Because Colorado is cool.

From the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains, from the urban corridor to tiny towns on the Western Slope, from Denver to Durango, from La Junta to Rifle, from the Arkansas River to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado is a beautiful, diverse tapestry.

We have wonderful music, vibrant arts, hiking, biking, skiing, rafting, fishing, paragliding and good eating. A Colorado experience can be weird, wild, scary, spectacular, sublime, or soothing.

But seldom boring.

As the Centennial State celebrates its 150th birthday, here are 150 things that are quintessentially Colorado:

1. A summer concert at Red Rocks: Music at the world-renowned, natural sandstone amphitheater fills the soul.

2. Maroon Bells: Too pretty to be real — but they are, and undoubtedly the most photographed spot in the state.

3. Powder days: Getting off the Panoramic lift at Winter Park on a bluebird day, skiing Vail’s Back Bowls, or riding clouds of champagne powder at Steamboat: heaven.

4. Bagging a fourteener: Summiting one of Colorado’s 58 ranked and unranked peaks that rise above 14,000 feet in elevation is a rite of passage for many.

5. Palisade peaches: Juicy and sweet, the famous, scrumptious Western Slope fruit is available late July through September.

6. State flag: How many other states celebrate — and market — their state flag like Colorado? (Fun fact: The blue stripes represent Colorado skies, the white is for snow-capped peaks, the golden circle is sunshine, and the red “C” represents the rocks and earth.)

7. Opening day at Coors Field: Colorado’s Mardi Gras as baseball fans and partyers — not necessarily in that order — pour into LoDo.

8. Riding Mr. Twister: Baby Boomers got their thrills riding the roller coaster, which opened in 1964 at the original Elitch Gardens in north Denver. debuted at the new location in 2023.

9. : Fielder was not only a spectacular nature photographer, but he was also a state historian.

10. KBCO radio: Long before streaming and SiriusXM came along, KBCO’s “World Class Rock’ brought quality music and new artists to listeners in the Denver-Boulder area, starting in 1976.

11. Manitou Incline: Want to get your steps in? Hike “The Incline,” in less than a mile via 2,768 steep steps.

12. Colorado Columbine: The state flower (Aquilegia caerulea) blooms in summer and brings a smile to every hiker’s face.

13. Rocky Mountain big horn sheep: The state animal was nearing extinction around 1900, but conservation efforts saved them. There are now in Colorado.

14. : The Arkansas River Valley produces watermelon, honeydew, and, most famously, cantaloupe, which have up to 3% more sugar than California cantaloupe. (Fun fact: Rocky Ford High School’s mascot is a Meloneer.)

15. Chipotle: “Do you want guac on that?” In 1993, Steve Ells, a graduate of Boulder High School and CU Boulder, opened the first Chipotle Mexican Grill blocks from the University of Denver.

16. Glenwood Springs Hot Springs: The spring waters — called Yampah, or literally “Big Medicine,” by Utes — have been soothing tired muscles and spirits for centuries. It’s now touted as the .

17. Mesa Verde National Park: Established in 1906, the cliff dwellings give visitors a glimpse of what life was like over 700 years ago when the Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving agricultural communities on the mesas and in the cliffs.

18. Great Sand Dunes National Park: Hike the tallest dunes in North America or sand sled or sandboard down the slopes. Then look into .

19. Pikes Peak: The 14,115-foot peak is touted as “America’s Mountain.” Drive to the top, hike up or ride the world’s highest and longest cog railroad.

20. Bolder Boulder: It’s not just a run, it’s also a celebration, complete with costumes. The Memorial Day 10K began in 1979 with 2,700 entrants. By 2004, it was the largest timed 10K in the world, with 47,454 participants.

21. Bent’s Old Fort: The reconstructed adobe fortress became a national historic site in 1960. It was built in 1833 as near the Arkansas River along the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail.

22. Colorado welcome signs: There are 40 of the wooden, brown-and-white “Welcome to Colorado” road signs around the state. The design dates back to the 1950s.

23. Telluride Bluegrass Festival: It began as the Telluride Fourth of July Celebration in 1973. It became the Telluride Bluegrass Festival on July 6, 1974. Emmylou Harris once called it “the Valhalla of places to perform.”

24. View from Wolf Creek Pass: Coming off the pass, looking west toward Pagosa Springs, is the look above the west fork of the San Juan River Valley. Breathtaking.

25. Empower Field at Mile High: Exiting the stadium with the fans after a big win is a magic carpet ride.

26. Stanley Hotel: Founded in 1909 by F.O Stanley, the reigns over Estes Park and sits at the doorstep of Rocky Mountain National Park. And it was the inspiration for Stephen King’s “The Shining.”

27. Garden of the Gods: The park was gifted to Colorado Springs in 1909 by the children of railroad magnate Charles Elliot Perkins. , a 35-foot, 1.4-million-pound red rock, is the star.

28. Subarus: Preferably with a sticker-covered Thule strapped to the top of an Outback, they are Colorado’s vehicle of choice. Or so it seems.

29. Hanging Lake: A short but steep and rocky hike takes you to a cliffside turquoise . It was named a National Natural Landmark in 2011.

30. South Park vista: From the top of Kenosha Pass, the valley — filled with green ranchland, twisting creeks and rimmed with snowcapped peaks — seems to go on forever.

31. The Numbers: A challenging, whitewater stretch of the Arkansas River just south of Buena Vista, The Numbers is a guaranteed adrenaline rush.

32. Big Blue Bear: The 40-foot-high bear, created by local artist Lawrence Argent, peers into the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver.

33. “Blucifer:” Love it or hate it, you can’t ignore the 32-foot-tall fiberglass sculpture with glowing red eyes on Peña Blvd approaching Denver International Airport.

Blucifer just turned 13. But the family of the artist who died creating it would prefer you don’t call it that.

34. Eisenhower Tunnel: The only bore through the Continental Divide that is named after a U.S. president. (The accompanying is named for Gov. Edwin C. Johnson.)

35. Frozen Dead Guy Days: The festival, begun in Nederland in 2002 and relocated to Estes Park in 2023, revolves around , a Norwegian mountain pioneer who died in 1989 but is cryogenically preserved.

36. The Broadmoor: Known for comfortable luxury, the famed hotel opened in 1918 and is the longest-running, consecutive Forbes five-star, AAA five-diamond resort in the country.

37. The Brown Palace: The Downtown Denver hotel has been a landmark since 1892. It has hosted U.S. presidents, heads of state, and in 1964 ... The Beatles!

38. The Colorado Trail: One of the most spectacular long-distance trails in the country, the 567-mile Rocky Mountain journey begins in Denver and finishes in Durango.

39. Grand Lake fireworks: The over the state's largest natural lake, deep in the mountains, is unforgettable.

40. : You can't miss the signs touting the store's “Stetson Hats, “Levi Overalls” and more. According to Rocky Mountain PBS, there are 100 of the signs alongside US 40 and Colorado 131, starting 100 miles from downtown Steamboat Springs.

41. Golf at elevation: Everyone has a favorite course, from municipal links to posh country clubs. But it's tough to top Grand Junction's Redlands Mesa.

42. : The 17.6-mile  trail in southeast Colorado features 150-million-year-old dinosaur footprints and prehistoric Native American rock art.

43. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: A spectacular ride into the past along the Animas River through canyons in the San Juan National Forest, active since 1882.

