City Cast Denver

Thirteen years ago, a group of friends and strangers got together and decided to start a music festival in Denver. But it was so much more than your average fest — it was, and still is, a community that calls itself Titwrench. An art-centered collective was formed under the Titwrench umbrella where anyone who wanted to join could learn how to run sound at a concert, teach others how to build their own instruments, and maybe even perform their own music on stage for the first time. Host Bree Davies sits down with her longtime friend and Titwrench cofounder, Sarah Slater, to talk about the evolution of this fest and community.The festival component of Titwrench is set to begin this Sunday at 4 p.m., with performances from Nacha Mendez, The Milk Blossoms, Machete Mouth, My Name Is Harriett, and Sol VidaWorldwide.For more on Titwrench, here’s a preview of this weekend’s festival from Westword: https://www.westword.com/music/titwrench-music-festival-comes-to-city-park-12405030Subscribe to our newsletter right now and never miss another cool Denver event: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Are you going to Titwrench this weekend? Post some pics and tag us @citycastdenver!

You’ve called, you’ve written us, and now we bring you the hotly anticipated Breakfast Burrito Throwdown where the City Cast Denver crew will attempt to crown Denver’s best breakfast burrito. It’s not a contest for the faint of heart. But host Bree Davies, producer Paul Karolyi, producer Xandra McMahon, and newsletter writer Peyton Garcia were up for the challenge. For more burrito news (and regular news too, I guess) subscribe to the City Cast Denver newsletter! https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Want another way to connect with the CCD crew? Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver

Denver’s sidewalks are in a sorry state, and that’s if you’re lucky enough to live in a neighborhood that has them. What’s worse is the fact that property owners are responsible for maintaining our sidewalks, which means not much maintenance gets done at all. So how are we supposed to get out of this mess? Last week, City Cast Denver producer Xandra McMahon tagged along on a walking tour of Cap Hill with District 10 councilperson Chris Hinds and Denver Streets Partnership executive director Jill Locantore to talk about how we got here, the disproportionate impact on our neighbors with disabilities, and what’s stopping us from addressing the problem. There’s a lot more important stuff happening out there, and you can read about it all in our nifty morning newsletter. Subscribe here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/They say that every time you retweet @citycastdenver a sidewalk gets repaired. Should we try it out?

The first legal weed deliveries happened in Denver last month. But like many aspects of the weed business, the actual implementation of legal delivery hasn’t been easy. Currently, only six dispensaries are permitted for delivery and so far just one, Strawberry Fields, has launched, in partnership with a delivery service called doobba. City Cast Denver host Bree Davies talks with journalist and podcast host Ann Marie Awad about what makes the delivery process so cumbersome for local companies, what it means for those impacted by the war on drugs, and how accessible — or inaccessible — cannabis delivery really is for the average Denverite. If you want to see how the City of Denver is soliciting applications for cannabis deliver licenses, here’s their site explaining the process: https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Business-Licensing/Business-Licenses/Marijuana-Licenses/Delivery-PermitWant more local news every weekday? Sign up for the City Cast Denver newsletter here. Say hello on Twitter! @citycastdenver

Happy first Friday of fall! For our news roundup, this week: Producer Paul Karolyi and Host Bree Davies discuss the ongoing Tay Anderson school board saga. Plus, Bree reminisces about an older version of Denver, one where her neighborhood Kmart was thriving and Paul comes to the defense of abandoned parking lot activities.For more on the Tay Anderson story: Check out our episode with Chalkbeat Colorado reporter Melanie Asmar, plus Melanie’s original reporting on the issue. The Kmart situation has dragged on for years — read/watch more about the former retailer and plans for the new site over on The Denver Channel. Have a hankering for more news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our weekday newsletter here.Find City Cast Denver on Twitter: @CityCastDenver

On September 15, the City of Denver set up metal barricades around Civic Center Park, blocking people from taking in all the new public art, eating lunch on the steps of the amphitheater, and strolling among the flower beds. But of course, that’s not what this was about. City officials describe the temporary shutdown as an essential measure to stem violence, crime, drug use and unsanitary conditions. City Cast Denver host Bree Davies sits down with past guest Ean Thomas Tafoya, who organizes what he calls “compassionate trash service” in the park, for a practical conversation about Denver’s housing crisis and other ways to make Civic Center Park more welcoming for everyone. 👉 What you can do: The Civic Center Conservancy and City of Denver are hosting a virtual, public workshop to help reimagine Civic Center Park tonight, September 23, at 5:30 pm: https://www.facebook.com/events/1528587610814267/?ref=newsfeedMayor Michael Hancock announced a “STAR-like” program for Denver’s jails last week. What the heck does that mean? We’ve got a full breakdown in our newsletter today, which you can read and subscribe to here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Smash that follow button: @citycastdenver

