Denver’s 150th Birthday Bash
The Mile High City will celebrate its sesquicentennial this November
You’ve come a long way, baby. On November 22, 1858, Gen. William Larimer, a land speculator from eastern Kansas, placed cottonwood sticks on the hill overlooking the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek to stake a claim at the center of a square-mile town plat. 150 years after that seemingly inauspicious occasion, Denver is the 21st largest metropolitan area in the United States, a vibrant urban landscape bursting at the seams with culture, diversity and excitement. The City and County of Denver is celebrating its sesquicentennial with a legacy project, the Denver Daisy; recognition of 150 people making Denver a better place; and a two-week birthday bash in November called 15 Days, 150 Years.
The Denver Daisy
The Mile High City is blossoming – literally. The Denver Daisy is a one-of-a-kind flower created and named in honor of the City’s 150th anniversary. Officially named Rudbeckia Denver Daisy, the flower is a totally new cultivated variety (“cultivar”). The new flower is based on the Rudbeckia hirta, a daisy native to Colorado when the pioneers founded Denver 150 years ago, and Rudbeckia Prairie Sun. Perfectly suited for Colorado’s arid climate, the Denver Daisy thrives in hot, sunny areas with minimal moisture and quickly develops eye-catching golden flowers with a deep-red color encircling a dark-brown center. The Denver Daisy is already making its presence known! 300,000 packets of the Denver Daisy are being distributed free throughout the City, starting April 22, Earth Day. Get your seed packet at Metro-area KeyBank branches, Participating metro-area garden centers, Denver Botanic Gardens, the May issue of 5280 magazine, Denver City and County Building, Wellington Webb Building, VISIT DENVER’s downtown information center, Downtown Denver Partnership’s downtown office, 16th Street Mall information kiosk and Skyline Park information booth, and the Colorado History Museum.
Denver’s Top 150
When it comes down to it, people are what make a city great. In honor of its 150th anniversary in November, the City and County of Denver will honor 150 people who are making a difference in the Mile High City. Denver’s Top 150 can be anyone from neighborhood activists to teachers to business people to artists to spiritual leaders. The main criteria is that they have to be doing something extraordinary, something noteworthy and something that is bettering the city for generations to come. On Nov. 22, the actual anniversary date for the City’s 150th, a reception announcing and honoring Denver’s Top 150 will take place. Nominate someone for this honor here.
15 Days, 150 Years
For two weeks in November, Denver will celebrate its 150th b-day in true Mile High City style, with festivals, sporting events, special offers and much more. On Nov. 13th, the 31st Denver Film Festival kicks off 10 days of incredible and innovative cinema. Beginning Nov. 14th is Denver Arts Week, a weeklong festival, highlighting the city’s visual and performing arts, taking place at more than five neighborhood art districts, 20 museums and 100 art galleries. The event is organized by VISIT DENVER to help draw local and national attention to the cultural renaissance that Denver is experiencing – a renaissance that led Sunset Magazine to proclaim: “The Mile High City is remaking itself as a world capital of art and architecture.” The city’s legacy will be honored in front of a packed crowd at INVESCO Field at Mile High during the Denver Broncos / Oakland Raiders game on Sunday Nov. 23rd. There will be free days at select Denver attractions, including the Colorado History Museum on Saturday, Nov. 22 – along with a birthday cake distributed by local dignitaries and temporary postal stations for a commemorative postmark and envelope.
Get up-to-the-minute info on Denver's 150th Birthday at www.denver.org/150/home.html.