44. : About 15 miles north of Durango are the iconic cliffs where Paul Newman (Butch Cassidy) and Robert Redford (The Sundance Kid) jumped into the Animas River to escape a posse. (Fun fact: Part of the famous scene was filmed in California.)

45. Rocky Mountain National Park: How to describe Colorado's slice of mountain paradise? The park's 415 square miles encompasses a spectacular range of mountain environments, from meadows to alpine lakes to towering peaks.

46. : There were nearly 2,500 wooden carousels carved in America between 1885 and the 1930s, but fewer than 150 survived. One of the best can be found at the county fairgrounds in Burlington.

47. Pawnee National Grassland: Covering 193,060 acres northeast of Greeley, it is home to hundreds of birds, pronghorn antelopes and other wildlife.

48. Crested Butte wildflowers: The town owns the title as “Wildflower Capital of Colorado.” Look for varieties like lupine, paintbrush, elephant heads, fireweed and glacier lilies.

49. : Within the 32 square miles of the Colorado Plateau in northwest Colorado are towering stone monoliths, red-rock canyons and the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive.

50. : A thundering triple waterfall and limestone caves make this a gem of the Colorado State Parks system.

51. DIA: The largest U.S. airport in square miles is easily recognizable, with its tent-like roof intended to mimic the snow-capped peaks of the Rockies. (It's also known for  conspiracy theories, never-ending construction projects, parking woes, long security lines ... .)

52. Complaining about Californians and Texans: Come on, admit it, you've done it.

53. "Rocky Mountain High": You sing along when you hear John Denver's ode to Colorado, the state's second official song. (The first is “Where the Columbines Grow.”)

54. The : Held annually in January at the National Western Complex, the event has celebrated Colorado's cowboy roots since 1906.

55. : In late July, Fairplay celebrates its heritage with burro, llama, dog and outhouse races, as well as a parade. The fete began in 1949 when a challenge went out to anyone who wanted to race alongside a burro from Leadville to Fairplay.

56. Sliding down a snow field: It's boiling hot on the Eastern Plains, but nice and cool at 11,990 feet on Loveland Pass. Find a patch of snow and away you go! (Don't forget the selfies.)

57. Fly fishing: Colorado is heaven for anglers casting for rainbow, brown, cutthroat and brook trout. What's the best spot? The Gunnison River? The Frying Pan River? The fly fisherman will never tell.

58. : With steep, dramatic walls that range from 2,700 to 1,750 feet, this national park east of Montrose is stunning.

59. Hot-air balloon festivals in Colorado -- like the ones in Telluride, Erie, Colorado Springs and Moffat County -- offer kaleidoscopes of color against Rocky Mountain skies. (Wanna take a ride? There are that will take you up.)

60.: Before craft brewing was all the rage, there was Coors in Golden, the largest single-site brewery in the world.

61. Ralphie: CU's famous buffalo just might be the best mascot in college football. (The current Ralphie, nicknamed Brandy, is the seventh bison to fill the role.)

62. : At the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the San Luis Valley, the area includes a Hindu temple, a Zen center, several Tibetan Buddhist centers, and various New Age activities.

63. : Touted as the oldest tavern in Denver, continuously serving fine beers and spirits since 1873, it also offers a famous jalapeño cream cheese burger.

64. Dinger: Love him or not, the purple Triceratops mascot for the Colorado Rockies has been around since  April 16, 1994, famously "hatching" from an oversized egg on the grounds that would become Coors Field.

65.  "Bucky" the Bronco: , Bucky first stood above the scoreboard at the original Mile High Stadium. He now stands atop the South Stand scoreboard at Empower Field at Mile High.

66. Loveland Valentines: The northern Colorado town, known as the Sweetheart City, has been for 80 years.

67. : For more than six decades, thespians have performed The Bard's works under the stars on the University of Colorado Boulder campus at the Mary Rippon Theatre.

68.  : The annual party celebrates Pueblo's famed green. Every September, more than 100,000 people stroll along Pueblo’s historic Union Avenue listening to live music, browsing local art and getting tastes of roasted chiles.

69. Million Dollar Highway: Stunning and scary (for some), the road travels between Silverton and Ouray in Southwest Colorado. Full of switchbacks and sheer cliffs, it .

70. : Telluride, perhaps Colorado's most picturesque mountain town, sits in a box canyon. At the end of the canyon, you’ll find the highest free-falling waterfall in the state.

71. :  Dating back to the founding of the Town of San Luis in 1851, the late July weekend festival celebrates the history of Colorado's oldest town with bands, vendors, parades, mariachi mass, a softball tournament, food stalls and a 10k run.

72. Chapel at the Air Force Academy: The (closed until 2028 for renovation) is the most recognizable building at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The aluminum, glass, and steel structure features 17 spires that shoot 150 feet into the sky.

73. New Year's fireworks on Pikes Peak: For more than 100 years, members of the AdAmAn Club have hiked Pikes Peak to ring in the New Year with a fireworks display on the famous mountain.

74. Near Grand Junction, this trail features 35 sandstone arches, the second-highest concentration of natural rock arches in North America outside Utah.

75. : A 32-mile mountain bike route that descends 6,000 feet from the top of the Grand Mesa to the town of Palisade. Spectacular.

76. America's oldest whitewater festival is held along the banks of the Arkansas River in June. It features concerts, craft beer, river rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, and running. FYI,  FIBArk stands for "First in Boating in the Arkansas River."

77. : Located in Teller County, in the mountains west of Colorado Springs, the monument protects 34-million-year-old fossils of redwood trees and insects.

78. : For more than 40 years, the Lakewood restaurant has served Mexican food in a pink adobe building that features caves, cliff divers, and endless sopapillas. The iconic restaurant gained cult fame after being featured in an episode of "South Park." Casa Bonita (Spanish for “pretty house") is now owned by the show’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

79. Mountaintop matrimony: For 35 years, couples have gathered on the Forest Meadow run at to exchange vows and kisses at 12,000 feet.

80. : Dating back to 1879, the saloon is an enduring piece of Leadville’s history with a classic, wild-west oak bar. Touted as "a gathering place for locals, outlaws, and legends," it has hosted figures such as Doc Holliday, Molly Brown and Oscar Wilde, and witnessed the rise and fall of Leadville’s mining boom.

81. : Founded in 1932, it's the fifth-oldest professional opera company in the country. The summer performances take place at 8,500 feet in the intimate 550-seat opera house built in 1878.

82. : Held annually during Labor Day weekend for 52 years, the event matches movies and the mountains. The 2025 event included the debut of "Springstreen: Deliver Me from Nowhere."

83.  A: Just outside the historic San Juan Mountains town of Silverton, the well-preserved ghost town features abandoned buildings and mining structures, taking visitors back to Silverton's mining frontier history.

84. Meeker base camp: The town in the northwest corner of the state is the center for some of the best in Colorado. Hunters encounter terrain ranging from 6,000 feet to mountain peaks exceeding 12,200 feet in the Flattops Wilderness.

85. : The annual 10-day celebration, culminating on the Fourth of July, brings the Northern Colorado community together with rodeos, concerts, carnival rides, parades and more.

86. galore: Need some culcha? The dozens of museums in Colorado can help. Among them: the Denver Art Museum; the Firefighters Museum; the Museum of Nature & Science; the Museum of Illusions; the Morrison Natural History Museum; the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver; the Museum of Northwest Colorado; the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum; The ProRodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy; the Children's Museum of Denver; Colorado Railroad Museum; Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum; the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery; the Aspen Art Museum; the Museum of the West; the National Mining Museum; Forney Transportation Museum; the Clyfford Still Museum; the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum; and the History Colorado Museum, where you can currently see "Zoom In: The Centennial State in 100 Objects."

