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What's Happening in Golden - Saturday, Mar. 14th, 2026

News and events in Golden, Colorado. Saturday, Mar. 14th, 2026

,   and  Barb Warden
9 min read
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Bike Rack Flora

Photo by Lee Ann Horneck
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What's happening in Golden today?

Events for Saturday, Mar. 14th

Golden History Tours
Family Time - Registration Required
The Mother and the Michigan/Ohio War

For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar

High Winds Expected

As of 6PM last night, Xcel was not expecting to shut down the power in Golden, but be prepared for the possibility. The City has an information page showing the latest that they've heard from Xcel, and Xcel has an outages map.

Pi Day

Photo by Barb Warden

This is Pi Day (March-13 – > 3-14 --> 3.14...) and I think we're seeing the pi symbol on Mt. Zion

10AM-12:30PM Assemble the Absurd: Surreal Collage Workshop @ Foothills Art Center - Creative Campus

Whether you’re an artist, writer, dreamer, or curious beginner, this is your invitation to explore the boundaries of reality—one cut and paste at a time. 

This workshop invites you to experiment with unexpected juxtapositions, irrational imagery, and dream logic in the spirit of the Surrealist movement. Explore the strange, the symbolic, and the subconscious through hands-on collage making. Register

Location:

Foothills Art Center - Creative Campus
809 15th Street   (Map)

1-2PM 4th Annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration with the Connelly Irish Dancers @ Golden Mill

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Join us for the 4th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at the Golden Mill with the Connelly Irish Dancers.  Fun for the whole family! More information

Location:

Golden Mill
1012 Ford Street   (Map)

2PM Mines Little Theater - Picasso at the Lapin Agile @ Colorado School of Mines

Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a full-length play written by American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician Steve Martin in 1993. More information

Location:

Colorado School of Mines
Green Center   (Map)

The Golden Word - 03/14/26

Play now.

Live Music for Saturday, Mar. 14th

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  • 5:30-8:30PM John McKay @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage)
  • More Live Music
    5-7PM     Glory Soul @ Cannonball Creek
    5-8PM Live Music @ Eddy Taproom
    6:30-8:30PM Tanners Live Vinyl Set @ Etta Jeanne
    6:30-9:30PM Chris Thompson & Friends @ Goosetown Station
    9PM Karaoke @ Ace Hi Tavern

For more information, visit the Golden Today Calendar

Golden History: An Old Term

Golden in the 1870s or 1880s - Denver Public Library Western History Collection
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POOR HOUSE: There’s a term you don’t hear much anymore. I encounter it fairly often in old Transcript articles. City and County financial reports regularly included line items for care of “paupers.”

The July 22, 1874 Colorado Transcript commented on the increasing costs of maintaining paupers:

The great increase in this item again suggests the necessity for a county farm, where the pauper labor may be utilized to some extent, instead of having it whittle sticks in front of our best hotels. There is nothing hard about this measure except its common sense, for the poor and unfortunate, in common with their more fortunate brethren, should be willing to recognize that there is nothing without its price, and that the law of labor is universal as well as honorable.

The first county poor house was located on Garrison Street (now called 9th Street). In 1895, the commissioners leased property on the southern edge of the city and moved “the inmates” there.

The move is a good one, as it is a comfortable place with plenty of pure water, a nice garden tract, and plenty of out-houses, so that the unfortunates can raise chickens, garden truck, etc., when they are able. It might be a good idea to establish a hospital in that same locality for such as might be attacked with contagious diseases, as it is isolated from the more thickly-settled part of town. – Colorado Transcript, May 22, 1895

When necessary, the county provided assistance (generally in the form of food or fuel) to people who still had somewhere else to live. An August 11, 1897 report stated that there were seven inmates living in the poor house and thirty-one people total were receiving county assistance.

Jefferson County Courthouse – enlarge

There was stigma associated with accepting public assistance, and actually living in the poor house was the most stigmatized situation of all, as seen in this article, where the county commissioners objected to paying for creature comforts for the inmates of the poor house:

Commissioner Holley desired to go on record as opposed to the county buying tobacco for inmates of the poorhouse, the amount used in June being $4.60. Commissioners Hobbs and Shock also voted not to allow any more tobacco bills. – Colorado Transcript, July 19, 1899

They relented the next month:

It was ordered that hereafter William H. Irwin and William Hill be allowed chewing tobacco and Mrs. Hester smoking tobacco, the above mentioned people being inmates of the poor house…. On motion it was ordered that hereafter the county will not pay rent for anyone. – Colorado Transcript, August 17, 1899

Similar conversations occurred at regular intervals in subsequent years, with commissioners chaffing under the pauper bills and looking for ways to economize.

