City Cast Denver

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BONUS: Is Casa Bonita More Fun than Meow Wolf? Or Lakeside? Oct 06, 2021

Show notes

In this morning’s episode, Bree went deep on what makes Casa Bonita special with David Thomas, “professor of fun." But their conversation didn’t end there! So here we are with an afternoon bonus episode with Bree and David putting Casa Bonita up against two other fun Denver spots: Meow Wolf’s new Convergence Station and Lakeside Amusement Park.

If you haven’t heard this morning’s episode, go listen to that one first!

Why Casa Bonita is Textbook Fun (and Why Matt and Trey Couldn't Ruin It If They Tried) Oct 06, 2021

Show notes

It’s official: Trey Parker and Matt Stone have purchased Casa Bonita. So, now what? Will the Lakewood landmark stay the same, or become a fully South Park-themed eatertainment destination? While the iconic restaurant’s future hangs in the balance, we wanted to know: What really makes Casa Bonita fun? Host Bree Davies and Producer Paul Karolyi took an official tour of the still-closed-for-dining immersive eatery with David Thomas, the “Professor of Fun.” David explains why Casa Bonita is more than just a theme restaurant — it’s an architecturally designed masterpiece that invites play, stirs imagination, and ensures that all who visit will be transported to another place and time for an experience that can be hard to put into words.

The City Cast Denver Crew joined Westword Editor-In-Chief Patty Calhoun for the Casa Bonita tour, too — you can read her take on CB and the concept of fun in this week’s Westword.

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Or, give us a ring and leave us a message: ‪(720) 500-5418‬

Is Tay Anderson Owed An Apology? Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

Back in March, Black Lives Matter 5280 posted an account of alleged sexual assault by Denver Public Schools board member Tay Anderson. Then, a woman claiming to speak on behalf of more than 60 students testified at the Colorado state legislature, bringing dozens of sexual assault allegations that were eventually connected to Anderson. In September, after a five-month investigation, all sexual assault accusations against Anderson were found to be unsubstantiated (the investigators did find evidence of other, less serious allegations). But during the intervening months, many journalists published the allegations without any effort to verify them or figure out what was really happening. One of the few voices to question the allegations’ credibility was Colorado Sun columnist Theo Wilson. So today, Host Bree Davies sits down with Wilson to talk about what, exactly, the rest of us seemed to miss about this situation with Director Anderson.

For more from Theo Wilson, check out his organization Shop Talk Live, which is dedicated to the education and empowerment of and improvement of human rights for Black people, and his column in the Colorado Sun.

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Find us on Twitter: @citycastdenver

Are Denver's New Hotel Shelters Any Better Than The Old Kind? Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

Denver has been in a housing and homelessness crisis for many years, and the pandemic only increased the need for more shelter options. In response, one of the City of Denver’s temporary solutions was to rent underutilized hotels and motels and convert them into a new kind of shelter. But as City Cast Denver Producer Xandra McMahon discovered, this temporary housing solution is leaving a lot to be desired. Today on the show, Xandra talks with Host Bree Davies about what she saw at one of these new shelters, what she’s learned from activists and the unhoused community, and how the City and its partners are working to improve this program — and maybe even make it permanent.

For more, here’s Marshall Zelinger’s full report for 9News on the widespread vacancies at these temporary hotel/motel shelters: https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/denver-hotel-rooms-homeless-empty/73-3dd22a0a-b274-4d1b-9088-d5aa7e58b918

Got something about Denver to share? Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood: (720) 500-5418.

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Find us on Twitter: @citycastdenver

Where is The "Real Creativity" in Denver? Plus, Pumpkin Flavor Season Begins Oct 01, 2021

Show notes

It’s the City Cast Denver Friday chat with Producer Paul Karolyi, Newsletter Writer Peyton Garcia, and Host Bree Davies. This week, the discussion centers on outgoing Westword Culture Editor Kyle Harris’s cover story, which asks: “With Culture Becoming a Commodity, Is There Room for Real Creativity in Denver?” Plus, with temps dropping and October approaching, the team shares their favorite fall activities, and Peyton talks extensively about her love for all things pumpkin. (Warning: This episode contains multiple mentions of Pumpkin Spice Lattes.)