87. Rocky Mountain Oysters: A famous -- or is it infamous? -- delicacy consisting of deep-fried, thinly sliced bull or bison testicles.

88. :  The original "mountain pie" pizza restaurant opened in Idaho Springs in 1973 and has been a sanctuary to escape I-70 ski traffic ever since.

80. : A restaurant with heads of actual wildlife on the walls? That they can then serve you? Seriously? (And they also offer Rocky Mountain oysters; see above.) Wild.

90. Colorado natives: Who brag about being Colorado natives.

91. Transplants: Who are annoyed by those who brag about being Colorado natives.

92. The Front Range: Even after decades of living in Colorado, you catch yourself pulling over on Interstate 25 to snap a photo of the majestic mountains after a rainshower, when the clouds are lying heavy on the horizon. Stunning.

93. Glenwood Canyon, that took 12 years to build. Workers had to bore three tunnels through the canyon’s rock; built 15 miles of retaining walls to hold the road in place; and construct  40 bridges and viaducts, according to CDOT. Amaze amaze amaze. (If you get it, you get it.)

94. Sleigh rides, dog sled rides: Take an old-fashioned in Steamboat Springs, or zip behind a pulling you along snowy Breckenridge trails. The kids will never forget it.

95. : The home of Titanic survivor Margaret Brown offers a Victorian Horrors theater program around Halloween, letting guests traipse through the 1889 house and enjoy ghostly tales.

96. Golf: Where else can you partake nearly year-round without baking (don't tell me it's a dry heat, Arizona) or drowning (hello, humid Florida)? And with nearly to choose from, you might even be able to find a tee time.

97. The Olympics: Denver is the only city in the country to reject the Winter Olympics (in 1976), giving us the right to gloat over by doing so (sorry, Montreal).

98. : With the Arkansas River flowing 956 feet below, it remains America’s highest suspension bridge. The bridge spans 1,260 feet and features 1,257 wooden planks.

99. Fickle weather:  A day in May begins with bright sunshine and warms up to 80 degrees. Eight hours later, it's snowing. Two days later, it's 80 degrees.

100. The : The man-made ice-climbing park sits in a spectacular natural gorge just outside Ouray. The free, public park is home to more than 150 named ice and mixed climbs and draws adventurers from around the world.

101. DCPA: The is a downtown treasure hosting Broadway touring plays, Tony Award-winning theater, classical music, ballet and operas.

102. Aspens: Monarch Pass? Kenosha Pass? Independence Pass? Guanella Pass? Does it matter? With aspen glittering golden against cobalt-blue skies, autumn in Colorado is magical.

103. Enstrom toffee: Based in Grand Junction, but found throughout the state, the almond toffee is the star of the show for , a business that dates to 1929 and is still family-run.

104. : The urban oasis features native and exotic plants and trees, the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory, the Mordecai Children's Garden and outdoor concerts in the summer.

105. Eldorado Canyon: Just south of Boulder, is a mecca for rock climbers. For others, hiking along scenic South Boulder Creek and stopping for a picnic works just fine.

106. : Nestled at the base of the Flatirons in Boulder, Chautauqua is a national historic landmark that includes Chautauqua Auditorium, built in 1898. From the Chautauqua Trailhead, hikers can access 40 miles of trails.

107.  Apres ski: The after-ski bliss begins with taking off the boots, then gathering at a lodge, bar, or restaurant to unwind and exaggerate your most epic run of the day. A hot tub session is optional.

108. : At the top of Lookout Mountain, just west of Denver, is the Buffalo Bill museum and gravesite. The popular tourist attraction tells the story of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, star of his Wild West Show that began in 1882.

105. : Though not as famous as Mesa Verde, the Canyon of the Ancients National Monument is a precious time capsule. Sitting just outside of Dolores, it consists of nearly 200,000 acres and features the largest concentration of archaeological dig sites and Ancestral Puebloan ruins in the United States.

106. : Boulder's pedestrian mall features restaurants, shops, flowers, street artists, and people watching. It's about as Boulder as it gets.

107. : Gold and silver first brought people rushing to these mountain towns as they gambled on their future. Now people gamble in the casinos.

110. Hiking is more than just a walk in the park: From a half-mile stroll atop Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park to a 10-mile trek deep into the wilderness, hiking is Colorado's religion.

111. Indoor rock climbing: For those who need their fix, there are rock-walled gyms throughout Colorado. Climb on!

112. : Robert Redford's beloved festival will make its Boulder debut Jan. 21-31, 2027, after beating out Utah and Ohio to become the event's next host. Sundance is moving from its longtime home in Park City, Utah.

113. : The famed adobe restaurant opened in February 1963, specializing in what founder Sam Arnold called “New Foods of the Old West.” The building was inspired by a drawing of Bent����ap Old Fort, the famous fur-trading post on the Santa Fe Trail.

114. Golden retrievers: We love our dogs. Labrador retrievers, bulldogs, hunting dogs, even "little yippers." But according to , golden retrievers are Colorado's most popular breed.

115. and Rodeo: In late August through Labor Day, Pueblo hosts rodeos, carnival rides, agricultural competitions, big-name concerts, monster trucks, fine art, and food, drink and Western and Hispanic culture.

116. Strawberry Park Hot Springs: Thermal pools, unique stone masonry in the Rockies near Steamboat Springs. Famously, clothing is optional after dark, so minors are not permitted after sundown.

117. Craft beer. OK, so the latest heyday of craft beer in Colorado -- which started with Boulder Brewing Company in 1979 and was popularized by the Wynkoop in LoDo in 1988 -- may have passed, but local breweries are often still the social and economic hubs of their neighborhoods -- and still employ thousands of people and bring people from around the world to the state.

118. Marijuana legalization: Even if you don't partake, it's kind of awesome that Colorado was the .

119. The Denver City and County Building at the holidays: The tradition of kicking off the holiday season in Denver by lighting up the City and County Building dates back to 1918, which brings us to ...

120. ... the fact that colored outdoor Christmas lights were invented by in 1914, as a way to bring cheer to his ailing son.

From Jolly Ranchers and cheeseburgers to teddy bears and tampons, these inventions were created in Colorado

121: Parades: Sure, we have organized marches for Memorial Day, St. Patrick's Day, PrideFest, and MLK Day, but smaller parades are a hoot, like Goldens in Golden and the Fourth of July parades that small towns like Salida, Frisco and Florence hold each year. (Watching little kids scramble for candy tossed off of a 1950s firetruck and saluting veterans in uniform strolling behind will make you proud to be an American, and perhaps long for a more innocent time.)

122. Naked skiing: The , started at Glenwood Springs' Sunlight Mountain Resort in 2021, invites women -- and only women or nonbinary individuals (there were 700 of them in 2025) -- includes a run in which participants are invited to ski or snowboard sans clothes. Brrrr.

