City Cast Denver

It’s that time of the year again, when Spirit Halloween pop-ups fill all the empty box stores around Denver, hawking mass-produced costumes and cheap plastic decorations. But Denver also has a handful of quirky, unique costume shops, too! Host Bree Davies loves The Wizard’s Chest on South Broadway, so today we’re taking a swing through the racks with one of their costume experts to get some inspiration, her take on the hottest trends, and professional advice before the festivities this weekend. Some links to the other great, local costume shops that Sophie mentioned: Reinke Bros. Disguises Fun Services Bree talked about the Denver Post’s report that Welton St. Cafe is working on a big new remodeled space at 2883 Welton St. Check out our episode on the soul food staple for more. For even more Halloween fun this week, subscribe to our newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Have you ever had a Denver-themed costume? Tell us about it on Twitter or, even better, share pics and tag us @citycastdenver!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: How to Buy a Home Podcast Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) 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

With Denver’s minimum wage set to go up on January 1, we have got our eyes locked on the local dining community. At least one business has preemptively closed. Others are ratcheting up menu prices. And, as we discussed recently, many Denverites are already experiencing tipping fatigue, plunking down less and less of their hard-earned cash on top of new, unclear “service charges.” What is the well-intentioned diner to do? We reached out to the co-hosts of the hilarious 3 Stars Podcast — Brad Kaplan, Samatha Bolte-Woods, and William Phillip Tyler Hutcheson. They are service industry veterans and have lots to say about tipping fatigue, the minimum wage, and those mysterious service charges. Serious, 3 Stars is super fun and funny. Each week, Brad, Samantha, and Bill read yelp reviews for local restaurants and review the reviewers right back. Learn more and subscribe here: http://3starspodcast.com/For even more news and inside info on dining in Denver, subscribe to our newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Do you have tipping fatigue? Let’s talk on Twitter: @citycastdenverLeave 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:How to Buy a Home PodcastLooking 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

This weekend, we’re proud to present an episode from our friends at History Colorado and their podcast “Lost Highways: Tales and Investigations from the Shadows of the Rocky Mountains.” A few weeks ago, we brought you the little-known historical tale of Black homesteaders and The Dry, which has been preserved thanks to some innovative work being done at History Colorado. This episode of “Lost Highways” explores another, much better preserved story of Black homesteaders in Colorado and their community near Greeley, called Dearfield.A fourth season of Lost Highways is in production now, with a planned release beginning in January 2023, with eight episodes exploring where the myths and realities of the West converge. They’ll look at the complicated history of western films as propaganda, the vexing management of wild horses, the legacy of the west's first black millionaire among others.Subscribe to Lost Highways wherever you get your podcasts and learn more at HistoryColorado.org.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

Two things seem to be in short supply around Denver these days: water and touchdowns. After signing superstar quarterback Russell Wilson to a five-year $245-million contract over the summer, our beloved Denver Broncos have managed to score only seven touchdowns in six games. Maybe they’re thirsty or something? Castle Rock and Arvada sure are. Like the rest of Colorado, those two Denver suburbs are looking at a dwindling water supply and increasing population — but they’re responding very differently, with a turf ban in Castle Rock and big new connection fees in Arvada. But could there be another way? Denver Post columnist Jo Ann Allen joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to work through our collective growth anxieties and commiserate over the Donkeys.In addition to being one of our favorite guests, Jo Ann is a public radio veteran and the host of the Been There Done That podcast, which tells the real life stories of and by the Baby Boom Generation. Don’t miss her recent episode with Marc Maron!We discussed past guest Michael Booth’s recent piece for the Colorado Sun about new water policies in Arvada and Castle Rock. Subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver a big batch of curated event recs for your weekend. All you’ve got to do is text “Denver” to 66866What do you think is wrong with the Broncos? Let’s hash it out on Twitter @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 future of the neighborhood liquor store is at stake in next month’s election, at least if you listen to the owners of neighborhood liquor stores. There are three big state ballot measures each with major implications for alcohol drinkers and sellers alike. But what would these initiatives actually change? Why is DoorDash spending so much money supporting them? And why are those mom-and-pop shops so worried? Colorado Sun politics reporter Jesse Paul is on today with host Bree Davies to break down all the booze on your ballot. For more 2022 election coverage from Jesse Paul and the rest of the Colorado Sun’s politics team, check out their full voter guide, plus more on Proposition 124, Proposition 125, and Proposition 126.Did you hear that Denver’s elections office made a translation error on our ballots? Get the whole story in Hey Denver, our weekday morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Hang out with us on Twitter @citycastdenverGotta burning election question for Clerk Paul Lopéz? Text it to us or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and we might ask the clerk: (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

