City Cast Denver

Three miles of Broadway and Welton were shut down for the inaugural ¡Viva! Streets Denver last weekend, as pedestrians and cyclists took over the asphalt for a rainy day of car-free wandering through the city — so, how did it go? Speaking of getting around sans cars, RTD is looking at another fare-free summer with the prospect of expanding the program to go through July and August. Oh and yes, ballots are in the mail so you’ll soon be able to get this mayoral runoff over with — but not before the Johnston and Brough campaigns unleash a plethora of commercials. It’s Tuesday and producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are breaking down all the local stories that matter, including our weekly Casa Bonita countdown! We talked about pics from the first Viva Streets event last weekend, a LinkedIn post from Eric Anderson (which we first got wind of from Cory Hutchins’ newsletter), a new ad from the Kelly Brough campaign, and the GIFs Casa Bonita released of the restaurant’s remodeling progress. 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: The North Face BadBoyBoards Ullr’s Garden 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

Planning on buying tickets to your favorite show? Good luck! If you happen to be a Swiftie, a member of the Bey Hive, or a big fan of The Cure, you’ve probably seen artists and fans going head-to-head this year with ticketing giants like Ticketmaster. Colorado lawmakers passed a bill recently that could ease some of your ticket-buying woes, but does it go far enough? And is it too soft on ticket marketplaces like Ticketmaster? Producer Ann Marie Awad talks with Colorado Politics Business Reporter Hannah Metzger about the ins and outs of the bill, its surprise supporters, and whether or not Gov. Polis will sign it into law.Link to the bill: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB23-060For 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

It’s Friday, and we’re digging into all the local stories that mattered this week. First, state lawmakers are officially done lawmaking for the year. And this session, we learned that politics is like jazz. Sometimes it’s about the laws you don’t pass. But it come down to the wire on a “chaotic” Monday night, featuring some harsh name-calling, last-minute dealings, and a full-on GOP walkout. CPR politics reporter Andy Kenney was at the Capitol, and he’s back on today with producer Paul Karolyi and Westword editor Patty Calhoun to sort through the wreckage and share some underreported stories of the week (Migrants! Moths! Money!). Plus, Adrian González is back to give us his weekend recs. For a thorough breakdown of all the bills heading to Governor Jared Polis’s desk, check out the coverage from our friends at the Denver Post, CPR, and the Colorado Sun. Paul mentioned the shape of our state and his first miller moth sighting of the year (The CSU Extension has plenty more info about miller moths and how safely remove them from your home). Patty talked about the recent wave of migrants arriving from South and Central America. Andy questioned the impact of the Fair Elections Fund. Anyone remember our "War of the Moths" from 2021? That was a crazy fun day. Major hat tip to producer Lizzie Goldsmith on the idea and the mix.Here are the events Adrian recommended for your weekend: Bitchin’ Stitchin’ @ The Thompson Hotel Denver Urban Gardens Spring Plant Sale Global Big Day birding holiday, Bird Walk @ DeLaney Historic Farm in Aurora ¡Viva! Streets first Sunday  For even more weekend event recs and local stories that matter, subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow our weather guy for all your weekend weather needs: Rain or Shine, it's Andy Stein!Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverLearn more about the sponsors of this episode:The North FaceLooking 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

Ask any Denverite what they’d guess is the most popular car in Colorado, and nine times out of ten they’ll tell you, “Subarus!” And it makes some sense. Designed for adventure, Subarus fit perfectly with Colorado’s image as the rugged mountain state. Throw your gear in the back and you’re ready to go! But are Subarus really the most popular cars in Colorado? Host Bree Davies takes on the Subaru stereotype with recent Subaru convert Ann Marie Awad and reporter Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, who dug into the data for the Denver Post.Megan mentioned the myth that Denver gets 360 days of sunshine per year. If you’re in the mood for more local myth-busting, our weather guy Andy Stein busted that one for us back in 2021. We also discussed the surprising origin of those NATIVE bumper stickers. 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:The North FaceLooking 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

We all know Denver isn’t the super affordable city it once was. But we’re all still here, trying to get by and enjoy that Mile High life. So we challenged ourselves to find the best ways to enjoy a day in Denver on the cheap — and by cheap we mean, how can a Denverite pack a whole day of fun around the city for $52.80 or less? Host Bree Davies, producer Paul Karolyi, and state politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval each schemed, plotted, and planned a great Denver day without breaking the bank. Today, join them as they talk through the best eats, events, and entertainment Denver has to offer, with a slim budget of $52.80! Got a favorite local discount, happy hour deal, or bargain? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Enter the Spoiler Zone below at your own risk!Paul suggests you take advantage of Denver Public Library’s free museum pass program, the great prices at El Taco de Mexico, this hot tip for cheap drinks at Coors Field. Justine includes a RiNo weed deal, the best way to enjoy the Museum of Contemporary Art, a free trip to her favorite park, and plenty of bus rides (which will be free again in August!). Bree’s got her eye on bánh mì bargains on Federal, movies on Colfax, concerts at Ruby Hill, and tacos on Alameda.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/CityCastDenverLearn more about the sponsors of this episode:The North FaceLooking 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

