DENVER — Funding for the 2025 Denver Pride Parade is down 62% from last year, according to the Center on Colfax, which produces the parade.

The center said sponsors are cutting back or dropping out altogether due to rollbacks of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) budgets caused by national legislation.

Denver7 reached out to the center to talk about the drop-off in funding. No one was made available, but we did receive a statement that said in part, “When looking at organizations who sponsored Denver Pride in 2024 and returned at lower levels in 2025, on average their contributions have decreased by 62%.”

The center said it has brought on new sponsors to “help lessen the gap.”

“While we are disappointed at the decrease of funding or full defunding of certain sponsorships, we don’t feel that calling these organizations out by name will be beneficial to our goal to call-in and educate people on the importance of our work here at The Center on Colfax. We also recognize that these decisions do not reflect the views and opinions of everyone within the organizations in question,” the statement continues.

In a statement, Natalie Zanonie, interim CEO of the Center on Colfax, said, “Denver Pride is unique from other pride events of our size in that it is both entirely free to attend and serves as the biggest annual fundraiser for our local LGBTQ+ community center, The Center on Colfax. Eighty-three percent of all contributions to The Center are directed back to our community through the vital programming we offer year-round to our LGBTQ+ community free-of-charge. The decrease in funding we are experiencing puts these critical services at risk, such as mental health support, programming for our trans and gender diverse community, youth, older adults, and more.”

The center concluded its statement by saying, “We are grateful for our partners who have returned and the members of the LGBTQ+ employee resource groups who have made significant efforts to continue funding us, as this allows us to keep Denver Pride an accessible, free event for our community.”

• Full statement from the Center on Colfax

Denver’s Pride parade is one of the country’s largest, drawing more than a half million people each year. This year’s parade is scheduled for June 29.

Denver7 has been and continues to be a proud sponsor of the Denver Pride parade.

The Denver Nuggets took care of business in Game 82, securing a 126-111 win over the Houston Rockets to lock themselves into the fourth seed in the Western Conference. After the conclusion of the afternoon games, the Nuggets first-round matchup is set against the red-hot Los Angeles Clippers, who went 19-9 after the trade deadline.

Even though the Nuggets are the higher seed, their playoff chances will be questioned under the leadership of interim head coach David Adelman, given the recent firings. In what appears to be a press conference to address it and other topics, the media is set to hear from the man in charge of the franchise.

In an email sent out to members of the media, the Nuggets are set to hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m. local time with Josh Kroenke, the team’s President.

While Kroenke did release a statement after the firings of both Michael Malone and Calvin Booth, the media will now get a chance to speak to Kroenke to inquire about future plans and more regarding the current roster. While it’s been a small sample size, coach Adelman has gone 3-0 since taking over and could be in the mix to be promoted to full-time head coach.

Denver is set to begin their seventh straight postseason berth on Saturday when they welcome the Clippers to Ball Arena for Game 1 of the first round.

Rockets Coach Ime Udoka Makes Unexpected Decision for Nuggets Game

Michael Malone Sends Heartfelt Message to Nuggets After Firing

Denver Nuggets vs Houston Rockets Injury Report

DENVER — “The Wiz” musical is currently in town at the Denver Center of the Performing Arts, entertaining people of all ages. On opening night, a Denver dance studio owner was in the crowd and shared how she brought the show to the Mile High City years ago.

Cleo Parker Robinson was among the many people in the audience on opening night of the “The Wiz” at the Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre.

“It was fantastic! I don’t think you can ever get enough of ‘The Wiz,’ ever,” Robinson said.

Robinson founded the dance studio, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, in Denver. She said seeing “The Wiz” in 2025 is a full-circle moment, as she helped the production flourish in Denver in the 1970s.

“So we produced ‘The Wiz,’ and I brought in a director out of Seattle. He was head of a black theater, Black Arts West, Buddy Butler. He became our director in Denver for many, many years. My father began to do sets and lights, designing and acting, so I was able to choreograph and help direct ‘The Wiz,’ and it was so magical,” Robinson remembered.

Robinson said that when putting the show together, her son dreamed about being the Lion in the musical every night but had to settle for playing another character.

“The director put him in the show, so he’s the only child in the show, and he was choreographed in with the flying monkey,” Robinson said.

While Robinson said the revised Broadway production today did not have the flying monkeys, watching the modern-day version brings back memories.

“We chose ‘The Wiz,’ the costumes, and the choreography, and everything was mine. So, then I continued to do ‘The Wiz’ in the schools. I take it in the schools, and I traveled it, but I did it in Boulder with Ray Charles,” Robinson said.

As Robinson went down memory lane, she could not help but remember the vibrant colors of the production and how “The Wiz” amplified the Black art community.

“In the Emerald City, everybody comes out in green, and then they come out in red, and then they come out, you know, blue and they are bad. So when it was happening on Broadway, I was there, and a lot of our friends came out of dance companies like mine and went into the Broadway show,” Robinson said.

While “The Wiz” will be in Denver until April 20, Robinson said the performers will be stopping by her studio because she wants to make sure they feel at home in the Mile High City.

“I wanted them to know that they’re in Denver and we are happy and blessed that they’re here, and that they can come and take classes in the morning, keep their training and connect with us,” Robinson said.

Tickets for the show are still available.

Denver dance studio owner discusses ‘The Wiz’ coming to Buell Theatre