Lions Park Pavilion
Photo by Joyce Davell
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Friday, May. 23rd
- All day - The Friday Tour
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Golden History Tours
- 10:15-10:45AM - Toddler Time - Registration Required
- 11AM - Mountain Toad's 12th Anniversary Hoedown
- 6:30-9PM - This is the Storm Vinyl Release Party
- 7:30PM - Ring of Fire
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
10:30AM and 1:30PM - The Friday Tours @ Colorado Railroad Museum
Each Friday, join us for an hour of exploring a different aspect of Colorado’s railroad history. Each tour covers a specific theme and on these dates our focus will be: The Railroad Kitchen!
Tours are subject to change and are based on guide availability. Each week’s theme is explored using a variety of museum resources to help bring the subject to life with the understanding that guests are welcome to continue their visit on their own after the tour.
Friday Tour Tickets - $3 each plus General Admission ($10 adults, $5 kids 2-15, $8 seniors 60+).
Today's Topic
Location:
Colorado Railroad Museum
17155 W. 44th Avenue (Map)
When:
All day on Friday, May. 23rd
Live Music for Friday, May. 23rd
- 7PM The Jerseys & Mile High Motown @ Buffalo Rose (main venue)
- 6:30-9:30PM Buzz Funk w/ Phooey @ Goosetown Station
- More Live Music
5-8PM Big Hooray Bluegrass @ Coda Brewing
5-8PM Live Music @ Eddy Taproom
5:30-8:30PM Andy Eppler @ Barrels and Bottles
6PM Rhythm Rockers @ Dirty Dogs Roadhouse
6-9PM Rachel Cole & Gus Miller @ Over Yonder
6-10PM Mountain Time @ Wrigley’s
6:30-9PM This is the Storm @ Cannonball Creek
9PM Karaoke @ Ace Hi Tavern
For more information, visit the Golden Today Calendar
Golden History: Budgeting for Capital Improvements
Before and after streetscape images of Washington Avenue, including a closeup of the planter at 12th and Washington
Click to enlarge
34 Years Ago
The May 23, 1991 Golden Transcript announced that Golden voters had approved a 1% sales tax increase–barely. The new revenue was to go toward capital improvement projects. The first two projects in the pipeline were “streetscaping” Washington Avenue through the downtown shopping district and a brand-new community center.
The hotly contended issue came down to 11 votes, with 1,149 voting for the new tax and 1,138 voting against. The streetscape was competed in December of 1992 and the Golden Community Center opened in 1994.
The Transcript commented on the fragile, half-empty state of downtown at that time, and expressed hope for the future.
Our hope now is that Golden’s unique and irreplaceable downtown gets some help. No mall will ever mean as much as those Washington Avenue buildings with their fascinating history. But they are crumbling before our very eyes. Old buildings need to be fixed. Vacant buildings need to be occupied. New and varied businesses need to open. And the infrastructure around the buildings needs to be first-class so that developers are willing to invest here. If the government pays to improve the publicly owned areas of downtown, then private money will come and take care of the rest. This tax will allow that.
That year was probably the lowest point in downtown’s long, slow decline, but it also marked the economic turnaround for downtown and the rest of the City. Earlier in May, the vacant Holland House Hotel had been purchased for remodeling into the Table Mountain Inn.
The old theater building was refurbished, with restaurants on the ground floor and offices above. The kayak park opened in 1998, making Clear Creek a sudden focus of recreational interest. Residences were built downtown, including Clear Creek Commons senior apartments and Millstone Condominiums along the Creek.
The Hested’s Department Store, vacant for more than 20 years, was demolished and replaced with Gateway Station, with stores and restaurants on the ground floor and residences above.
This wasn’t all the result of the 1% tax–as the Transcript projected, plenty of private money was also invested in downtown–but it served as a catalyst to start the turnaround.
The 1% sales tax continues to keep our infrastructure in great condition. Back in the early ’90s, when that tax was voted in, the Transcript used to run a weekly pothole-spotting contest. The person reporting the biggest one won a prize, donated by Coors.
