The mornings finally begin to cool down, the afternoons are still warm enough for a patio, football returns, school is back in session, and before long the mountains will begin putting on the annual fall-color show that reminds us why people keep moving here despite our repeated requests that they stop.
Around the Cherry Creek Valley, September also brings something else: a return to the rhythm of community life.
Summer vacations are ending. Business groups are gathering again. Arts organizations are launching their fall seasons. Restaurants and shops are preparing for a busy final stretch of the year. And local governments, never known for taking an extended vacation, have plenty on their agendas as well.
Cherry Creek Keeps Growing
The latest State of Cherry Creek numbers provide some perspective on just how significant the area has become. Cherry Creek now attracts more than 16.8 million visitors annually, is home to 1,694 businesses, and supports more than 16,800 workers.
The district also generated more than $119 million in tax revenue for Denver during 2025, including retail sales, property and lodging taxes, and parking revenue.
And the building cranes aren’t disappearing anytime soon. Eight projects were reported under construction with another eight announced, including major developments such as Cherry Creek West, the Waldorf Astoria Residences, and Cherry Lane.
All of that development naturally produces debate about traffic, parking, density and what Cherry Creek should look like 10 or 20 years from now.
Those are worthwhile discussions. But amid all the arguments over growth, it is worth remembering that thousands of small and locally owned businesses are part of the Cherry Creek economy. The State of Cherry Creek report counted more than 462 ground-level retail and service businesses, with 87% qualifying as small businesses.
So this September, perhaps buy lunch from somebody who knows your name.
Amazon will survive.
The Arts Wake Up For Fall
September also means Denver’s cultural calendar starts getting serious again.
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts begins its 2026-27 Theatre Company season with Destiny of Desire, opening September 11 at the Wolf Theatre and running through October 4. The production is a telenovela-inspired play with music by Karen Zacarías, directed by Marcela Lorca.
After a summer of concerts, festivals, and outdoor entertainment, September is the month when Denver’s theaters, galleries, and performance spaces begin filling their calendars again. The Gadfly recommends taking advantage. There are only so many evenings one can spend watching television while scrolling through a telephone and simultaneously complaining that nobody does anything interesting anymore.
Colorado Boulevard Remains A Conversation
One subject that will continue well beyond September is the future of Colorado Boulevard. The proposed Bus Rapid Transit project has generated substantial discussion over dedicated transit lanes, automobile capacity, pedestrian safety, neighborhood traffic, and how construction could affect businesses along the corridor.
At an April stakeholder meeting, participants expressed strong interest in safety improvements and more reliable transit, while also asking for additional technical information about traffic modeling and raising concerns about vehicles being diverted onto residential streets. Businesses and residents have also asked planners to consider construction impacts and access. Those aren’t unreasonable questions.
Colorado Boulevard is one of the region’s most important north-south corridors, and improving transit and pedestrian safety while keeping businesses accessible and neighborhoods livable is a balancing act worth getting right.
The Gadfly’s contribution to the planning process remains simple:
Anyone making a major decision about Colorado Boulevard should first be required to drive it during rush hour. Call it field research.
Enjoy September While It Lasts
Colorado September never seems long enough.
Soon enough we’ll be scraping windshields, arguing about snowplows, and watching television meteorologists stand beside Interstate 70 explaining that driving into the mountains during a blizzard might involve delays.
For now, however, we have cool mornings, warm afternoons, football weekends, community gatherings, theater openings, busy patios, and the beginning of fall in the Rockies.
Get outside. Visit a local business. Attend an event. Meet somebody new. Take in a show. Spend an afternoon in the neighborhood.
And sometime this month, look west. The leaves will soon begin changing.
For once, that’s a change everyone around here can probably agree on.
