by Mark Smiley | Apr 1, 2026 | Main Articles
by Mark Smiley
Sunrise Service: Worshippers gather at Red Rocks Amphitheatre before dawn for Easter sunrise service, an annual Colorado tradition that draws thousands to the iconic venue. As the sun rises over the Front Range, the natural sandstone formations frame a service of music and reflection to mark the holiday. Photo Credit: CBS Colorado
As spring returns to the Front Range, Easter Sunday on April 5, 2026, is shaping up to be one of the city’s busiest brunch days of the year. From elegant hotel spreads to family-friendly breakfasts with the Easter Bunny, Denver offers a wide range of ways to celebrate the holiday.
A City Of Brunch Traditions
For many Denverites, Easter brunch is as much about the experience as it is the food. Classic hotel dining rooms and chef-driven restaurants are once again rolling out special menus and buffets.
Brown Palace: Guests gather beneath the historic atrium at The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa in downtown Denver, where elegant surroundings and live music help define one of the city’s most enduring Easter brunch traditions. The landmark hotel has hosted refined dining experiences for generations.
At The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, Autograph Collection, a longtime downtown landmark, holiday brunch is a tradition, with refined settings and multi-generational appeal. Nearby, Corinne Denver offers a more contemporary take on brunch, with a menu that blends comfort food and seasonal ingredients.
Steakhouses are also leaning into the holiday. A special Easter buffet at Urban Farmer will feature made-to-order omelets, a waffle bar, oysters, and roasted lamb, with seatings running throughout the morning and early afternoon.
For those willing to venture just outside the city, The Greenbriar Inn in Boulder plans an expansive buffet with prime rib, salmon, quiches, and a wide dessert spread, an example of the indulgent, all-you-can-enjoy format that remains popular for Easter celebrations.
More casual brunch-goers can still find festive options at neighborhood favorites like Bacon Social House — Sunny Side, where hearty breakfast plates and cocktails keep things lively, or Gaetano’s, known for its Italian-inspired weekend brunch.
Beyond The Buffet:
Music And Experiences
Easter Bunny: Families pose for photos with the Easter Bunny during holiday events at Denver’s Downtown Aquarium, where annual brunches and egg hunts draw crowds each spring. The event combines a buffet breakfast, children’s activities, and discounted access to exhibits, making it one of the city’s most popular family-friendly Easter traditions.
This year, several venues are pairing brunch with entertainment. At Dazzle in the Denver Performing Arts Complex, guests can enjoy a chef-curated brunch accompanied by live bossa nova from guitarist Alex Trujillo and his quartet — an option that blends dining with a concert atmosphere.
These hybrid experiences reflect a broader trend in Denver’s dining scene, where restaurants increasingly offer immersive events rather than traditional seated meals.
Family-Friendly Festivities
Easter in Denver isn’t just for adults lingering over mimosas. Families will find plenty of kid-focused events across the metro area.
At the Downtown Aquarium, a “Breakfast with the Easter Bunny” invites children to dine, take photos, and explore marine exhibits at a discounted rate afterward.
Buffet: Buffet stations featuring pastries, fruit, and made-to-order dishes are a hallmark of Denver’s Easter brunch scene, with hotels and restaurants offering expansive holiday spreads designed for leisurely, multi-course dining.
Hotels are also embracing the family market. The Ritz-Carlton, Denver, will host a holiday breakfast featuring pastries, made-to-order stations, and appearances by the Easter Bunny — offering a more upscale but still kid-friendly experience.
Across the region, community egg hunts and spring festivals remain staples of the weekend, often paired with food trucks, games, and live entertainment.
Reservations Strongly Recommended
If there’s one consistent piece of advice from restaurateurs, it’s to plan ahead. Easter brunch is one of the busiest dining days of the year, and many venues operate on fixed seatings or require prepaid reservations.
Buffet-style events in particular tend to sell out early, especially those offering extras like bottomless mimosas or live entertainment.
Sunrise Service
Beyond brunch, many in the Denver area will begin Easter Sunday with a sunrise service at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, one of Colorado’s most iconic settings. As the sun rises over the sandstone formations, thousands gather for a non-denominational service that blends music, reflection, and sweeping Front Range views. The annual tradition offers a quieter, spiritual start to the holiday before the city shifts into a day of brunches, egg hunts, and celebrations.
