Hello, Bucket Listers! Next week marks a major milestone for us: we’re taking Bucket List to the airwaves. Our new monthly radio show debuts Thursday, July 3, at 3 p.m. on KGNU. We spent some time at the Buell Public Media Center downtown recording the show this week, and the experience was great fun. From behind the mic to editing audio, this program enables us to tell local stories in a whole new way. Now, let’s jump into what’s happening around Colorado.
Pride, Protest and the Politics of Visibility
Denver’s PrideFest might still have drag headliners and DJs, but its tone in 2025 feels very different. Our Cassis Tingley reports that amid national pushback on LGBTQ+ rights and DEI funding, the celebration is regaining its activist edge. The Center on Colfax, which organizes the event, faced a major funding shortfall this year as corporate sponsors pulled out under pressure, with new CEO Kim Salvaggio saying they were $200,000 short before last-minute support filled the gap. For longtime community members like Frankie Seibert, who’s been attending since 1979, this year feels like a return to Pride’s origins: public, political and deeply personal.
Denver Drag Superstar Reflects on Home, Fame and Taking Up Space
Before becoming a global icon, Yvie Oddly was a teen experimenting with drag on the Auraria campus. Her rise from performing in borrowed dresses to winning Season 11 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is a testament to Denver’s evolving queer scene. Our Maxx Goodman profiles how Oddly’s journey and return to Denver reflect a broader shift in what it means to take up queer space in the city. This Pride Month, Oddly is feeling inspired by the opening of new queer spaces, like The Pearl, and hopes her story encourages others to dream big.
Forest Service Cuts Hit Colorado’s Iconic Outdoors
A scenic hike through the Maroon Bells may not be what it used to be. In Jenny Ellis’s deep dive, we learn how federal cuts to the U.S. Forest Service are already being felt in places like the White River National Forest. Seasonal staff layoffs, halted hiring and facility closures are just the beginning. While tourists like Josh Dinkins still marvel at the views, many, like Alaska visitor Lily Singleton, notice changes in cleanliness, services and maintenance. With wildfire prevention also on the chopping block, Colorado’s prized public lands are in real danger.
Inside Abraham Lincoln High School’s New Look
After years of low academic performance and murky branding, Abraham Lincoln High School is reinventing itself. Principal NĂ©stor Bravo says it’s not just about a facelift—it’s about changing perception and rebuilding trust with the community. Genesis Delgado, Bucket List’s first high school intern and rising senior at Abraham Lincoln High School, brings us inside the rebrand. Graphic design teacher Virginia Buhl and her students led the logo redesign after the district’s proposals fell flat. Now? “The identity is stronger,” one current student says.
Bala Thiagarajan on Creation, Identity and Cherry Creek Arts Festival
South Indian-American artist Bala Thiagarajan is having a moment. After leaving a career in science, she’s now one of Denver’s most exciting local artists, and she’s about to debut at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival. In our latest podcast episode, Ryland Scholes talks with her about the challenges of being an immigrant artist, founding a new South Asian collective and pushing for more cultural representation in local art spaces. “It’s not just about creating or showing or selling my work anymore,” she says. “It’s also about representation and making space.” Listen to the full interview on our site or wherever you get your podcasts.
Stuff We Noticed
High Stakes, Higher Towers. Denver might be getting a new spire. A spiraling, 673-foot observation tower with an orb on top is being proposed for 1546 California Street, potentially becoming the city’s fourth-tallest building. It would rival icons like the Seattle Space Needle and Dallas’s Reunion Tower, but because of its location in a historic district, it’ll face plenty of red tape.
Wolves Near the Metro. For the first time, a GPS-collared gray wolf has entered a watershed that includes parts of Jefferson County and even Denver. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is monitoring the animal closely amid ongoing livestock depredation incidents and one lethal removal. It’s a reminder that rewilding has consequences and that wildness might be closer than we think.
Balloon Boy Floats Back. Netflix’s “Trainwreck” series is bringing back one of Colorado’s weirdest moments: Balloon Boy. The episode premieres July 15 and revisits the 2009 hoax where a Fort Collins family claimed their son was stuck in a flying saucer balloon. Turns out, he was in the attic all along. Drama, deception and duct tape—it has it all.
That’s all from us this week. Don’t forget to tune into our debut KGNU show next Thursday, July 3, at 3 p.m. We’ll be diving deeper into stories from across Denver, including Federal Boulevard’s traffic nightmare to a mile-long table that brings neighbors together. We’re trying to raise $1500 to cover production so if you like what we’re doing, help us out with a contribution. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful weekend!
Warmest Regards,
Toni Tresca
Editor/Bucket List Community News
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