Denver hosts one of the largest Pride celebrations in the country. But this year sponsorships for Denver Pride are down significantly.

The Center on Colfax says the funding drop is due to rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion budgets caused by national legislation. The Center says these cuts are putting critical services for the LGBTQ+ community at risk.

Fran and Anna Simon were the first same-sex couple to be granted a civil union in Colorado in 2013 — and the first to legally marry in Denver in 2014. The Denver couple is spreading a message of hope as Coloradans mark Pride this month.

“To me, Pride is embracing who you are and accepting everyone and celebrating all the diversity that we have in our community, said Anna Simon, “Including sexual orientation, including gender identity, that all of that makes a richer place to live.”

Pride is one of the best times of the year, says Simon.

She and Fran Simon fought for years for legal recognition of their relationship, breathing a sigh of relief at the 2015 US Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage. 

A dilemma now– and every June– is who to march alongside for the Pride parade given all their friends and interests.

“Maybe especially in difficult times like now, Pride is super important and yea, we need to celebrate and be as loud and joyful as we ever are,” Anna said.

Fran added, “Especially in this time with the corporate sponsors leaving, I think it’s more important that we be out there.”

One motivator, says the couple, is the young people for whom this will be the first time ever attending Pride.

“When I was first coming out, it was huge for me, I mean it’s life saving for people to be in an environment, even if just for part of one day where they feel like they can be completely who they are,” said Anna.

Fran Simon has lots of practice fighting misperceptions these days and trying to find connections to people with diverse views, saying, “I always try to find common ground, and that we have a lot more in common than we have differences. So and then we can talk about parenthood or whatever.”

Finding common ground, say the Simon’s, is especially important in 2025.

“I am optimistic that we’re going to have a huge turnout this year, people are needing community in a way that they may not always, and this is a great way to have community and be uplifted,” said Anna Simon.

CBS Colorado is excited to take part in Pride this year. The celebration takes place the weekend of June 28th and 29th. With a new parade step off this year at 17th and Franklin, due to the construction along Colfax of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

DENVER — The Denver City Council on Monday authorized the city to spend more than $800 million over the next 35 years to expand the National Western Center.

The project will include the construction of a 160-room hotel, a 4,500-seat equestrian center, a parking garage, and income-restricted housing.

The plan to redevelop the area and turn it into a year-round destination has been years in the making. However, Monday’s vote was not unanimous.

The Denver City Council approved the project in a 9-4 vote. Council members Sarah Parady, Shontel Lewis, Jamie Torres, and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez voted against the measure. Council member Darrell Watson, who represents the area, voted for the measure, calling it a “win-win” for everyone.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston released a statement after the city council’s vote, saying, “There is no more cherished tradition in Denver than the Stock Show. Today, we are further committing to carrying that feeling throughout the rest of the year with events, entertainment, and a renewed dedication to putting people to work and improving the lives of neighbors through sustained – and lasting – trust and partnership.”

The project is not without controversy. Some community members in the nearby Elyria-Swansea neighborhood have raised concerns about the plan.

“It continues to steamroll forward, and it continues to do so without any accountability for the public dollars being invested,” said Swansea resident Candi CdeBaca, a former Denver City Council member.

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CdeBaca and others worry the project will displace people in the neighborhood.

“Our biggest concern in this community obviously is displacement,” she said.

People living in the area have been displaced before, like when Interstate 70 expanded. CdeBaca worries it will happen again with people being priced out of their homes.

“We’ve been fighting this fight for a very long time,” she said.

Sarah Lake, who led a successful campaign against a 2021 bond measure to build a new arena on the National Western Center campus, said building a new hotel and equestrian center is reckless.

“Just four years ago, voters overwhelmingly rejected spending $190 million to build the National Western Arena,” said Lake. “And now, here they are coming back, asking for four times that amount of money to build an equestrian center. So, it seems like it’s both economically reckless but also against the will of the voters who’ve already said this isn’t how they want their taxpayer dollars to be spent.”

Lance Nading, a local property owner who was appointed by the mayor to serve on a community outreach work group, said he is connected to the success of the National Western Center and its full development. However, he believes the National Western Center Authority needs to do a much better job of communicating with community leaders.

“They don’t engage with the actual leaders of GES in a meaningful way, so the end result is there’s a disconnect,” said Nading. “They do get community members to show up to their meetings. Sadly and unfortunately, they are not the true voices of the leaders in the GES (Globeville Elyria Swansea) communities. They’re just not.”

Sandra Ruiz Parilla and Nancy Santos are two GES community members who say they were very involved in providing ideas for the project. They believe it will be a great benefit to the community.

“We need to have neighborhoods being beautified,” said Ruiz Parilla. “But to be able to have that, we also need these kinds of developments that can offer those jobs, that can offer opportunities, that can offer better things for our communities.”

“The most important things for me are the opportunities they’re going to give the community,” added Santos.

Denver City Council delays vote on National Western Center expansion project to June

Ruiz Parilla told Denver7 she’s also concerned about displacement.

“The largest displacement in the community wasn’t the National Western Center, it was the I-70 project,” she said. “I was fighting to stop the I-70 project.”

Ruiz Parilla said she’s not blind to the challenges that the GES could face with gentrification. However, she believes the project will provide important opportunities for better jobs and education.

“Those are things we need,” she said.

As for CdeBaca, she and other community members asked the National Western Center Authority and the city to invest $16 million upfront into the GES Community Investment Fund (CIF) to pay for projects that could prevent displacement. She said this could include projects like a childcare center and housing.

The $16 million represented one percent of the total $1.6 billion in bond funds voters approved in 2015. The plan the city council approved will provide $9 million to the community investment fund over 35 years.

“$9 million over 35 years is absurd,” said CdeBaca. “That’s insufficient, and it can’t help the community right now.”

While they weren’t successful in getting the city council to vote down the expansion project, CdeBaca said they’re not giving up.

“Well, if anyone knows anything about this community, they know that we are well organized and will continue to fight until we can’t fight anymore,” she said.

Construction on the National Western Center expansion is expected to start this fall.

The project is one of three major initiatives Johnston’s administration has pushed through the city council in the last month. The other initiatives include the Park Hill acquisition and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) intergovernmental agreement.

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DENVER — A new art museum has opened its doors in Denver’s Baker neighborhood, breathing fresh life into a former fortune cookie factory. The aptly named Cookie Factory aims to connect the community with art in an accessible space. Admission is free, making it an inviting addition to Denver’s art scene.

The inaugural exhibition features the work of artist Sam Falls. His show, titled “Nothing Without Nature,” explores humankind’s relationship with the environment. Many of the works on display were created on-site in the Yampa River Valley, allowing nature to interact with the art itself through elements like rain and heat.

“He’s making this poetic statement on the role that nature plays in our lives, and how we’re best off being with nature, not against it,” Cookie Factory’s Director of Exhibitions Andrew Jensdotter said. “We just loved the work and felt like it would be visually stunning, but also tell an important narrative that is tied in with what people think of Colorado, which is majestic landscape, majestic scenery.”

The art museum’s founder and executive director Amanda Jane Precourt has nurtured the vision of Cookie Factory for eight years, hoping to curate a space dedicated to a single artist at a time.

“Having one artist at a time allows there to be really an experience with the artist and with the space,” Precourt said. “I want cookie factory to be a place where people can come and connect with art and connect with people and find some contentment and some joy in a really chaotic world.”

Denver7’s Ethan Carlson

The married couple is committed to bringing art to as many people as they can, in as many ways as possible. The space will not only showcase art, but also occasional events like yoga, dance and poetry, all designed to amplify the exhibition’s themes.

The simplest way of making art accessible is to make it affordable, and Cookie Factory is completely free of charge. It’s privately funded by Precourt, who wants to bring art to Denver because of her connection to art.

Former fortune cookie factory in Denver’s Baker neighborhood transforms

“From my own experiences, I know that art really does heal, and art has been a source for me to find mental wellness when I’m struggling,” Precourt said. “I want to bring art to the people in Denver and Colorado, to provide a place of wellness through the arts.”

Cookie Factory is located at 425 W. 4^th Ave. and is open on Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m., or by appointment.