by Laura Lieff | Aug 22, 2025 | Glendale City News
By Laura Lieff
In the gardening world, just because something is decaying does not mean it’s unusable. Constructed in less than a week by Kevin Philip Williams, Manager of Horticulture at Denver Botanic Gardens (DBG), the dead hedge installation can be found in the Pollinator Garden at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens.
Comprised of various layered, locally- sourced materials — including branches, plant debris, and small logs that are in different stages of decay, as well as willows from Vail, alpaca wool from McCoy, and trees cut in the Gardens — the installation was executed with a great deal of intention. “With the help of some friends and volunteers from both Eagle County and Denver, Kevin’s piece was constructed very quickly,” says Gardens Education Director Gabe Starr. “We appreciate Denver Botanic Gardens ‘lending’ us Kevin for the week!”
Since mountain landscapes differ from city landscapes, the materials differ as well. At the Gardens, Williams incorporated brush piles, dead hedges, and log walls into the exhibit space in ways he says are “ascetically accepted by the public.” He goes on to explain that “there are many practitioners who are elevating garden design horticulture to a level of fine art” and that his work is “new, experimental, and different than traditional horticulture.”
Visitors will notice that the installation resembles an animal habitat — except it is a much more upscale, artistic version. By mixing the log walls into the woven structure — which is comprised of rolled and bound branches, as well as the aforementioned materials — his installation connects with this summer’s theme of Habitat in conjunction with the installation of our exhibit from the Smithsonian Gardens and Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.
In addition to the Habitat theme, Williams explains that many aspects of the project were inspired by the long, narrow space provided. “I try to bring new elements to each install and this space allowed us to play with length and dimensionality,” he adds. In fact, he describes it as a “calcified exoskeleton type of structure that features crevices filled with grasses, branches, and leaves held by the harder outer structure.”
Williams has an MS in Public Horticulture and is a naturalistic garden designer who uses active and passive materials to create dynamic and climate-appropriate gardens. His work includes the Denver Art Museum Sensory Garden, the Alien Dream Worlds and Hello Food Forest at Meow Wolf, and the Abstract Expressions installation at the Clifford Still Museum. He also co-wrote a book called Shrouded In Light: Naturalistic Planting Inspired by Wild Shrublands.
Williams adds, “These installations take an incredible amount of material to create and the Gardens staff did a good job saving materials from around town which allowed us to give discarded branches and forgotten debris a second life as art. In nature, nothing is ever truly waste — it’s simply matter waiting for its next beautiful purpose.” For more information, visit bettyfordalpinegardens.org.
by Mark Smiley | Aug 22, 2025 | Travel
Experience Thousands Of Craft Beers, Ciders, Cocktails, And More This October 9-11 In Denver
by Mark Smiley
Tickets to the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) are officially on sale. Hosted by the Brewers Association, the trade organization representing small and independent craft brewers, GABF will return to the Colorado Convention Center on October 9-11, 2025.
Following last year’s buzzworthy debut of ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) and beyond-beer beverages, GABF is distilling even more fun in 2025. For the first time in 43 years, GABF is offering an all-new Distilling Experience, welcoming full-strength spirits to the festival floor. This designated spirits-tasting area will showcase 20 distilleries, offering .25oz pours across three GABF sessions. Festgoers can look forward to sampling smooth whiskeys, refreshing vodka variations, bright botanical gins, and much more.
Beverage makers will be grouped by themed experience areas for the second year in a row, each immersive section offering a unique blend of themed décor, specialized pours, engaging activities, and vibrant entertainment guaranteed to brew up a good time. Themed areas include Prost!, inspired by traditional German Biergartens; Score!, a sports fa
n’s haven; Fright, a timely Halloween-themed experience; Blast Off, bringing out-of-this-world flavor from beyond beer beverages and more; a Meet the Brewer section; Chill, a backyard-style space hosting singer-songwriter live music, lawn games, and unique brews; and new this year, the Mile High Stage at GABF featuring live music and other entertainment.
While craft beer remains the heart of the festival — whether trying an Italian-Style Pilsener for the first time, searching for something bold and unexpected like a barrel-aged stout, or a tried and true Juicy or Hazy IPA — there’s a beverage for every palate at the Great American Beer Festival. From spirits, cider, and hard kombucha, to hard seltzers, hard tea, and zero-proof options, GABF is an annual showcase of beverage innovation in all its forms.
