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City Cast Denver

Paul Karolyi

Olivia Jewell Love

Have you ever seen a horse fly? Instead of the traditional Kentucky Derby with racehorses, the Butterfly Pavilion is hosting Bugs and Brews 

. Enjoy cocktails, watch cockroaches race, wear your best insect-inspired Derby hat, and partake in all kinds of derby-esque insect activities. 21+ only!

Are you like Einstein if he was actually a total music buff? Welcome to absolutely crushing music bingo! A local company called 

 hosts music bingo at various locations around town, including Denver Beer Co. It’s just like bingo, but instead of numbers, they play songs and you cross out the names on your card!

 has a new menu item: iced matcha with lemon cold foam. For the matcha-curious, this sweet and tangy version of the trending drink can be a fun foray into a world of endless caffeine combinations. “It’s the most delicious matcha I’ve ever had,” according to Keep it Local newsletter writer Michelle Polizzi.

Looking to indulge in TikTok’s latest sweet treat trend? Try out a “soft serve margarita” over at 

 in Lakewood. With rotating fruity flavors on tap and complete with a mini umbrella, this picture-worthy dessert is definitely a perfect start to the warm season in the Mile High.

Whether you’re looking to hop on the “beef tallow bandwagon” or just craving some fried deliciousness, 

 offers all their snacks seed-oil free. This Utah chain’s single Denver location feels like stepping into a tasty-smelling time capsule. Their specialty? Pastrami! But, can’t go wrong with the classic steak fries and onion rings.

🥾 In the Footsteps of the ‘Forrest Gump of Colorado’

After a winter of couch vegging and limited sunshine, it’s time to get out there and hike! Producer Paul Karolyi has been doing some research on the origin of some of Denver’s wildest conspiracy theories, and that took him 

 to the top of Mt. Falcon, where a fascinating historical figure named John Brisben Walker once proposed to build a “Summer White House” that would overlook Morrison and the Front Range. Are you letting the president of summer on your lawn?

Our recommendations for what to do in Denver this May.

Things to Do in Denver in May 2026

Your Guide to Denver in May 2026

Find the best of everything that Denver has to offer.

Denver’s Best

Denver's Best

Michelle Polizzi

There’s something about eating outside that instantly makes me feel relaxed. Maybe it’s the feeling of warm sunshine while sipping on a cold drink, or breathing in the mood-boosting compounds of trees. However, there’s nothing like the annoying sounds of traffic or an unsightly construction project to take you out of your blissful state.

Since we all deserve a side of chill while drinking or dining al fresco, here are five Denver patios that truly feel like a vacation — all without leaving the metro area.

⛵ Lakehouse Kitchen + Tavern (Littleton)

Waterfront patios aren’t the first thing that come to mind in Denver, but that’s exactly what you’ll find at 

. This family-friendly bar and grill has a deck overlooking Littleton’s Johnson Reservoir, providing pretty views of the water and the mountains from every table. On chilly evenings, gather around their outdoor firepit, indulge in American comfort foods, and enjoy the slower, vacation-inspired pace.

Enjoy a glass of their house whiskey on the rocks, made by Denver’s own Bear Creek Distillery.

. This restaurant in a cozy red brick house has a laid-back atmosphere that feels like a good friend’s home, and there’s a reason its patio is often named one of Denver’s best. There’s about a dozen outdoor tables shaded by lush green vines, patio umbrellas, and even sunflowers in summertime — the perfect escape on a hot, busy day.

Their wood-fired pizza is delish, but they’ve also got salads, pasta, sandwiches, and a kid’s menu.

, tons of picnic tables cover a sprawling patio decked out with twinkle lights, fire pits, and plenty of space for your friends, family, and dogs. As their name suggests, they’ve got dozens of craft beers on tap, which you can enjoy alongside American eats like smashburgers and Nashville hot chicken sandwiches — not to mention their overflowing game selection, which guarantees hours of fun.

