by Valley Gadfly | Apr 23, 2026 | Travel
Opening This Month, Site Will Be Cherry Creek’s First Live Music Space
By Glen Rochardson
Groovy Group: Funk-rock band Opie Gone Bad will entertain at the newly opened Soiled Dove on May 14.
Soiled Dove, the venue long-time residents remember as the Soiled Dove Underground beneath the Tavern in Lowry, is reopening. The new location is above ground at Choppers Sports Grill on South Madison Street in Cherry Creek North. While there are live music venues such as Dazzle downtown, Soiled Dove is the first in Cherry Creek.
The space has been redesigned to offer the production value of a large-scale venue coupled with the vibe of an intimate and up-close setting. Above all, the venue will offer an unparalleled close-by experience for nearby Glendale-Chery Creek music fans.
The room is different, and it will sound different. An acoustic designer has soundproofed the building. Moreover, a city sound engineer was brought in early to make sure residents won’t have any reason to complain.
Soiled Dove Site: Choppers Sports Grill on South Madison Street in Cherry Creek North is reopening as the Soiled Dove.
Railbinders Gig
The Railbenders with special guest Chris Stake will christen the new Soiled Dove stage at Chopper’s Sports Grill on May 9. Group is an American country band formed in Denver in 2000 by Jim Dalton and Tyson Murray. Westword Music Showcase named The Railbenders Denver’s Top Country-Roots act in 2002 and 2003. Stake is a roots-rock, country-soul singer.
Funk-rock band Opie Gone Bad will follow on May 14. The band is known for shows at Herman’s Hideaway and other area venues. Band features Jake Schroeder doing vocals, with Randy Chavez on guitars, Tarell Martin on drums, and Windall Armour on bass.
Upcoming performances are likely to include local acts such as Hazel Miller, The Samples, and Stone Beat Invasion. A chance to hear throwback bands, and cover bands is expected to add a “fun factor” in a neighborhood that has never had live entertainment.
Start As Rick’ Cafe
Choppers got its start as Rick’s Cafe back in the late ’70s, when it was one of the city’s first fern bars. The space showed off its solar-powered dishwasher to then-President Jimmy Carter. It then turned into Chopper’s Sports Grill, named after beloved Nuggets trainer Bob “Chopper” Travaglini. THG took over management early in 2015, then bought the property outright in May 2015 for just over $4 million.
To make sure “the sports piece” is still in the space, there will be no opening acts so that people can still drink and dine before the music start. Guests can then clear out before the music starts. When there are bi
Opening Performance: The Railbenders will christen the new Soiled Dove stage at Chopper’s Sports Grill on May 9. Photo: Mark Tepsic
g games, the schedule will be juggled.
“I want to make it clear that this is a sports bar first, and then live music,” says owner Frank Schultz. He predicts there might be four to six ticketed shows a month. “So, when the Nuggets have playoff games we won’t have shows, it’s as simple as that. And we’ll only be booking shows when we’ve got the right show to book.”
by Mark Smiley | Apr 17, 2026 | Uncategorized
by Mark Smiley
With spring sports heating up, Glendale and Cherry Creek-area residents don’t have to travel far to find one of Colorado’s biggest game-day viewing experiences.
Just a short drive from Glendale, the Gaylord Rockies Resort is spotlighting its Mountain Pass Sports Bar, now featuring a 75-foot flat panel television, billed as the largest indoor viewing screen in the state, for fans looking to catch the season’s biggest matchups.
The venue is positioning itself as a regional destination for sports enthusiasts, offering a stadium-style atmosphere with expansive seating, elevated sightlines, and a high-energy setting designed for group viewing.
For Glendale residents accustomed to neighborhood sports bars, Mountain Pass offers a distinctly unique alternative. The space combines the feel of a traditional sports bar with resort-level amenities, making it an option for everything from casual watch parties to special occasions.
To complement the viewing experience, the resort has introduced a limited-time, game-day menu built around shareable comfort food. Highlights include the “Colorado Gold Sandwich” with slow-cooked pork and Carolina gold barbecue sauce, a “Slam Dunk” platter of chicken tenders and wings with multiple sauce options, and the “Buzzer Beater,” a sampler of popular bar appetizers. A duo of dips, tinga chicken, and chorizo queso, rounds out the offerings.
The resort is also making a direct appeal to local residents, including those in Glendale and Cherry Creek, through its Local Resident Card program. The free program provides a 10% discount on dining and spa services, along with up to four hours of complimentary self-parking, a perk that helps offset the drive for nearby visitors.
