Concert season will kick off with Rock the Dock on Friday, June 19. Two bands — HeartByrne and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe — will play at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively, while visitors enjoy lawn games, food vendors and drink specials at the marina’s lighthouse lawn.

Frisco’s Fourth of July Celebration will include a pancake breakfast, a parade, other activities for kids and a concert at Main Street and 1st Avenue. The Motet — a funk, soul, jazz and rock band — will take the stage at 4:30 p.m.

The marina and the historic park will have weekly acts, with the marina’s Island Grill having live music every Friday from 4-7 p.m. The historic park’s gazebo will on Thursdays host the Concert in the Park series, which starts June 25 and runs for 10 weeks. Check out the full Concert in the Park lineup at

Read more at .

It is going to be quite the scrum in Commerce City this summer.

The World Rugby Nations Cup is coming to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on July 4 with a doubleheader featuring Zimbabwe opposite of Tonga followed by the headline matchup pitting the USA Eagles against Portugal.

The games will be held in conjunction with the free 4thFEST family-friendly festival and the state’s largest public fireworks display.

Tickets for the matches will go on on Tuesday, April 7. General sale follows on April 9 at 10 a.m.

“Consistent competition for our senior national teams continues to be a primary goal at USA Rugby, as we look to grow on the global stage,” USA Rugby CEO Bill Goren said. “The World Rugby Nations Cup and these first three fixtures at home are excellent opportunities for our Men’s Eagles, and for USA fans to gather around them.”

The World Rugby Nations Cup tournament includes the 12 qualifiers for the Men’s Rugby World Cup. The teams will compete in two pools of six across the July and November international windows to prepare for Australia in 2027.

“Commerce City is incredibly excited for this new chapter of 4thFEST alongside the World Rugby Nations Cup,” said Commerce City Mayor Steve Douglas in a press release. “4thFEST is a long-standing tradition in our community, and we look forward to giving our residents a new twist on this event while welcoming rugby fans to Commerce City for a memorable Independence Day celebration and fireworks show.”

Fourth of July celebrations turned to catastrophe in the Denver metro this year–multiple people left without homes overnight after fires that started due to fireworks.

South Metro Fire Rescue crews arrived at around midnight to a home on Pebblewood Ct. in unincorporated Douglas County to find a garage on fire with flames shooting into the attic.

Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies helped people out of the home as SMFR crews attacked the fire and rescued several dogs and cats, all of which were reported safe.

“They also evacuated some nearby homes as well due to the large amount of fire that was inside the garage at the time,” said South Metro Fire Rescue spokesperson Connor Christian.

Read more at .

The Rockies entered the Fourth of July weekend series against the White Sox at Coors Field with a 20-67 record, on pace to lose 125 games.

Last season, , setting baseball’s modern-era record for ineptitude, surpassing the 1962 Mets, led by “Marvelous Marv” Throneberry and Choo Choo Coleman, who lost 120 games.

The 2024 Sox were 24-63 after 87 games — four games better than the current Rockies — but the Sox’s worst was yet to come. Beginning with the second game of a doubleheader against the Twins on July 10, through an Aug. 5 loss to the Athletics, Chicago lost 21 consecutive games, tying the longest losing streak in American League history.

I asked several Rockies if they were aware of the historical implications of this weekend’s matchup. They didn’t bite. Their general theme was, “We let you guys in the media worry about that stuff. We’re just trying to win baseball games. We’ve got other things to think about.”

OK, then, I’ll think about it.

When all is said and done and the Rockies play their final game on Sept. 28 at San Francisco, I think the White Sox’s infamous record will be safe. The Rockies are not going to lose 122 games. Maybe 115, but not 122.

Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar will be back soon, second baseman Thairo Estrada is playing well, catcher Hunter Goodman is an All-Star, and left fielder Jordan Beck is coming into his own. Surging right fielder Tyler Freeman might be a real find.

Plus, interim manager Warren Schaeffer has the team playing hard and has the players’ attention and respect. The atmosphere in the Rockies’ clubhouse is not toxic, unlike Chicago’s, which for much of last season.

So, the Rockies aren’t going to lose 122 games, unless …

… they trade third baseman Ryan McMahon, starters German Marquez and Austin Gomber, and possibly others, leaving the club to play in August and September with kids and journeymen. Then, 122 is back on the table.

Not that the Rockies should avoid making roster moves to save face. Three consecutive 100-loss seasons demand change. Does owner Dick Monfort truly see that? Will he act? Will he empower his son, Walker, who was recently promoted to executive vice president, to make significant changes to the front office?

One thing is sure: The Rockies can learn lessons from the debacle in Chicago.

For example, Dick Monfort needs to take a hard look at his tendency to promote from within the organization. Longtime White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf fell into the same trap and his team is still trying to crawl out of the abyss. The Sox entered the weekend with a 28-59 record, worst in the American League and 25 1/2 games behind Detroit in the AL Central.

In August 2023, Reinsdorf promoted assistant general manager Chris Getz to GM and senior vice president. Getz replaced GM Rick Hahn, whom Reinsdorf fired.

Needless to say, the in-house move did not go over well in the Windy City.

“Reinsdorf’s search for a new general manager began and ended at Sox Park,” wrote longtime “He ignored the advice of longtime front office personnel to go outside the organization and find an up-and-coming analytically bent executive who could bring the Sox into the modern age.

“Instead, he turned to assistant GM Chris Getz nine days into his ‘search,’ saying he didn’t want to ‘waste’ a year with someone new having to learn the organization.”

Sound familiar, Rockies fans?

This weekend’s star-spangled series is not a litmus test for Colorado, though getting swept at home by the lowly Sox would be an embarrassing low point in an already low season. We know that the Rockies are a bad team in need of a new identity and new direction.

The question is: Will the Rox learn from the Sox and do something about it?

The National Weather Service in Boulder said scattered showers are expected Friday morning with additional showers and storms moving in by afternoon. There’s a 20% chance for showers and thunderstorms before 8 p.m.

The weather service issued a special statement for Castle Pines, Louviers  and Sedalia CO until 12:30 pm. that warned of half-inch hail.

Picnickers are advised to hold onto their plates because winds could gust as high as 18 mph. However, the rain and storms are expected to move out, and the skies will be clear by early evening, according to forecasters. The low temperature will drop to 62 degrees.

A couple of severe thunderstorms are possible over far northeast Colorado.

Updated at 12:22 with special weather statement.

July 4th is much more than BBQs and beer, parades and horns. It celebrates the birth of our nation, as expressed in the , a statement of why our first patriots felt compelled to rebel against their king. Every American would do well to read it aloud at home and in their public spaces on this day — and to honor its contents. Some of the complaints sound familiar to our ears:

• [the King] “has obstructed the Administration of Justice;”

• he has “affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power;”

• he is “cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world” and “imposing Taxes without our Consent;”

• he is “depriving us in many cases of the benefits of Trial by Jury” and is “transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences;”

• he is “altering fundamentally the Forms of our governments;”

• “He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us.”

They declare,” A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”

By this Declaration, Americans asserted their unwillingness to be serfs or vassals to an unaccountable ruler, but rather as free people who demand their leaders be answerable to them and to the laws they enact. Let us honor the true meaning of this national holiday.

Wendy Orley, Highlands Ranch

A history of unwanted immigrants

The current immigration policies are clouded in a blanket of hypocrisy. Many of our ancestors were once unwanted immigrants. And many were probably undocumented.

In the second half of the 19th century, the U.S. government broke numerous treaties with various indigenous people, all under the guise of manifest destiny. Two huge American figures at that time, and , opposed the Mexican-American War on moral grounds. Grant called it one of the worst examples of a strong country taking advantage of a weaker one. It was a shameful display of American greed and power.

Maybe we need more understanding and compassion when it comes to immigration and fewer ICE raids.

Chris Sandoval, Arvada

Public radio deserves federal support

It is shameful to see the administration’s fraudulent approach to dealing with public broadcasting. Public radio stations receive on average of their operating expenses from federal funds. That’s it. The rest is given through individual support. I have regularly supported public radio as the vital, independent source for news and music that it is.

Contrary to the false statements by President Donald Trump and his followers, public media is neither radical nor does it have an agenda other than to inform through independent journalism and provide a wide range of community-specific news and features, especially in rural areas. I suspect that at the core of his attacks, Trump does not like public media because it is fact-based reporting, and he is unable to control the narrative, and it is well known he despises any news entity that reports on him truthfully.

This administration froze funding to Radio Free Europe after a of truthful reporting, reaching people suffering under authoritarian governments. Repressing all outside news is a pathetic attempt at budget cutting, and a boon to monsters like Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Viktor Orban, and so on.

Thomas M. Holzfaster, Lakewood

Rail is not set up for reliability

Re: “Board tentatively OKs pursuing Front Range passenger rail between Denver, Fort Collins,” June 25 news story

When will people learn? They make jokes about the unreliability of Amtrak, and then folks expect to borrow freight track from Union Pacific, BNSF Railway, Canadian National or any other non-governmental host railroad for a cost and schedule that perfectly fits their plans. After almost 30 years in the industry, both railroad manufacturing and transit agencies, my answer is: Good luck with that!

The host railroad that profits primarily from freight operations will never prioritize passenger runs. Longer consist, fewer engineers, looser regulations, tighter schedules, and emphasis, I repeat emphasis, on cost containment all mean one thing: plan on Amtrak-like reliability for passenger trains. Accidents, repairs, and maintenance will all result in the same thing: “We gotta use the bus today.”

Ride quality is another issue. Cargo containers can sway pretty wildly before triggering any shock watch. Unless RTD wants to trigger plenty of passengers, they’d better plan on paying billions to upgrade freight track – concrete sleepers, continuous rail, at grade crossings becoming bridges, PTC upgrades, etc, etc, and all at taxpayer expense, as none of these upgrades would be necessary to continue those freight operations.

Either pay to double-track that right-of-way, buy it outright, or forget about ever meeting cost or schedule… or the expectations of the commuting public.

Dave Knutson, Arvada

As we consider transport along the Front Range, let’s ensure we explore the benefits of Maglev high-speed trains (look up China’s CRRC 600 or Central Japan Railway Company – JR Central – L0 Series). Maglev also has the promise of being able to handle 10-degree inclines, making it a natural extension to our mountain resort communities, relieving traffic on I-70.

Other alternatives worth considering: Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) and Automated Transit Network (ATN) where small transport pods, propelled by maglev, would move four to six people with no (or very limited) intermediate stops — the total station to station transport time may be even better than maglev trains and the cost to construct/maintain is a fraction of a tradition rail system with large stations.

Depending upon projected volumes (passengers/cargo), electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft may have even better cost and benefits (lower land purchases, infrastructure, maintenance).

Rather than building more than a century-old rail technology and implementing obsolete technology, let’s consider Maglev, ATN/PRT and eVTOL.

Michael MacLauchlan, Denver

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In Denver, United’s fastest-growing hub, the quarterback has undergone a new training regime just in time for this weekend’s big game. United, the dominant carrier at DIA, finished the first phase of a $10 million redesign of its operations center about two weeks ago. The upgrade is the facility’s first since the airport opened in 1995 and the first of seven center makeovers United plans across the company.

“It����ap a huge upgrade for us and it was long overdue,” said Jonna McGrath, vice president of United’s airport operations in Denver.

“We think that it will help us as we continue to grow and make sure (employees) are able to get their jobs done in the most efficient, comfortable manner,” McGrath added.

The space is a kind of nerve center for the airline where “zone managers” monitor everything from what’s happening at each of United’s 90 gates across two concourses to tracking flight arrivals and departures, baggage loading and unloading and weather. The center operates 24/7 and the goal is to get passengers to where they’re going, said Colin Whatley, director of United’s station operations center.

Employees can track the activity at their desk and also look at five, 75-inch screens on the wall.

“I’m thankful that we have it for the busy holiday weekend and that we’re all in one location,” Whatley said. “We’re going to carry well over 60,000 customers a day for the next week just here in Denver.”

Whatley recommended arriving early for flights and using , which features a countdown to connecting flights and customized directions to  gates with estimated walk times.

Airport officials have said more than 900,000 passengers could pass through security at DIA through July 7. United expects to see approximately 6 million passengers systemwide June 27-July 7, spokesman Russell Carlton said.

this Fourth of July holiday could be a record, with 5.84 million people expected to be on flights, AAA said, That would be an increase of 1.4% from last year’s holiday week.

“We’ve been planning for the July Fourth weekend for six months,” Whatley said.

The team in the operations center “locks into making sure” people get to their destinations during the big holiday rushes, Whatley said.

The center is tucked behind the scenes, along with several United offices. The redesigned operational space is 5,050 square feet, close to the previous size. Adding office suites and an emergency operations center, expected to be completed by October, the entire facility will be 7,800 square feet.

Whatley said work on the upgrade began four years ago. Goals included making the operation more efficient. The number of work stations increased to 66 from 45. And the work stations, at $5,000 a pop, were designed with input from company ergonomic and corporate safety teams. Instead of having to monitor six screens, employees can pull up different sites on one large, curved screen.

Employees can also track activity on five, 75-inch screens on the wall.

The desks can be adjusted so people can stand or sit. They include an individual overhead light and built-in heaters and fans. Walls in the center were built with materials that absorb sound. Whatley said designers discussed what kind of lighting to install in the space.

“There’s actually a right amount of yellow and blue light that prevents employees from feeling fatigued or exhausted,” Whatley said. “It comes down to the employees. They’re the ones who day in and day out are helping get these flights out and getting the customers on the planes.”

United is logging roughly 560 departures a day in Denver. Members of the operations center’s team represent the airline’s different departments and functions, including pilots, flight attendants, customer service, ramp service, technical operations and maintenance. SkyWest, a regional carrier operating under the United Express brand, has a seat in the center.

Carlton said the operations center serves as a central communication point, with employees funneling information to their respective areas of oversight.

“The employees communicate in a variety of methods, from phone calls to radio to real-time group chats. It����ap all part of the nuanced orchestra taking place behind the scenes to run the airline day in and day out,” Carlton said.

Metro Denver should see highs in the mid-90s on Thursday before high temperatures move into the lower 90s for the July Fourth holiday weekend, according to a . Lows will be in the mid-60s Thursday night and stay in the low-60s the remainder of the weekend.

There is a slight chance of storms developing during the afternoons throughout the next four days, with the odds of a random shower highest on Thursday and Friday. But nighttime skies are expected to be clear on Friday and Saturday nights, which should make for good conditions to watch a fireworks or drone show.

There is a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms on Thursday afternoon with mostly sunny conditions. Light and variable winds with gusts as high as 21 miles per hour. Showers remain a slight possibility through midnight and then again after 3 a.m. on Friday. The low in Denver will be around 66 degrees with light winds out of the south and southeast.

For Independence Day, there will be a slight chance of showers in the morning before 9 a.m. and then a chance of showers and thunderstorms, about 30%, during the afternoon. Winds will be lighter than on Thursday, but gusts from the north and northwest could reach 15 miles per hour.

Showers and storms are expected on Thursday at higher elevations, including small hail and strong wind gusts in some areas during the afternoon. Conditions on the Plains will be warmer than along the Front Range and the wind speeds will be higher through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Through Sunday. The biggest annual gathering of celebrities in Colorado is back with Fan Expo Denver, running Thursday, July 3, to Sunday, July 6, at the Colorado Convention Center. The pop-culture party draws tens of thousands downtown each year for comics and anime, gaming, merchandise and artist signings, cosplay, competitions galore, authors, performances and more.

This year’s notables include a Superman slate (all the living movie and TV Supermen, minus the newest one); a “Twilight” fan experience; movie stars such as John Cena, Jennifer Beals, William Shatner, John Boyega, Brendan Fraser, Bruce Campbell, Alan Tudyk, Cassandra Peterson (a.k.a. Elvira) and dozens more. Bonus: There will be opportunities to get autographs and photos for a fee. (And don’t miss the “Cobra Kai” trio of Martin Kove, Brandon H. Lee and Patrick Luwis.)

Single-day passes for the event, taking place at 700 14th St. in Denver, are $50-$71, with youth passes (ages 13-17) at $45-$51 and child passes (6-12) at $12. Full-fest passes start at $109, with family discounts available. Visit for more.

Cherry Creek Arts Fest

Friday-Sunday. The sprawling Cherry Creek Arts Festival — one of the country’s biggest juried art exhibitions — returns to the Cherry Creek North shopping district Friday, July 4, through Sunday, July 6, with 260 exhibiting artists, free hands-on crafts for kids and adults, a family-friendly and walkable layout, and live performances, food and drink vendors, and other activities.

Don’t miss Cleo Parker Robinson Dance’s appearance on the main stage at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday; tickets are free and available online. The overall event runs 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday (with an accessibility hour starting at 9 a.m.) and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Secure bike parking is on Second Avenue near Adams Street. Paid parking is available at Cherry Creek Shopping Center, in the Whole Foods garage, and along the surrounding streets. Admission is free. Visit for an artist list and detailed festival map.

Civic Center’s Backyard Jamboree

Through Sunday. There are plenty of concert options in town this weekend, including Wu-Tang Clan and Run the Jewels at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre (Friday, July 4) and Blues Traveler’s impressive Fourth of July return to Red Rocks Amphitheatre (playing there nearly every year since 1992 — minus 1999 and 2020, according to venue records).

Still, there’s hardly a bigger fan draw than Toronto’s Zeds Dead, as the bass-focused DJ-producer duo swings through both Morrison and Denver for packed shows. After playing a pair of concerts at Red Rocks as part of its DeadRocks XI run (July 2-3, sold out in advance), the band jumps over to Civic Center park (101 West 14th Ave. in Denver) for the fifth annual Backyard Jamboree on Friday, July 4, with openers Ravenscoon, Cool Customer, Villager and lots more.

The family-friendly event, which includes a hot-dog eating contest, food and drinks vendors, and lawn games, should draw about 10,000 EDM fans to central Denver. Tickets, $89.95-$112.94, are still available via .

Warm Cookies of the Revolution

Friday. Denver nonprofit Warm Cookies of the Revolution, which turns civic engagement into fun, all-ages creative gatherings, is about drawing connections rather than dividing, and its latest event reminds us that the Fourth of July holiday belongs to all of us.

The Interdependence Day Celebration takes place 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday, July 4, at the southeast corner of Huston Lake Park (850 S. Bryant St. in Denver), with live performances, traditional Mixtec Oaxacan cuisine from La Reyna del Sur, an herbalist walk “with magical medicine man Monticue Connally,” poetry from Molina Speaks, henna tattoos, lawn games and all-ages activities, chalk artwork, awards and more.

It’s free, all-ages and family-friendly. Visit to RSVP.

Produced by the American Farm Bureau Federation, an agriculture lobbying group, the survey found that ground beef and pork chops were more expensive — and chicken breasts were cheaper — in Colorado than in other states.

State and attribute the surge in beef prices to fewer cows nationwide, a result of more than a decade of drought that has withered food supplies.

“When that number shrinks, you have less calves being born to go down the supply chain and prices rise,” said Nathan DeLay, assistant professor of livestock economics at Colorado State University.

Instead of paying for more water or feed, many ranchers choose to sell their cows for slaughter instead of breeding. The beef market phenomenon is likely to extend years as ranchers wait for heifers to mature into calf-breeding cows, DeLay said.

Drought exacerbated by climate change in recent years has led many cattle ranchers to thin the size of their herds, nowhere more so than in Colorado. The state’s beef cow population dropped by nearly 50,000 heads or 8% last year. It was the steepest loss in the country, according to an by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Nationwide, the beef cow population has dropped to its lowest point since the early 1960s, DeLay said. Meanwhile, demand for beef products like steak and hamburgers remains robust.

“The consumer still wants beef,” said DeLay, curious to see what grocery shoppers buy this week for the festivities.

Nebraska, South Dakota and California all lost 40,000 or more cows last year, according to the USDA report. Some states expanded their numbers, including Texas, by more than 60,000 head.

The price of two pounds of ground beef in Colorado was $14.41, a dollar more than the national average, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation market snapshot. Pork chops were even more expensive: Three pounds were $18.33, more than four dollars higher than the rest of the country.

Potato chips, ice cream, potato salad and strawberries were also pricier in Colorado, according to the survey. Other Independence Day backyard staples, like hamburger buns, cheese, lemonade and pork and beans, were cheaper in Colorado than elsewhere.

The American Farm Bureau Federation also listed higher tariffs on steel and aluminum as reasons for higher food costs, as well as the outbreak of avian flu among chicken populations, which are still recovering.

Last month, the federal government announced to cattle ranchers to recover from the effects of drought and wildfire over the last two years. The USDA also offers insurance programs to help cover weather-related losses.

Beef is Colorado’s largest international export, DeLay said. The cattle industry and the presence of major meat-processing facilities means the state is a major provider of beef at home and abroad.