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Since 1983, the Denver Indian Center has supported the Native community by offering guidance, support and a place where people can meet and honor Indigenous cultures. But the facility also offers help for maneuvering the world outside its doors: Members of federally recognized tribes can choose to join Parenting in Two Worlds, Honoring Fatherhood and the Workforce Program, which includes career counseling, résumé workshops, GED assistance, and funding for job training.

Want to get rid of that gun you inherited? Help make the community safer by transforming your unwanted (and unloaded) firearm into a garden tool by dropping it off at a Guns to Gardens event. Trained volunteers dismantle the parts, which are forged into garden tools. It's anonymous, and you'll receive a gift card for your surrender.

gunstogardensdenver.org

The sculptural glass works that Danelle Rains makes for Memento Mori are aglow with color, but what really catches your attention are the sparkling flecks found in the swirling hues. They add a potent energy to the pieces, and once you discover what they are, you'll know why: The flecks are cremation ashes, which Rains adds to the glass so that people can display and honor their loved ones (people or pets) rather than keep them hidden away in an urn.

mementomoriglass.com

The devil you say! Yes, the Archdiocese of Denver has a priest who's an exorcism expert. In a video that's been viewed more than a million times, Chad Ripperger describes one of the more frightening exorcisms he's performed. "There was a full-blown, preternatural manifestation right there, and the demon was screaming," he says. "If that doesn't strike the fear of God in you, nothing will." Well, some of Ripperger's other statements about how Hitler and homosexuality released "demons" in the world might give you a few chills, too.

archden.org/chad-alec-ripperger

Karen Richards started Two Birds Fit primarily as a fitness program, mostly involving activities around Sloan's Lake, but it's since morphed into a fitness dating program, with bigger events that allow for meeting, greeting — and swiping right in real life. You pay a fee to join in the event, then get a chance to exercise your heart as you work out with dozens of like-minded singles. In this post-pandemic world, Richards has found a way to connect in person.

720-706-2888
twobirdsfit.com
Courtesy Denver Art Museum

Tell your beloved that you just want to see the incredible Petrie Institute of Western American Art collection on the seventh floor of the renovated Martin Building at the Denver Art Museum. But don't stop there: After you've taken in the exhibit, head to the new rooftop terrace, which offers lofty views of downtown and the Front Range. The terrace was part of Gio Ponti's original plan for the building more than fifty years ago, but it wasn't built until the recent renovation. This is the perfect spot for a selfie, and the most romantic spot in Denver for a proposal.

"People who are new to thermaculture might mistake what we're doing for a spa, but it's really not. What we are offering is connection," says Rory MacMurdo, who co-founded Portal Thermaculture with Will Dresher. The pop-up includes two Scandinavian saunas, three cold-plunge pools and a unique social environment, since it's located on the back patio of Sanitas Brewing Company. Along with the saunas and pools, you'll find a seating area with lockers and three curtained changing stalls. And after you've taken the plunge? How does a nice, cold beer sound?

3550 Frontier Avenue, Boulder
720-925-2246
portalthermaculture.com

The Peterson family came up with a honey of an idea when they decided to create an apiary, or collection of beehives, on their ranch in Lafayette. In countries like Germany and Slovenia, inhaling the aerosol created by bees in an apiary is an authorized treatment for respiratory diseases, but in the United States, Capella Ranch became just the third spot in the country to offer the experience when it opened. Just finishing its second season, it's created quite a buzz; clients hang in one of four custom-built huts complete with hives, where they're lulled by the sound and scent of the bees. "I'm going to be out here all summer, talking to people and enjoying them and hearing their stories," says Carolyn Peterson, matriarch of the Peterson family."They're going to come stressed out, and then they're going to leave relaxed."

9774 Phillips Road, Lafayette
303-249-2666
capellaranch.com

Getting a flat can make your mood deflate just as much as your tire has. But the Conoco on Sixth Avenue is always there to pump you up, literally and figuratively. The centrally located station offers free air, and with the setup's long hoses, it's easy to reach any wheel. Plus, there's enough pressure that your tire will be refilled almost instantly. In fact, the shop recommends that you use a tire pressure gauge to be sure you don't over-inflate your tires. The friendly staff will loan you one; just walk in and ask!

2300 East 6th Avenue
303-377-5545

To deter would-be thieves, you can request a free, easy-to-install CatETCH catalytic converter etching label from the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority. The adhesive label has a unique number that is heat- and tamper-proof, and should discourage scofflaws. If they snag it anyway, the label's number is in the national law enforcement database, which assists authorities in apprehending the culprit. Check the "events" tab on the Lockdown site to find the next etching kit pickup dates.

lockdownyourcar.org

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