March Against Monsanto

Colfax: Then and Now

Photo by Mark Afman

Photo by Mark Afman

Photo by Mark Afman

Photo by Mark Afman

Photo by Mark Afman

Photo by Mark Afman

Photo by Mark Afman

Photo by Mark Afman

Voodoo Doughnut coming to Colfax!

by Michael Russell

     Voodoo Doughnut, downtown Portland's 24-hour doughnut shop, tourist attraction and purveyor of good things in pink boxes, is expanding to Colorado.
     Co-owners Kenneth "Cat Daddy" Pogson and Tres Shannon have been flying back and forth from Denver, talking with tourism boosters and city officials there while scouting out storefronts. They recently signed a lease on a space approximately the size of Voodoo Doughnut Too, the store's Northeast Portland location.
     "It's on East Colfax, this great gritty avenue, which used to be really, really scary and sleazy," Shannon says. "It's kind of like being on Burnside. There's a dentist nearby and a wonderful ... lesbian bar with a pink pool table, the same color as our boxes. That's a good sign. And there's a tattoo parlor and then a medical marijuana dispensary. It's kind of like one-stop shopping."
     Denver will be the first Voodoo outside of Oregon and the fourth location overall, including the original, at 22 S.W. Third Ave.; Voodoo Doughnut Too, 1501 N.E. Davis St.; and a store in Eugene.
     "People keep asking me, 'Why Denver? Why not New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, the big fish?'" Shannon says. "We've always been very cautious. All of those places might be down the line. For now, Denver is a pretty great start. It's got a young population. It's health-oriented, sort of like Portland -- ironic, since we sell doughnuts. But everybody likes doughnuts."
     Circumstances also lined up in Denver's favor. The city offered Voodoo tax credits if it eventually hires more than 35 employees, applicable retroactively. And a homesick Voodoo Too manager from Colorado agreed to run the Denver store.
     "We haven't introduced ourselves to the dentist yet," Shannon says. "Hopefully we can do something together. 'No cavities, here's a coupon for a free doughnut.'"
     Back in Portland, Shannon and Cat Daddy are gearing up for the original store's 10th-anniversary bash, a "thank you Portland" party with live music, T-shirt giveaways and two golden tickets granting free Voodoo doughnuts for life. Check back for more details about that event next week.
     "We opened 10 years ago, in the middle of Krispy Kreme coming -- we beat that with 'eat local doughnuts' -- and then the trans-fat scare and the economy tanking," Shannon says. "Doughnuts were 85 cents. We've raised them to 95 cents, but we still strive to keep doughnuts under a dollar. It's still something every man can afford. You can buy a doughnut and a cup of coffee and still play a song on the jukebox at Voodoo Too."

ACAD Meet & Greet with Tracy Weil

The Aurora Cultural Arts District (ACAD) is pleased to announce the hiring of Tracy Weil as the new Managing Director of the Aurora Cultural Arts District.

Please join us this Friday before you start your long weekend and celebrate with us! The event will be held at 1400 Dallas Street from 4-6pm and hor d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served. The studio artists at 1400 Dallas will be showing some new work along with some work by Weil who is also an artist.

“We’re so excited to have Tracy on board to help us take the district to the next level,” said Moira Dungan, Senior Development Project Manager of the City of Aurora. “The City of Aurora and area stakeholders have spent years ‘setting the table’ in the Arts District and we are very excited to have the chance to work with Tracy and to bring more “food” to the feast! This means more and better events, marketing the area and working with our stakeholders to create more activity and additional destinations for both residents and visitors.”

Weil moved to the neighborhood when he was 3 years old and grew up in the Aurora school system surrounding the district. He attended Carousel Academy, Crawford Elementary, West Middle School and Aurora Central High School.

"I’m a product of this great neighborhood. I also lived in the area after I finished college and spent several of my formative years as an artist creating art here,” said Weil. Weil also taught classes at DAVA during that period.

Weil will report to the ACAD Board of Directors headed up by former State Representative & State Senator Bob Hagedorn.

"ACAD is extremely fortunate to find someone with Tracy's background and experience. He grew up in Aurora, he made the RiNo art district a top destination in just a couple years, he knows the challenges and opportunities facing emerging art districts, and he's an artist himself." Said, Bob Hagedorn.

The Aurora Cultural Arts District is a partnership of creative enterprises, individuals, local businesses, area residents and the City of Aurora whose mission is to enhance the district’s neighborhoods and market it as a destination through a variety of cultural and educational experiences. Come learn more about what we do!

Herbs & Arts Celebrates 20 Years!

Herbs & Arts celebrates 20 years in business today!! Since 1993 Herbs & Arts has served Denver and the region, striving to be a place of healing & sanctuary to all who enter regardless of one's beliefs. They live with a simple intention, to put forth compassion, love & gratitude into the universe with the belief that if they can inspire & empower healing and spiritual connection in themselves and others, the world will change for the better. The many products they make, as well and the other items they carefully choose in their store, are designed to support and facilitate these intentions. Their dear teacher Morning Glory birthed this dream into life when she began Herbs & Arts. With much gratitude, Kaewyn & John took over the store from her in 2001 and they have tried to carry these ideals forward as they have grown.

