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Deputy Editor

Jessica LaRusso

Deputy Editor

As 5280‘s deputy editor, Jessica LaRusso proofreads the magazine cover to cover and makes sure every issue gets to the printer on time. She also edits and writes features on topics ranging from dinosaur fossils to the local disc golf scene; her Colorado stargazing guide was a finalist for an ASME National Magazine Award in 2023. A 2021 Folio: Top Women in Media Up and Comer honoree, LaRusso grew up in northern Indiana and studied at the University of Notre Dame before trading the Midwest for the mountains. She joined 5280 full time in 2012 and lives in Arvada, where she loves hosting backyard dinner parties and watching her toddler eat peas and tomatoes straight from the garden.

Articles By Jessica LaRusso

Two girls play with robotic cube toys

The 7 Best Colorado Gifts for Kids

Give the gifts of coding, exploring, and learning—and yes, having fun too—with these holiday shopping ideas for the littles on your list.

Flouwer Co.

16 Awesome Shops for Buying Local Gifts Around Denver This Holiday Season

Log out of Amazon and step into these local stores, where knowledgeable shopkeepers will guide you to the perfect presents for everyone on your list.

Revolution Rail Co. railbiking course in South Fork, Co

Where to Railbike in Colorado

Bike the rails through golden canopies and beside the roaring Rio Grande this autumn.

Hand chain from Love Saro

The 5 Best Spots To Get Permanent Jewelry in Denver and Boulder

Here’s where to get in on the trend of welded-on bracelets, anklets, and necklaces.

Hedwig onstage with a microphone

Hedwig and the Angry Inch Is More Than Just a Play—It’s a Party

Five tips for making the most of your ticket to the limited-run production (through August 24) of this cult-classic, gender-bending, glam-rock musical in RiNo.

Kristin Taylor holds a glass of red Mom Juice

Mom Juice’s Kristin Taylor Is Making Wine for Women, by Women—in Spite of the Haters

How the Colorado-based co-founder of Mom Juice has continued to grow her clean wine brand in the face of funding challenges, branding hiccups, and pushback from, naturally, men.

A woman takes a photo of a man and toddler with a wallaby in the background

5 Surprises in the Denver Zoo’s New Immersive Down Under Exhibit

The $7.8 million, three-acre habitat allows visitors to walk with wallabies and learn how Australia’s Indigenous peoples care for the continent’s land and animals.

The Oversimplified Guide to Hiking a Fourteener With Your Kid

Five tips for physically and mentally preparing small humans for big climbs.

Dancers/dj at Stay Tuned

The Best Denver Culture and Nightlife of 2024

If you need a book to read, a place to dance, or a killer cocktail to sip, we’ve got all of that—and more.

Gaylord Rockies Resort Pool

The Best Denver Pools (And Other Watery Spots) to Make a Splash

Want to cool off with your crew, but don’t have a swimming hole of your own? From sailing on Chatfield to private pools you can rent by the hour, here are 10 ideas for playing in the water this summer.

Granby house exterior with 2 people on porch

How To Land a Mountain Home in Colorado (Even if You Aren’t Rich)

From building a classic A-frame cabin to splitting a ski condo, there are plenty of creative ways to own at least a part-time high-country getaway.

Two people atop Mt. Princeton holding a cardboard sign

The National Geodetic Survey Calculated New Elevations for Fourteeners. Who’s Up, Who’s Down?

The project to more accurately measure vertical heights across the United States will impact floodplain mapping, land surveys, and, yes, your cardboard peak-bagging signs.

Two corsets on stands in Rumors of Bloomers

5 Intriguing Unmentionables at Denver’s New Rumors of Bloomers Exhibit

From corsets to bullet bras, the Center for Colorado Women’s History challenges visitors to consider what undergarments can tell us about the people who wear them.

A grid of beetles on display at the May Natural History Museum in Colorado Springs.

10 Quirky Colorado Museums You Need To Check Out

Seek out these off-the-beaten-path—or just offbeat—museums scattered across the state.

steps

11 Weird and Wonderful Colorado Roadside Attractions

Colorado is world famous for its natural landmarks, but our state also boasts its fair share of quirky human-made destinations worth taking a detour to experience.

Woman playing padel outside

5 Reasons Why Pickleball Fans Should Try Padel

We let Robert Gurolnick, the director of padel at Parker Racquet Club—home to the only four courts in the state—school us on the rapidly growing sport. Here’s why newbies should take his free Padel 101 clinic, too.

A rack of premade sets at Hall of Justice Comics & Collectibles

The 6 Best Comic Book Stores in Denver

From welcoming shops for comic-curious newbies to collectors’ paradises, these are our favorite comic book stores in and around the Mile High City.

Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs

The (Not-So-Touristy) Guide to Garden of the Gods

With 1,367 acres of the most striking—and most accessible—scenery in the state, Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs is a magnet for tourists and Coloradans alike. From where to park to which trails to hike to restaurants nearby to places to stay overnight, here’s how to enjoy the park any time of year.

The 6 Best New Denver Hotels

Whether you’re a baseball fan, a shopaholic, or just in need of some self-care, we have a Denver staycation itinerary that’s perfect for you.

Deion Sanders at Folsom Field

5 Ridiculous National Takes on the CU Buffs and Deion Sanders

And why we really, really want to believe they’re wrong.

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