Jo Barber, Golden area resident and employee at Golden Library, is the winner of the city’s Pothole Hotline Contest…. The pothole called in by Barber was at 1409 East St., and it measured 4.5 cubic feet.
Golden Transcript – April 16, 1991
(When was the last time you saw a pothole anywhere inside the Golden city limits?)
Weather
Overnight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. West wind around 8 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny. High near 83, with temperatures falling to around 81 in the afternoon. West wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 16 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. North northwest wind 3 to 9 mph.
Friday Night: Partly Cloudy, 53°F
Saturday: Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 73°F
Saturday Night: Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 53°F
Sunday: Showers And Thunderstorms, 65°F
Sunday Night: Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 50°F
Memorial Day: Slight Chance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 65°F
Monday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy, 50°F
Tuesday: Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 72°F
Tuesday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 51°F
Wednesday: Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 73°F
Wednesday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 52°F
Thursday: Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 76°F
News About Golden - May 23, 2025
Suspect Arrested After Armed Assault at Rock Rest Lodge
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
Jefferson County, CO. – A quick-thinking waitress and staff at Rock Rest Lodge turned what began as a quiet afternoon into a display of courage and teamwork when they stopped an armed suspect from seriously injuring an employee... Read more... Download PDF below.
Arvada man arrested for attacking server with a gun at Rock Rest Lodge
By Corinne Westeman
Golden Transcript
An Arvada man has been arrested after he reportedly choked a server and threatened her with a gun on May 21 at the Golden-area Rock Rest Lodge... Read more...
Denver7 | Your Voice: Golden city leaders, residents, visitors discuss parking challenges & possible solutions
By Russell Haythorn
Denver Channel 7
GOLDEN, Colo. — Denver7 | Your Voice visited Golden last week, where residents shared their favorite aspects of their Front Range hometown, while also acknowledging a deep-seated frustration that is all too familiar across Colorado — parking woes... Read more...
PORT OF ENTRY OPERATION
Golden Police Department
Crimewatch
On May 20, the Golden Police Department partnered with the Colorado State Patrol for a joint enforcement effort known as Operation Port of Entry. Over a five-hour period, officers worked together to inspect Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs) and ensure compliance with state laws and safety regulations... Read more...
Volunteers, visitors prepare Golden Cemetery for busy Memorial Day weekend
By Corinne Westeman
Golden Transcript
Despite the name, the Golden Cemetery is full of life in mid- to late May.
Robins and sparrows glide between the tops of the headstones. Magpies, hawks and other large birds soar in the blue sky overhead. Squirrels run up and down the grounds’ many trees... Read more...
Jefferson Symphony Orchestra closes out 2024-25 season with “Star Wars” concert
By Corinne Westeman
Golden Transcript
Music is much like the Force from the “Star Wars” franchise.
To paraphrase Jedi Master Yoda, music surrounds people and binds them together. One must feel the music around them, between the violins, the trumpets, the flutes, the drums — everywhere. Even between the conductor and the audience... Read more...
Clarke Reader: The Music of Johnny Cash Comes to Miners Alley
Golden Transcript
There aren’t a lot of things people can agree on these days, but I think one thing we all can share a love of is Johnny Cash. Over the years, I’ve seen the “God Bless Johnny Cash” bumper sticker on pretty much every kind of car there is... Read more...
Helping Nurture Small Businesses to Thrive
The 2025 Golden Farmers Market
Golden Chamber of Commerce
(Golden, CO) The annual Golden Farmers Market is ready for an exciting 2025 season with goals of providing fresh produce to the community, being a social hub for families and friends, and providing a nurturing incubator to local small businesses. More than one-hundred vendors are specifically selected for their products, from acai treats to swimsuits, but also for their need for a weekly business setting to help them reach the next level of success in their growth. We take great pride in helping small businesses thrive... Read more... Download PDF below.
Garage Purge and Bargain Bonanaza
Golden Outpost
Join us this for a fantastic up-cycle event at the Golden Outpost!
It's the perfect opportunity to find hidden treasures, score amazing deals, and support local sellers... View flyer below.