Rather suddenly in the 1930s, all references to poorhouses ended. Why would this be? Roosevelt’s New Deal provided different forms of relief–notably government work programs and old age pensions. Those programs were designed to allow people to live on their own or with family, rather than being institutionalized.

Colorado Transcript – October 29, 1964

The term “poor house” stayed in our lexicon for at least another generation, most often in the context of, “You’re going to drive us to the poor house!” The last reference I found of the term “poor house” appeared in a 1964 advertisement for Eaker’s Department Store–probably written by someone old enough to remember when poor houses still existed!

Weather

Overnight's Weather

Overnight: Mostly cloudy. Low around 49, with temperatures rising to around 53 overnight. West southwest wind around 13 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Saturday's Weather

Saturday: Patchy blowing dust after 11am. Partly sunny. High near 74, with temperatures falling to around 72 in the afternoon. West southwest wind 14 to 39 mph, with gusts as high as 63 mph.

Saturday Night's Weather

Saturday Night: A chance of rain and patchy blowing dust before midnight, then snow between midnight and 5am, then snow and patchy blowing snow. Mostly cloudy. Low around 26, with temperatures rising to around 32 overnight. West northwest wind 18 to 35 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

Saturday Night: Chance Light Rain then Light Snow And Patchy Blowing Snow, 26°F

Sunday: Chance Light Snow, 33°F

Sunday Night: Partly Cloudy, 19°F

Monday: Partly Sunny, 53°F

Monday Night: Mostly Cloudy, 41°F

Tuesday: Mostly Sunny, 71°F

Tuesday Night: Partly Cloudy, 49°F

Wednesday: Mostly Sunny, 78°F

Wednesday Night: Mostly Clear, 51°F

Thursday: Mostly Sunny, 82°F

Thursday Night: Partly Cloudy, 51°F

Friday: Mostly Sunny, 83°F

News About Golden - March 14, 2026

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Golden faces another planned power outage this weekend

By Corinne Westeman
Golden Transcript

Almost three months after the last one, Goldenites are bracing for another Public Safety Power Shutoff by Xcel Energy. It is scheduled to start around 2 p.m. Saturday, the City of Golden confirmed in a Friday afternoon news alert... Read more...

Goldenites gearing up for “No Kings 3” protest March 28

By Corinne Westeman
Golden Transcript

What started with a single email has now grown into a group of a dozen regular members, weekly planning meetings and an upcoming protest that could draw 3,000 people... Read more...

City of Golden Police Blotter

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 or $1,175/year)
Buffalo Rose, Buglet Solar, Foothills Art Center, Golden Cultural Alliance, Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, The Golden Mill, Golden Chamber of Commerce, Golden History Tours, Miners Saloon , Unite Fitness, Clothilde Elingbow, Michael Mason, Goosetown Station, and Earth Sweet Boutique

Friends:
($50-99.99/month or $575/yr)
Tall Pines Painting, Baby Doe’s Clothing, Goozell Yogurt & Coffee Paul Haseman, Donna Anderson, Carol & Doug Harwood, Stephanie Painter, Greg Poulos, Ann Norton & Jonathan Storer, Mary & Don Parker, Saré Merrigan, The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Vic DeMaria, and Joy Brandt

Supporters:
($25-49.99/month or $285/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, Ella Lyons & Jeanne Fritch, Robert Thresher, Tonie Mattox, Centennial State Wealth Advisors, Steve & M.L. Richardson, Jeremy & Stephanie Keller, AC Development

Members:
($10-24.99/month or $115/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, Richard Caldwell, Janice Waring, Sam & Marilyn Baron, Carmen Johnson, Mary Eiberger, Kevin Nichols, Ed & Carol Freza, Laura and Curtis Moore, Ruth Hund, Shelley & Jerry Devitt, Eileen Masterson, Kate Olivier, Amy Korengut, Pam Logan, Clare Shier, Wendy Weiman, Marge Frueh. Nannette Johnson, Edgar Walker, Bivy Beer Bar, and Nancy Cooper

Followers:
($5-9.99/month or $55/year)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser, Mel Perkins, Bob Hamilton, Steve Stevens, Vicki Olson, Emily Kurzinski, Nanette Johnson, Peyton Gibson, Sally Berger, Kristen Morgan, Joyce Sutton, Mary Rains, Craig Champlin, Stan Swisher, Bill Way, Chris Toney, and Alicia Zimmerman

Highlights