Snag a table early because Recess doesn’t take reservations.

🍚 Domo Japanese Country Restaurant (Lincoln Park)

This garden patio filled with cherry trees, shrub-lined walkways, handmade parasol umbrellas, and soft water sounds will transport you to the Japanese countryside. 

 will take your tastebuds there, too, with traditional homestyle foods like Japanese curry, nabeyaki soup, and green tea soba. This hidden oasis in Denver is also home to a Japanese museum, making it truly unlike anywhere else in the city.

Domo is open Tues-Sun and closes at 7 p.m., so plan on going early.

Denver Patios that Feel Like a Vacation

Five Denver Patios that Feel Like a Vacation

Peyton Garcia

The Hallmark holiday of love falls on a Saturday this year, so don’t squander your opportunity to do something extra special, whether you’re with your sweetheart, your gal pals, or flying solo. Here are some ideas to set the mood 💘

Get to know your romantic partner more intimately at the Sexploratorium’s 

. Channel your inner Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore in this 

 at Community Clay. Or, tie the knot at the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s annual 

Looking for something more adventurous than your average date night? Study the wild world of animal mating rituals and other evidence of love in nature at the 

, a 21+ evening at Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Sample chocolate-covered edible insects at the Butterfly Pavilion’s 

, a holiday-themed adults-only evening. Or, turn your partner’s likeness into a sculpted masterpiece at a 

Grab your besties for a night of primping and pampering at 

 by Rollers and Rouge. Make a new BFF bracelet at Fever Dream’s 

. Or, get down with your gal pals at this 

Valentine’s Day not your thing? Commiserate over 

 at The Family Jones. Find community through other true tales of heartbreak at 

SO THIS SUCKS: The Annual Anti Valentine's Day Show (21+)

, a love-themed edition of the confessional comedy show. Or, join the Denver Feminist Chorus in “

” an empowering anti-Valentine’s Day concert.

On the lookout for love? Improper City is hosting a good old fashioned 

 over good drinks, laid back conversations, and interactive icebreakers. Beacon dance bar invites those looking for friends, fun, and more to the 

. Or, swing by the Bob Ragland Branch Library for a workshop on 

Whether you’re with your sweetheart, your gal pals, or flying solo. Here are some ideas to set the mood.

Where to Celebrate Valentine's Day in Denver

Your Mile High Valentine’s Day Guide

Bree Davies

Sure, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and reservations at your favorite romantic restaurant are Valentine’s Day staples, but what else is in store for this February in the Mile High? Turns out, a lot! So we’ve rounded up our top picks for things to do, see, eat, and celebrate around Denver this month.

🥮 Eat Something Festive for Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year falls on Tuesday, Feb. 17, this year. You can usher in the Year of the Horse at the 

 beloved annual celebration (Feb. 21-22) or along Aurora’s famously delicious 

 (Feb. 15). Indulge at one (or both!) free events with dumplings, noodles, and mooncakes galore.

👑 See ‘SIX’ Get Glammed Up and Yassified

If you’re a fan (and you definitely should be) of the wildly popular theater production 

 that tells the story of King Henry VIII from the perspective of his six wives if they were a modern-day pop group, this one’s for you! The story is now being retold by six Denver drag queens in a glammed up parody of the Broadway banger. The 

 will be Friday, Feb. 20, at MCA Denver’s Holiday Theater.

🌓 Bask in This Coffee Shop’s 24/7 Diner Vibes

From lavender lattes and breakfast sandwiches to chicken tikka masala pizza and Irish cream cold brew, 

 — with locations in Speer and Rosedale — has it all. The Rosedale spot offers comfy couches for catching up with an old friend, an outdoor fire pit for late-night hangs, and tables aplenty for working or brunching.

🎳 Plan Family-Friendly Fun (on a Budget!)

