City Cast Denver
💰 Did Broomfield make a $60 million mistake?
May 26, 2023
Good morning, Denver! It’s a happy Friday indeed as we head into a glorious three-day weekend. Please note that there will not be a Hey Denver newsletter or City Cast Denver podcast Monday morning, as we’re taking the day off to celebrate. We’ll see ya back here on Tuesday! 👋 🇺🇸
What's CITY Talking About?
💰 NBA Finals Tickets at Record-Breaking Prices
Want to see the Nuggets play in their first-ever NBA Finals in person? Yeah, you and everyone else, meaning the cheapest tickets to Ball Arena are roughly in the $700 range. 9News reports that tickets to see a potential Game 7 in Denver are listed as high as $18,000 for a seat behind the Nuggets’ bench. Experts think these could be the most expensive Finals tickets in NBA history. [9News; Axios Denver]
- 🏀 Speaking of the Nuggets: What does this historic foray into the Finals mean for the city? And how might it impact owner Stan Kroenke’s big development plans for Ball Arena? [City Cast Denver 🎧]
🏟️ RIP 1stBank Center
Broomfield officials unanimously voted to close the 16-year-old 1stBank event center and sell the land it sits on. The city says the arena, which was financed by $60 million in bonds, never made a profit. The facility will close for good Nov. 30 and will likely be torn down shortly after. [9News]
🚲 When It Comes to Bike Lanes: Quality or Quantity?
Mayor Michael Hancock proudly announced this week that his administration surpassed its goal (set back in 2018) to build 125 miles of new bike infrastructure. He says they ended up putting in 137 miles of bike lanes. Critics, however, note that the lanes are not all connected and definitely not equal in quality or protection. [Denverite]
- ❗ E-bike voucher alert: Blink and you might miss it — The city’s next e-bike rebate release is scheduled for Tuesday, May 30, at 11 a.m. (And I’d bookmark this application page because slots disappear almost immediately.)
What To Do
⭐⭐⭐ = The official City Cast Denver ‘Maybe’ of the weekend, as in maybe you’ll see us there! Listen to today’s podcast for more deets.
🚎 Historic Denver Trolley | Friday-Monday | 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Take a 25-minute guided ride through Denver history on the Historic Denver Trolley, which kicked off its summer operations yesterday. [Highland; $3-$7]
🎉 Boulder Creek Festival | Friday-Monday | 10 am.
Celebrate the season Boulder-style with shopping, food, music, and frolicking in the creek. [Boulder; Free admission]
🍷 Taste Around the World | Saturday | 3-6:30 p.m.
Calling all wine aficionados — sample and shop sustainable, natural-made vinos from around the globe. [RiNo; $90]
🥩 BBQ Fest | Saturday-Sunday | 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
30,000 pounds of deliciously smoked meats will be there. How about you? There will also be grilling demos, a 5K, and a rib-eating competition. [Sun Valley; GA $109, VIP $149]
⭐⭐⭐ Kickoff To Summer | Saturday-Monday | Times Vary
The Wash Park community is celebrating the arrival of warmer weather with a three-day street festival. Bonus: Furry friends welcome! [Wash Park; Free admission]
📚 Boozy Book Fair | Sunday | 1-5 p.m.
Get nose-deep in a book (and cocktails and tacos!) at Hazel bar to raise funds for nonprofit Burning Through Pages. [Platt Park; Free admission]
🍦 Blues & BBQ | Sunday | 2-8 p.m.
Stop by Little Man Ice Cream’s Englewood location to for live Blues music, barbecue, brats, and all the ice cream! [Englewood; Free admission]
Memorial Day Festivities:
🇺🇸 Colorado Remembers | Saturday | 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Free pancake breakfast, remembrance ceremony, and tours of the memorial. [Aurora; Free]
🇺🇸 Veterans Memorial Day Tribute | Saturday | 10 a.m.
Gold Star families, military groups, and veterans will honor fallen military heroes at Bethany Lutheran Church. [Cherry Hills; Free]
🇺🇸 Memorial Day Fireworks | Sunday | 9 p.m.
Enjoy a patriotic fireworks display at Elitch Gardens amusement park. [Auraria; Included in park admission]
🇺🇸 57th Annual Memorial Day Parade | Monday | 8:45 a.m.
The largest Memorial Day Parade in the state. Followed by food trucks and live music. [Commerce City; Free]
🇺🇸 Memorial Day Ceremony | Monday | 11 a.m.-Noon
A wreath-laying ceremony, speeches, and an F-16 flyover at the Fort Logan National Cemetery. [Fort Logan; Free]
Sponsored Content
Large selection of cutting boards
Replace your reliance on the big box with artisan cutting boards made right in your backyard. The badboyboards wood-shop / retail showroom is a new retail concept where cutting boards are assembled from scratch in plain view of the sale floor.
Where Is It?
Last week’s answer: Izakaya Den on South Pearl Street 🍣
- Reader Holly H. says: “We love sitting at the upstairs bar and enjoying all the activity around us. And it’s really good sushi, too!”
High fives for our correct guessers:
- 🥳 Courtland M. was the first to write in with the correct answer!
- 🎉 But serious kudos to Leah J. and Holly H. for being the only other readers to recognize the spot!
This Week’s Photo:
🕵️ Do YOU know where this teeny, tiny replica of Lakeside is? Be among the first to respond with the right answer and you’ll get a special shoutout in next Friday’s newsletter!
Today on City Cast
The 'Silent' Man Behind the Nuggets, Broomfield's Arena Fail, and Inflatable Amusements
Today on the City Cast Denver podcast, producer Paul Karolyi chats with DNVR Nuggets co-host Adam Mares and Denverite senior reporter Kyle Harris about this exhilarating moment in Denver sports and what it means for the city in the bigger picture – even non-basketball fans.
That’s all for this week. Wishing you a long weekend!
— Peyton Garcia
Free · Daily