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What's Happening in Golden - Wednesday, Aug. 5th, 2026

News and events in Golden, Colorado. Wednesday, Aug. 5th, 2026

,   and  Barb Warden
9 min read
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Horses and Their Riders at New Terrain

Jefferson County Horse Council (and some of their horses) at New Terrain Last Night
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What's happening in Golden today?

Events for Wednesday, Aug. 5th

Golden History Tours
Toddler Time - Registration Required
Trivia Night @ Golden Mill

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

10AM-3PM Collage! with Jan Donovan @ Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum

Jan has been quilting for many years, and was drawn to collage when her fabric collection called to her, as an artist, to do something more with it. She has taught Laura Heine-Fiberwork and Emily Taylor-Collage Quilter patterns – as well as her own designs – and loves to see students have success with whatever collage project they are working on. She says she has made all the mistakes and has ways to overcome them – so that is part of the fun of a class – as everyone learns from all the situations encountered.

This 2 day class will allow you to fully complete a smaller (36x36) collage top (not the quilting) – or make really good progress on a larger top. She discusses the details like eyes, color choices, placement of colors to create movement and dimensions, as well as how quilting can enhance your collage. She also discusses different methods used in collage work, and when their use is beneficial. Register

Location:

Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
200 Violet Street   (Map)

5-6PM Design a Miniature Landscape @ Golden Library

Create a personalized landscape with the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys! Use natural materials while exploring scale and detail. You can choose a broad, simplified scene or a smaller, intricate one. Curate the features of your landscape and customize the layout to fit your imagination in this free-form workshop. Please note – This event is for adults 19+ Register

Location:

Golden Library
1019 10th Street   (Map)

Live Music for Wednesday, Aug. 5th

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  • 6-9PM Bunny Blake @ Miners Saloon
  • More Live Music
    4-8PM     Chrispy @ Mountain Toad
    5:30-8:30PM Open Mic Night @ Barrels and Bottles 
    5-8PM Dave Frisk @ Rock Rest Lodge

For more information, visit the Golden Today Calendar

Golden History: 10:30-11:30AM Golden History Lecture @ Front Porch

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In January, I gave a Golden history lecture at the Front Porch section of the Community Center. In one hour, I was only able to cover the 19th century. At that point, I told the assembled group that if they wanted to hear the rest of the story, they would have to invite me back.

Today's the day! I will be talking about Golden's history from the dawn of the 20th century to the present. I hope you can join us! Learn more.

(If you can't, you'll have another opportunity this Sunday at the Quilt Museum. Once again, I'll be talking about Golden history--parameters yet to be decided.)

Golden History: Water is Golden

Clear Creek and Greenery – Dave Powers
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by Dr. Donna Anderson

Living in Golden and the greater Denver area now with all the green trees and lawns, we forget that we are actually living in a semi-desert. On 5 July 1820, Stephen H. Long and his men camped for few nights at what is now the confluence of Clear Creek and the South Platte River. The next day four men in the party headed up Clear Creek, intending to walk all the way to the western foothills in Golden. They described the surrounding plain as covered with prickly pears (cactus) and “sparse rigid grasses with barbed seeds like the quills of a porcupine.” Cactus and prairie grasses (Fig. 54), not lawns and trees, are the native vegetation of the semi-arid region surrounding the greater Denver area, including Golden.

Fig. 54. It is hard to believe that the heavy growth of trees in Golden today masks the reality of Golden’s semi-arid climate depicted circa 1872. What a difference irrigation water makes. View southeast at Castle Rock. X-10006 DPL WHC, used with permission.

When Euro-Americans came to Golden in 1859, they needed water for drinking, cooking, and livestock-watering, as well as to establish farms to grow food. Farms required water in the form of irrigation, and perennial creeks like Clear Creek were steady, sure water sources. Little wonder that settlers established western towns like Golden along perennial streams and rivers. Early Euro-American settlers not living next to perennial streams commonly used shallow, hand-dug groundwater wells as a water source: a lot of work! Groundwater is still used in Golden, but not commonly for drinking water, because the Golden municipal water system serves most homes and businesses.

Resourceful Clear Creek
Clear Creek is the main source of drinking and irrigation (now mostly for landscaping) water in Golden. It is also a main source for downstream users such as Coors Brewery for industrial use, and for the cities of Arvada, Thornton, and Westminster. Today it provides drinking water for more than 300,000 people.

Euro-American settlers in this semi-desert region diverted water from the Creek for various uses. The first irrigation diversion in northeastern Colorado was right in Golden. In April 1859 David K.Wall diverted water from Tucker Gulch for his vegetable farm near the current railroad yards in east Golden. This was also Golden’s first vegetable garden. Wall made more money selling vegetables than did most miners seeking gold. The first two permanent diversion canals, or ditches, began construction in late 1859, finishing in early 1860. The diverted water operated sluiceboxes for mining placer gold in the gravels at Arapahoe Bar, located three miles east of downtown Golden (see Chapter 8, also). It was one of the first gold discovery sites along Clear Creek. Later these two ditches became the Wannemaker-Arapahoe and Farmers Highline Ditches, used for irrigation.

After 1860, surface water was diverted from Clear Creek for Golden and other irrigation users through ditches that started in and upstream from Golden. The first two irrigation ditches completed were the Rocky Mountain (1862) and Church (1865) Ditches. The Welch (1871) and Agricultural (1874) Ditches were built afterwards. The timing is important due to water rights, discussed below. All or portions of these ditches are still used. Modern use, however, is mostly for domestic and industrial purposes, rather than agricultural irrigation. How much any user can take, and within which part of a year, is the subject of water rights

This was an excerpt from Golden Rocks: The Geology and Mining History of Golden, Colorado by Donna Anderson and Paul Haseman.

The authors have granted me permission to reprint excerpts, but I recommend that you read the whole book. You can buy a copy from the Lulu website, borrow one from the library (there’s a waiting list!), or read it online for free, courtesy of the School of Mines library.

Weather

Overnight's Weather

Overnight: Patchy smoke. Mostly clear, with a low around 57. North northwest wind around 3 mph.

Wednesday's Weather

Wednesday: Patchy smoke before 8am. Sunny, with a high near 86. North northeast wind 2 to 8 mph.

Wednesday Night's Weather

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear. Low around 61, with temperatures rising to around 64 overnight. Northwest wind 3 to 8 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly Clear, 61°F

Thursday: Patchy Smoke, 94°F

Thursday Night: Mostly Clear, 66°F

Friday: Sunny, 95°F

Friday Night: Mostly Clear, 69°F

Saturday: Mostly Sunny, 98°F

Saturday Night: Partly Cloudy, 69°F

Sunday: Sunny, 97°F

Sunday Night: Partly Cloudy, 70°F

Monday: Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 94°F

Monday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy, 68°F

Tuesday: Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 92°F

News About Golden - August 5, 2026

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13th Street Closure

Colorado School of Mines Operations

Hello Neighbors,

13th Street will now be closed on August 17-18 between Maple and Illinois Streets for crane operations. Please use an alternative route during this closure. Follow all signs and instructions and please be cautious in this area. Mines thanks you for your patience as we conduct work to update critical infrastructure systems on campus. Thank you!

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 Battery, Foothills Art Center, Golden Cultural Alliance, Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, The Golden Mill, Golden Chamber of Commerce, Golden History Tours, Miners Saloon, Clothilde Elingbow, Michael Mason, Earth Sweet Boutique, and Colorado Railroad Museum

Friends:
($50-99.99/month or $575/yr)
Tall Pines Painting, Baby Doe’s Clothing, 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, Unite Fitness, 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, in memory of 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, Golden PT & Pilates, and Frank Young & Terre Deegan-Young

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, 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, 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, Nancy Cooper, Jane & Mike Templeton, Vicki Greivel, Kim McDonough, Carie Chimbel, Peggy Brochtrup, Cindy & Matt Finley, and Kelly Fry

Followers:
($5-9.99/month or $55/year)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser, 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, Alicia Zimmerman, Tamara Feucht, GoldenBrokers, Elizabeth Coil, Diane Tiberi, and Cathy Larocca

Highlights