Tickets are available for anyone of legal drinking age (21+) at www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com.
by Mark Smiley | Aug 4, 2025 | General Featured
By Mark Smiley
Following the success of Glow Party, Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live is coming to Denver this Saturday with its new theme for 2025: Glow-N-Fire. This exciting new experience will feature the same level of fun and excitement that fans have come to expect, but with an added fiery twist. Get ready for more heat and action as they continue to bring the ultimate monster truck show to fans.
See all your favorite Hot Wheels trucks in person. Including: Skelesaurus, HW 5-Alarm, Gunkster, MegaWrex, Bone Shaker™, Tiger Shark, and Bigfoot® (celebrating its 50th birthday). To commemorate the original monster truck that started it all, Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live will honor the iconic Bigfoot through in-show activations and crowd engagements throughout each performance.
The exciting Pre-Show Party sponsored by Metro by T-Mobile will be held 2-1/2 hours before every performance. The unique experience provides fans access to the competition floor to see the outrageous designs and epic size of the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks, plus meet the drivers and get their autographs. Tickets start at just $7.50
The new Exclusive VIP Backstage Experience is an exclusive tour guided by the hosts of Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live. Experience what happens behind the scenes before all the smashing and crashing goes down. See the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks up close and personal, get your VIP Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Official Souvenir Merchandise Bundle and receive access into the Pre-Show Party. VIP passes are limited and available to purchase while supplies last.
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live is at the Ball Arena Saturday, August 9 at 12:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, August 10 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are affordable for the entire family and kids Tickets up to 50% off.
Visit www.hotwheelsmonstertruckslive.com for more information.
by Jeff Shultz | Jul 24, 2025 | Travel
by Jeff Shultz
South Metro firefighters prepare to battle a Parker Road vegetation fire on July 7, 2025. Emergency calls such as this one to SMFR have grown, placing a heavier demand on SMFR as funding for the large south Denver area fire and rescue department is in dire straits.
The organization dedicated to providing fire and rescue services to a three-county area south of Denver is sounding the alarm that a funding crisis is imminent, threatening the emergency services offered by the group. South Metro Fire Rescue (South Metro) provides a full-service firefighting and medical emergency service to portions of Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties.
Recently the organization announced on its website that unless a new source of revenue is found by 2026 the department “will not be able to maintain the high level of fire and emergency services our residents expect and rely on.” According to South Metro, a Colorado House bill passed in 2024 signaled the beginning of South Metro’s funding woes.
House Bill 24B-1001 lowered property taxes throughout Colorado, crucially diminishing funding for fire protection districts such as South Metro. South Metro is predicting a $16 million shortfall next year and close to $270 million in revenue losses over the next 10 years.
Meanwhile, the demand for emergency resources in the South Metro service area are rising higher since 2019, the South Metro website states.
“Demand for our services has grown 20%, and it’s not slowing down,” the website alleges.
Some of the more notable past service calls include:
A revenue shortfall could mean severe reductions for fire and medical response times and a slash in staffing and capital investments such as vehicles, stations, and equipment. Other cuts could be in health prevention programs and wildfire preparedness and response times.
These cuts would affect the 571,000 residents South Metro serves, including 12 municipalities, Centennial Airport, Highlands Ranch, and the Pinery.
South Metro is eyeing three possible solutions to ward off predicted funding shortfalls.
- Cuts to Essential Services
Currently South Metro touts a world class fire and EMS service with a patient transport, 4-firefighter staffing for maximum response times, the ability to respond to all hazard emergencies, and a constant expansion of public health programs.
South Metro states the organization prioritizes public safety from the time a call comes into the dispatch center to the reply given by highly trained responders. If South Metro doesn’t find additional revenues the organization will be forced to cut important services.
“Response times for fires, medical emergencies, and accidents could be impacted,” their website says. Slower response times would be the tip of the iceberg if South Metro is forced to make budget cuts, South Metro alleges. Budget cuts would also mean a reduction in firefighting crews, compromising public safety, and patient care during emergencies.
Additionally, budget cuts would mean a reduction in wildfire, water rescue and hazardous materials responses. Funding shortfalls would also threaten airport firefighting units.
“In extreme budget scenarios, fire station closures and delays in adding new stations that would serve our growing community are possible,” South Metro alleges on their website.