123. Free concerts: in Ruby Hill Park produces more than 50 free concerts at its outdoor amphitheater every summer. And stake out a spot early with your picnic basket for one (or all) of the 10 free concerts at . (Which leads us to ... )

124. Jazz live: Who says it's a dying art form? Colorado is home to the Winter Park Jazz Festival, Telluride Jazz Festival, Denver Jazz Fest, Evergreen Jazz Festival, UNC-Greeley Jazz Festival and Jazz Aspen Snowmass. (Which leads us to ... )

125. and : These two music venues in Denver offer stellar performances by some of the most acclaimed jazz artists in the country in intimate settings.

124. Colorado's culinary chops: abound here, from Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson (Frasca); Erika and Kelly Whitaker (The Wolf's Tailor); Caroline Glover (Annette); Matt Vawter (Rootstalk); Johnny Curiel (Alma Fonda Fina); Alex Seidel (Fruition); Troy Guard (TAG); and Jennifer Jasinski (Rioja). Eat up.

125. : In the summer, take a ride to the top of the Continental Divide, where you will be treated to 360-degree views of five mountain ranges.

126. The Denver Nuggets: They may not always win, but boy, these guys have heart -- and the best basketball player in the world in Nikola Jokic. And an NBA title in 2023.

127. The Colorado Avalanche: Three Stanley Cup titles and a roster of Hall of Famers for a rabid fan base.

128. The Denver Broncos: Eight Super Bowl appearances. Three Super Bowl wins. John Elway. Peyton Manning. Floyd Little. Orange Crush. Football as religion since 1960.

129. The Rapids: Fans have been getting their kicks from the pro soccer team since 1996. The Rapids won their only MLS Cup in 2010, their second MLS Cup appearance.

130: : Crazy for women's soccer? Colorado sure is. On March 28, Summit FC set the U.S. attendance record for a women’s professional sporting event at Empower Field, with 63,004 fans on hand to witness the club’s inaugural home match against the Washington Spirit.

131. The Colorado Rockies: "Rocktober" took the Rockies to the World Series in 2007, but the LoDo ballclub usually struggles. But a summer night at Coors Field with a beer and a hot dog has been a great combo since 1995.

132. Sandhill cranes: Each spring and fall, thousands of the long-necked birds during migration. Every March, there's even a party to celebrate them, in the form of the .

133. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center: There's a pool, gyms, an indoor shooting range, velodrome (track) and more at the Colorado Springs site. And are available.

134. Four-wheeling on Imogene Pass: A rugged and scary former mining road that connected Telluride and Ouray in the San Juan. Mountains. Thrill-seekers top out at 13,114 feet.

135. , not just the marathon: Playboy Magazine once called Colfax Avenue the “longest, wickedest street in America.” Jack Kerouac wrote about Colfax in his novel "On the Road." Music venues, bars, restaurants, shops, and interesting people-watching. Colfax has a thriving live music scene with The Fillmore, The Ogden Theater, The Lion’s Lair and many more bars serving up live music as well. The Colfax Renaissance is well underway. Come check it out!

136. Running around Wash Park: From fit singles scouting out other fit singles, to fit seniors just looking to stay fit, the 2.5-mile crushed-gravel outer loop in South Denver is a runner's mecca.

137. The name: Colorado's lyrical name has its origins in Spanish, as the word for "colored red." So very apropos.

138. Race to open by Memorial Day: The highest continuous paved road in the United States to 12,183 feet through Rocky Mountain National Park, connecting the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake. The goal is for snowplows to clear the road by late May. It doesn't always work out.

139. Olathe sweet corn: Iowans may try to argue, but one bite of this variety will have you longing for several ears, slathered with butter and a touch of salt. (And it freezes well off the cob, as well; save some for your holiday casseroles.)

140. : The heart and soul of Denver, where it got its start between 14th and 15th in the late 1800s. Named for the pioneering General William Larimer, it was the city’s first block, its first commercial district, home to its first residence and first city hall, and was the city’s first designated historic district.

141. : At the peak of elk rut in Rocky Mountain National Park -- typically mid-September through mid-October, you might hear the bulls' loud bugling. Researchers say the animals call out as a warning, or to communicate with their harems. The sound will haunt you.

142. Same-sex marriage: Colorado has offered civil unions since 2013 and they have been legally recognized here since October 2014. They weren't established as a until June 26, 2015.

143. Denver Press Club: The in the United States, founded in 1867, and the building itself was designated a Historic Landmark in 1986. Stop in and toast Damon Runyon at the bar.

144. Georgetown and the : A charming ride on this narrow-gauge railroad (called "an engineering marvel" after its construction in 1884) takes you through a scenic path over the Devil's Gate Bridge. Afterward, stroll the quaint streets of historic Georgetown, once the center of the mining industry in Colorado.

145. Pulitzer winners: The Denver Post (nine), Rocky Mountain News (four), and Colorado Springs Gazette (one) have been in reporting, photography and editorial cartooning.

146. Nobel winners: Colorado is home to , including CU Boulder's David Wineland (in physics, 2012); John Hall (physics, 2012), and Thomas Cech (chemistry, 1989).

147. Authors: Dozens of accomplished , including Gonzo journalist and author Hunter Thompson; Jon Krakauer ("Into Thin Air"); Jack Kerouac ("On the Road"); Peter Heller ("The Dog Stars"); Allen Ginsberg (Beat poet); Stephen White (Alan Gregory thrillers); Blake Crouch ("Dark Matter); and Kent Haruf ("Plainsong").

148. Root Shoot Whiskey: The Loveland-based Root Shoot Spirits’ American Single Malt Whiskey was named Whiskey of the Year  in this year's London Spirits Competition. That's in the world.

149. Horseback riding: Fans of "Yellowstone" with visions of Western cowboys on horseback are in luck: will let you come out and saddle up. Cowboy hats optional.

150. Well, you live here. Duh.

Denver Post staffer Barbara Ellis contributed to this report. 

The restaurant����ap cliff divers, magicians, puppeteers and roving performers have been bargaining with management for more than a year, after officially voting to unionize in November 2024. A mediator has been involved in negotiations since the strike, which occurred last year on Halloween weekend, said lead negotiator Andrea Hoeschen, assistant executive director and general counsel for Actors’ Equity Association.

Hoeschen said the primary outstanding issue is wages, though the actors are also seeking workplace protections. Casa Bonita serves thousands of diners each week, and actors previously detailed several incidents involving guests that had staff concerned for their safety. Some of their concerns included insufficient training, scheduling and safety from “abusive patrons emboldened by alcohol,” The Denver Post has reported.

The restaurant, located at 6715 W. Colfax Ave. in Lakewood, is unique in that dining there is only one part of the experience. The Mexico-themed eatery’s facade is giant pink tower, and inside, there is a 30-foot waterfall from which divers jump into a pool every 20 minutes. There are also puppet shows, magic shows and roving performers who interact with guests while they wander through the 52,000-square-foot space.

Another thing that sets Casa Bonita apart is its owners. Colorado-raised celebrities Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the TV show “South Park,” purchased the restaurant out of bankruptcy in 2021 and sunk a reported $40 million into renovating it. It reopened to the public in 2023.

Parker and Stone also made headlines in 2025 for with Paramount Global for “South Park,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone on why buying Casa Bonita was ‘dumb thing to do’

At Casa Bonita, the union’s roughly 70 members make between $21 and $30 an hour, depending on their role, Hoeschen said. show the venue is seeking to hire a person for the “roaming cast” at $23 an hour and a “water entertainment cast member” (a.k.a. diver) for $27 an hour. Hoeschen said the actors are among the lowest-paid employees at the establishment.