Looking for an affordable, low-effort hang? 

 in Englewood offers a cozy eight-lane bowling alley with couch-like seating on the cheap! Enjoy a few frames of low-stakes fun with friends for just the $4 shoe rental fee and $5 games (Monday-Friday), plus $3 domestic beers on weekdays from 3-6 p.m.

Yarn, paint, canvases, vintage postcards, beads — you name it — locally-owned, upcycled craft haven 

 has everything you didn’t know you needed. Want to add a little spontaneity to your art practice? Pick up one of the shop’s “blind bags” and score a surprise selection of fabrics, jewelry making supplies, and other crafting goodies.

☕ Find Coffee, Cookies, and Community at Convivio Café

 and settle in for a cortadito and conversation in their sunny and inviting shop. Come for the coffee, and stay for the treats 🤤 We suggest the creamy, custardy Flan de Vainilla or the not-too-sweet, crumbly perfection that is the housemade Blue Corn Cookies.

There’s even more where these came from! Tune into the 

Even more recommendations for your February! 🎧

Our top picks for things to do, see, eat, and celebrate this month. 

Your Guide to Denver in February 2026

There’s a new sauna coming to town. And the service menu at 

 looks like peak luxury with top-of-the-line saunas, cold plunges, and soaking pools, plus tea ceremonies, salt scrubs, a “rain room,” and the performance-based German sauna ritual of “

.” More than just your average spa experience, Coba promises to be a “

concept of extreme, immersive proportions

.” And “immersive” is exactly the term since it’s being created by a team of Meow Wolf veterans. With plans to open sometime next year, they project Coba will bring in about 300,000 guests annually and cost roughly $27 million to build.

But that’s just one ambitious wellness project on the horizon — plans for another new spa facility are underway for 

the rooftop of a seven-story parking garage

 in the 9+CO retail center in Denver’s Hale neighborhood. 

 — which will also offer saunas, cold plunges, and aufguss ceremonies — is targeting an opening date in late spring or early summer this year.

More than just a one-time luxury indulgence, both projects will lean into monthly membership models (though there will be single-session passes, too). But they're not the only ones — saunas appear to be 

In the meantime, if you’re looking for steamy waters to sink into, the Denver metro has other options:

Offering steams, soaks, and massages, this no-frills old school Russian spa has been serving the Mile High City for nearly 100 years. Clothing optional.

. 
Specializing in “contrast therapy,” this spa offers two saunas and individual cold plunges. Clothing required.

 (Aurora) 
This Korean-style sauna offers hot and cold tubs, steam and dry saunas, a relaxation room, mud room, and crystal room. This is a nude facility. 

Opening just last spring, this Nordic spa experience features a sauna, steam room, thermal soak, and cold plunge. Clothing required.

 for quicker, more casual sauna experiences.

Denver's Best Saunas

Tell us about your favorite ♨️

Not Your Average Spa: Is Denver Having a Wellness Moment?

City Cast Denver staff

On Dec. 18, 2025, the City Cast Denver team hosted the first-ever 

! We came together with nearly 300 of our most loyal listeners, readers, and supporters to celebrate the season and our favorite people, places, and moments of 2025. It was an evening of glitz, glam, holiday frivolity, and Mile High spirit ✨ 🥂

Pictured above on the official City Cast Denver "Green Carpet" is yours truly 🙋🏻‍♀️ (far right) with CCD host Bree Davies and Senior Account Executive Maggie Azzolini. 

Click the link below to browse the full Green Carpet gallery ⬇️

See the photos! 📸

Thank you to the talented photographers at 

PHOTOS: 2025 Denver-est Denver Awards

Nobody understands a city’s pulse quite like a 

. So, the higher-ups at City Cast have turned to them to forecast 

what’s in store for 2026 across the nation

. From political shifts to data centers, their perspectives offer a candid preview of the issues and surprises that could shape our hometowns.