Ray Mark Rinaldi’s review of Meow Wolf for the Denver Post/New York Times: https://www.denverpost.com/2021/09/29/review-meow-wolf-denver/

Kealey Boyd’s commentary on Meow Wolf for Hyperallergic: https://hyperallergic.com/678101/meow-wolf-expands-its-immersive-schtick/

Want more news every weekday? Sign up for the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/

Titwrench: 13 Years of Musical Revolution Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

Thirteen years ago, a group of friends and strangers got together and decided to start a music festival in Denver. But it was so much more than your average fest — it was, and still is, a community that calls itself Titwrench. An art-centered collective was formed under the Titwrench umbrella where anyone who wanted to join could learn how to run sound at a concert, teach others how to build their own instruments, and maybe even perform their own music on stage for the first time. Host Bree Davies sits down with her longtime friend and Titwrench cofounder, Sarah Slater, to talk about the evolution of this fest and community.

The festival component of Titwrench is set to begin this Sunday at 4 p.m., with performances from Nacha Mendez, The Milk Blossoms, Machete Mouth, My Name Is Harriett, and Sol VidaWorldwide.

For more on Titwrench, here’s a preview of this weekend’s festival from Westword: https://www.westword.com/music/titwrench-music-festival-comes-to-city-park-12405030

Subscribe to our newsletter right now and never miss another cool Denver event: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/

Are you going to Titwrench this weekend? Post some pics and tag us @citycastdenver!

A Serious Breakfast Burrito Throwdown Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

You’ve called, you’ve written us, and now we bring you the hotly anticipated Breakfast Burrito Throwdown where the City Cast Denver crew will attempt to crown Denver’s best breakfast burrito. It’s not a contest for the faint of heart. But host Bree Davies, producer Paul Karolyi, producer Xandra McMahon, and newsletter writer Peyton Garcia were up for the challenge.

For more burrito news (and regular news too, I guess) subscribe to the City Cast Denver newsletter! https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/

Want another way to connect with the CCD crew? Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver

Why Our Sidewalks are Broken, Crumbling, and Missing Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

Denver’s sidewalks are in a sorry state, and that’s if you’re lucky enough to live in a neighborhood that has them. What’s worse is the fact that property owners are responsible for maintaining our sidewalks, which means not much maintenance gets done at all. So how are we supposed to get out of this mess? Last week, City Cast Denver producer Xandra McMahon tagged along on a walking tour of Cap Hill with District 10 councilperson Chris Hinds and Denver Streets Partnership executive director Jill Locantore to talk about how we got here, the disproportionate impact on our neighbors with disabilities, and what’s stopping us from addressing the problem.

There’s a lot more important stuff happening out there, and you can read about it all in our nifty morning newsletter. Subscribe here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/

They say that every time you retweet @citycastdenver a sidewalk gets repaired. Should we try it out?

Legal Weed Delivery Exists in Denver... Sort Of Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

The first legal weed deliveries happened in Denver last month. But like many aspects of the weed business, the actual implementation of legal delivery hasn’t been easy. Currently, only six dispensaries are permitted for delivery and so far just one, Strawberry Fields, has launched, in partnership with a delivery service called doobba. City Cast Denver host Bree Davies talks with journalist and podcast host Ann Marie Awad about what makes the delivery process so cumbersome for local companies, what it means for those impacted by the war on drugs, and how accessible — or inaccessible — cannabis delivery really is for the average Denverite.

If you want to see how the City of Denver is soliciting applications for cannabis deliver licenses, here’s their site explaining the process: https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Business-Licensing/Business-Licenses/Marijuana-Licenses/Delivery-Permit

Want more local news every weekday? Sign up for the City Cast Denver newsletter here.

Say hello on Twitter! @citycastdenver

Digging Into the Tay Anderson Investigation, Saying Goodbye to Kmart Sep 24, 2021

Show notes

Happy first Friday of fall! For our news roundup, this week: Producer Paul Karolyi and Host Bree Davies discuss the ongoing Tay Anderson school board saga. Plus, Bree reminisces about an older version of Denver, one where her neighborhood Kmart was thriving and Paul comes to the defense of abandoned parking lot activities.

For more on the Tay Anderson story: Check out our episode with Chalkbeat Colorado reporter Melanie Asmar, plus Melanie’s original reporting on the issue.

The Kmart situation has dragged on for years — read/watch more about the former retailer and plans for the new site over on The Denver Channel.

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Find City Cast Denver on Twitter: @CityCastDenver

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