On Havana Street
Morgan Sonsthagen
Seltzerland Reimagined
New and emerging brands like Bravazzi added to the mix at Seltzerland. Photo by Jessica Hughes
Despite current rises in COVID-19 cases over the summer and numerous festivals canceled in 2021, large events like Seltzerland, still forged ahead by reinventing themselves in these uncertain times. Last month Denver hosted the popular Seltzerland, the nationally touring hard seltzer festival, at Overland Golf Course, marking its second year in the Mile High city.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, the entire event had to be completely reimagined to avoid being cancelled. Originally the event was designed to be held indoors but with COVID, Kate Levenstien, the CEO and founder of Cannonball Productions, decided to host the event on a golf course instead.
Moving Seltzerland to the greens changed the structure of the event and made it safe for everyone to attend during the pandemic. Tee time sign ups were introduced (timed entries), while attendees walked the course with their group stopping by each tasting booth along the way. Sampling routes are designed as a one-way road to keep everyone socially distanced.
Following a successful launch in 2020, Seltzerland began a nationwide 25 city tour in March 2021 at golf courses in Scottsdale, Tampa, Atlanta, Nashville, Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Minneapolis and more.
With the rise in hard seltzers over the years, there seemed to be a space for another “beer fest” only with hard seltzers. As an ode to bubbles and seltzers, Levenstien says “we created Seltzerland to give hard seltzer fans the opportunity to sample new flavors in the most fun way possible. With one-of-a-kind activations, brand new s
Colorado-based breweries, like Oskar Blues, handed out tastings of their hard seltzer line, Wild Basin. Photo by Jessica Hughes
eltzer varieties and beautiful golf courses, Seltzerland is a can’t miss experience.”
Cannonball Production
s also produces the ever popular Bacon and Beer Classic that has made its way to Denver for the past five years, along with other festivals such as Taco Takeover and Whiskey Feast.
Even tequila brands, like Jose Cuervo, made their mark with an elaborate booth and a mixology station. Photo by Jessica Hughes
At Seltzerland, attendees enjoyed a fun day on the green while leisurely walking around the golf course sampling from over 100 hard seltzer flavors, no golfing required. Brands large and small participated including White Claw, Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer, Vizzy and Playamar (Jose Cuervo Seltzer), plus a few from Colorado; Wild Basin from Oskar Blues and Spiked Snowmelt by Upslope Brewing.
Perfectly distanced booths were spread out along the course, where attendees could taste their favorite seltzers and discover new ones with over 20 brands present. Entertainment came in the form of lawn games such as bocce ball and golf ladder. Some brands even provided Seltzer swag and Instagram-worthy booths.
Sad you missed it this year? Well, Seltzerland plans to return to Denver in 2022 with the same structure and the same fun experience it had this year.
To learn more about the 2022 event, visit www.seltzerland.com.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seltzerland/ Instagram: @seltzer_land
City Of Denver Shuts Down Civic Center Park Due To Safety, Rats
by Mark Smiley
Closed: Civic Center Park will be closed for at least two months due to it being a violent, drug, and rat infested area. Many Denver residents are upset with the rise in crime and drug use in the area.
The City and County of Denver closed Civic Center Park and adjacent areas to the public in order to abate significant public safety and environmental health risks that have grown over the past several months and to rehabilitate one of the centerpieces of Denver’s parks system.
The park closed on Wednesday, September 15, 2021. According to the city, the park will be restored to a stable and safe state that is welcoming for all Denver residents.
“The current challenges within Civic Center Park have reached a tipping point, creating conditions that put the public’s health and safety at risk,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said. “This cannot and will not be allowed to continue. This is the people’s park and we are taking steps so that everyone can once again feel safe and welcomed there.”
“We are seeing our city getting overwhelmed by crime and sanitation issues,” said Mike Silverberg, Denver resident. “People are afraid to go downtown an
ymore, and now what was a crown jewel park has been fenced off and closed. The latest consequence of Denver’s “friendly” modeling of San Fran, Seattle, and Portland-type policies and acceptance by the silent majority that this is, and growing crime rates, are acceptable.”
Over the course of the last several weeks, officials from Denver Public Health & Environment have been monitoring conditions in Civic Center Park, Pioneer Fountain at the corner of Broadway and Colfax, and MacIntosh Park Plaza at 15th Ave. and Cleveland St. for health and environmental hazards which create ongoing unhealthy conditions for all users of the park. Many unsafe conditions were noted, including: litter and food waste that attract bugs and rodents; dozens of rodent burrows; human and pet waste which contribute to the spread of disease and impact water quality; and improperly discarded needles and other drug paraphernalia that creates risks to people v
isiting the area and to workers tasked with maintaining the area.
In recent weeks, excessive amounts of trash have accumulated each day, consisting of discarded food, as well as human and hazardous waste, resulting in additional labor hours and rodent infestation. Graffiti and fire damage to the historical stone structures will require professional restoration. A thorough evaluation of the park is also required to ensure all hazardous waste is properly identified and removed.
In addition to the public health risks observed in Civic Center, the park and surrounding areas have become a hotspot for violence, crime, drug sales, and substance misuse, jeopardizing the public’s ability to safely enjoy one of Denver’s treasured outdoor spaces.
The closure is temporary, and Civic Center Park will re-open when abatement measures have been completed and the park is safe for everyone to use. Organizers of scheduled events in Civic Center Park are being contacted for relocation to other park properties.
According to a CBS Denver report, the closure could last as long as two months. The city, however, did not provide any additional information about the timeline of the closure. “When work is complete and all public health issues have been mitigated, Civic Center Park and surrounding areas will be reopened,” read a city press release.
