and a sure hand. My favorite is Phil, the dad, but the entire family is memorable, primarily due to their foibles. Huneven is an author I’ll read again. — 3 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker
“Perfection,” by Vincenzo Latronico, translated by Sophie Hughes (New York Review of Books, 2025)
A young Italian couple, digital nomads, seek adventure and the beautiful life within the expat community in edgy, experimental Berlin in the early 21st century. The author explores the impacts of a life spent largely on social media, isolated from one’s physical environment – the dissonance, for example, between a perfectly curated apartment and the messiness of lived reality, the transitory nature of friendship within this youthful, mobile tribe, and even how the intangible, cool vibe of one moment can prove fleeting and nonreplicable. A gem, beautifully translated. — 3 1/2 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“When the Cranes Fly South,” by Lisa Ridzen, translated by Alice Menzies (Vintage Books, 2025)
Six months ago, Bo was forced to move his ailing wife into a nursing home because he could no longer care for her. Now, his 57-year-old son claims that Bo’s beloved elkhound must go for the same reason. Bo’s response? “I fantasize about cutting him out of my will, making sure he doesn’t get a penny.” This situation might not sound like much of an “upper,” but Bo’s sensitive, humorous, and unflinching determination to keep his dog makes for a page-turner. When stripped of almost everything, what’s left? Plenty, Bo would tell us. There’s not a false note in this book. (This debut novel by a Ph.D. student researching masculinity norms won the Swedish Book of the Year Award.) — 4 stars (out of 4); Michelle Nelson, Littleton
“King of Ashes,” by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron Books, 2025)
Years ago, our hero left behind his broken, blue-collar family in Richmond, Va., to join the Black bourgeoisie in Atlanta and a heady career as a wildly successful financial adviser. A family emergency brings him back home, where he assures everyone that he will “fix everything.” He is soon pulled into an underworld of drugs, violence, escalating dangers and missing bodies. Can he face his family’s secrets? Can he, indeed, fix everything? Cosby doesn’t shy away from gritty details or warts-and-all characters in this noirish novel. No easy fixes and no tidy endings here. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
A Colorado jury on Friday awarded $21 million to a woman who was paralyzed when she fell from a ski lift at Crested Butte Mountain Resort three years ago.
The jury verdict comes just over a year after the Colorado Supreme Court considered the woman’s case and ruled that liability waivers do not protect ski resorts when resorts violate state laws or regulations. That ruling allowed the lawsuit to go forward and likely ended a push by ski resorts to use such waivers to shield themselves from almost all lawsuits.
The case and its $21 million verdict may open up new avenues for skiers to sue ski operators, particularly over incidents involving chairlifts, said Brian Aleinikoff, an attorney for Annie Miller, the woman who fell in 2022.
“For the longest time, ski areas have been so insulated from lawsuits,” he said. “…At the end of the day the ‘inherent dangers’ and risks of skiing aren’t going to change. If you are skiing and you hit a rock or a bare patch or some ice or you go over a cliff, that is on you. But I think how some of the ski lifts operate — that is really where this will have the biggest impact moving forward.”
Jurors on Friday awarded the family $5.3 million in non-economic damages, $10.5 million in economic damages and $5.3 million in damages for physical impairment and disfigurement, according to an order from 17th Judicial District Court Judge Jeffrey Smith.
The jury assigned 25% of the fault for the incident to Miller and 75% of the fault to Vail Resorts, which owns Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Vail Resorts expects to pay a total of $12.4 million in damages both because of the jury’s assignment of fault and a statutory cap on non-economic damages.
“We disagree with the decision and believe that it was inconsistent with Colorado law,” Katie Lyons, communications manager for Vail Resorts, said in an email. “Still, we recognize the personal toll this accident has taken on Ms. Miller and her family, and we wish her continued strength in her recovery. We remain committed to the highest safety standards in our operations.”
Miller, now 20, was 16 when she fell 30 feet from a four-seat, high-speed chairlift at Crested Butte on March 16, 2022. Miller boarded the Paradise Express lift with her father, but couldn’t get properly seated, and grabbed the chairlift to keep from falling.
Her father and others began to yell for the lift to be stopped as she was dragged forward, but the lift continued with Miller hanging from the chair and her father trying to pull her back to safety.
Eventually, Miller fell and landed on her back. Even then, the lift did not stop, and her father, Michael Miller, was forced to ride to the top and ski down to his daughter, who suffered severe injuries and was paralyzed after the fall.
Michael Miller brought a negligence lawsuit against Crested Butte, arguing that the resort employees should have stopped the lift before his daughter fell.
Annie Miller is now a junior at the University of Tulsa, where she is studying music and psychology, Aleinikoff said.
“We are trying to hold ski areas accountable to ensure they are following the safety rules and violations they have agreed to follow, in order to protect folks like Annie Miller who come out and want to ski,” he said. “To me it is not asking that much of them.”
Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. So we asked them, and all Denver Post readers, to share their mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com. – Barbara Ellis
“The First Gentleman,” by Bill Clinton and James Patterson (Little, Brown and Company, 2025)
THE FIRST GENTLEMAN, by Bill Clinton and James Patterson (Little, Brown)
The third collaborative novel by this duo is definitely a page-turner. The president’s husband is on trial for murder, while she simultaneously orchestrates a grand congressional coalition behind closed doors to save major entitlement programs for future generations. While a young investigative team scrambles to uncover the truth, bodies continue to fall left and right. My only nit to pick: Patterson should have wielded a heavy editorial pencil on Clinton’s wonky, everything-including-the-kitchen-sink presidential address. Aspirational, perhaps, but jarring against the rest of the novel. — 2 1/2 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“Hamnet,” by Maggie O’Farrell (Tinder Press, 2020)
Although titled for Shakespeare’s son, this novel’s protagonist is Agnes, Shakespeare’s wife and Hamnet’s mother. An unconventional woman for the end of the 16th century, Agnes is bright and quick and competent: she fairly dances off the pages. O’Farrell’s words skip lightly on some pages, then pace with anxiety, then finally trudge along despairingly. Her writing can be luminous or tenebrous as the mood requires. One section is the most apt depiction of sorrow that I’ve ever read. The final scene is, I believe, as close to perfect as possible. (The novel has been made into a film, coming out in November, starring Paul Mescal.) — 4 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker
“Careless People: A Cautious Tale of Power, Greed and Lost Idealism,” by Sarah Wynn-Williams (Flatiron Books)
Careless People
Author: Sarah Wynn-Williams
Pages: 382
Publisher: Flatiron
The author presciently realizes the potential for Facebook as a political force and doggedly pursues a job there, eventually landing as the Facebook director of global public policy. That seat at the table provides her unique access to observe the strategic decisions by and the personal proclivities of Facebook’s C-suite of players. Quickly jaded, she nonetheless soldiers on, thinking she can effect change from within. This is also the story of Facebook’s coming of age politically. Small wonder that the social media giant sought to block its publication. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“Britt-Marie Was Here,” by Fredrik Backman (Atria, 2017)
Praise be, there are fiction writers who can capture the bodies and souls of completely normal individuals, their uniqueness, charms, highs and lows. Backman is one of the rarities. Britt-Marie, struggling to make a living after splitting from her self-centered, cheating husband, heads out to a tiny, isolated town where she somehow lands a job managing a dying recreation center peopled by underprivileged kids. She cultivates her unique gifts for developing a diverse group of townspeople into a cohesive, mutually supportive crew. Somehow, Britt-Marie gains her sense of self and becomes a curious, energetic, self-directed adult, ready to cultivate her own way in the wide world. — 4 stars (out of 4); Bonnie McCune, Denver (bonniemccune.com)
“All Our Shimmering Skies,” by Trent Dalton (Harper, 2021)
This novel, set in Australia at the outset of World War II, is gut-wrenching. Molly Hook, “the gravedigger’s daughter,” is on a quest to reverse the curse on her family that turns their hearts to stone. Molly’s mother leaves her, assuring her that she will have signs from the sky. That promise begins with a gold-panning bowl with an etched map and continues when Molly and her friend Greta are joined in their walkabout by a Japanese pilot and then a baby. This fable includes abuse and hatred, darkness, magic, love. It is a roller-coaster ride. — 3 stars (out of 4); Jo Calhoun, Denver
Iconic Denver record retailer Wax Trax will open a fourth location along 32nd Avenue in the West Highland neighborhood next month with a promise to tailor its wares to locals.
Workers are readying a fourth location of Denver record store Wax Trax at the corner of 32nd Avenue and Meade Street in the Highland neighborhood. (Provided by Wax Trax)
“The Stanley has been really great to us, and we were looking to grow there, but no opportunity came to pass,” said majority Wax Trax owner Pete Stidman. “So one day I was kind of frustrated with that and thought, ‘Oh, let me look around,’ because any time our (mobile unit) is over there in the Northside, Sloan’s Lake, Highland or Olde Town Arvada, we sell a lot of records.”
In fact, Stidman said, the new West Highland location at 3641 W. 32nd Ave. — which hugs the pedestrian-friendly corner of 32nd Avenue and Meade Street — will be the only “walkable” record store west of I-25. He plans to open on Saturday, Oct. 11 in the red-brick storefront that was most recently occupied by home-decor retailer Candelaria. That store closed last year after eight years in business, citing slow sales and foot traffic, according to a GoFundMe page from owner Kristina Thayer.
A video of the renovation shared with The Denver Post shows fresh coats of black paint on the walls and a jumble of custom-built wooden racks in the center of the 1,000-square-foot store. Stidman declined to name the terms of the lease for the space, which includes a basement that will not be open to customers, but said he plans to stay there for a while.
“It’s high rent over there, which is all I’ll say. But I do think it’s one of the best places to be west of I-25,” Stidman said.
The store will employ two record sellers at first, and Wax Trax buyers will adapt and order their inventory based on customer preferences as they learn them, he said. Stidman has a sense that nearby residents listen to a lot of country music, for example.
Custom wooden racks await a coat of black paint at a new, fourth location of Wax Trax Records at the corner of 32nd Avenue and Meade Street in the Highland neighborhood. (Provided by Wax Trax)
“This is probably risky, but at the same time, what we’re trying to do is reach an economy of scale with how many records we sell,” he said. “I think that helps the store become more sustainable and resilient.”
Since the pandemic, the metro area has seen several new record stores open as vinyl sales continue to climb and the market for buying and selling LPs at the counter — which Wax Trax will offer — remains strong.
Vinyl sales rose to $1.4 billion in 2024, according to the Recording Industry of America, with 44 million records sold.
“Our competition isn’t record stores (like) Twist & Shout,” he said. “It’s online retailers and big box stores, so having a location where we can be walkable in somebody’s neighborhood… that’s where we can steal some sales from frickin’ Walmart.”