- Increase in Property Taxes
South Metro is considering a ballot measure that would increase property taxes district wide by three mills. Voters, according to South Metro, haven’t been asked to approve a property tax increase in 20 years, except when some districts increased their mill levy to merge with South Metro.
South Metro says an average homeowner with a $750,000 home would have to pay $11.72 more a month if the ballot measure passes. A district wide property tax would generate approximately $50 million a year for South Metro.
- Passage of a Dedicated Sales Tax
A second possible ballot measure would be a proposed district wide half-cent sales tax to fund emergency services. Noting that for the first time state law allows fire districts to collect sales taxes to fund emergency services, a half-cent sales tax would provide approximately $50 million annually for South Metro.
SMFR Water Rescuers conduct a search of the lake at Chatfield State Park on July 7, 2025. SMFR were called to the park after a paddle-boarder had fallen off his paddleboard. The call came in just after 4 p.m. and after an extensive grid search, divers were able to recover the victim shortly after 7 p.m. Photo courtesy of SMFR
A dedicated sales tax for firefighting services is gaining popularity in other states as a funding mechanism for fire departments. In Garvin County, Oklahoma, voters in 2012 passed a county wide quarter-cent sales tax earmarked for firefighting services.
Twelve fire departments in the county receive an equal portion of the tax funds, after 4 percent of the money generated goes to the county 911 center. While Garvin County is much smaller than South Metro’s service area (26,656 population verses 571,000) the small Oklahoma county can understand South Metro’s dilemma, according to Garvin County Clerk Lori Fulks.
Prior to the passage of the sales tax all 12 fire departments were in dire straits due to funding shortfalls caused by declining city sales tax collections.
“They couldn’t purchase proper equipment and gear. A couple of fire departments were worried their trucks would break down on them on the way to a fire or, worse yet, while they were fighting a fire,” said Fulks. Since passage of the sales tax, Fulks said all 12 fire departments have purchased new fire trucks and essential gear.
According to Fulks, the quarter-cent sales tax generated over $1.2 million in 2024.
Fulks said the dedicated sales tax was the fairest solution to the funding shortfalls.
“Not only do the county residents pay the tax when they purchase goods and services in the county but also travelers when they stop to eat, get gas, or stay the night,” she added.
South Metro’s Board of Directors will decide soon whether or not to place a property tax increase or sales tax question on the November ballot.
Before then they are seeking the public’s input on the three proposals. Residents in South Metro’s service area can seek information by visiting the website Engagesouth metro.org.
Information on South Metro’s funding needs, a FAQ fact sheet, and information on public hearings being held in the district can be found on the website.
According to South Metro, representatives from the organization have presented or met with 1,820 individuals at 40-plus events or meetings since April 1.
by Mark Smiley | Jul 11, 2025 | Travel
By Mark Smiley
Katy Perry returned to Ball Arena on July 10, 2025 after her original performance date was rescheduled. Perry’s Lifetimes Tour began in Mexico City on April 23, 2025. The concert had a futuristic “video game” theme where Perry plays a half‑human/half‑machine hero battling an AI villain who’s stolen butterflies.
Similar to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, Perry rattled through each era of her music during her two-hour performance. The 25 song setlist included all of her hits such as Roar, Teenage Dream, California Gurls, and Firework (her closing number). It also included the deep track Not Like the Movies which she hasn’t performed live since 2012. Fans experienced the full breadth of her career—from early hits to new tracks.
The stage theatrics included wire‑flying, a lightsaber duel, metallic costumes, and intergalactic visuals. The effects included over 20 screens and large props. With all of the theatrics, Perry also took time to bring five kids on stage to ask them questions and have them perform with her. She also took a phone from a fan and took selfies and videos with it.
The tour will conclude on December 7, 2025. This tour supports her seventh studio album, 143. Visit www.katyperry.com/live for more information.
by Jessica Hughes | Jun 20, 2025 | Travel
By Jessica Hughes
120 yogis attend the first guided yoga class at the UCHealth Health and Welleness Zone. Photo provided by Outside.
Lord Huron closed out the second Outside Festival and Summit in Denver. Photo by Jessica Hughes
Austin has South by Southwest — now Denver has the Outside Festival and Summit. Any lingering doubt that Colorado is the epicenter of the outdoor industry was put to rest last month, as the Outside Festival and Summit returned to downtown Denver, doubling both its attendance and presence.