Zaidy’s is back! Once a Cherry Creek staple, the Jewish deli’s owners decided it was time to close up shop after 35 years at the height of the pandemic in 2020. But thanks to a few enterprising Denverites, the restaurant returned last month — this time in the heart of southeast Denver’s Jewish community, where the new owners hope copious parking, a new event space, and a bakery will help Zaidy’s flourish for decades to come. One Denverite who was particularly happy about the new Zaidy’s? Journalist, political figure, and southeast Denver resident David Sirota. City Cast Denver host Bree Davies met up with Sirota for breakfast at the new Zaidy’s to talk about his relationship with the restaurant, his thoughts on Denver’s secret bagel wars, and how Zaidy’s fits into its new neighborhood, Virginia Vale. For more on the new Zaidy’s, including some sweet pics courtesy of past City Cast Denver guest Kevin Beaty, here’s Denverite’s report on their reopening last month: https://denverite.com/2021/08/17/zaidys-reopens-in-virginia-vale-starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-beloved-jewish-deli/Want more news delivered to your inbox each weekday morning? Subscribe to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Have strong opinions on Denver’s bagel scene? Tweet us: @citycastdenver

After being unhoused and struggling with food insecurity himself, Jim Scharper knew he wanted to help others. What started out as Jim making and handing out sandwiches to unhoused folks turned into Feeding Denver’s Hungry, a full-scale food access operation that connects Denverites with free groceries. Friends and strangers alike showed up to help Jim and now, eight years into this work, Feeding Denver’s Hungry connects thousands of community members with groceries of their choice. That idea of giving people a choice is crucial for Jim; he works to ensure that the people who utilize his services are able to maintain a sense of dignity — especially in a time of struggle. Host Bree Davies and producer Xandra McMahon met up with Jim and his crew at the Feeding Denver’s Hungry free grocery store in Montbello to learn more about this food access organization. Plus, we’ve got another installment of our series “VOICE on the Street,” this time with Denver VOICE vendor LarMarques Smith. LarMarques takes us on a journey from his drag performer days in Indianapolis to his current life here in Denver. Learn more about the Denver VOICE’s work and read a current issue of the paper: denvervoice.org. Donate directly to The Denver VOICE via Venmo: @DenverVOICEGet more news in your inbox every weekday morning by subscribing to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver

Back in March, Black Lives Matter 5280 issued a statement on behalf of a woman who said that Denver Public Schools Board Member Tay Anderson had sexually assaulted her. From there, other claims of misconduct and assault surfaced, including statements by another woman who claimed to be speaking on behalf of more than 60 DPS students who Anderson supposedly assaulted. Anderson, who is also an influential activist leader and champion of local progressive politics, has maintained his innocence since the beginning. In response, DPS hired an outside investigative team to look into the claims, and last week the investigators published their findings. City Cast Denver host Bree Davies sits down with Chalkbeat Colorado reporter Melanie Asmar to parse the report and lay out a timeline of this complex, ongoing saga involving one of Colorado’s youngest political figures and activists. Tay Anderson is planning to address the community about his future with Denver Public Schools tonight — Monday, September 20 — at 6 pm at 2863 Welton St. For details, click here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2995835457304477/?ref=newsfeedRead Melanie’s coverage of the investigation for Chalkbeat Colorado: https://co.chalkbeat.org/2021/9/15/22674564/tay-anderson-colorado-investigation-results-releasedRead the full 96-page investigative report: https://go.boarddocs.com/co/dpsk12/Board.nsf/files/C6VTCC76B280/$file/FINAL%20PUBLIC%20ILG%20REPORT%2020210915.pdfGet more local news from the City Cast Denver daily newsletter by subscribing: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Follow the City Cast Denver team on Twitter: @citycastdenver

As more businesses and events require a COVID vaccine, and Gov. Jared Polis chomps at the bit for booster shots, the City Cast Denver crew asks the really tough questions: What’s it even like to go to a concert right now? When do you need to show proof of vaccination? Should you be wearing a mask? How much is it the ticket-takers' or security’s responsibility to uphold these big mandates? Plus, Paul, Bree, and Xandra talk about Red Rocks’ dystopian, Bezos-approved ticket entry system. And a new segment is introduced that focuses on Glendale’s shenanigans, the tiny town in the middle of Denver that Paul warmly refers to as “the fully-loaded nacho lodged in Denver’s throat.” For example: How come Shotgun Willie’s is no longer bankrupt?Here’s the whole letter to Fiddler’s Green that’s referenced in the episode: https://www.reddit.com/r/CoronavirusColorado/comments/po82j3/an_open_letter_to_fiddlers_green/Let’s be inbox buddies too! Subscribe to the newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/We’re also on Twitter: @CityCastDenver