City Cast Denver

In “The Guide,” Colorado author Peter Heller weaves a suspenseful tale centered on Jack, a young wilderness and fishing guide at an elite resort near Crested Butte. Things aren’t quite as idyllic as they seem, though, and Jack finds himself questioning what he sees and hears at every turn. Heller joined City Cast Denver’s Peyton Garcia for a conversation about his inspiration for the book, and wha...

Jenny Shank grew up in southeast Denver, but when it was time for school, she was bused all over the city — from an elementary school with a Chicano-rooted curriculum on the West Side to a predominantly Black middle school near Five Points. And it was those experiences that informed her new collection of short stories, “Mixed Company.” It explores all the awkward, comical, and challenging ways tha...

Almost 20 years ago, Erika Krouse took a job as a private investigator. Her first big case? A massive sexual assault scandal that revealed a toxic culture of abuse within CU Boulder’s prized football program. Krouse’s new book, “Tell Me Everything: The Story of A Private Investigation,” is part true crime thriller and part memoir, as she weaves together her recollections of the case with the story...

Colorado isn’t usually the first state people think of when it comes to barbecue. But it turns out, we have our own barbecue story to tell — and our Black community is at the center of it all. James Beard award-winning author Adrian E. Miller has that story and more in his most recent book, “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.” He joined host Bree Davies on the show l...

***UPDATE (7/8/22): Since we published this episode this morning, we received a clarification from a Meow Wolf representative. She wrote in response to our guest John Wenzel's description of his reporting process: "The Denver Post article came out Wednesday morning, but the Meow Wolf Workers Collective Convergence Station Organizing Committee didn't formally reach out to CEO Jose Tolosa about the...

All it takes is one rush-hour morning to see that Denverites love their cars. Some city officials think having more environmentally friendly options — like e-scooters — are key to breaking that dependence. But are scooters really the best option for Denver’s busy, crowded streets and sidewalks? Not everyone is a fan of the compact devices that zip around with abandon, and can be parked seemingly a...

It’s been said that Colorado has everything… except a beach. But ever since 1979, Water World has filled that ocean-sized hole in our hearts, serving up family fun in the form of wild rides, crazy slides, and zillions of funnel cakes along the way. Host Bree Davies has loved visiting Water World since she was a kid, so one recent morning we asked for a behind-the-scenes tour to see what you don’t...

Like many American cities, Denver and its adjoining suburbs have had moments defined by malls. From Cinderella City to Villa Italia, Buckingham Square to Westminster, malls have come and gone, but created indelible memories for many Denverites. These intergenerational spaces played host to first jobs, first dates, and for many teens, first parent-free experiences in the public realm. Today on the...

What an up and down week it was in Denver. Elections officials were counting primary votes (some had to be counted twice!) and the final results for one key race arrived less than an hour before host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi started recording with Westword editor Patty Calhoun on Thursday morning at the Westword office. At the same time just down the street, the Stanley Cup was slowly...

After a recent visit to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, our former producer Xandra McMahon proclaimed, “Ugh, why do we have zoos?” That episode didn’t go over so well with the folks from the Denver Zoo, and they invited us to come see for ourselves why zoos are still cool. So newsletter editor Peyton Garcia (zoo lover), producer Paul Karolyi (zoo skeptic), and host Bree Davies (zoo ambiva...

The long Fourth of July weekend is upon us, and producer Paul Karolyi hasn’t planned anything — let alone an epic camping trip. Newsletter editor Peyton Garcia, on the other hand, is a camping pro. So Paul and Peyton hopped on the mics to talk through the whole process: when to start planning, getting out of REI without going broke, what gear is worth the trunk space, stepping up your campfire coo...

Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Cale Makar, Devon Toews: These difficult-to-spell names will be etched onto the Stanley Cup this summer, alongside those of their teammates, coaches, staff, and so many other champs to come before them. The Avalanche won it all on Sunday night, sending thousands of hockey-loving Denverites into the streets to celebrate — mostly responsibly —...