Curious what’s around the corner? Catch their unique insights on 

all 13 hosts predicted this year’s biggest stories

. Here’s a preview of that conversation.

Zohran Mamdani’s election in New York has energized Democratic Socialists across the U.S. 

 with the election of Katie Wilson, but it’s yet to be seen if she has the same star power or sway inside City Hall.

City Cast Seattle host Jane C. Hu says the linchpin of Wilson’s election is likely to come with this summer’s FIFA World Cup, as advocates for the city’s unhoused population watch whether Wilson will sweep encampments as previous mayors have.

“It’s going to be interesting to see what she decides there, because there's going to be tension between what people elected her for and what action she’s actually able to take,” Hu says.

Many City Cast cities are seeing a surge in data center development. “It’s going to be a doozy” of a conversation in 2026, as our CEO David Plotz pointed out.

In Madison, the mayor and much of the City Council last year proposed a 

one-year moratorium on zoning certificates

 for new data centers while they try to better understand how data centers could impact the electric grid and energy bills. City Cast Madison host Bianca Martin says Madisonians are “up in arms.”

“Folks are concerned that this might be a bubble, that this could be another dot-com bubble where Silicon Valley folks rush in, move to scale, and then they’re like, let’s abandon ship,” Martin says.

But aren’t data centers great for the economy? Plotz 

, suggesting that data centers contributed to the tech economy in Washington, D.C. Well, that got the group fired up.

“We’re also talking about doing it in really beautiful green spaces that we don’t want to be cluttered with this kind of nonsense,” says City Cast Pittsburgh host, Megan Harris.

And the conversation didn’t end there. From an affordability crisis to massive infrastructure changes, here’s what each of our hosts predicted for this year’s biggest news.

 gives Democrats a safe congressional seat — and candidates are chomping at the bit to announce their bids. But now that they don’t have to court Republican voters, Salt Lake is wondering: Could Democrats explore Mamdani-level progressivism?

. There’s a housing crisis, a stagnant population, and a nearly 50-year-old reputation for economic gloom they can’t seem to outrun. Tax increases may help, but Pittsburgh’s got to figure out how to attract more people if the city ever wants to really evolve.

? With rising homelessness, controversial city spending, and Austin voters overwhelmingly rejecting Prop Q, which would have raised property taxes, Austinites will be focused on what the city is spending on and why it’s not being spent more equitably.

. With real estate investment lagging, downtown Portland will likely see an increase in unique, temporary, and creative storefronts as property managers and the city will shift toward a “punk rock mall” model.

, which could open the door to a competitive primary and potentially transform a new generation of Democratic leadership.

The Twin Cities, a longtime hub for legal immigration, is facing rising tension as 

ICE continues to target the Somali community

. One Republican state representative has already spoken out against Trump’s rhetoric, but there are also voices supporting the president’s language. Which way will things shift in 2026?

Elon Musk’s The Boring Company is building twin 9.5-mile 

 between downtown Nashville and the airport, with future extensions proposed. Is this the right move for Nashvillians? In 2026, locals will continue to question safety, oversight, and a lack of geological testing, especially considering the city’s limestone terrain is vulnerable to sinkholes.

Denver wants to help build new stadiums for the Broncos

 and its first National Women's Soccer League team, sparking debates over public funding, community benefits, and transparency. Pushback includes concerns about backroom deals and threats from NWSL owners to leave if demands aren’t met. The teams are promising huge economic impacts for the whole city. We expect Denver to look very different in the years to come.

 is uncertain amid mass firings, agencies possibly relocating, and a Supreme Court case threatening civil service rules. The city’s economy, housing market, and politics all hinge on whether the federal workforce remains.

 in our lifetime. Driven by increased marketing efforts and major events, including an NCAA tournament, MLB All-Star Game, FIFA World Cup, and the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, Philly is determined to expose the world to the city.

