City Cast Denver

There are lots of glitzy attractions around Denver — but which ones are really worth it? Which destinations are just tourist traps, and which ones are the real gems, you know — the tourist treats? In this final installment of our Summer Entertainment Guide, host Bree Davies is joined by newsletter editor Peyton Garcia and producers Paul Karolyi and Olivia Jewell Love to break down their can’t-miss and definitely-pass attractions from downtown D-town to ski towns of the Rockies. We want to hear from you, too! What are the Denver-area tourist attractions that you really unabashedly love? And which made you feel empty inside? Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood on the Tourist Trap Hotline, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418Here are links to all the places we mentioned: Royal Gorge Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave The Denver Zoo Downtown Aquarium Water World Manitou Cliff Dwellings Tiny Town Winter Park  Peyton mentioned a 2022 Westword investigation into the Downtown Aquarium — we chatted with reporter Catie Cheshire about her findings. Bree also mentioned our tour of Water World last summer. Paul brought up Raven Payment’s Twitter thread on the Manitou Cliff DwellingsEvery weekday, you can get even more recommendations for fun stuff to do in our Hey Denver newsletter! Subscribe here or by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverLearn more about the sponsors of this episode:Levitt PavilionLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colorado’s most infamous Republican, Rep. Lauren Boebert, won re-election last November by a mere 546 votes, shocking the unsuspecting Denver public and the national press. Something was clearly changing in Boebert’s mostly rural, southern and western Colorado district, and now the Democrats have a plan to take advantage of the moment. Producer Paul Karolyi sits down with the new chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, Shad Murib, to talk about “The 546 Project,” his massive new effort to unseat Boebert in 2024, and why her vulnerability and her fame combine to make her the perfect next target for the Democrats’ push to turn Colorado blue once and for all. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:Levitt PavilionLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You ever see one of those signs that say “We Buy Ugly Houses” stapled to a telephone poll? Or plastered in giant block letters up on a billboard? Did you ever wonder what happens when someone calls that phone number? ProPublica investigative reporter Anjeanette Damon cracked the story wide open, and she’s on today with host Bree Davies to explain how the mysterious HomeVestors’ business model works, how they scoop up the deeds to so many perfectly good looking houses, and who is paying the price. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866.Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:Levitt PavilionLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Nuggets are finally world famous! Denver’s hometown ballers won their first NBA Championship in franchise history, and the city has been celebrating all week. Everything culminated with a big parade downtown on Thursday, and the City Cast Denver team was there to take it all in. But of course, the Nuggets aren’t all the news — it’s Friday, so we’re talking about a new queer cultural district, a rash of shootings on the city’s streets, and question whether Trinidad has lost its shine. Diné comedian Joshua Emerson is back with producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies to break down all the local stories that mattered this week. Plus, newsletter editor Peyton Garcia shares her best bets for this (hopefully sunny) summer weekend. Bree mentioned the walking tour of Cap Hill’s queer history that we did last June with local comics artist and historian B. Erin Cole. We didn’t see this until after we recorded, but past guest and local author Jenny Shank wrote a beautiful commentary on the Nuggets’ win for her newsletter this week. Check it out and subscribe!A programming note: We are taking Monday off in honor of Juneteenth. So there won’t be another new episode in your podcast feed until Tuesday. Our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver is also off on Monday. Here are links to all the events Peyton suggested: Veggie Viernes (Westwood) Monster Truck Charity Palooza (Aurora) Cherry Blossom Festival (Sakura Square) Juneteenth Festival (Five Points)  For even more weekend event recs and local stories that matter, subscribe to Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866.Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is full of dioramas depicting wolves in the arctic, rare birds from across the U.S., and… people. Since 1978, millions of Denverites have walked through the North American Indian Cultures Hall and seen indigenous people — who come from hundreds of diverse tribes, cultures, and communities — depicted behind panes of glass. As the museum prepared to close the exhibition for good this week, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi met up with Diné comedian and Denver American Indian Commission co-chair Josh Emerson to tour the hall with DMNS curator of anthropology Chris Patrello to learn more about why this big change is happening now and how they are reimagining this space for the future.For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866.Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every Friday on City Cast Denver, our newsletter editor Peyton Garcia joins the crew to offer some event recommendations, and we collectively pick the Official City Cast Denver Maybe For Your Weekend — aka the one weekend event where you’re most likely to see us. So for this second installment of our summer entertainment guide, City Cast editor Adrian González returns to help Peyton, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi pick City Cast Denver’s Ultimate Summer Maybe. Because there’s a zillion cool things happening around Denver this summer, and we narrowed it down to one rock solid recommendation.Here are all the events Peyton recommended:Arts Colorado Native: A Native American Comedy Showcase, August 24 (Highland) REVEALED: John Fielder’s Favorite Place, July 22 (Golden Triangle) Desert Rider: Dreaming in Motion, July 9 (Golden Triangle) Food Strawberry Days Festival, June 16-18 (Glenwood Springs) Olathe Sweet Corn Festival, August 