YOU CAN COMMENT ON ANY STORY AT WESTWORD.COM; SEND LETTERS TO [email protected] LETTERS TO THE EDITOR “DRINK HERE,” NOVEMBER 25 DRINK - S T AINED WRET CHES What a fun list of bars in “Drink Here”! I’ve been to at least forty of them, and visiting the rest is my New Year’s resolution for 2022. Thank you. Kyle Myers Denver Westword should spend more time re- searching stories on the streets rather than in the bars. Tom Allen Denver Good list you have here! Been to several on this list. Paul Armani Denver What about Dazzle or Columbine Steak- house? Peter Horton Denver The fact that Nallen’s is missing from this list…clueless! Kurt Von Reiter Denver “HOUSE SHOWING,” CLAIRE DUNCOMBE, NOVEMBER 25 HOUSE PA R T Y Kudos to Claire Duncombe for her excellent story on the Barnum House. I remember the fi rst story about Robert Failing from twenty years ago, and it’s good to know that the current occupants of the home are keeping things colorful. Jayne Parker Denver Don’t miss a beat! Follow @DenverWestword on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The holidays are here, and over the next month, we’ll be unwrapping a series of gifts for Denver, looking back through our old issues to see what they said about our city — and then sharing our discoveries with you in sixty-second TikTok videos. Look for DenverWestword, and enjoy. They say there’s a sucker born every min- ute. It seems to happen more often in Denver. Ruby Vigil Denver Fantastically interesting story! Wonder- ful, vibrant, exciting people. I would love them for neighbors. So creative and colorful! Very active, happy minds behind their proj- ects. Great work! Best wishes for continuing success! Margaret Johnson Aurora I tried to get an appointment to look at that house when it was up for sale. Such an amazing space. I’m so glad it turned into this resource for the community to enjoy. Rodney Lawson Denver “OLD WEED,” ASK A STONER, NOVEMBER 18 OLDER AND WI SER Grow your own, people! For what you’re paying, a month or two could afford you a setup that produces a plant. Graeme Smith Posted on Facebook Does the liquor-store employee warn me about the old beer they’re about to sell me? No. They could care less. Jack Power Denver Know your product. Ask if you can see and smell the buds before you buy it. Chris Earls Arvada How about adding a freshness date on the packaging? “Best by such and such a date”? Larry Patchett Lakewood 9 IN A PICKLE Denver Parks and Recreation gets paddled by fans of the country’s fastest-growing sport. BY CATIE CHESHIRE 21 HIGH STAKES Black Hawk is betting on a free land offer to attract breweries and distilleries. BY JONATHAN SHIKES 25 BACK WITH A BANG Trail of Dead kicks off its headlining tour at the Larimer Lounge. BY JOHN BEAR 6 News 18 Culture 25 Music CONCERTS/CLUBS ................................... 28 38 Marijuana TOKE OF THE TOWN ................................ 38 ASK A STONER ......................................... 40 STRAIN GANG .......................................... 42 VOLUME 45 NUMBER 14 DECEMBER 2-8, 2021 W AR T Art Director Jay Vollmar PR ODUC TI ON Production Manager Michael Wilson Assistant Production Manager Erin Kirk Graphic Designers Chris Arneson, Anna Berman, Danielle East CRE A TIVE SER VI CES Senior Graphic Designer Allie Seidel AD VER TI S ING Account Manager Claire Holt Senior Multimedia Account Executives Amy Camera, Aaron Lembke, Danelle Trujillo Multimedia Account Executive Tom Anglin, Katelyn Meeker Operations Administrative Coordinator Heyward Manning Marketing and Promotions Manager John Davis House Account Manager Anna Hortik Operations Manager Maddie Miller Marketing and Events Director Will Wytias-Sobel Digital and Advertising Sales Manager Taylor Wheeler Advertising Director Teri Driskell C I R CULA TI ON Circulation Manager Ty Koepke Circulation Coordinator Chris Speed BUS INESS Business Manager Sarah Dunahay AP/Payroll Specialist Robert Scribner AR Coordinator Stacy Phillips Receptionist Cindy Perez Associate Publisher Tracy Kontrelos Publisher Scott Tobias V O ICE MEDIA GROUP Executive Editor Christine Brennan Executive Associate Editor Andy Van De Voorde Corporate Controller Beth Cook Legal Counsel Steve Suskin Chief Financial Offi cer Jeff Mars Chief Executive Offi cer Scott Tobias VMG NA TI ONAL National Advertising: 1-888-278-9866, www.voicemediagroup.com Senior Vice President of Sales Operations Joe Larkin DI S TRIBUTI ON Westword is available free of charge. 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Periodicals postage paid in Denver. Domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $50 yearly. Postmaster: Send address changes to Westword, P.O. Box 5970, Denver CO 80217. Mailing address: P.O. Box 5970, Denver, CO 80217 Street address: 1278 Lincoln Street, Denver, CO 80203 For retail or classifi ed advertising, call: 303-296-7744 For general information, call: 303-296-7744 ® EDIT ORIAL Editor Patricia Calhoun Editorial Operations Manager Jane R. Le Culture Editor Emily Ferguson Food and Drink Editor Molly Martin Cannabis Editor Thomas Mitchell Clubs Editor Jon Solomon Staff Writers Conor McCormick-Cavanagh, Michael Roberts Senior Contributor Alan Prendergast Contributors Hilal Bahcetepe, Nathalie Baret, John Bear, Alex Berryhill, Teague Bohlen, Jacqueline Collins, Linnea Covington, Claire Duncombe, Susan Froyd, Karl Christian Krumpholz, Kristen Kuchar, Katrina Leibee, Cleo Mirza, Michael Paglia, Kristin Pazulski, Adam Perry, Evan Semón, Jonathan Shikes, Chris Walker, Kastle Waserman, Juliet Wittman Editorial Fellow Catie Cheshire Editorial Interns Alexander Elmore, Sean Mulcahy PHOTOGRAPH BY GETTY IMAGESON THE COVER 5 westword.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | CALHOUN | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | WESTWORD DECEMBER 2-8, 2021