Mother’s Day is just around the corner — have you made plans with your mother yet?! This holiday often centers on going out for a nice brunch but in this town, getting reservations can feel nearly impossible. You still have a few days to plan that big bash for mom this Sunday, and the City Cast Denver crew is here to help. We’ve rounded up some of our most favorite brunch spots across the city, from old favorites to innovative ideas for redefining your typical weekend meal spot. This conversation originally aired on November 16, 2022.Make a day out of it and take your mom to one of our favorite local garden shops!Bree mentioned the Denver Public Schools board’s consultant costs. 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:The North FaceLooking 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 was lucky to have a particularly wet winter in 2023, meaning water runoff from the mountains is really strong right now. But does that mean we can stop worrying about the Colorado River and that pesky 20-year megadrought? KUNC reporter Luke Runyon has a new podcast out, “Thirst Gap,” exploring the precarious state of our water supply. So producer Paul Karolyi sat down with Luke to talk about the new podcast, the latest politics of water at the Capitol, and the prospect of another hot, dry summer. Paul mentioned some New York Times coverage that addressed recent developments with the Colorado River, and you can subscribe to “Thirst Gap: Learning to Live With Less on the Colorado River” wherever you listen to podcasts.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: The North Face The Jewish Community Center of Denver 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

It’s Friday, and we’re talking about all the local stories that mattered this week. Way back in November 2019, Colorado voters narrowly approved the legalization of sports betting, taking the illicit hobby out of the shadows and on to our phones! And on billboards! And everywhere else! Sports betting is now a multi-billion-dollar industry with Coloradans chasing the adrenaline rush from the Broncos and the Nuggets to late-night prop bets on the pro cornhole championship. To mark the three-year anniversary of our state’s first legal sports bet, Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are chatting with 5280 Magazine editor Lindsey B. King, who reported this month’s cover story on how sports betting is going mainstream. Then they each share an underreported story from the week and invite Hey Denver newsletter editor Peyton Garcia on to share her best bets for your weekend. We talked tofu, new speed limits, healthcare transparency, and the New York Times’ take on Blucifer and DIA. For even more weekend event recs and local stories that matter, subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow our weather guy for all your weekend weather needs: Rain or Shine, it's Andy Stein!Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverLearn more about the sponsors of this episode: Backyard Pitmasters of Colorado The North Face 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

It’s not just you— trying to get a camping spot in Colorado feels impossible these days because it kind of is! New data reported by the Denver Post shows it was five times harder in 2022 to secure a campsite in this state than it was pre-pandemic. So, how do you get your outdoors on when the competition is so fierce? Newsletter editor Peyton Garcia — the City Cast Denver camping authority — takes our producer and camping novice Paul Karolyi through her best outdoor enjoyment hacks and secrets to making the most of Colorado’s greatest asset. Peyton made this handy dandy camping checklist so you can be fully prepared to set up shop in your favorite mountainside spot. This conversation originally aired on June 29, 2022. Bree mentioned how busy Colorado’s campgrounds are, why the gig driver transparency bill went down this week, and Lunar New Year! Here are a couple links to our past coverage of Lunar New Year in Denver and CAPU’s work to commemorate Denver’s old Chinatown: The Epic Family Saga Behind Denver’s Biggest Lunar New Year Celebration Reclaiming Denver’s Lost Chinatown  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: Backyard Pitmasters of Colorado The North Face 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

There didn’t used to be a place in Denver called RiNo. So it wasn’t a problem when a bunch of artists found some space and made dusty, industrial Brighton Boulevard… cool. But now art is big business in RiNo, and several rising entertainment companies — Vinyl Me, Please; Victrola; AEG Presents: Rocky Mountains — are building Denver’s next “music district” right there on Brighton. So where does that leave the artists? And how is the local music business reshaping Denver? Host Bree Davies sits down with The Denver Post’s arts reporter and critic John Wenzel to get the scoop.Don’t miss Wenzel’s deep dive into the companies forming a new music district in RiNo. Bree mentioned the last-gasp effort to pass Governor Jared Polis’s big land-use bill at the state legislature this week. The Subaru Hotline is Open! Maybe it’s a stereotype, maybe it’s true: Coloradans love their Subarus. But what about you? Do you drive one? Do they bug you? We want to hear what Subarus mean to you. Text or leave us a voicemail at (720) 500-5418‬ 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/CityCastDenverLearn more about the sponsors of this episode: Backyard Pitmasters of Colorado The North Face 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