“They make less than servers and bartenders, for example, and they do not get to participate in the tip pool. So the actual wage differential between entertainers and servers is dollars per hour,” she said.

“At Casa Bonita, we value all of our team members and their well-being,” the restaurant����ap management said in an emailed statement. “As a policy, we do not comment on ongoing labor negotiations.”

The Actors’ Equity Association has filed seven unfair labor charges against the restaurant, alleging management retaliated against employees who were part of the strike and has engaged in bad faith bargaining, among other charges. The first came last October when Casa Bonita hosted a fall pop-up called Casa BOOnita and suspended the use of roving actors for one month.

While the actors are not currently considering another strike, Hoeschen said they are using other tactics to raise awareness about negotiations as they await the results of the unfair labor practice investigations.

For example, actor Brooke Shields, president of the Actors’ Equity Association, to personally deliver a letter to management asking for better staff wages.

“It was slightly an ambush,” . “You try doing things respectfully, and then you’re not met with equal respect… so you have to resort to other tactics.”

Casa Bonita serves about 12,000 people per week, Stone said in a recent interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Hoeschen wants those folks to know that “when they are going to Casa Bonita, they are subsidizing Matt and Trey’s ego project, along with the underpaid workers.”

“Matt and Trey are not giving workers the attention they deserve. They're not respecting the collective bargaining process,” she added. “In doing so, they are not doing right by this project they claim to have started for the good of the Denver community.”

That����ap according to Colorado-raised kids and restaurant co-owners Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who stopped by “Jimmy Kimmel Live” this week to talk about their latest creative endeavors, including a new run of the duo’s acclaimed musical and a new season of their famed TV show

The conversation turned to Casa Bonita early in the interview, after host Jimmy Kimmel said he saw something online stating Parker and Stone are the two wealthiest comedians in the world — a claim they humbly and comedically denied.

“We would have been the richest comedians, except we decided to buy a restaurant,” Parker joked, wearing a suit in a strikingly similar shade of pink to Casa Bonita’s signature exterior paint.

As locals will recall, Parker and Stone bought Casa Bonita out of bankruptcy in 2021 and worked for nearly two years to rehab and reopen the venue, complete with the cliff divers, magic show and other attractions people loved about it. With somewhere around 50,000 square feet of real estate, that was no small task, especially because the building had fallen into disrepair over the decades since it originally opened in 1974. Their journey was captured in an equally hilarious and terrifying documentary called “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” available for streaming on Paramount+.

Stone said on “Kimmel” the two spent close to $50 million on the project. When asked if they were glad they invested in the restaurant, they both said yes.

“It was a cool thing to do, but it was a really dumb thing to do,” Parker said. “But knowing what we know now, there’s no way any smart business person would have done this. So there’s definitely no way anyone else would have done it, so it wouldn’t be there anymore.”

“I would say most of our career is defined by doing things that are not a smart idea,” Stone added.

The duo also dished on the “The Book of Mormon” returning to Broadway for a 15th anniversary run, during which both Parker and Stone are expected to grace the stage. They also revealed that the 29th season of “South Park” will return to the airwaves on Sept. 16, and gave insight into the magic behind their viral deep fake featuring President Donald Trump in the season 28 premiere.

Watch the full interview below:

The demise of the Dark Horse, Boulder’s world-famous bar and burger joint just off U.S. 36 on Baseline Road, had him riled up as he hung near the entryway with a friend on a Wednesday night last month. The line to get in earlier had snaked around the parking lot, and it was nearly standing-room only inside before half the crowd headed to campus for the men’s basketball game.

“This place is part of Boulder’s soul,” said Brown, who first discovered the World Famous Dark Horse in 1992 after enrolling at the University of Colorado to pursue his doctorate in Aerospace Engineering. “It����ap what makes Boulder unique. There’s no place else like this place. How do you (expletive) tear this place down? I just don’t get it.”

For nearly two years now, patrons of all ages — Boulderites, barflies, and CU students and alums — have shown up here asking the same question ahead of Saturday’s closing. They’ve come to scratch a nostalgia itch and say their goodbyes to an old friend, a dark, dusty institution that has remained largely unchanged over five decades as the college town around it has undergone repeated facelifts.

Cheap beer. Killer burgers, wings and onion rings. And so much weird crap hanging from the walls and ceilings, it����ap a wonder how it all got crammed in here in the first place.

It’s been a helluva run, for sure.

A unicorn. A time capsule of Boulder from a different era. Everyone who grew up here, or went to college here, has Dark Horse memories, some more debauched than others. Rowdy Friday Afternoon Clubs. Drunken tricycle races. Male strippers on ladies’ nights. Costume parties. Trivia nights, karaoke nights and live music. Dancing on Friday and Saturday nights. And the last call crowd singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” at closing.

Ever since developers of presented their plans to the city in early 2024, over the objections of many community members, the slow march to the Dark Horse’s closure has been a living wake for longtime patrons.

Jeremy Martin is one of those Dark Horse lifers. On this Wednesday, he was celebrating his 71st birthday with friends in the pit of the main bar room that served as a dance floor back in the day.

“I’ve been coming here since I was 21, when they opened up,” said Martin, a third-generation local who graduated from Boulder High and CU’s Leeds School of Business. “I’ll always remember having good times with friends and partying and not remembering what we did and playing foosball and pool. And some people getting thrown out.”

Many had held out hope that maybe, just maybe, the weirdest place in a town that relishes its eccentricity would be saved from the bulldozer in the new development that will deliver .

Locals packed the initial Boulder Planning Board hearing in January 2024 to voice strong opposition to the plan that would raze the building. There’s been an outcry ever since. Comments on social media posts have run into the hundreds.

But, after a few reprieves from the developers of Williams Village II, the Dark Horse’s ownership announced in early February that it will officially close on Saturday night, its 51st anniversary.

“While this is not the path we would have chosen for this historic location or our business, we are deeply grateful to have been part of Boulder’s culture for more than half a century,” read an announcement posted to the Dark Horse’s Facebook page. “As sad as we are, we plan to honor the Dark Horse by closing with as much joy, energy and fun as possible. We invite you to utilize this final month, especially March 14th, to come make some final memories, enjoy the history, and honor the legacy that we have built together as a business and a community.”

Two years ago, after that initial presentation to the Boulder Planning Board, the property owner, Petur Williams, and business owner, Dave Tobin, wrote in that they planned to save the Dark Horse. Working together, they wrote that the next iteration of the restaurant would emerge in the new development.

“The building is over 50 years old, leaches energy, lacks many features required in today’s restaurants and could never meet today’s code,” they wrote. “It����ap not worthy of landmarking or preservation status.”

Repeated attempts to contact Tobin about the future of the business after Saturday’s closing were unsuccessful.

While it may not be worthy of historic designation, Brown, Martin and many others would disagree that the old Dark Horse isn’t worthy of saving.

“Trey (Parker) and Matt (Stone) stepped in and saved Casa Bonita because they understood that that was such a touchstone for Denver,” Brown said. “This is a touchstone for Boulder. How do you tear this place down? Build a bubble over it in the new development. This is the destination.”

Boulder’s ‘pleasure palace’

Indeed, the Dark Horse has been a bucket-list stop in Boulder since it opened its doors nearly 51 years ago.

It boasted three bars on two floors, a beer wagon, a giant TV that screened live sports, “Star Trek” reruns and classic movies like “The Wizard of Oz,” as well as pinball, ping-pong, foosball, chess, darts, free popcorn from a pot-bellied stove and a dance floor.