Founded by Outside Interactive Inc. and presented by Capital One and REI Co-op, the Outside Festival and Summit exceeded expectations with 35,000 attendees over the weekend — far surpassing the anticipated 25,000 and nearly doubling last year’s debut turnout. The event didn’t just grow in attendance; it also expanded its footprint, with the Outside Summit taking place across two locations and offering 11 sessions and two workshops.
This year’s four-day event — two days focused on outdoor industry professionals and two days of public festival programming at Civic Center Park — kicked off with the debut of Outside Ignite, a national startup pitch competition. New to the festival, the competition drew nearly 200 applicants, from which five finalists were selected to pitch live to a panel of five judges. The grand prize, valued at $100,000, was awarded to Carbondale-based Raide Research, while Campfire Ranch took runner-up honors and won the audience-voted People’s Choice Award. “This is the Shark Tank of the outdoors,” said Jessica McGee, Director of Marketing at Outside. “These participating contestants — from hospitality to gear — are helping reshape the industry.”
Following Outside Ignite; the Outside Summit welcomed 900 attendees to 15 sessions featuring 46 speakers. Highlights included insights from Conor Hall of Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Office; Mary Beth Laughton, president and CEO of REI Co-op; and Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, who shared his latest vision for Powder Mountain, a project aiming to disrupt the ski industry.
The second Outside Festival doubled in attendance at Civic Center Park. Photo by Jessica Hughes
The Outside Festival took over Civic Center Park on Saturday and Su
nday with a dynamic mix of programming. Industry icons like Alex Honnold headlined presentations, while 500 climbers scaled The North Face climbing wall and over 100 walkers joined Diana Nyad and Bonnie Stoll for the EverWalk session on Sunday.
Attendees also heard “Tales from the Trails” from seasoned backpackers, sharing stories from their outdoor journeys. Between sessions, a standout lineup of 12 musical acts kept the energy high, with headliners including Trampled by Turtles, Sylvan Esso, and Lord Huron. New this year was the UCHealth Health and Wellness Zone, where 120 yogis greeted the day with sunrise salutations, and the Ultimate Basecamp where industry professionals and athletes engaged audiences in inspiring conversations about adventure and the outdoors.
“This year’s Outside Festival and Summit proves that we’re building something much bigger than an event… we’re fostering deeper connections and bringing the outdoor community together,” said Robin Thurston, CEO of Outside Interactive. “The Outside Summit rethinks the traditional outdoor trade show model and brings leaders in the industry together to discuss new ideas, successes, and challenges that top outdoor businesses are facing today. The Outside Festival is where we see huge potential for more engagements at t
he event, continuing to celebrate outdoor culture and attract fans of music, film, wellness, and adventure. We hope to keep growing this event and adding value for years to come.”
The timing of the Outside Festival feels especially significant, as Colorado’s position as a leader in the outdoor industry was called into question following the Outdoor Retailer trade show’s 2022 departure from Denver back to it roots in Salt Lake City. But with Outside Inc. relocating its headquarters from Santa Fe to Boulder, the company has forged a strong partnership with the state — paving the way for the creation of this new, uniquely Colorado event, says McGee.
Denver responded to the moment, launching a festival that not only attracts industry professionals but also directly engages outdoor enthusiasts, bridging a gap that hadn’t been crossed before.
“Outside brings a South by Southwest approach to the outdoor space,” says McGee. “We’re not trying to be another expo,” McGee adds. “We want people to come for the connections, the conversations, and the fun. Brands benefit, too connecting with both their industry peers and with consumers in one vibrant space.”
For those in the industry, McGee emphasizes the importance of building community and fostering dialogue about where the outdoor world is heading. For consumers, the mission is simple: get people outside. That’s why the festival is free for kids 12 and under — to make it as accessible as possible and inspire the next generation of outdoor lovers. “It’s all about kicking off the summer season and getting people excited about the outdoor lifestyle.”
With plans already underway for a third year — scheduled for the weekend after Memorial Day — the Outside Festival is quickly establishing itself as the unofficial launch of summer. “We’re committed to growing this event year after year,” says McGee. “The goal is to keep the momentum going and build the go-to gathering place for the entire outdoor community — professionals and consumers alike.”
