City Cast Denver

She dazzled the judges all season with her Victorian baby doll style, and now Denver’s own Willow Pill has made it to the finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” If she wins, Willow would become the second Drag Superstar hailing from the Mile High City. Her mentor, friend, and fellow oddball Yvie Oddly won in 2019. But Willow has been dreaming of Drag Race success for longer than that, since she was a baby queen at Colorado State University. Bree sat down with Willow ahead of Friday night’s finale to talk about her experience on the show, how it’s helped her discover new things about her gender identity, and why Denver’s drag scene keeps producing these weirdo, eccentric queens. Peyton has rounded up ways you can celebrate Earth Day in the newsletter. Find that edition and subscribe to get future ones here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Share your reactions to the “Drag Race” finale with us on Twitter: @citycastdenverToday’s episode is brought to you in part by the How to Buy a Home podcast. Learn more at https://www.howtobuyahome.com/podcast/.Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Could you imagine a better way to spend 420 than a sweet hang at Denver’s first-ever, smoke-friendly public weed consumption site, Tetra Lounge? Join host Bree Davies and City Cast Denver weed contributor Ann Marie Awad as they talk through Denver’s up-and-down relationship with public weed consumption and chat with Tetra’s owner, Dewayne Benjamin.There’s a ton of 420 stuff going on today, as usual, so Peyton rounded up your best bets in today’s edition of the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Get our tweets @citycastdenverToday’s episode is brought to you by Choir League. Check out their concert, “Choral Bangerz,” at the Stanley Marketplace this Sunday at 5:30 p.m.Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

When the news dropped a few weeks ago that 30,000 hippies are likely to descend on Colorado this summer for the 50th annual Rainbow Gathering of the Tribes, the backlash was swift and vocal. A Reddit post on how to take action against the Rainbow Gathering even garnered more than 600 comments in less than 24 hours. Wildfire risk and the environmental impact of this weeks-long shindig were some of the major concerns cited. But one thing the City Cast crew didn’t see in any of the coverage? Information from an actual attendee of the Rainbow Gathering. So we called one up. Tenali Hrenak has been going to Rainbow Gatherings all over the world for more than 20 years, and he chatted with City Cast Denver Host Bree Davies about what this event is really all about, what myths need to be dispelled, and if Coloradans have a reason to be concerned.Hrenak has been collecting field recordings from Rainbow Gatherings for his own podcast. Learn more here: https://soundsfromtherainbow.org/Catch up on the latest Denver happenings via our daily newsletter! Check out past issues, or sign up here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Want some more back-and-forth in real time? Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver

Denver’s brown cloud is in the news… again. And it doesn’t seem to be getting better. In fact, in a new move by the EPA, the Front Range’s air quality has gotten so bad, it’s been downgraded from a "serious" to "severe" violator of national ozone standards. But what does it actually mean for Denverites when it comes to quality of life? Are we looking ahead to another summer locked indoors because our air quality is so terrible? Today on the show, host Bree Davies talks with CPR climate reporter Sam Brasch about what, exactly, this new EPA categorization means, how it will impact our lives, and what — if anything — we can do about it. Read Sam Brasch’s reporting for Colorado Public Radio: The EPA moves to declare the Front Range a ‘severe’ air quality violator. Here’s why that matters.City Cast Denver’s Peyton Garcia has rounded up some of the most outrageous hot takes about Denver in today’s newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Chat with us on Twitter: @citycastdenverLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

