Founded in 1993, 5280 is the largest local magazine in Colorado. The magazine's stories often make national headlines, and since 2005 5280 has been nominated for four National Magazine Awards. Get 5280 Magazine digital subscription today.
I have a confession to make: Winter is not my favorite season. It’s an unpopular position to take among snow-obsessed Coloradans, who began buying their 2024-’25 ski passes months ago and who, come August, are itching to pull their Mellys out of the closet. Me, I want the Centennial State summer to arrive early and stay late, giving me time to both adventure on its blue-sky days and relish the heat as my pint glass begins to sweat on a Denver patio. June, of course, marks the beginning of summer—and many of the stories in this issue lean into the happenings, the possibilities, and the glories of the warmer months. There’s the Denver Chalk Art Festival, held early this month in the Golden Triangle (“Chalk It Up,” page 15), and…
At 5280, we do our best to avoid factual errors. There are times, though, when we make mistakes, and when that happens—as it did in May’s “Denver’s Top Dentists 2024” list—we correct them. We made two sorting errors and missed some updates, which affected thirty-some dentists’ listings. We regret the errors and present the corrected information below. The corrected listings are also available at directory.5280.com/dentists. ENDODONTICS CENTENNIAL Sonia Gallego-Cubillos 6650 S. Vine St., Suite 200 303-797-3636 PARKER Shane R. Christensen ENDODONTICS OF COLORADO 19700 E. Parker Square Drive, Suite 8 303-805-4141 endoofco.com GENERAL DENTISTRY CENTENNIAL Phillip S. Johnson ARAPAHOE FAMILY DENTISTRY 6979 S. Holly Circle, Suite 225 303-779-1305 arapahoefamilydentistry.com COLORADO SPRINGS Jessica L. Duru SPRINGS DENTISTRY 6665 Delmonico Drive, Suite C 719-599-5700 springsdentistry.com Michael A. Lovato HOLLOW BROOK DENTAL 2160…
As a kid, Chris Carlson didn’t want to join the circus. He wanted to be a stockbroker. By the time the Denverite graduated with a business degree in 2008, however, he was no longer so bullish on the markets. In search of direction, Carlson came across a photo of three-dimensional chalk art, a technique that uses precise geometry to allow flat images to leap off the pavement when viewed from a specific position. “I was fascinated by the illusion,” Carlson says, “so I just started practicing anywhere I could find a hard surface.” Despite having no formal art training, he took to the form, and after a video of Carlson went viral on You-Tube in 2012, he soon quit his job managing an assisted living facility to make chalk art…
Alaina Bravo brought the plane in low while her bombardier, Amanda Willson, readied the payload—a pumpkin. As they approached the drop zone, Willson aimed and sent the squash somersaulting through the air until it exploded right next to the target. The women cheered. Not only did their run win them first prize at Wray’s 2023 Brew n’ Que Fly In, but it also sent a message to their all-male competition: Women belong in aviation. Coloradans have tried hard over the years to spread the word. The state boasts the world’s largest chapter of the Ninety-Nines, a global organization of women pilots that was co-founded by Amelia Earhart, while Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Women in Aviation International strives to boost representation throughout the aerospace industry. Still, women across the country…
In June 1974, around 50 people armed with posters and balloons met in Cheesman Park for a “gay-in.” A half-century later, that humble gathering has transformed into Denver PrideFest (June 22 and 23), and it’s kind of a big deal. More than 550,000 people attended last year. With numbers like that, it’s no surprise that the Center on Colfax, the LGBTQ+ nonprofit that runs the festivities, has experienced a trend that belies the event’s DIY origins: a rise in corporate sponsorships. “You know the saying that goes ‘Keep Boulder weird?’ ” asks the nonprofit’s CEO, Rex Fuller. “Recently, we’ve been talking about keeping Pride queer.” To that end, while companies such as Nissan and Molson Coors Beverage Company will still pay PrideFest’s bills, Fuller and his team turned to three…
The most surprising thing about the Dumb Friends League’s (DFL) animal clinic at Colorado State University’s SPUR Campus is not that it permits the public to watch dogs and cats undergo surgery. It’s that people flock to the north Denver facility to see the operations—everything from routine spays on orange tabbies to the removal of teeth from a German shepherd. There is, thankfully, a purpose behind the spectacle: Colorado is experiencing a dire veterinarian shortage, and DFL believes the clinic might motivate future generations to pick up the trade. Last year, CSU completed a survey of more than 700 veterinary care professionals in Colorado; 67 percent of them reported having to turn away patients every week because they’re too busy. More veterinarians could help, but vets are scarce in Colorado,…