More importantly, for cash-strapped college students, it offered some of the cheapest booze and grub in town — 69-cent drinks, 39-cent beers and a half-pound burger for $1.59. The Daily Camera reported in early 1977 that as many as 4,000 to 5,000 people passed through the bar on Friday nights during its popular happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. 

Launched by Grand American Fare Inc., a Santa Monica-based company started by a group of Western Airlines pilots, the Dark Horse was among a chain of restaurants stuffed with odd memorabilia culled from both ends of the country.

The company’s principal owner owned warehouses full of junk in Maine and Santa Monica. More than $500,000 of decor — worth more than $3 million today — was housed in the chain’s 11 restaurants in California, Arizona and Colorado when the Dark Horse opened, according to the Daily Camera archives.

More restaurants followed in Colorado college towns — Washington’s in Old Town Fort Collins and the State Armory in Greeley.

Hanging above the old dance floor are some 40 carriages and sleighs, including a picture-windowed hearse from the 1940s, turn-of-the-century, hand-carved merry-go-round horses. Magazine collages on the walls of the upstairs section include faded Playboy centerfolds, retro posters, cartoon characters and other ephemera. There’s also assorted animal heads, an old cash register, old books that haven’t been cracked open in half a century, and assorted portraits.

The former manager of the bar boasted that Grand American Fare Inc. had the largest collection of Playboys in America. There are also license plates from all over the country, as well as cryptic messages carved into the tables and benches from patrons of eras past.

Pat Ranney, a St. Louis transplant who graduated from CU in 1976, said she used to religiously come to the Dark Horse on Friday afternoons at 4 to catch reruns of the original “Star Trek.”

“It hasn’t changed,” she said. “A little dustier.”

On a weekday afternoon earlier this month, she was enjoying a burger and a glass of wine with her older sister, Alice Ranney, also a CU grad.

“We just started coming back when we heard they were going to close,” Pat Ranney said. “We went to the holiday concert at CU and then we came over here. Then we went to a women’s basketball game a couple weeks ago. And we came here. And we thought, well, one more time.”

Alice Ranney said there are so few places left in Boulder that connect generations of residents and alums. The only other college hangout with as much local history is , which opened in 1923.

“My concern is, where are all these old people going to go now?” Alice Ranney said. “Like us. It����ap multi-generational. It����ap just a real hometown place. This has character. So many places in Boulder don’t have character anymore.”

Finding love at the ‘Shady Pony’

John Reilly, 74, said he shared his first kiss with his wife, Lisa, in the hallway of the Dark Horse back in 1977.

They’d danced earlier that night at another popular singles spot, Anthony’s Garden at the former Hilton Harvest House Hotel, and later wound up at the Dark Horse, where they were both regulars. He loved the foosball. She loved the dancing.

“I didn’t even know they had food,” Reilly said with a laugh. “I just went there for the beer. And to chase girls.”

The couple has been married for 45 years. They took their last trip to the Dark Horse on Valentine’s Day last month.

“I’m really sad to see it go, but when we went there for Valentine’s Day, you could tell they’ve neglected the maintenance for quite a while,” said Reilly, who said his Boulder High senior class would gather every year at the Dark Horse on the second Friday in December. “It was my go-to place for a long time. Two or three times a week.”

Scroll through the hundreds of comments underneath posts about the Dark Horse’s closing, and there are too many stories like Reilly’s. Women who met their husbands there. A man who wrote that he entered the wrong bathroom — a Dark Horse rite of passage — and bumped into his future wife. A woman who wrote her husband proposed to her by the fireplace. Another wrote she dated a bouncer, and another wrote that she dated one of the male dancers from the popular ladies nights who went by “Ponyboy.”

Back in its heyday, the Dark Horse was the place to go to meet other young people in Boulder. And it attracted a diverse crowd — bikers, hippies and disco fans, all under one roof — for some wild times.

“My buddy, BJ, they have a saddle mounted on the ceiling upside down,” Reilly said. “He could get up on that thing and ride it. Hanging upside down. He only weighed like 100 pounds.”

‘An unknown sports bar’

in Stillwater, Oklahoma. or Bullwinkle’s in Columbia, Missouri. P.O. Pear’s in Lincoln, Nebraska. The World Famous Dark Horse in Boulder.

Back in the Big 8 era, traveling sportswriters knew the circuit, said Dave Plati, CU’s legendary sports information director who now serves in an emeritus role with the athletic department.

“Kind of, in a way, you can pass it off as an unknown sports bar,” Plati said. “Because it had plenty of TVs where you could watch sports, but they never presented themselves as a sports bar. Being a sports guy in Boulder, the choices were so limited, that����ap where we always went.”

Plati said he always recommended the Dark Horse to visiting scribes when they came to town.

“If they didn’t want to go out for a fancy steak or something, we’d tell them, go to the Dark Horse,” he said. “You can watch whatever games are on tonight, get a great burger. It����ap a fun environment.”

A fun environment for everyone, really — not just students or alums or regular joes.

“It was one of the few places in Boulder that wasn’t limited to either one or the other,” Plati said. “A lot of those other places, it seemed to me, you were either going where the students went, or after your student days, you were going where the students weren’t.”

‘This is one of the last anchors’

with a blowout two-day party after 38 years in business. More than , including a mini submarine and an old howitzer. The building in Old Town, the last and largest restaurant that Grand American Fare opened, has since been repurposed into a .

The State Armory in Greeley, housed in a historic 1920s National Guard Center, closed on New Year’s Eve in 2006. The real estate investors who bought it eventually — everything from the urinals to the Jack Daniel’s whiskey barrels.

A popular hangout of the Broncos during training camps in Greeley, the building has since been added to the Greeley Historic Registry and with a coffee shop, bookstore, plant store and a stage for community events.

As to the fate of the carriages and sleighs, the Big Boy Burger mascot, the bathroom doors and all the other old memorabilia in Boulder’s World Famous Dark Horse? Dave Tobin, who got a job working the door when the bar opened, and eventually worked his way up to waiter, bartender and regional manager, before purchasing the restaurant in 1993 after Grand American Fare went under, hasn’t said.

A staffer at the Dark Horse, who asked not to be named, said she had heard that some items would be auctioned off and others would be repurposed for the new restaurant that plans to open in the new development.

Since the announcement of its closure, business couldn’t be better. Local history groups have been coming for informal happy hours, and alums and students have been savoring their last bites and sips, especially on game days for the CU men’s and women’s basketball teams.

Saturday promises to be a blowout to rival all the other legendary Dark Horse parties of years past.

“It����ap like everything in Boulder, it����ap changed so much,” Martin lamented. “And this is one of the last anchors here of that kind of place. It����ap sad, but change happens.”

“There’s no place else like this place,” Brown said. “It just tears my heart out that they’re tearing this thing down.”

Some guys have bachelor parties that are X-rated. My son’s best man had a better idea: Dinner at family-friendly Casa Bonita, which is as G-rated as you can get.

It was an ingenious choice, and I’m still enjoying the fruits of that night last December: the iconic restaurant’s delicious house salsa, which they call Salsa Casa. I liked it so much that I currently have two jars in my refrigerator.

And when they’re gone, I will order more. I love this salsa with chips, but I also use it on tacos. No more grocery store salsa for me.