Larimer Square has for decades been a draw for tourists, a nightlife destination, and a place to get a fancy steak dinner. And while the shops, offices, and restaurants populating the storefronts have turned over many times, the turn-of-the-century brickwork, stone masonry, and ornate woodwork have stood the test of time. But the Mile High’s first-ever certified historic district is on the verge of yet another big shift, as longtime tenant Bistro Vendôme joins the list of high-profile departures from the block. Westword Editor-in-Chief Patty Calhoun joins Host Bree Davies to answer the big question: What’s going on with Larimer Square?Patty mentioned Bree smoking at the now-defunct Paramount Cafe — an experience Bree wrote about for Westword more than a decade ago. For a full timeline of the historic preservation efforts around Larimer Square, here’s a write-up from Historic Denver. The man in charge of Denver’s elections, Clerk and Recorder Paul López, is scheduled to be on the show soon. Do you have any questions about the election next month? We’d love to pose your question to the clerk. Send it to us as a text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and we’ll ask him! (720) 500-5418‬Subscribe to Hey Denver, our fresh and snappy morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @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

When Pepsi broke ground last month on a massive, new bottling plant out by DIA, PepsiCo Beverages president of North America’s West Division Johannes Evenblij told CPR: "We're thrilled to call Denver, a city that shares so many of our values, home to PepsiCo's most sustainable U.S. plant location.” So yes, the new plant will be Pepsi’s biggest in North America. And yes, many Denverites love a nice, cold Pepsi. But does Denver share Pepsi’s values? And could Denver be more than just a Pepsi town, but THE Pepsi town? Host Bree Davies sits down with producer Paul Karolyi and Diet Pepsi-lover slash artistic director for the Sie FilmCenter Keith Garcia to hash it out. What do you think? Is Denver a Pepsi town or more of a Coca-Cola place? Tweet at us @citycastdenver or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Bree mentioned the UFCW Local 7’s response to the Kroger/Albertson’s merger.  Subscribe to Hey Denver, our awesome morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866Looking 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

Local historian Phil Goodstein is an… interesting Denverite. On one hand, he has done more than anyone to document our changing city over the course of dozens of books and his monthly newsletter, The Naysayer. On the other, he’s widely known as Denver’s “crankiest historian” for his radical views and sardonic sense of humor. Producer Paul Karolyi has been interviewing Phil on various topics over the years, and his new book on the history of Denver Public Schools covers Bennet’s time as superintendent. So who better than our anti-establishment historian to tell the story of our senior senator as he’s running for re-election next month?Phil is offering walking tours of Denver’s haunted history throughout the rest of October. Just bring $25 to the east lawn of the Capitol building for a two-hour walking tour on any of the following days: 7-9 p.m.: Oct. 21, 22, 28, and 29 6-8 p.m.: Oct. 31 He’ll also be giving a lecture and signing copies of his new book, “Schools for a New Century,” at 1 p.m. on Sunday, November 6, at Broadway Book Mall (316 S. Broadway)We have a daily newsletter! Sign up for Hey Denver online https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ or by texting DENVER to 66866.Connect with us on Twitter @citycastdenverLeave 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

Denver was abuzz this week with two big celebs in town to mark major milestones: First, Blink-182 lead singer Mark Hoppus was at Ball Arena Wednesday night for the Colorado Avalanche’s home opener, where he led the crowd in the now-traditional singing of his band’s 1999 hit “All The Small Things.” But the Avs’ owners — the Kroenkes — have let another year pass without a new Comcast deal, leaving the Stanley Cup champs largely off Denverites’ televisions. And second, President Joe Biden made the trek up into the mountains to designate a new national monument at Camp Hale, the historic home of the legendary 10th Mountain Division. So today, host Bree Davies and producers Paul Karolyi and Erin O’Toole are digging into the latest round of the Altitude/Comcast fight and the politics of Camp Hale — plus, a new historic preservation fight brewing in Cherry Creek North. Bree mentioned Michael Paglia’s write-up on the Richard Crowther home for Westword.There’s a bazillion cool things happening in Denver this weekend. To get our curated picks, subscribe to our newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter! We’re at @citycastdenverLeave 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

Summer, spring, winter, fall… every season is coffee season! It’s no secret, Denver has an excellent selection of coffee shops to cater to our every java whim — but which ones are the best? Who serves up the best vibe? Which shop’s food menu is top notch? Which coffee shop in Denver has, uh, the best coffee? Producer Paul Karolyi joins host Bree Davies to chat about some of their fave spots and offer recommendations on the best coffee shops in Denver to get that good good wifi, a great table on the patio, and a perfectly roasted cup of joe.Here are the coffee shops we mentioned: Boyer’s Coffee (I-25 and 270, with distribution all over the city) Dazbog (Various locations) Stella’s (South Pearl) Bardo (South Broadway) Crema (RiNo) Vinh Xuong Bakery (Alameda and Zuni) St. Mark’s Coffeehouse (17th Ave.) Kaladi Coffee Roasters (Various locations) Cultura Chocolate (Morrison Road) Thump (Cap Hill) But we want to hear from you too! What's your favorite coffee shop? Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬We also want to shout out Coffee at the Point, a solid coffee shop in Five Points that is running a GoFundMe to help them re-open. Don’t miss our episode with owner Ryan Cobbins about the predatory development situation on Welton St. that, in part, led him to temporarily close his shop.Did you know we have a newsletter, too? Sign up for Hey Denver by texting DENVER to 66866We are on Twitter: @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