A Holiday That
Blends Food And Celebration
Whether it’s a jazz-filled brunch downtown, a lavish buffet in a historic hotel, or pancakes with the Easter Bunny, Denver’s Easter offerings reflect the city’s broader dining culture: diverse, experiential, and family-friendly.
For many, the holiday is less about a single meal and more about how that meal fits into a day of celebration, one that marks the arrival of spring in the Mile High City.
by Valley Gadfly | Apr 1, 2026 | Uncategorized
More Homes Are Changing Hands, Even If Prices Aren’t Jumping Significantly
by Glen Richardson
Wash Park Charm: Denver’s Wash Park neighborhood is highly sought after. This York Street charmer sold for $4 million.
In February of this year (2026), the time required for a typical home to find a buyer in the Denver market fell to 33 days, down almost 38% from January. Realtors say that since the new year, they’ve been extremely busy; “almost like back to 2022 levels.”
A dip below the 6% threshold in 30-year mortgage rates is nudging homebuyers back into making offers. This is the first-time rates have dropped below 6% since 2022.
The median price of a detached home in the 11-county Denver area rose 2.44% over the past 30 days. Moreover, pending home sales rose 29.26% from January. Prices had been falling slightly during the slow months of late 2025 and at the start of 2026. Denver’s median sales price is 34% higher than the national average.
Quick, Pricey Sell: This home on Race Street in the Denver Country Club sold to a cash buyer in only nine days for $8,595,000.
Pricey Homes
According to data from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors, 5,567 properties sold for at least $1 million in 2025 in the 11-county region the association considers the Denver metro area. Those sales totaled $9.1 billion.
That represented a 5% increase in the number of properties sold and a 7% increase in the in the overall value of luxury home sales compared with 2024.
The latest numbers from Denver’s Metro Association of Realtors shows the median sales prices in the Denver area are down 2%. It’s now just under $600,000, and the actual number of homes sold was down every month in 2025 compared to 2024.
Average Price
The realtor group says the overall median home price in metro Denver sits at around $599,000. Detached single-family homes are averaging $650,000 to $666,000. Attached homes — condos and townhomes — are averaging about $390,000 to $400,000.
Luxury Builds: Classic architecture paired with tree-lined streets in popular neighborhoods attracts buyers.
Detached homes traditionally make up the majority of sales in Denver. These properties are holding their value relatively well, only seeing small seasonal fluctuations. In popular neighborhoods like Wash Park, Hilltop, and Sloan’s Lake, prices can still exceed $1 million for updated or larger homes.
Attached Homes are feeling the most downward price pressure. With increased insurance and HOA costs, plus affordability challenges, buyers are more cautious. Still, condos remain an attractive option for first-time buyers or those seeking low-maintenance living.
Above U.S. Median
The average home price in Denver in 2025 hovered around $599,000, with detached homes in the mid-$600,000 range and condos-townhomes closer to $390,000. The Denver real estate market has cooled from its pandemic highs but remains strong relative to the rest of the U.S.
Year-to-date, 2026 is lagging 2025, with sales volume down 13.17% and the median price down 2.21%. The general consensus among realtors is that home prices are likely to remain relatively flat in 2026. What is expected, however, is a higher number of closed transactions. In other words, more homes changing hands, even if prices aren’t jumping significantly.
As interest rates drop slightly, realtors are seeing the buyer pool expand. More qualified buyers are stepping back into the market, which naturally leads to more activity and competition for well-priced homes.
$1 million+ market
Humboldt Heaven: Bungalows with a covered front porch plus front and back yard attract young families.
In the $1 million+ market, month-over-month closings for detached homes between $1 million and $1.49 million climbed 35.37%, while homes between $1.5 million and $1.9 million surged 65.85%. A slight 2.13% dip in the $2 million+ tier did little to slow overall momentum, as strength in the core price brackets pushed total closing activity up an impressive 36.48%.
Despite the momentum, homes above $1 million are taking longer to sell. Median days in Multiple Listing Service (MLS) hit 26 in February, up 73.33% year-over-year.