I hadn’t been to Casa Bonita since my daughter worked there 17 years ago, fresh out of high school. Before we explored Black Bart’s Cave, crammed into the puppet show and admired the cliff divers, we had an excellent dinner. I was shocked at how much I liked the salsa.

Obviously, salsa preferences are very subjective and personal. I’m sure some would say the Salsa Casa isn’t hot enough. Some, no doubt, would find it too hot. I thought it was just right, with lots of flavor.

According to the jar, ingredients include diced tomatoes (blended to a fine texture), jalapeños, onions, salt, garlic, cilantro, lemon juice, black pepper, coriander and cumin.

I knew better than to ask Casa Bonita’s PR team for the actual recipe — they are very secretive, after all — but I did want to know if it was developed in-house. They informed me that it is an “improved version of the original Salsa Casa recipe,” and was developed by celebrated Denver chef Dana Rodriguez when the kitchen was revamping the menu. I wanted to interview her, but Casa Bonita didn’t want that, either.

I hope someone there will tell her how much I like her salsa.

Jars have depictions of the famous pink tower and a “daring” cliff diver making a splash. The owners, Matt Stone and Trey Parker of “South Park,” have also reclaimed the restaurant’s old motto, “The Greatest Restaurant In The World,” which is also written on the jar. With a declaration like that, the salsa had better be good.

Salsa Casa is sold ($9.95 for a 16-ounce jar) in the restaurant’s gift shop, El Mercado, and is . They also sell Green Chile and “Muy Hot Sauce.” They can be bought in a three-pack with Salsa Casa for $16.95.

I knew our Casa Bonita bachelor party would be unforgettable. I’m glad I’ll be reminded of that night every time I hit the couch to watch a game with chips and salsa.

Founded in 2017 on the ground floor of the Ramble Hotel, 1260 25th St., Denver, Super Mega Bien is known for its “dim sum” service in which servers roam the floor with roller carts full of Latin American dishes, in a similar style to Chinese dim sum restaurants. In late 2022, Victor Mena and his wife, Jenn Mena-Wenstrom, bought the restaurant from its founders: prolific restaurateur Dana Rodriguez, Anthony Maciag and Tabatha Knop. Victor had worked there since its opening as the chef de cuisine, Mena-Wenstrom said.

But the rising costs of labor took a toll on its finances, she told The Denver Post on Monday. So did an lawsuit, filed last December by Maciag and Knop, alleging that Mena-Wenstrom, who is listed as owner, still owes each of them $49,000 plus interest as part of the original $400,000 purchase price, as . Victor Mena isn’t named in the suit.

“All of the extenuating circumstances have brought us to a point where it’s not joyful, and it’s not fun, and it’s not healthy,” to run the restaurant, Mena-Wenstrom said.

An attorney representing Maciag and Knop in the proceedings, Jeffrey Lippa, declined to comment when reached Monday.

The restaurant’s last day of business is Saturday, March 14, coinciding with the end of Denver Restaurant Week. For the promotional campaign, Super Mega Bien is running a with two dishes from the cart and a dessert.

Rodriguez, who leads Carne and two Work & Class locations, is not mentioned in the suit, according to BusinessDen.

Here are 8 moments that helped define Denver’s pop culture profile this year.

Andrea Gibson, memorialized

Former Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson finally received some of the mainstream acclaim they deserved thanks to the documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light,” a nuanced look at terminal illness produced in part by former Denver resident, comedian and actor Tig Notaro. While Gibson collaborated on the award-winning doc, they died on July 14 — exactly four months before the film hit streaming services. It stands as a testament to hope and love in the face of staggering suffering and loss. — John Wenzel

‘South Park’ redux owns the airwaves

After more than 25 years on the air, comedy cartoon “South Park” debuted its latest season in July, generating headlines and increased viewership in the U.S. and beyond for its skewering of the Trump administration — which even responded to some of the show’s barbs. Created by Colorado natives Trey Parker and Matt Stone (owners of Casa Bonita and creators of “The Book of Mormon”), the Colorado-set “South Park” also featured Denver as the backdrop for some of the federal government’s recent actions, including immigration enforcement and deportations. — Tiney Ricciardi

Denver’s ‘Love is Blind’ makes history — in a bad way

The Mile High City got its moment on Netflix’s national stage when the popular reality dating show “Love is Blind” came to town, although it wasn’t all sunshine and wedding bells. Denver made history as the series’ first franchise to produce zero successful marriages. —����.��.

Colorado-shot movies

This year included the family drama with a $15 million budget, “The Man Who Changed the World” (which was shot along the Front Range), and the already-released “Rebuilding,” a drama starring in-demand actor Josh O’Connor that was shot in the San Luis Valley, and which examines the complicated aftermath of a wildfire. That follows late 2024’s “Elevation,” shot in Boulder and Golden and starring Anthony Mackie (the MCU’s new Captain America), plus several other titles that bode well for the future of Colorado’s still-developing film industry. —����.��.

The Oscars, and Colorado creatives

Colorado-reared filmmakers and subjects helped fuel some of 2025’s most visible titles, including Scott Derrickson’s sci-fi-romance hybrid “The Gorge,” Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” screenwriter Nora Garrett’s “After the Hunt,” and the John Elway documentary which just premiered on Netflix. At the Academy Awards, the Best Picture, Best Director and Best Animated Feature nominees were led by Colorado natives, with former Glenwood Springs native Brady Corbet and partner Mona Fastvold winning for Best Original Screenplay for “The Brutalist,” and even more acclaimed, Oscar-nominated titles making a splash at festivals and on streaming (such as “Porcelain War,” “The Wild Robot,” and “Anjua” — all of which were also Oscar nominated but didn’t win). —����.��.

Sundance Film Fest chooses Boulder

A gaggle of grinning politicians and Sundance Film Fest officials in March said the tastemaking industry event would relocate from Park City, Utah, to Boulder starting in 2027. That’s led to lots of preparation and private/public fundraising on Boulder’s part, but also global attention and projected spending that will lift the Front Range city in the lean months of January. —����.��.

Farewell, Bowen Yang

Aurora comedian Bowen Yang’s run on “Saturday Night Live” ended this year on a Dec. 20 episode hosted by Ariana Grande, Yang’s pal and the co-star of the “Wicked” film series in which Yang has a supporting role. The 35-year-old had broken ground in 2019 when he became SNL’s first-ever Chinese-American cast member, and the first-ever Chinese-American nominated for an acting Emmy. His sharp yet malleable presence will be sorely missed on a show that’s going through a major cast transition. —����.��.

Concerts writ large

The Front Range has long been a top concert market, and it only got bigger during this up-and-down year for the industry. As ticket prices and fees continued to rile fans, Empower Field at Mile High hosted massive events such as a two-night run from Metallica, and Denver’s own The Lumineers with Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats. In Boulder, Folsom Field welcomed its first July 4 run from Phish, and Paul McCartney played a shockingly great set at Coors Field. With Red Rocks Amphitheatre’s calendar already filling up and new venues such as Project 70 debuting in Denver, there’s plenty to look forward to in 2026. —����.��.

The strike ended after both the actors union and the restaurant����ap management agreed to enter mediation and hash out the details of the union’s first contract, according to a statement by the Actors’ Equity Association, which represents the actors. The bargaining unit includes 57 performers who serve as roving actors, puppeteers, cliff divers, magicians and more at the pink palace.

“Casa Bonita is pleased that Actors Equity members will be returning to work as scheduled,” the restaurant����ap management said in a statement to The Denver Post.

