Flailing my arms about in front of the motion detection camera to slice the flying fruit salad onscreen, I felt that same gleeful bemusement my parents must have felt the first time they played “Wii Sports.” As an employee blended a smoothie behind the juice bar, I was playing “Fruit Ninja” with the ingredients. The […]
You may silently give thanks for the privilege of living in the 719 area code every day, but for the second year in a row, local public radio station KRCC (91.5 FM) wants you to celebrate out loud to mark what they’ve dubbed 719 Day. 719 Day is like Free Slurpee® Day, in that both […]
This week, unhoused youth and families began moving into the newly built Launchpad Apartments. The 50-unit supportive housing project is located on Colorado Springs’ west side, and is the first of its kind for Colorado Springs. “The youth sign a lease when they move in,” explained Wayne Bland, a board member and head of The […]
Marsha P. Johnson, a prominent activist of the 1969 Stonewall Riots, once said, “No Pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.” If a movement is not conscious of this truth, it will not be successful. Human identities and lived experiences are so layered and complex that we cannot ignore any single […]
Forest green walls, chandeliers and bones adorn one side of the room. On the other, you’ll find authentic Afghan rugs and fashionable mannequins. Bridging the gap is a menagerie of vintage clothing and succulents, with a basket offering free “Warm Fuzzies” – cotton balls with googly eyes. This room, located near the front of the […]
On May 31, 2025, over 100 volunteers of all ages gathered at Vermijo Park in Old Colorado City as part of the City’s inaugural Keep it Clean COS initiative. Members from the Trails and Open Space Coalition, City of Colorado Springs Public Works, Colorado Springs Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team, the Mayor’s Office and several […]
This year, following 120 years of ministering to Manitou Springs residents, St. Andrews Episcopal Church closed. The historic structure in the center of town is an area landmark. While closing the sanctuary marked a pivotal end to the church’s storied history, the Manitou Springs Food Pantry located on the lower level remains open. Food Pantry […]
Late Sunday, Daniel Giffin – 17-year-old son of Torie Jennings Giffin – died. It might seem customary to write something like “Daniel lost his 6.5 year battle with an aggressive brain cancer,” but writing that Daniel lost anything in his unwavering quest for heaven would be untrue. The loved ones left behind have lost a […]
New art installation kicks off summer in Ute Pass “Off The Beaten Path” by Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics will be a premier attraction this summer for Green Mountain Falls and the Green Box Arts Festival. Viewing the installation is free. If you go, plan your trip around these other Ute Pass happenings in June […]
When Steffany Butts-Boucher opened her sound healing and meditation business, ECHO Frequency Studio LLC, in 2020, she was terrified. She had a little money saved, but it wasn’t exactly a realistic amount to open a business with. And besides, she’d decided to set up shop in the middle of a global pandemic. But as she […]
PHOTOS BY MARK LEE
COURTESY OF THE NATALIE JOHNSON FOR MAYOR CAMPAIGN Join Manitou Springs City Mayor Pro tempore and School Board Vice President Natalie Johnson on Monday, June 30 from 4:30-6 p.m. at the Manitou Springs Carnegie Library as she announces her candidacy for the Manitou Springs mayoral race. This event is open to the public and will […]
The National Archives state that on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s historic Emancipation Proclamation, U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, which informed the people of Texas that all enslaved people were now free. That day has come to be known as Juneteenth, a combination […]
A museum curator gazes down on a flag of candy cane stripes and 50 white stars. She does not pass judgment on the artifacts; she merely catalogues them. But she does write the captions – captions which omit or emphasize information. Just how should she caption the battered flag of the United States of America? […]
Twenty-eight years ago, two visionary Colorado College professors saw a local need for connecting kids with the outdoors. Married couple Howard Drossman and Julie Francis, both environmental educators, set out intending to volunteer for a preexisting nonprofit – but they didn’t find one that connected children with nature. As a result, the pair developed the […]
Art lovers turned out Friday, June 6 to see the latest in galleries and shops, hear live music, and perhaps enjoy a glass of wine or refreshment along the way. Many artists whose work was featured during Art Walk will be on display all month – so if you missed Art Walk, you might still […]
Retired Brig. Gen. Marty France stood in his dress uniform outside the southern entrance to the U.S. Air Force Academy on May 28, holding a sign calling for transgender cadets to be allowed to serve as a steady stream of cars drove onto base for graduation. Three transgender cadets “walked” at this year’s graduation ceremony, […]
Green Mountain Falls and Chipita Park say ‘thank you’ to firefighters On Saturday, June 14, families and other community members are invited to say “Thank you” to past and present Green Mountain Falls (GMF) and Chipita Park (CP) volunteer firefighters at a FREE event. The Firefighter Appreciation Day will be hosted by the town of […]
Gazing into Julia Evans’ abstract paintings is a similar experience to seeing visions in the inkblots of a Rorschach test. Gazing into one, you could see a pirate ship … or a hammock … or a chalice. I could’ve sworn that the hazy shapes of another painting depicted a basketball player leaping for a dunk. […]
First Friday Art Walk should be the most wonderful evening of the month, but without proper planning, it can turn into a mad dash across the city to hit each of your favorite galleries. Scrolling through social media the morning after, you’ll realize you missed out on an opening reception party in Manitou Springs or […]
