Westword Members Gather to Support Local Journalism

Since the first edition of Westword came out on September 1, 1977, Westword has hosted events large and small, wild and mild. But perhaps none was as satisfying as our first members-only open house, held September 14 at our office in the historic Dodge Building, which got its start as a car dealership a century ago.

The event revved up when editor Patricia Calhoun welcomed guests and invited super-member Tim Jackson, former head of Colorado Auto Dealers and one of our most faithful supporters, to talk not just about the history of the building, but Denver's auto industry in general.
Open only to members who've donated to Westword, the event included plenty of opportunities to discuss recent issues, too, including "Paint the Town Read," our fall reading list that included suggestions from thirty local authors. One of them, Westword senior writer Alan Prendergast, was on hand to talk about his picks as well as his own book, Gangbuster: One Man's Battle Against Crime, Corruption, and the Klan.

Another longtime contributor, Marty Jones, treated the group to a rendition of his song “Smokey the Coors Field Cat,” which he wrote to memorialize everyone’s favorite baseball feline.

Culture editor Emily Ferguson gave a preview of her interview with May Pang, whose The Lost Weekend, a show of photographs taken during her affair with John Lennon, opens at Bitfactory Gallery on September 22. And she also offered insight into all of the street art both inside and outside of the office, including the pieces added in the parking lot during the fifth annual ColorCon in September.
In addition to the tasty conversation, guests enjoyed drinks provided by Argonaut Wine & Liquor (our 2023 Best of Denver Readers' Choice for Best Liquor Store) and snacks from Linger.

While Westword has always been free, and plans to remain that way both in print and online, free speech doesn't come cheap. That's why Westword introduced its membership program four years ago. It's now under the watchful eye of our first membership manager, Lily Black, who shared some of her plans with the group.

Want to attend a future members-only event? Give any amount, and join our membership community. See more photos from the event below.