Beyond game day, Gaylord Rockies continues to market itself as a quick getaway option for metro-area residents. The property includes more than 10 dining outlets, the Relâche Spa, and the year-round Arapahoe Springs Water Park, featuring indoor and outdoor pools, waterslides, and a lazy river.
With major sporting events drawing crowds throughout the spring, the resort’s expanded viewing experience could give Glendale-area fans a new destination to consider, one that trades the neighborhood bar for a big-screen spectacle just minutes away.
For more information, visit GaylordRockies.com.
by Mark Smiley | Apr 17, 2026 | Uncategorized
by Mark Smiley
This summer, the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center is transforming into a destination for comic book fans and families alike, as DC Super Heroes take center stage in a new immersive seasonal experience.
“Super Hero Summer,” a partnership between Gaylord Hotels and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences, will run from Memorial Day weekend through Sept. 7, offering a wide range of themed attractions, entertainment, and activities inspired by iconic DC characters.
The event brings interactive programming throughout the resort, from live shows and character dining, to scavenger hunts and poolside movie nights. Organizers say the goal is to create an experience that blends entertainment with hands-on activities for guests of all ages.
At the center of the experience is the resort’s Arapahoe Springs Water Park, which will host DC-themed events throughout the summer, including “Super Hero Splash” activities, trivia, and live entertainment. The indoor-outdoor water park, featuring heated pools, waterslides, and a 720-foot lazy river, will serve as a hub for many of the festivities.
Guests can also take part in the “DC Super Hero Academy Live Show,” an interactive performance that invites participants to solve puzzles and engage in storytelling adventures, along with character appearances from familiar heroes. Dining experiences will include a Justice League-themed breakfast where guests can meet characters while enjoying themed menu offerings.
Additional attractions include a resort- wide scavenger hunt based on The Riddler, craft stations for children, and spontaneous “super hero sightings” throughout the property. Poolside movie nights featuring DC films and specialty food and drink menus will round out the entertainment lineup.
The resort is also offering overnight packages tied to the event, including options geared toward families that bundle activities, themed merchandise, and resort credits.
For Colorado residents, Gaylord Rockies will continue its Local Resident Card program, which provides discounts on dining and spa services, along with limited complimentary parking.
Located just outside Denver in Aurora, the Gaylord Rockies Resort has become a regional destination for large-scale seasonal programming. With its proximity to both Denver International Airport and downtown Denver, the resort regularly draws visitors from across the metro area, including Glendale and Cherry Creek.
Organizers say the Super Hero Summer experience is designed to appeal to both overnight guests and local visitors looking for a day trip or special outing.
More information, including tickets and package details, is available through the resort’s website at www.gaylordrockies.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Apr 17, 2026 | General Featured
Electric Scooters Were Ridden Nearly 6.8 Million Miles Throughout Denver In 2025
by Glen Richardson
Coming To Town: The Department of Transportation & Infrastructure’s (DOTI) has selected Veo to take over the city’s scooter contract.
Following the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure’s (DOTI) selection of Veo to take over the city’s scooter operations at the end of 2025, Denver City Council — after postponing the vote twice — is expected to finally make a selection this month (May).
Lime and Bird — the two companies currently holding the city’s contract — expires on May 16. Though Veo operates in more than 50 cities, the Denver fleet would be its largest to date. Its biggest market is currently in Washington, D.C., where it has approximately 4,000 vehicles, compared to the 9,000 in Denver.
The city’s shared micro mobility program has grown into one of the largest in the nation since e-scooters arrived on Denver’s streets in 2018.
Ramifications
Reckless Riders: There’s little or no policing of careless and dangerous scooter rider behavior and improper scooter parking.
While the current companies have had success in expanding ridership and running a leading equity program, they’ve failed to address unintended side effects. Despite requests from both the city and residents, their scooters continue to block sidewalks, facilitate illegal riding, and lead to increasingly frequent injuries and deaths.
Lime lets low-income residents ride scooters for free if they receive city, state, or federal subsidies like SNAP and Medicaid. For them the free transportation has been pivotal, allowing them to get to work, school, and appointments without cost. They also bypass public transportation limitations, car traffic, and the maintenance requirements and fear of theft that come with owning personal scooters and bikes.
Lime argues that the smaller micro mobility company is incapable of taking over.
Hands Full Task
“Transitioning this program in May, the highest ridership season of the year, while Veo is engaging with a program here in Denver that is at least twice large as any program they’ve ever run before, they’re going to have their hands full no matter what,” suggests Zach Williams, Lime’s regional head of government relations.
“We just want to make sure that there is sufficient time between the transition to allow for as many people as humanly possible to get moved over.”`
Rentable electric scooters were ridden nearly 6.8 million miles throughout Denver in 2025. That’s the equivalent of scooting around the entire circumference of the Earth more than 270 times.