In less than a year, Denverites will start casting their votes for the next mayor of our city. It may seem early in the race, but the field is likely shaping up to be an already crowded one. From a former gang member-turned-community activist to several state legislators throwing their hats in the ring, there’s plenty of interesting potential mayors to talk about. And it’s not just the mayoral race that will be juicy — lots of city council seats are up for grabs, and those people can make a big difference in the trajectory of Denver, too. Producer Xandra McMahon is joined by host Bree Davies and Westword founder and editor Patty Calhoun to preview the 2023 city election and provide some hot insider campaign goss. Looking for things to do in Denver this weekend? The City Cast Denver newsletter has you covered. Find today’s issue and subscribe to future ones here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/How are you feeling about the city election this far out? Tweet us @citycastdenverLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Since 1987, FashioNation has been outfitting Denver’s goths, punks, ravers, and fest-goers with wild streetwear and the latest in counterculture style. The little indie boutique sells everything from leather pants and platform boots for teens and adults to tutus and bowling shirts for rockabilly babies and toddlers. When Pam and Paul Italiano set out to share their love of clothes and music, they didn’t imagine they would one day be celebrating 35 years in Denver. The secret to their success? FashioNation is a true family business. Pam and Paul have dedicated their lives to the store, and now their daughters Mia and Sydney are helping out too. But Mia and Sydney are more than just sales people — they’ve transformed FashioNation into a global attraction, all through the viral magic of TikTok. Today on the show, host Bree Davies and producer Xandra McMahon take a trip down to south, South Broadway to visit the Italianos and hear the story of how FashioNation has stayed weird and wonderful for three decades. And of course, Mia and Sydney give us the scoop on what their millions of followers on TikTok think about Denver’s coolest goth and punk clothing store.For pictures of FashioNation and more on the history of the store, check out (and subscribe!) to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/What are your fondest memories of FashioNation? Tell us via Twitter: @citycastdenverLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

For Denver cyclist Marcus Robinson, biking equals freedom. It’s a chance to experience new things and reach places he’s never been able to reach before. It was this idea that was at the heart of his Ride for Racial Justice organization that started in 2020 amid the protests over the murder of George Floyd. He thought if he could get people talking to each other about race from the seat of a bicycle, folks might be more open to listen. Robinson has continued to push for racial equity from his bike, most recently by testifying in favor of the “safety stop” bill recently passed by the state legislature. The safety stop, or “Idaho stop”, would let cyclists roll through stop signs legally. It might seem like a small change, but producer Paul Karolyi chats with Robinson about how this is a big win in the fight for racial justice and safety.We first heard about Robinson and Ride for Racial Justice from past City Cast Denver guest Nathaniel Minor. Check out his piece for Colorado Public Radio on the Idaho Stop here. Newsletter writer Peyton Garcia has a breakdown of Denver’s consideration of a concealed carry ban for its parks. Find today’s edition and subscribe to get future ones in your inbox here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Let’s be friends on Twitter! @citycastdenver

We got a crap-ton of super interesting voicemails about our story on 1800 S. Broadway, the once and future weed lounge. So producers Paul Karolyi and Xandra McMahon are taking your calls and talking it out. And if you don't know what this is about, check out part one and part two of our story on real estate developer Josh Horwitz's effort to carry on his father's legacy by opening a weed lounge in a contentious spot on South Broadway.Do you have something to say about 1800 S. Broadway or smoking weed in public? Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood and we may play it on the show: (720) 500-5418Xandra mentioned a story she reported a few years back about weed tourism. You can listen to that whole story here: https://www.cpr.org/show-segment/as-marijuana-mainstreams-bus-tours-view-themselves-as-industry-ambassadors/Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Ever since the killing of Elijah McClain in 2019, the Aurora Police Department has been mired in turmoil. Now, the chief of police they hired to help reform the department has been fired. Former Chief Vanessa Wilson spoke publicly about her firing for the first time yesterday, and Colorado Sentinel managing editor Kara Mason is on the show today to explain how we got here and why it matters. Want some of Bree’s insider tips on the best stuff in Denver? Check out today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Chit-chat with us on Twitter @citycastdenverLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

If you haven’t heard part one of our look at 1800 S. Broadway and the dawn of public weed consumption in Denver, scroll back in your podcast feed to last Friday or click here.When the city of Denver opened applications for marijuana hospitality businesses last year, the new program attracted a diverse mix of go-getters, from the owner of a private marijuana club who wanted to go public to a Cap Hill mansion whose owners thought weed would help attract more tourists. Among them was an enterprising young real estate tycoon, Josh Horwitz. He applied to open a weed lounge at 1800 S. Broadway, the exact spot where Habibi Hookah Cafe undermined the trust of the neighborhood with excessive late-night partying and violence. The neighbors are organizing to stop Horwitz and City Councilman Jolon Clark is opposed to his permit, but no one has heard his side of the story. Until now. This isn’t the first time Denver has tried to set up a regulatory framework for marijuana hospitality businesses. They tried before a few years ago, but the rules were so restrictive that only one business ever opened. You can learn more about that and Denver’s long on-again, off-again relationship with weed in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/What do you think should be done about 1800 S. Broadway? Let us know on Twitter @citycastdenverLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise