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A few things to celebrate this weekend

Hello City Casters and happy Friday,

Wow, that first week of the new year flew by, and it was not an easy one for Colorado. Though by nature I’m prone to optimism, I truly believe that if we continue to stand together as a community and lend a helping hand wherever it’s needed, 2022 can and will be better than 2021. I for one can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We just have to manifest that s**t.

— Peyton Garcia, City Cast Newsletter Writer and Positive Thinker

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🎷 Something To Celebrate

Happy birthday, Dazzle!
Dazzle, one of the most legendary jazz clubs in Denver, will celebrate its 25th anniversary all weekend with special live performances from local and national acts. The iconic venue not only managed to survive the pandemic, but found ways to support the Denver music community at the same time, offering local musicians a free meal and pantry items when they needed it. “I think it was really important to understand that it’s these local musicians who built Dazzle,” General Manager Matt Ruff told Westword. I’d say that’s something worth celebrating. 

Want more on Dazzle? Check out this episode of City Cast Denver from last summer when guest host donnie l. betts spent some time at Dazzle with Matt Ruff, pianist Purnell Steen, and trombonist Stafford Hunter. 

👐 Some Ways To Give Back

How to continue supporting the Marshall Fire victims
I’m sure you need no reminding of just how devastating last week’s Marshall Fire in Boulder County was. The road to recovery will be long and require the support of the entire Colorado community. If you’re still looking for ways to help, here’s how to contribute to the recovery efforts:

  • Visit or donate to these metro area restaurants and businesses hosting fundraising events. 

🤠 Some Local Tradition

The National Western Stock Show
“The 16 best days in January,” so they call it. This century-old Colorado tradition promoting agriculture and celebrating what I fondly call “cowboy culture” returns this year after a pandemic hiatus in 2021. (Growing up in the rural eastern outskirts of the metro area, the Stock Show is embedded in my childhood memories.) Though the annual kickoff parade was canceled (reportedly due to weather conditions) the rest of the festivities — including hog, horse, and goat showings, mutton busting, sheep shearing, rodeos, and of course hundreds of vendors — are scheduled to commence tomorrow. You can find the full line-up of events here.

BUT: If you go, enjoy it safely, please? The city’s health department is allowing the event to take place without a vaccine mandate, and the event’s promise to “lightly monitor masks” has drawn criticism from local health experts, especially in the midst of Denver’s current COVID case surge. The Stock Show “is not the place to be for people who have not been vaccinated,” Denver public health director Bob McDonald told 9News. Read up on the event’s COVID policies. 

🍳 Something We Wanted To Share

An ode to the Breakfast King
In yesterday’s newsletter, City Cast Denver podcast host Bree Davies wrote a lovely homage to the Breakfast King, just the latest in a series of iconic late-night Denver diners to close its doors for good. When City Cast reader Todd M. wrote in to share his own memories at the Breakfast King, we enjoyed it so much that we wanted to share it with all of you as well. Here’s what Todd had to say:

“I have lots of favorite memories but here are just three. We celebrated my kids’ birthdays there when they were young, they are now 27 and 29. We had a German exchange student come to stay with us, he thought the white board omelet included all the meat choices: bacon, sausage, chorizo, buffalo, elk, and a couple more. The waitress, the one with the rhinestone American flag pin whose name I can not remember, laughed when he tried to order the all meat omelet. Lastly, Russell Scott, AKA Blinky the Clown, had his little antique shop up next to Herman’s Hideaway. He’d eat at the King all the time. Blinky lived by us when we were kids and my brother was on the show and in the birthday club. We still sing the Blinky birthday song version. Anyways, leaving the King one time, we left $20 with the cashier and told her to treat Blinky. In grand King style, it was just another something taken in stride. The King is dead. Long live the King.”

Have a Denver memory you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it! Write in to Denver@CityCast.fm. 

🔎 Something To Keep An Eye On 

  • Mayor Hancock nominated Armando Saldate to be Denver’s next public safety executive director. Saldate is currently the assistant deputy director of public safety. He also helped launch the controversial civilian-led Street Enforcement Team last year.

🎙️ Something You May Have Missed

A look back at our shows of the week

  • TODAY: Friday chat: The City Cast team discusses the Stock Show and the new movie with Colorado connections, “Don’t Look Up” 
  • THU: Why Candi CdeBaca was the only councilperson to vote no on Shotspotter
  • TUE: Why is Colorado’s mental health care system so broken?
  • MON: The fire and the shooting — dual tragedies close out 2021 for Colorado.

👉 Find all our shows at denver.citycast.fm.