Nevada’s new crime bill, which goes into effect this year, will allow judges to “order out” anyone with a criminal charge from the 

. What are the implications for the city’s tourist corridor when individual rights are sacrificed for the goal of encouraging tourism? And how could similar bills affect tourism nationwide?

Nobody understands a city’s pulse quite like a City Cast host. So we’re turning to all 13 of our hosts, including Denver’s Bree Davies, who are sharing the biggest stories shaping their hometowns in 2026. 

2026 Predictions for Denver and Across the City Cast Network

The Biggest Stories We Predict in 2026

It’s January! The new year can be a time of reflection, rejuvenation, or commitment to bigger, better things for 2026. How do you plan on enjoying this new beginning? We’ve got some ideas! As we do each month, we’ve rounded up the best things to do, see, eat, and explore this time of year in the Mile High City 😌

 invites archers of all skill levels to test out the sport, providing full equipment and expert instruction for a fun afternoon of bows and arrows.

Indulge your inner shopaholic with a trip to the newly opened 

 on Evans Avenue, where you can dig through overstock, customer returns, and clearance items from big name retailers with prices that get slashed throughout the week.

, the bartenders at the Henderson-Withey Lounge create bomb cocktails to go with your fave flicks. We recommend their spicy margarita, made with your choice of top shelf tequilas, mezcals, and authentic agave spirits.

Grab a table at Berkeley neighborhood staple 

 for a heaping plate of flavor. From the fried plantains to arepas stuffed with delicious options like slow-cooked pork, seasoned fish, or savory ham, this bright and sunny spot is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner on a cold winter day.

🏇 Catch a Champion Charro on Horseback

Don’t miss two week’s worth of rodeos, livestock competitions, and other Wild West revelry during the annual 

 Jan. 10-25. Grab a ticket for one of our favorite events every year, the 

, where you’ll witness the Mexican sport of 

 in action, a traditional equestrian competition of horsemanship and cattle-herding skills.

🤠 Get Outfitted in Your Best Buckaroo Garb

If you’re headed to the Stock Show and you want to dress the part, we recommend a visit to 

There’s way more where these came from — tune into the 

Even more recommendations for your January! 🎧

Cheers to a new year! How do you plan on enjoying this new beginning? We’ve got some ideas! 

Your Guide to Denver in January 2026

 is THIS Thursday! 😱 Votes are pouring in for 

 Who will be crowned Denver’s Most Denver-est Denverite of 2025? The winners will be revealed live on-stage at the Oriental Theater Dec. 18. Make your voice count! 👇

What Are the Qualities of a Very Denver-y Denverite?

The most Denver-est Denverite should be the person who most embodies the best qualities of a true Denverite — courageous, gritty, and driven to make Denver a better place. They’re a diehard lover of and believer in the Mile High City 

“She has spent her life advocating for the citizens of Denver and trying to make Denver a better place through grassroots work and policymaking. She knows all the hidden gems of Denver, can bridge the gap between Old Denver and New Denver, and absolutely loves her city.”

Content Creator, Community Organizer, HD5 Candidate

“Rayna is the true definition of a Denverite. She has a true passion for the city as she uplifts Denver in all aspects of her life. The activist group she started at the beginning of 2025, the 

 (DAWG), does amazing work for the community, such as connecting people with nonprofits in the women's rights, community health, and immigration spaces.”

 Courageous, gritty, and driven to make Denver a better place, they’re a diehard lover of and believer in the Mile High City no matter what.


Denver's Best

Your Guide to Denver in May 2026

Five Denver Patios that Feel Like a Vacation

Your Mile High Valentine’s Day Guide

Latest articles

Your Guide to Denver in February 2026

Not Your Average Spa: Is Denver Having a Wellness Moment?

PHOTOS: 2025 Denver-est Denver Awards

The Biggest Stories We Predict in 2026

Your Guide to Denver in January 2026

Who Was the Denver-est Denverite of 2025?

A Mile High Holiday Gift Guide