Golden Company Delivers Fine Seafood and Meats to Your Door
By Lisa Flavin
Westword
If you’re driving west through a certain quasi-industrial area in the foodie-friendly town of Golden, you might miss the warehouse and retail headquarters for Tonight We Dine Seafood & Fine Meats, a delivery service that offers restaurant-quality, top-of-the-line proteins, ranging from New York strip steaks to elk to orange roughy. Delivery services have exploded in recent years, but not all have been successful. Pine Melon, for example, recently shut down its grocery deliveries. But Tonight We Dine is doing just fine... Read more...
Supporters
Many thanks to the people and organizations who support What’s Happening in Golden? If you would like to support local news, please CLICK HERE!
Sponsors:
($100/month and up)
Buffalo Rose, Buglet Solar, Foothills Art Center, Golden City Brewery, Golden Cultural Alliance, Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, The Golden Mill, Golden Chamber of Commerce, Golden History Tours, Miners Saloon, Golden Hayride Outpost, Unite Fitness, Joy Brandt, Tom Reiley, Michael Mason, and the Colorado Railroad Museum, Goosetown Station
Friends:
($50-99.99/month or $550/yr)
Tall Pines Painting, Baby Doe’s Clothing, Goozell Yogurt & Coffee Paul Haseman, Donna Anderson, Carol & Doug Harwood, Beth Bidwell, Stephanie Painter, Greg Poulos, Ann Norton & Jonathan Storer, Mary & Don Parker, Saré Merrigan, The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, and Vic DeMaria
Supporters:
($25-49.99/month or $250/yr)
Laura King and Scott Wilson, Bobby German and Alison McNally, Forrest Jones, Barry & Liz Bettis, Cheryl & Tom Schweich, Marjorie Sloan, Chris and Joyce Davell, Rick Flint, Forrest Jones, Cynthia Merrill Tamny, Stephen Pero, Meg Van Ness & Steve Kalasz, Steve & Karla Schaefer, Bud Rockhill, Steve Enger, Kristie Brice & Mike Schwartz, The Golden Hotel, Kurt & Janet Siegfried, and Ella Lyons & Jeanne Fritch.
Members:
($10-24.99/month or $110/yr)
Brad Miller & Julie Bartos, Holly Thomas, Jim and LouAnne Dale, Ann Pattison, Thomas Hoffman, Carol Abel, Brian Quarnstrom, Sandra Curran, Bobby German and Alison McNally, Kathy Smith, Karen Smith, Carlos & Nancy Bernal, Robert Storrs, Michele Sannes, Elaine Marolla, Dixie Termin & Ron Miller, E Tom Hughes, Crystal M Culbert, Patrick A. Madison, Alice Madison & Jim Kalivas, Deb Goeldner, Christopher Ball, 6th Chair Home Services, Dot & Eric Brownson, Rosemary Coffman, Emeline Paulson, Sandy Schneider, Mark and Cathy Pattridge, Cheryl G Leidich, Jen Rutter, Frani R Bickart, Jennings and Litz, Bill Sedgeley, Nancy Hughes, Justin L Wade, Kathi Eggers, Traci Case, Donna Owen, Leslie D Lutz, Karen Oxman, Catherine Skokan, Ross Fraser & KC Gilliland, Lynne Haigh, Elizabeth Hilliard, Frank Young & Terre Deegan-Young, Kathy Hirons & Jack Markin, Jess & Anthony Monasterio, Heather Duncan, Lee Ann & Pete Horneck, Carol Cameron, Cheryl Williamson, San Daugherty, Jim Garner, John and Carol McEncroe, the Golden Welcome Center, the Golden Transcript, Koshare Eagle, Ken and Colleen Krantz, Traci Neuman Lacey, Jo Barber, Jamie Cookinham, Kermit Shields, Meridee Cecil, Vicki Olson, Colleen & Michael Ramey, Nancy & Pete Torpey, Jax Baker, Simon Maybury, Rose McLaughlin, Cameron Chambers, Joyce Gravina, Patrick Klein, Barb Robie, and Mary Rains, Richard Caldwell, Janice Waring, Sam & Marilyn Baron, Carmen Johnson
Followers:
($5-9.99/month)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser, Mel Perkins, Bob Hamilton, Kim Linton, Steve Stevens
