5280 Magazine

Founded in 1993, 5280 is the largest local magazine in Colorado. The magazine's stories often make national headlines, and since 2005 5280 has been nominated for four National Magazine Awards. Get 5280 Magazine digital subscription today.

5280 Magazine

What’s Your Number?

PATRICIA KAOWTHUMRONG & ETHAN PAN

Always The Underdog

THE THUNDER ROLLS ON • After 65 years of photo finishes, Morrison’s Bandimere Speedway is closing this month as its owners seek to build a larger facility near DIA. To give the famed drag strip a proper victory lap, we asked eight-time Bandimere champ John Force, 74, for a trifecta of Thunder Mountain memories.

Shadow Land • On October 14, an annular solar eclipse will pass over the Four Corners region, treating Mesa Verde National Park to epic planetary pyrotechnics. Befitting its status as one of only 116 International Dark Sky Parks, the World Heritage Site has spent the past year preparing for when the stars, er, star aligns.

Wall Flowers • A Lakewood-based artist’s original wallpaper designs bring the outdoors inside.

Office Party • Peek inside Shinesty headquarters, where Denver designer Abigail Plantier imagined the spaces one might encounter while attending a groovy 1970s house party.

A Monumental Effort

Natural Curves • Fancy a home decor refresh this fall? Add organic movement to any space with pieces that showcase undulating forms.

Why Did The Author Cross The Road? • Local journalist Ben Goldfarb has spent years mapping the impact highways have on wildlife. His new book offers a window into a less deadly future.

Town And Country • Boulder’s Open Studios Tour is helping more artists feel at home.

Cone Appétit

An Apple A Day • Come fall, Colorado apple trees are laden with crisp red orbs just waiting to be picked and eaten whole, diced into salads, or baked in desserts. “People have a lot of powerful memories of apple harvest—the smells, the tastes, the feelings,” says Jeff Schwartz, director of agricultural operations at Big B’s Fruit Company in Paonia. “It’s a very special fruit.” Here, we asked local growers and a chef about their favorite Centennial State varieties and how best to prepare them.

Moonshot • Major Tom, a swanky bar and restaurant from the team behind Beckon, blasts off in RiNo.

TASTE THE STARS • Just about every restaurant in town offers a glass of something sparkling. But to really dive into the thrilling world of Champagne, prosecco, and cava, sip from these local menus.

Everyone Has 32 Teeth • What has 32 teeth and counts them dozens of times a day? A Denver comedian with OCD.

25 Best Restaurants • The Michelin Guide may have landed on the Front Range in 2023, but local chefs don’t need stars to prove their worth. The innovative dishes coming out of kitchens across metro Denver are all the evidence we need to say that the Mile High City is a culinary force. Here’s where to dig in this year.

YOUNG GUNS • AN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF FIREARMS ARE BEING CONFISCATED AT DENVER SCHOOLS, YOUTH-ON-YOUTH HOMICIDES ARE UP ACROSS THE METRO AREA, AND PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND TEACHERS ALL FEAR THAT THIS SCHOOL YEAR COULD BRING EVEN MORE GUN VIOLENCE. WHAT’S BEHIND THE PROLIFERATION OF FIREARMS AMONG ADOLESCENTS AROUND THE MILE HIGH CITY—AND IS THERE ANYTHING ANYONE CAN DO ABOUT IT?

A NATIONAL PROBLEM WRIT LARGER • IN 2020, GUN DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES—INCLUDING HOMICIDES, SUICIDES, AND ACCIDENTS—SURPASSED MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES AS THE NUMBER ONE KILLER OF KIDS AGES ONE TO 18. BOTH DENVER AND AURORA OUTPACE NATIONWIDE NUMBERS.

BULLET POINTS • SHOOTINGS INVOLVING JUVENILE VICTIMS AND/OR PERPETRATORS HAVE BECOME REGULAR OCCURRENCES IN THE DENVER METRO AREA. HERE, A NONEXHAUSTIVE LIST OF INCIDENTS THAT HAVE...