Five Points is rooted in Denver’s Black history and culture, with monuments to the swinging jazz age and soul food eateries still dotting the historic Welton St. corridor. But the iconic Rossonian Hotel remains vacant and many Black-owned businesses have closed or been forced to move in the last few years. So what is it going to take to revitalize Welton St.? Host Bree Davies recently sat down wit...

It’s Friday, and we’re still deep in this Colorado primary conversation. But today, we’re talking about the craziness on the GOP side — and what role independent voters could have in next week’s primary election. Today on the show, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are joined by Ian Silverii, a longtime Democratic Party insider, to dissect the Republican candidates and chat about what, ex...

The Democratic primary for House District 6 in central Denver is a hot one, with unprecedented amounts of money flowing in and plenty of media coverage. But the question at the heart of this race: How progressive is Denver? This democratic showdown could reveal the answer, and there are two candidates who hold the key: Elisabeth Epps and Katie March. Today, host Bree Davies talks with March about...

Is the race for the House District 6 seat the most interesting primary in Colorado? It’s certainly among the most expensive and the most divisive, with all eyes on the Democratic candidates for the office: Elisabeth Epps and Katie March. In this last week before the polls close, we’ve invited both candidates to come on the show. Today, Bree talks with Epps about why she’s running for office, what...

Denver has always been home to revolutionary movements — Chicano civil rights, disability justice, and the fight for LGBTQ+ equality have all played out here across decades. For each of those movements, geography plays an important role, like Capitol Hill, where queer people found refuge, support, and community. Ahead of PrideFest this weekend, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi join comic...

As of this year, Juneteenth is officially a state holiday in Colorado — but Denver’s Black community has been recognizing and celebrating June 19th for decades. A staple celebration in Five Points since the 1960s, an official Juneteenth music festival launched in the community in 2012 and is going strong today. (For more on the history of the Mile High’s Juneteenth history, check out our newslette...

After years of low test scores, concerns of gang activity, and accusations of discrimination against Spanish-speaking students, a new state-mandated “reorganization” order could seal the fate of the Adams 14 school district — schools may close and thousands of students could be forced to attend classes outside their community. Today on the show, host Bree Davies talks to Chalkbeat reporter Yesenia...

It’s prime outdoor-dining season in Denver. But what, exactly, makes a good patio? Today on the show, host Bree Davies is joined by newsletter editor and foodie extraordinaire Peyton Garcia to discuss the role of ambiance and a killer view when it comes to judging the perfect patio scenario. From our favorite rooftop party spots to those calm, garden-like hideaways, Peyton and Bree share a robust...

Ten years ago, Tom Sullivan lost his son Alex in the Aurora theater shooting. It was a tragedy that sparked a political career, with Sullivan stepping up to run for office and lead a decade’s worth of gun reform campaigns. But those campaigns have had limited success, and mass shootings continue to plague our community. So now that the City of Denver is trying to get more guns off the street and S...

Do we really need the moisture? Or is that just something Denverites like to say? Recently, local news has been awash in headlines about the state of Colorado’s water supply, and it’s got us wondering: Is Denver at risk of running out? Are we good or bad at the natural resource game? Are we water suckers or water misers? Today on the show, Producer Paul Karolyi talks with Denver Water’s chief plan...

Ask any Denverite, and they’ll tell you: Everything here is getting more expensive, especially housing. So we’re digging into two stories that could have a huge impact on our real estate market: Walmart heir Rob Walton’s purchase of the Denver Broncos, including a huge parcel of land around Mile High Stadium, and City Council’s approval of a long-awaited, much-talked-about affordable housing polic...

For 13 years, the Black Actors Guild created and performed some of the most provocative and entertaining plays in Denver. They started out as students at Denver School of the Arts and went on to bring in as much as $700,000 per year through their plays and arts education courses. But after a rough couple of years, they’re closing the curtain. So host Bree Davies sat down with her friend and Black...

It’s outdoor swimming pool season! But Denver Parks and Rec has a shortened operating schedule and Colorado is facing a lifeguard shortage (along with the rest of the country). Still, there’s plenty of reasons — and places — to swim in and around Denver. Today on the show, host Bree Davies chats with producer Paul Karolyi about what’s up with our pool sitch and how the key to your best poolside su...