5280 Magazine

One of the perks of living in Denver is the ease with which you can leave it all behind by hopping in the car, driving for an hour (or less), and escaping into nature. The catch? “Leaving it all behind” usually requires hauling a small mountain of gear with you. Skis, sleeping bags, hiking poles, crampons, climbing rope—the stuff that makes exploring the outdoors possible also has a habit of cluttering your mudroom, garage, or closets.

It’s time to dust off your vintage lorgnette glasses, visit the virtual box office, and take a minute to silence your cell phone: A new season at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) has begun. And there’s something just for you. “There’s always so much to choose from for really anyone’s taste,” says John Ekeberg, executive director for the Broadway and Cabaret divisions of the DCPA.

Look in the bottom right corner of your driver’s license, and you might see a tiny black heart with a Y inside it. If you do, you are among the 69 percent of Coloradans (roughly 4.1 million people) who’ve said yes to organ donation. Our rate is consistently among the top five in the nation. “Most years, we’re number one or number two,” says Jennifer Prinz, president and CEO of Donor Alliance, the Denver-based nonprofit that coordinates deceased donations.

I should’ve known today would test my patience as soon as my parents woke me up at 5:30 in the morning. Yes, a.m. They lured me downstairs with my favorite words, “car ride,” but as soon as I hopped in the back seat, I could tell something was up. Oh, my dog, are they taking me back to Utah? Eight months ago, Mom and Dad adopted me from a busy family outside of Salt Lake City.

Although the trial of former Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) forensic scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods is winding down, with her sentencing scheduled for September 8, the fallout from her misconduct is just beginning to be revealed. In April 2025, the Denver Crime Laboratory (DCL), the Denver Police Department’s forensic science division, initiated a review of 422 Denver sexual assault cases handled by Woods throughout her career.

For design lovers, a restaurant’s aesthetic is nearly as important as its menu. Sure, there are times when an eatery’s interiors are the least of your concerns—like when you need to snag a quick bánh mì between back-to-back meetings, cure a sudden bout of hanger with mouthwatering barbecue served on a piece of parchment, or soak up the previous night’s tequila shots with the warm hug of a breakfast sandwich.

Colorado Springs Airport (COS) is wrapping up a major concourse modernization project that will allow it to transport more customers on more flights—and make them more comfortable while they wait to board. The $63 million ElevateCOS project began in 2023. The goal: Make travel easy by designing a more accessible, comfortable, and environmentally friendly concourse, and modernizing infrastructure on the front and back ends.

Any backpacker knows that bear canisters are a necessary evil. Wedging the food storage container among all your other overnight necessities—sleep system, extra layers, bathroom kit to doo your duty—complicates the packing process considerably. And carrying a 10-liter, plastic barrel while tramping miles in the mountains feels like an uncalled-for CrossFit workout.

The next time you fly overseas from Denver International Airport, you’ll be able to take a taste of the Mile High City with you—if you’re flying business class, that is. On August 1, United Airlines unveiled a new partnership with Netflix docuseries Chef’s Table to bring menus created by 11 chefs, representing 10 cities, to United Polaris business class customers flying on specific international routes.

Chances are that if you saw five-year-old Robert Ray walking around his neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side back in 1990, he wasn’t alone. Most days, at least five or six dogs trailed behind him, lured to his side by the black-eyed peas and string beans he snuck from the dinner table when his mom wasn’t looking. But Ray’s early years were far from idyllic. He was still in kindergarten when he came across a dead body in an alley.