When the Democrats descend upon Denver next week, local park managers already are campaigning to lure them away from the Pepsi Center.
“In less than an hour’s drive, you can experience seven of Colorado’s beautiful state parks,” notes a Colorado State Parks flier printed for the convention, being distributed to delegates. The Denver Mountain Parks advocates are equally ardent.
Among the biggest talking points: renovating the park facilities to meet the needs of Colorado’s expanding Latino population. A new Census Bureau report notes that whites will no longer be the majority by 2042, when Hispanics will be 30 percent of the national population.
Anticipating more Latino visitors, along with an aging baby-boomer population, many parks are expanding group facilities for picnics, reunions and large parties. Cherry Creek State Park’s campground recently revamped its group facilities, which now offer, for $200 a day, a large covered and paved area with picnic tables, a covered kitchen/prep area with electrical outlets and sinks, and capacious parking.