Additionally, year-to-date sales volume in this segment was down 13.82% from 2025. Price-per-square-foot landed at $370 last month, below each of the past four years and roughly 6% below 2025 levels. Given the broad price spectrum within this segment, along with a mix of attached and detached homes, this metric likely reflects a combination of softer pricing power and shifts in sales composition, rather than a uniform drop in value.
Local Top Sellers
Highlights from February’s closed transactions include the sale of the highest-priced detached home, which was a six-bedroom, nine-bath, three-car estate at 181 Race Street in Denver Country Club.
That property was purchased by a cash buyer in only nine days, closing at $8,595,000.
The highest attached sale was located at 411 Madison Street. This four-bed, five-bath duplex in Cherry Creek also sold to a cash buyer for $2,925,000.
Home buyers love Wash Park and Cherry Creek neighborhoods because of the proximity to shopping, plus strong school options. Moreover, homes are generally more luxurious with timeless architecture. Larger lots and mature trees are an additional bonus.
Closed Transactions
Classic Choices: Denver’s inventory is growing, giving buyers more options across neighborhoods and price points.
In the seven-county Denver-metro area, the market is seeing a widening gap between buyer interest and closed transactions. While new listings rose 2.2% year over year and pending contracts jumped nearly 8%, closed sales plummeted 14.6%.
The lag suggests that while prospective buyers are engaging, the path to closing is getting increasingly difficult, real estate agents warn. The median sale price in the metro area dipped 2.7% to $550,000, and homes are sitting on the market for an average of 80 days — a 21% increase from last year.
“Homes priced realistically and presented well are still selling, agents report. Nevertheless, “listings anchored to prior-cycle expectations are encountering longer marketing timelines and greater resistance,” they warn.
by Jessica Hughes | Apr 1, 2026 | Glendale City News
by Jessica Hughes
Goodwill of Colorado helps support people and its communities through 25 workforce and community programs.
Thrifting has re-emerged as a popular trend driven by a shift toward sustainable, eco-conscious, and budget-friendly choices. According to Goodwill’s annual reporting, Goodwill Industries reached record revenue of $7 billion in 2025 across its more than 3,400 North American stores, fueled by a 7% increase in sales. Much of that growth has been driven by younger shoppers, including Gen Z and millennial consumers, who increasingly view thrifting as both economical and sustainable.
“There’s less of a stigma attached to shopping second-hand; that perception has flipped completely,” says Stephanie Bell, the brand manager of Goodwill of Colorado. “Now, there is more of a status and cache in finding a unique item. People love the thrill of a thrift and saving money at the same time.” And as prices continue to climb across the country, many shoppers are turning to secondhand stores as a practical way to stretch their budgets, putting stores like Goodwill right in the center of this trend.
Yet beyond the bins of donated goods and the shopping among a treasure trove of unique items, there is an organization with a broader mission. Goodwill retail stores are part of a nonprofit system designed to support individuals, families, and communities by funding a wide range of programs and services that help people find employment, build job skills, and pursue education.
Shopper thrifting at the Glendale Goodwill store.
Goodwill of Colorado, the state’s oldest thrift operation with a nonprofit mission, reinvests much of its revenue into these programs that support local communities. “About 90 cents of every $1 made goes back into the community,” says Bell.
Goodwill of Colorado operates 25 workforce and community programs across the state, supporting more than 143,000 Coloradans in 2024 alone, including veterans, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and those who have experienced incarceration.
One of the organization’s most notable initiatives is the Excel Center in Aurora. The school is the state’s first tuition-free high school for adults, developed through a partnership with the Colorado Department of Education, and offers adults the opportunity to earn a high school diploma at no cost, along with childcare, career coaching, and flexible scheduling designed for adult learners. Since launching in Colorado, the Excel Center has graduated a growing number of students, with more than 100 earning diplomas since August 2024 alone.
Patrick Spaulding and his team at the Leetsdale Goodwill store in Glendale.
Working alongside Goodwill’s Career Development Services, the ReHire Colorado program helps individuals facing barriers to employment successfully return to the workforce. Today, more than 3,000 people are employed by Goodwill across the state, many through the organization’s fair-chance hiring practices that prioritize opportunities for those who might otherwise struggle to find work. According to Goodwill, roughly two-thirds of its social enterprise employees reported experiencing a barrier to employment before joining the organization — challenges that can include disabilities, language barriers, past incarceration, or extended gaps in work history.
