🌈 Pride weekend must knows

🏳️‍🌈 Pride Takes Over Denver

Denver Pride’s biggest events will light up the city this weekend, which means tons of things to do — and a few road closures to boot. Here’s what to know about navigating the festivities.

• Fundraising run on June 27: The Denver Pride 5k will kick off on Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Pavillion at Cheeseman Park. [Denver Pride 5k]
• Parade on June 28: The Vizzy Denver Pride Parade is a free, family-friendly event starting at 9:30 a.m. at 17th Avenue and Franklin Street.
• PrideFest on June 28: PrideFest is set to take place on Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with performances from Pattie Gonia, Nini Coco, and King Molasses. Watch out for the change this year: The main stage is at 16th and Broadway — which is different from its usual location at Civic Center Park — and the one-day festival will extend to Arapahoe Street. [Denverite; Instagram]
• Traffic delays and transportation changes: Multiple roads will be closed this weekend to ensure a safe celebration. Be sure to read up on street closures, diversions to the 16th Street FreeRide, and changes to bus and light rail services. The RTD NextRide app can also help you get around and plan a trip throughout the weekend. [Denver Pride]
• Pride isn’t the only thing happening: The Cherry Blossom Festival and the Denver Dog Fair are just a few other events that could cause traffic over the weekend. [Denver Gazette]

🏘️ Are Homeless Shelter Guests Being Paid Below Minimum Wage?

The Colorado Department of Labor is investigating a job training program at an Aurora homeless shelter where workers say they are being paid an hourly wage of $6.25 (the state’s standard minimum wage is $15.16 per hour). Officials argue the payment is “not a wage but rather a perk of participating in voluntary education.” [Denverite]

• In other housing news, a recent report shows that it would take approximately 93 years for rent to become affordable in metro Denver based on current housing production. That makes Denver a “middle performer” compared to other American cities addressing similar market dynamics. [Axios Denver]

🍎 What Will DPS Do With Vacant Schools?

Denver Public Schools has a plan after multiple school restructures and closures left six buildings empty. Rather than sell the buildings, DPS hopes to lease some spaces to charter schools and use others for community services, such as preschools and support for infants and toddlers. Amid declining enrollment across the district, more DPS school closures are expected in the future. [CBS News]

📄 Does Weiser Have the Edge?

A new poll in the Democratic primary race for governor shows Phil Weiser leading Michael Bennet among those who’ve made a decision. The survey, which was paid for by a PAC supporting Weiser, showed that 45% of likely voters said they’d vote for Weiser, while 36% said they’d vote for Bennet. [Colorado Sun]

• These polls can be misleading. A similar PAC-backed poll circulating this week showed Melat Kiros ahead of Diana DeGette in the CD1 race. We dissect that poll and all the other juicy political gossip leading up to the primaries on today’s podcast. [🎧 City Cast Denver]