Lime’s Largest
Denver’s access program is Lime’s largest, according to the company, with around 30,000 people signed up.
Lime is seeking a contract extension of 12- to 18-months to serve as a transitional period, the company says.
“It has helped me get to the births of two of my granddaughters. It has helped me keep a job that I was working after the hours that public transportation, like RTD, is running,” Arenthian Bohannan, a Lime Access rider, testified during a March 18 committee hearing.
Outreach Upsurge
Despite Lime’s concerns that access riders will fall through the cracks, DOTI says the company has refused to assist in transitioning Lime users to Veo’s new access program until the contract is finalized.
“We have specifically asked that the current operators communicate information about the access program transition to their access program users. …Unfortunately, they have chosen not to,” Alaina McWhorter, DOTI’s legislative liaison, said at the April 1 committee meeting.
“DOTI, Veo, and the city can ramp up and expand our outreach and enrollment activities very quickly when this contract gets signed. We have the contingencies and mechanisms in place. …We are not going to rely on our current vendor to do it out of the goodness of their heart.”
Transition
Last Load? Lime, one of the two companies currently holding the city’s contract, argues that the smaller micro mobility company is incapable of taking over.
Veo defends its ability to handle the transition. The current access program averages 7,000 to 8,000 active monthly users, according to the city; over 1,200 users have already pre-enrolled for Veo’s access program.
Residents can use their participation in the current Lime Access program as proof of eligibility to enroll, and Veo will allow a grace period for users to ride for free throughout May without providing proof of eligibility.
“They’re grasping at straws,” Alexander Keating, Veo’s vice president of policy and partnerships, says of Lime and Bird. “Both of those vendors have a track record of, if they feel they can intimidate a city with a lawsuit or a challenge, they will. …Having lost the procurement, they have a lot on the line. They’re going to do what they need to do to try to protect themselves. I’m not super surprised, but I think it’s unfortunate.”
Free Rides
Veo’s proposed access program offers more flexibility for riders, but fewer overall minutes. Currently, Lime Access provides three free rides per day, each lasting up to 30 minutes. That means users can’t make two round-trips.
Veo has agreed to continue providing free rides with its own access pips without paying, even if each trip is only a few minutes long. Veo will offer 60 minutes of free rides per day, with no limit on the number of rides taken; after the 60 minutes, riders will be charged $0.15 per minute, with no unlocking fee.
Lime Access used to provide unlimited free rides in Denver, but the company scaled back the program to just three rides per day in April 2025.
Council Concerns
The debate over the scooter providers has centered on the access program and panicked riders who fear losing an essential means of transportation. That fear has infiltrated Denver City Council, as well.
“I’ve been wrestling really hard with the equity program,” Councilmember Sarah Parady said during the April 1 meeting. “I’m just really, really worried that people are not going to find their way back into the program for a whole variety of reasons. I think Veo has done what can be done on their end; it’s just because of not having an overlap.”
City officials have long raised red flags about Lime and Bird’s operations here.
Denver prohibits riding scooters on sidewalks, riding with multiple passengers and parking scooters in ways that block sidewalks or streets, but all of those behaviors can be observed daily in the city. Despite this, Denver police issued only nine citations for improper scooter use between 2018 and 2024, compared with the over 18.3 million e-scooter trips taken in that timeframe. That has led officials to look to the companies to enforce proper behavior among their riders.
Policing Riders
Veo Benefit: Each vehicle has a QR code that reads “How’s my parking?” which passersby can use to report improperly parked vehicles.
“There’s little or no policing of careless and dangerous scooter rider behavior and improper scooter parking,” alleged David Kurth of the Upper Downtown Neighborhood Association during the March 18 committee meeting. Kurth expressed frustration over “the lip service that the current providers — especially Lime — have given to the safety of pedestrians in the downtown area.”
Reckless behavior by riders has dire consequences. Fifteen people have died while riding scooters in Denver since 2018, with over half of those deaths occurring just last year. Denver Health registered 1,868 patient encounters attributed to scooter injuries in 2025. That’s more than five patient encounters each day of the year. And Denver police received 199 reports of scooter-vehicle crashes in 2025.
Veo scooters are fitted with technology to detect unlawful behavior, such as riding on sidewalks or riding with multiple people on board, and the vehicle emits a voice warning if a rider does something wrong. Each vehicle has a QR code that reads “How’s my parking?”, which passersby can use to report improperly parked vehicles. Veo also offers a variety of vehicles with seats and larger wheels than those on standard standing scooters, improving stability for riders.