4-5 (Olathe) Blues and BBQ Festival for Better Housing, July 15 (Edgewater) Mountain Adventure Fibark, June 15-18 (Salida; Paul wants you to know that the pizza place he likes in Salida is Moonlight Pizza & Brewpub) Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, July 7-16 (Crested Butte) Mushroom ID Foray, July 8 (TBD) Misc. Pollinator Palooza Festival, June 25 (Westminster) Georgetown Loop Old West Days, August 19-20, 26-27 (Georgetown) Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, June 23-25 (Estes Park) For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UPDATE 6/13/23: After this episode was published, we learned that the location of the Jor'Dell Richardson community memorial and procession planned for Friday 6/16 has been moved to Aurora Municipal Center. The event is still set to begin at 5 p.m.It’s Tuesday and we’re breaking down all the local stories that matter. First, the Aurora Police Department released bodycam footage of the killing of 14-year-old Jor’Dell Richardson, but questions still remain as to what happened. Also, Denver School Board director Auon’tai Anderson announced that he won’t be running for re-election; instead, he’ll be running for House District 8, where Democratic representative Leslie Herod is term-limited. Speaking of politicians, a new Colorado law says your elected officials can block you from their personal accounts on social media if they want to — but legal or not, the ACLU still thinks it's a free speech issue. Plus, producer Paul Karolyi tells host Bree Davies about a new brunch spot in LoHi that he’s excited about, which comes from Denver celeb chef (who beat Bobby Flay!) Carrie Baird. We mentioned the GoFundMe for Jor’Dell Richardson’s family, as well as a community gathering and memorial for Jor’Dell on the steps of the capitol. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr Instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on Reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI is everywhere right now — at least that’s how it seems. The technology has a lot of people worried, but we wanted to know: What does it actually mean for us as Denverites? Will our jobs be taken over by AI? How will it impact our daily lives? One local company has been on the cutting edge of this technology for years before the recent hype, and they recently deployed their AI at four local fast-food restaurants. So today on the show, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi take a trip to the Carl’s Jr. drive-thru in Lakeside to test out “Holly.” Then, Bree chats with Rob Carpenter, the CEO of Colorado’s Valyant AI, to learn more about how Holly works, how worried you should be about her taking your job, and what this technology is going to mean for Denver’s future. Bree mentioned the Marshall Fire investigation findings. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr Instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on Reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:badboyboardsLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday and we’re talking about all the local stories that grabbed our attention this week — aka, the election. Mike Johnston is officially Denver’s mayor-elect, and he made a lot of promises along the campaign trail, so which ones will he keep? Plus Casa Bonita gets a write-up in a little paper called the New York Times, Governor Jared Polis vetoes a housing bill, and the last drive-in theater in the Denver metro is closing. Producer Paul Karolyi is joined by host Bree Davies and founder of investigative news outlet The Lever and Academy Award nominee David Sirota for a rundown of everything Denver’s talking about. As always, stick around until the end for a round-up of the coolest events happening this weekend in the Mile High, curated by Hey Denver newsletter editor Peyton Garcia.  If you haven’t read the Times’ take on Casa Bonita, here’s a link. Paul talked about Colorado’s changing drive-in movie theaters, including this one in the San Luis Valley, and predatory towing. Bree mentioned about a story from Nate Minor in Denverite about RTD’s bad bus stop management.Follow our weather guy for all your weekend weather needs: Rain or Shine, it's Andy Stein! P.S. CONGRATS ON GETTING MARRIED, ANDY!!!!!!Here are links to the weekend events Peyton recommended:  Lighthouse Writers Workshop Grand Opening Summer Farm Fest The Taylor Swift Party Denver Chalk Festival (Watch out for the weather forecast though!) Five Points Jazz Festival For even more weekend event recs and local stories that matter, subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 or by visiting our website. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Regional Air Quality Council badboyboards Energize Colorado Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When nightclub owner Steven Alix bought the old Irish Snug, he didn’t know anything about Sid King or his famous Colfax strip club, Crazy Horse. But he soon learned that the bar at the corner of Colfax and Marion had been a staple of the strip’s infamous — and often debaucherous — nightlife scene from the 1940s to the 1980s. A few decades have passed, but now the man behind Colfax’s hottest LGBTQ bars is bringing Crazy Horse Kitchen + Bar back to life, complete with King’s original Googie-style neon sign. Host Bree Davies is joined by Steven and Keith Garcia, a fellow Colfax aficionado and artistic director at the Sie FilmCenter, to dig into the myths and magic of Colfax, Sid King’s lasting imprint on the street, and why Crazy Horse (and its companion basement nightclub) are important to the current landscape of Denver’s queer-welcoming establishments. Plus, Keith and Steven share their recs for celebrating Pride Colfax-style.Did Playboy actually call Colfax the “longest, wickedest street in America”? Bree mentioned this Denverite article investigating the infamous claim. Keith mentioned Sie FilmCenter’s slate of Pride events all month long, including a block party with Black Pride Colorado, and teased the return of the CinemaQ Film Festival in August. Steven highlighted the week of events planned at X Bar, Tight End, and Crazy Horse. Bree commented on the protests outside the new Drip Café on Santa Fe and recommends listening to our episode on Denver’s best coffee shops.For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Regional Air Quality Council badboyboards Energize Colorado Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices