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As the site of the Rocky Mountains’ first documented gold strike, Arvada has yielded treasures for more than a century. To celebrate the city’s 120th birthday this month, we mined these five events, shops, and bars to offer you a mix of old and new gems.
1. The Arvada Tavern
On April 7, 1933, just months after the repeal of Prohibition in the state, the Arvada Tavern received the city’s first-ever alcohol license. The local watering hole has since transformed into an upscale bar with elevated pub fare such as walnut-crusted salmon and a mother lode of craft cocktails like the Smoke & Mirrors (rye and peated whiskeys, Cardamaro, bénédictine, honey syrup, and cocoa and Angostura bitters). If you crave Prohibition-style boozing, however, step through the indoor telephone booth to enter Bernard’s Tiki Room, a rum-soaked speakeasy that opened in 2023. 5707 Olde Wadsworth Blvd.
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2. Outside the Box / Outside the Box Too!
Co-founded in 2022 by former CBS4 meteorologist Chris Spears, Outside the Box is an eclectic shop in the heart of Olde Town Arvada—or rather eclectic shops. The first retail store proved so popular that Spears and his partner opened another location in the same building this past April. Where the original has curated gifts such as postcards, artisanal soaps, and heirloom seed collections, the new spot concentrates on home goods, including flowerpots shaped like twinkle-eyed gnomes. 5760 Olde Wadsworth Blvd., Units A and E
3. Electric Cherry Shop & Studios
Owner Ally Skiba inherited her love of vinyl from her grandfather, who pressed albums at Specialty Records in Scranton, Pennsylvania. But if you don’t share her passion for analog, don’t worry. Electric Cherry’s vintage clothing rack, classic Playboy issues, and local artwork will keep you entertained while your audiophile partner peruses the four-year-old record store’s sections of new, used, and collector-worthy albums. 5777 Olde Wadsworth Blvd., Suite R200
4. Odyssey Beerwerks
You’ll find this award-winning brewery just down the street from Arvada’s Gold Strike Park, where, in 1850, a prospector from Georgia named Lewis Ralston first panned the precious metal from the stream that now bears his name. Odyssey pays tribute to that history with the tart Ralston Creek radler, which pairs a light lager with bright grapefruit juice, while the brewery’s RTD (Ready To Drink) IPA and easy-sipping I-70 Colorado Pilsner honor modern local icons. 5535 W. 56th Ave., Suite 107
Read More: Local Food and Booze Establishments That Allow Dogs
5. Arvada Days
With bounce houses, train rides, magic shows, and a new Nerf zone, this year’s Arvada Days (August 24) will be the birthday party we all wished we could have attended as kids. But the adults among us can celebrate, too, by dancing to live music, browsing vendors, and sipping a pint or two at the beer garden, which benefits the Ralston House Child Advocacy Center. The best part? You don’t have to bring a gift. Clear Creek Valley Park
Read More: A Local’s Guide to Eating and Drinking in Olde Town Arvada