Casa Bonita workers voted to unionize in November 2024 as they sought better pay and to establish workplace protections. Casa Bonita serves thousands of diners each week and actors previously detailed several incidents involving guests that had staff concerned for their safety. In September, the union filed an unfair labor practices charge after performers’ hours were cut to accommodate a Halloween pop-up event.

“We never wanted to strike to begin with, but Casa Bonita management forced our hand,” said Sam Bishop, a puppeteer at Casa Bonita who serves on the negotiating team, in a statement. “We can’t wait to return to work so we can resume bringing our guests the unique experience they expect and deserve from their visits.”

Casa Bonita is a beloved Lakewood restaurant and entertainment venue, as well as a historic landmark. It originally opened in 1974, but ownership filed for bankruptcy in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic. The venue was later purchased by “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who were both raised on the Front Range. The duo spent a reported $40 million to renovate the restaurant, which reopened to much fanfare in 2023.

There will be no cliff divers entertaining guests at Casa Bonita on Halloween as the restaurant����ap cast of performers initiates a three-day strike.

On Wednesday, the Actors’ Equity Association announced that Casa Bonita’s divers, magicians, roving actors and other unionized performers would picket outside the pink palace, at 6715 W. Colfax Ave. in Lakewood, following unsuccessful efforts to bargain their first contract. The strike is scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 30 through Nov. 1.

Casa Bonita workers voted to unionize in November 2024 as they sought better pay and to establish workplace protections. The restaurant and entertainment venue is a beloved historic landmark and in 2023, reopened under the ownership of locally raised celebrities Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The creators of the “South Park” TV show reportedly spent $40 million reviving the restaurant after purchasing it out of bankruptcy.

Casa Bonita serves thousands of diners each week and actors previously told The Denver Post there have been numerous incidents involving guests that had staff concerned for their safety.

The bargaining unit of 57 people has been engaged in negotiations since April, according to the Actors’ Equity Association, and last month, it filed an unfair labor practices charge after performers’ hours were cut to accommodate a Halloween pop-up event.

Now, the union says management failed to deliver responses to key proposals that would move toward a contract. In a statement, Casa Bonita management said, “We value all of our team members and their well-being. As a policy we do not comment on ongoing labor negotiations.”

“Casa management came to the table today offering an additional 11 cents over their last unfair wage offer, and very little for future layoff protections,” said lead negotiator Andrea Hoeschen, assistant executive director and general counsel for Actors’ Equity Association, in a statement. “Despite that insult, the negotiating team responded with major compromises to try to get a deal. And then Casa Bonita walked away from the table without responding.”

Casa Bonita addressed the dispute in an email to people with reservations, confirming the restaurant would remain open and offering a free drink or arcade credit to guests.

CORRECTION at 6:57 p.m. on Oct. 29: An earlier version of this story misstated the dates for the proposed strike.

History Colorado, the state’s largest historical institution, confirmed this week that Barber has donated his massive collection of neon signs, matchbooks and menus, photographs, letters, and other ephemera from Colfax Avenue’s long, diverse history.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be getting this into the collection,” said Rachael Storm, head of curatorial services and curator of Business & Industry at History Colorado. “It’s something I’ve had my eye on for a long time.”

Stretching from the open spaces east of Aurora to the foothills of Golden, Colfax has hosted presidents and addicts, celebrities and prostitutes — occasionally in the same venues — at its hotels, bars, restaurants, clubs, theaters, retail shops and residences, Barber said. But he fears its history has been forgotten, so he decided to turn his passion project into a solution to the problem.

Barber, a musician, writer and former Elvis impersonator, has been building his collection — which consists of thousands of items — since 2004 and in the past eight years has attempted to exhibit it independently at various locations. Those efforts have often failed as Barber’s spots fell through due to rising rents and emergencies, such as a fire at the first location that nearly burned down the building, and several floods at a location in Lakewood it occupied just before the pandemic.

“It’s just been one biblical calamity after the next,” Barber said. “It’s like, ‘What’s next? Where’s the locust?’

Lately, storage of the collection, which Barber at one point tried to sell for $150,000, has become a burden, he said. “If something happens to me, it just goes away. “So it makes sense to house it at an institution that’s going to outlive me. Trying to do my own museum would take millions of dollars, and if I had a million dollars, I don’t know if I’d spend it on a museum.”

History Colorado Center currently honors Barber’s collection in its temporary exhibit, and Barber has exhibited other pieces at Denver International Airport, where he curated a Colfax history show on Concourse A. The exhibits underline how Colfax has influenced the entire city, and not just the east-west corridor that takes it through the heart of downtown Denver.

“In the history of Colfax, we can see changes in the way we move, the way we socialize, the way we communicate with each other, and the means by which technology, foodways, commerce, and statehood flex, grow, and adapt to each other,” Storm said via email. “I live one block off Colfax and, with the new rapid transit going in, we are seeing how transportation and ways in which people want to and need to move are affecting the ways we build communities (through bars and restaurants), engage in commerce (banking, shopping for pleasure, picking up prescriptions), and move through the city.”

Barber will be happy to move his floor-to-ceiling bins out of his house and into the trucks History Colorado plans to send on Nov. 14 — which also happens to be the day Barber turns 57. Until then, he’s furiously cataloging every item, from the branded ashtrays and art deco fixtures of nightclubs past to a prototype for a Chuck E. Cheese-style animatronic band at Casa Bonita, which he calls “the holy grail” of the collection.

At 22.5 inches tall, the toy-sized Item was driven out to Colorado from its Kansas-based owner, who didn’t trust shipping companies to handle it delicately, Barber said. The Casa Bonita Quintet, as they’re called on the face of the kick drum, consists of forest animals playing piano and strumming a banjo and other instruments. The half-circle curtains around the stage still open, and it’s even wired for sound.

Barber is also giving away his latest book, “Colfax Avenue: East to West,” as a PDF at . The 216-page , photo-packed tome, which he hopes to give away physical copies of at the official opening of any upcoming History Colorado exhibit, is written coffee table-style, with readers flipping to any page and reading a self-contained narrative.

His book also covers Schuyler Colfax, the street’s namesake who served as vice president under Ulysses S. Grant from 1869 to 1873.

Barber said it’s the perfect time to look back, given not only the BRT Transit project that’s currently disrupting blocks-long stretches of Colfax, but the upcoming anniversaries of the legendary roadways that brought travelers, tourists and hopeful residents into the west during the early and mid-20th century, such as Route 40 (a.k.a. Colfax) and Route 66. Barber even has a replica dinosaur footprint from a Colfax Avenue discovery, as well as a major dig that turned up Indigenous artifacts.

“What eventually became Colfax Avenue has been used since before recorded history,” he said. “My narrative is mostly a pop-culture one, although it’s important to note the street is named after a staunch abolitionist who voted to ratify the 13th Amendment (which ended slavery) in 1865.”

Colfax used to be a dusty western stretch, too, with Barber researching stories of Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterton and Doc Holiday congregating at Colfax Avenue and Broadway, and Masterson getting run out of a town by a rival. Land owners, including Brown Palace namesake Henry C. Brown, benefited from Colfax’s development because it increased the value of surrounding properties.

“Colfax is undergoing surgery again and it’s really causing a lot of business problems and woes,” said Barber, citing closures that have been attributed to decreased traffic as part of BRT lane and sidewalk closures. “This is one way to change that narrative.”