They are blessed with a knowledgeable and dedicated staff.  The Herbs & Arts family possesses a wide ranging set of knowledge & experiences to serve you. Between them, they have led large community rituals, travelled to & prayed at sacred sites around the world, and learned from teachers within Wiccan, Hindu, Native American, Celtic, Buddhist, Mayan, Faerie & Orisha communities. These experiences & the lessons they received from them, they joyfully share with all of you in the spirit of service.
     
Herbs & Arts has become very well known for the ritual & magickal oils and incense they make in the store. These formulas have been developed over the last 20 years through a mix of old school research, learning from their teachers and their own staff's work with their guides in the present. They believe in the wisdom of the elders and those that came before us, and at the same time, have come to learn, trust and honor the wisdom & information we all have access to in the present moment. They try to incorporate this ideal into all of their magickal products, sometimes resulting in products changing and evolving over time.

All of their oils & incenses that are made with a specific energetic intention, are done so in alignment with the moon phase and/or astrological occurences that will best heighten their energetic properties. They are then placed in sacred space on our in-store alter to be further charged before they are ready to be available to you.

They hope you will enjoy your experience browsing the products & information on their website. They intend to provide lots of information, recipes and education, along with all the tools you need for your journey. Let's laugh, dance, sing and play & pray & play together!!!

Dance in the Light!

-- The Herbs & Arts family

2015 E. Colfax Ave
Denver, Colorado 80206

Phone: 303.388.2544 Toll Free: 1.877.207.9136
Fax: 303.388.2793
herbsandarts@herbsandarts.com

Hours: 10 am - 7 pm Mon-Sat
11 am - 6 pm Sun
Open Seven Days a Week!

 

The Clarko Hotel

From the Terry J. Snyder collection comes this great view of East Colfax from the late '70's.

This photo features the once controversial Clarko Hotel (yellow building) which fronted Mammoth Gardens. Considered an eyesore on Colfax for many years, a civic organization hosted a "Bash The Clarko" party which leveled the building in 1990.

Gipsy Kings coming to The Fillmore

Gipsy Kings

Live Nation is pleased to present GIPSY KINGS at The Fillmore Auditorium on Tuesday,  August 5.   A Special Guest TBA will open the show. 

Show time is 8:00 PM. Doors open at 7:00 PM

 

The Gipsy Kings consist of two bands of brothers: the Reyes (Nicolas, Canut, Paul, Patchai, Andre) and the Baliardos (Tonino, Paco, Diego).  The Reyes and Baliardo boys were the offspring of Spanish gypsy families that had fled into France to escape Spain’s Civil War. They grew up roaming the south of France, working harvests and making music. 

Jose Reyes – father of the GK’s Reyes – sang alongside guitarist Manitas de Plata and did much to popularize flamenco internationally: John Steinbeck, Charlie Chaplin, Pablo Picasso, Miles Davis and Salvador Dali were amongst the duo’s admirers.  Jose split from Manitas in the 1970s and formed Los Reyes with his teenage sons.  His death devastated the Reyes yet led to their fortuitous encounter with the Baliardos at the St. Marie de la Mer Gitan pilgrimage. On that warm night, as they passed the guitar, shared songs and wine, history was shaped.

Initially, the Reyes and Baliardos busked on the streets of Cannes, played weddings and parties, young men flavoring flamenco with Western pop and Latin rhythms.  When an American admirer told the band their name Los Reyes meant “The Kings” in English they realized they were born to be Gipsy Kings.  In 1987 The Gipsy Kings’ self-titled debut album introduced the world to ‘rumba Gitano’ – the sound of South America’s rumba rhythm married to flamenco guitars – and with ‘Bamboleo’ the Gipsy Kings scored a huge international hit.  Since then the Kings have never stopped singing to the world.

Today the Gipsy Kings still live with their families in the south of France.  Life may have changed for them – they no longer busk on streets or pick crops when times are hard or travel in caravans – but still, at heart, they remain Gypsies, the proud descendants of an ancient people who seduced the world with music and dance.  On Pasajero, the Gipsy Kings continue their epic musical journey. 

               

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

at the Fillmore Auditorium Box Office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or call 800 – 745 - 3000

Tickets are $44.50 GA ADV and $50.00 GA DOS plus applicable service charges.

The Fillmore box office is open Monday - Friday from 12:00 Noon - 6:00pm & Saturdays from 10:00am - 2:00pm.  On days of Fillmore shows, the box office is open from 12:00 Noon – 9:00pm. 

The box office accepts cash, MasterCard, Visa and American Express – No checks!  Service charges may apply. 

THE FILLMORE AUDITORIUM IS LOCATED AT 1510 CLARKSON ST. AT COLFAX.      

CONNECT WITH US ON THE WEB

www.livenation.com  / www.facebook.com/LiveNationCO  /   www.twitter.com/livenationco 
 Ages 16+