Colorado
Colorado’s A Basin celebrates the spirit of the mountains and the LGBTQ+ community with Gay Basin event
It’s not Pride Month until next month, but the Colorado ski area Arapahoe Basin, “A Basin” for short, held a celebration of diversity anyway over the weekend. They call it Gay Basin, and this was the fourth year for the event.
The goal is to celebrate the spirit of the mountains and the LGBTQ+ community. And to be proud not to feel ashamed of who you are.
The event was not your everyday Pride celebration. Each day started off on a colorful foot. Skiers gathered around a large rainbow Pride flag and carried it as they skied from the summit to Black Mountain Lodge.
Also included were performances, DJs and afterparties.
“I think Pride is all about celebrating who you are,” said skier Daniel Furlan. “You don’t necessarily have to be on the LGBTQ spectrum, but you just need to be proud of who you are. And I think that’s what it’s really all about, and not necessarily the label within that.”
Arapahoe Basin President and COO Alan Henceroth said it’s important that the mountain stays true to what it has always believed: that everyone has a place on the snow.
“A Basin is a place where everybody should feel like they belong, and whether it’s our workforce or our guests, why wouldn’t we welcome everybody?” he said.
The celebration was represented sometimes through outfits, sometimes through drag and sometimes through the simple human need to get your groove on. Even if you’re in ski boots.
It’s a place that’s not afraid to let it be known: we’re all different in our own way. But that doesn’t matter, at the end of the day, you belong at A Basin.
“Ever since we came up that ski lift, it’s been nothing but love, and it it just warms my heart,” said drag performers Brenda T Staxxx & Banana Splits. “It just feels so nice that this community is so accepting of the art that we’re bringing.”
Hundreds turn out to see Big Boy No. 4014
The world’s largest steam engine made a whistle stop in Greeley, Colo., on Oct. 23, 2024, to the delight of hundreds who lined the tracks.
The world’s largest operating steam locomotive will come through Colorado at the end of July to wrap up a tour of the United States in conjunction with the nation’s 250th anniversary.
By the time Big Boy No. 4014 rolls back into Cheyenne, Wyoming, on July 29 to complete a coast-to-coast tour, it will have been exhibited at large displays in eight cities and dozens of whistle stops in 10 states.
The locomotive has no large public displays scheduled in Colorado, but its three whistle stops planned in the state will be the public’s last chance to get near it on its tour.
What is Big Boy No. 4014?
The Big Boy No. 4014 is the largest operating steam locomotive in the world, checking in at 133 feet long and 1.2 million pounds, according to Union Pacific.
It was one of 25 giants built starting in 1941 to lug heavy wartime freight between Cheyenne and Ogden, Utah. It has a hinged body to allow it to negotiate curves in the tracks and racked up more than 1 million miles before being retired in 1961. Union Pacific reacquired it from a rail industry museum in 2013 and set about refurbishing it.
Seven other Big Boys are on public display around the country, including ones in Denver and Cheyenne, but No. 4014 is the only one still operating.
Where can you see the Big Boy train in Colorado?
Big Boy will pass through Illinois, Missouri and Kansas between July 17 and when it enters Colorado on July 27. It has no formal events open to the public while in Colorado, but it has three whistle stops planned along with a private event that are its last activity before arriving home in Wyoming.
- Kit Carson, Young Street crossing on July 27. Arrive 10:45 a.m., depart 11:15 a.m.
- Strasburg, Main Street crossing on July 27. Arrive 3:45 p.m., depart 4:15 p.m.
- Denver, private Union Pacific employee event with no public access, July 28
- Greeley, 10th Street crossing on July 29. Arrive 1:15 p.m., depart 2 p.m.
How do you see Big Boy at a whistle stop?
Whistle stops are relatively short opportunities to see the Big Boy. Admission is free, although parking may involve a charge.
You might not be able to get close, as the Big Boy will be behind a fence or other perimeter in some cases, Union Pacific says on its website.
How to track Big Boy
Union Pacific has a real-time location tracker so fans can track the locomotive.
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network, with an emphasis on consumer finance, legal issues and state laws.
Watch previous related coverage in the video player above.
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — On Saturday, July 18, a chef-owned market, Urban Grocer, opened in Downtown Colorado Springs, expanding access to fresh food and everyday grocery essentials for the community.
The grocer, located at 29 West Cimarron Street, was created by Chef James and Shaundy Africano, owners of the Warehouse Restaurant. The grocer expands Downtown’s grocery options with a concept that combines restaurant-quality food with the convenience of a neighborhood market.
The market features fresh produce, a full-service deli, butcher, and seafood counters, chef-prepared meals, artisan cheeses, house-made pasta and sauces, baked goods, pantry staples, and Colorado-made products.
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