On Wednesday, November 20th, the Colfax community came together at the Fillmore Auditorium to celebrate 30 Years of Colfax. The event commemorated three decades of the Colfax Ave Business Improvement District (BID), which was one of the first BIDs founded in Denver in 1989. The weather was, in a word, gross – but that didn’t stop over 200 people from flooding the Fillmore for a night of community and character.
We wanted to bring Colfax to life inside the Fillmore. That feeling was made possible by the inclusion of many of the local businesses and community partners who make Colfax such an eclectic street. Food was served by The Goods, Bumble Tea, Yahya’s Mediterranean, SliceWorks, Mulberries Cake Shop, and Voodoo Doughnut. Attendees also got a sneak sip of Bruz Beers before the opening of their new location at Colfax and York..
Our community partners work tirelessly to improve the neighborhood and the city, and we were so lucky to have some of them in attendance. Ready to Work – our non-profit partner that provides employment, supportive services, and housing for those experiencing homelessness who want to get back to work – was there with a few of their trainees who make up our Colfax Works crew; these are the men and women who you see out cleaning the street daily.
We collected gifts to donate to Warren Village’s Holiday Shop – this year you guys blew us away with over 60 donations with a total value of over $800! Your generous gifts will go to resident families in need in the neighborhood just in time for the holidays.
You couldn’t miss Community Planning and Development with their partners at Progressive Urban Management Assoc. (P.U.M.A.) and Studio Seed, who unveiled super-sized recommendations for a 20-year plan and listened to your feedback of what you’d like to see for the future of the neighborhood.
Denver Police District 6 was in attendance, with Community Resource Officers Gillian and Munson along with Sargeant Albi representing (and also handing out stuffed animals to our tiniest and most adorable attendees).
Non-profit coalition Denver Streets Partnership spread the word about how they’re working to make Denver’s streets – including Colfax – safe for everyone. Denver Public Works, who also works to make our streets safer, was there with information about the future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) coming to Colfax.
The BID also honored three special community members with the 2019 Characters of Colfax Awards. Characters of Colfax writer and photographer, Eliza Filene, was presented with the Storyteller Award for artfully telling the stories of the street. Former BID Executive Director and “Mr. Colfax” himself, Dave Walstrom, was given the Colfax OG Award for his many years of dedication to the corridor.
Finally, The Pieker and Feher-Pieker families were presented with the Thick and Thin Award; as the owners of the Castle Marne Bed and Breakfast for the last 30 years, they have been with the Colfax community through the good and the bad times.
We “bid” (sorry, couldn’t resist) farewell to two of our long-time board members, Ron Vaughn of Argonaut Wine & Liquor and Vicky Hales of UMB Bank. Ron and Vicky served on the volunteer Colfax Ave BID Board of Directors for six and five years, respectively. We will greatly miss their expertise and appreciate the support, guidance, and time they gave the BID for many years.
Attendees were also invited to take a “Walk Down Memory Lane”, which highlighted the BID’s accomplishments over the last three decades, shared present BID priorities, and communicated a vision for the future of the corridor.
At the end of Memory Lane, local photobooth company I Love This Booth helped attendees make memories with fun props and a colorful Colfax backdrop.
Finally, it wouldn’t be a Colfax celebration without the local artists who keep our street unique and intriguing. Karl Christian Krumpholz’s table had a steady line all night, full of attendees eager to purchase prints of his latest banner designs, which are now hanging up and down our stretch of Colfax.
The Poetry Crow took your prompts and wrote poems on the spot; which may or may not have been about Colfax. Photographer C.J. Strehlow showcased his “Down on Colfax” film project. Jonny Barber of the Colfax Museum was also in attendance with limited-edition tees and lots of Colfax knowledge.
Thank you to everyone who made this night possible, including our incredible group of volunteers! Special thanks to Sean O’Connell and the Fillmore Auditorium for being our gracious hosts for the evening. And thank you to Liz Viscardi of LV Events and PR, who effortlessly helped coordinate the event – we highly recommend her for all of your event planning needs.
Click here to check out more photos from the night, taken by Voyager Studios.