The impact of these programs is often evident in the stores themselves. At the Goodwill location on Leetsdale Drive, serving the Glendale and Cherry Creek communities, about 55 employees make up a workforce rich in diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Team members speak six or seven different languages, and the staff includes refugees, individuals with disabilities, and people working to rebuild their careers after incarceration.
Patrick Spaulding, the store’s manager, said providing opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds is one of the most rewarding parts of the job. “We hired a refugee from Chad who speaks very little English, and this was her first job in America,” Spaulding said. “Just because you don’t speak English doesn’t mean you can’t work.”
Spaulding also recounts many success stories of the store’s employees who have turned their lives around through career advancements within the organization, as well as four individuals who came through partner programs like CW STEP (Colorado Works Subsidized Training and Employment Program) — one of several programs that collectively saw more than 43,000 individuals in 2024 receive free job training, career coaching, and placement for those with financial challenges and who haven’t been in the workplace for a while.
The stores themselves rely heavily on community donations. Clothing and textiles make up roughly 60% of donated goods, while electronics are among the least commonly donated items.
Goodwill of Colorado Déjà Blue Boutique in Cherry Creek — the only Goodwill boutique in Colorado.
“There are very few things we don’t take,” Spaulding said.
For shoppers and donors alike, that means everyday choices can have a ripple effect. Donating unwanted items keeps usable goods out of landfills, while shopping secondhand helps fund programs that support education, job training, and employment opportunities across Colorado.
It turns out that what is better for the planet is also better for local communities and improving people’s lives.
So, the next time you consider throwing something away — or buying something new — it may be worth remembering that a donated sweater or a thrifted find can do more than save money. It can help support your community.
by Valley Gadfly | Apr 1, 2026 | Valley Gadfly
Valley Gadfly
Welcome to April, the first full month of spring! No-fooling, despite starting with April Fool’s Day, this month features 30 days of blooming flowers, patio dining, and April showers.
April in Denver brings a distinct charm as the city awakens from winter. The weather can be quite variable, ranging from pleasant 70-degree sunny days to an occasional snowstorm.
With the soft laughter of April suns and the shadow of April showers, here are our choices for shopping, dining, and entertainment, so spring and happiness will come:
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera is back to thrill Denver audiences featuring Maria Bjornson’s original design. The beautiful, spectacular production is in DCPA’s Buell Theatre April 1, 7:30 p.m. Information: 720-865-4220.
Don’t miss the Los Angeles-based pop rock band Lany entertaining in the Mission Ballroom April 7, 7:30 p.m. Information: 720-577-6884.
Catch comedian, writer, and podcaster Charlie Berens playing at the Paramount Theatre April 11, 5 p. m. Information: 303-623-0106.
After a four-year wait, Uchiko has finally opened in Cherry Creek’s Ginny Williams space, featuring lunch and happy hour specials. Standout space has sunlit dining room, sushi bar, plus lively front bar. Information: 303-444-1922.
Looking for a special space for your special occasion? With an 8,600 sq. ft. ballroom, plus 360 degrees of high-definition screens Infinity Park Event Center will make your event distinctive. Information: 303-248-7100.
Chicago Indie rock band Ratboys and violinist Julia Steiner entertain at the Bluebird Theatre, April 13, 8 p. m. Information: 303-377-1666.
Hip hop duo Black Violin plays the violin and viola at the Paramount Theatre April 21, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-623-0106.
Vocalist Lucia from Veracruz, Mexico, sings jazz, Latin, and pop at Dazzle, April 28, 8:30 p.m. Information: 303-839-5200.
Hear New York fashion designer Zang Toi at the Brass Ring Luncheon & Fashion Show. Event raises funds for The Guild of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation as it honors type 1 heroes at the in the Sheraton Denver downtown hotel April 7, 11:30 a.m. Information: 303-863-1200.
April is the angel of months, the young love of the new year. It marks the transitional period when the Mile High City shakes off its winter slumber and slowly bursts into bloom.
The days grow warmer, the flowers start to blossom, and the promise of sunny afternoons fill the air. It’s a time to admire the majesty – and quirkiness – of Mother Nature.
Winter’s done, and April’s in the skies. A time for new hope. And of new energy to go after your goals and your dreams. Haven’t you heard the joke about April? April-ly not.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
