For 25 years, Colorado Youth Outdoors has been teaching archery, fishing, and shooting sports to kids and their parents. But that’s not why we’re here.
We believe time outside together creates a deeper connection.
Join us this fall at outdoor locations near Campo Esperanza Natural Area (715 E 24th St), where we’ll teach seven weeks of spin fishing, archery and outdoor survival skills. Classes are one evening a week, 5:30-7:30pm beginning mid-September.
We’re looking for 15 adult/child (ages 10+) pairs to join us on this shared adventure. Class fees are covered thanks to a grant from Generation Wild.
Greeley, It is Time to Explore!
There is something special about summertime in Greeley. The days feel a little longer, the community feels a little closer, and there seems to be an invitation around every corner to get out, explore and experience something new.
This month, we are honored to share the story of Chevron and their meaningful role in the Greeley Stampede. They are much more than a sponsor of one of our community’s most beloved traditions. They are a neighbor, a partner and a company that continues to give back to Greeley in ways that make a lasting impact.
We also take a look at the legacy of the Greeley Stampede Parade, a tradition that has brought generations together along our streets. I have had the privilege of walking in the parade with my family, representing Greeley Lifestyle, and it was one of those experiences that reminds you just how special it is to be part of this community. There is nothing quite like seeing familiar faces, waving to neighbors and feeling the pride that runs through Greeley during Stampede season.
This issue honors a remarkable moment in history as we look ahead to the 250th birthday of our country, Colorado’s 150th and Greeley’s 140th. Greeley’s story is part of a much larger American story, and it is one worth celebrating.
Also, you will find a story about Ta Culichi and their exciting new patio concept, including a one-of-a-kind boat table unlike anything else in Colorado. It is another reminder that exploration does not always require a plane ticket. Sometimes it is waiting for you right here in town.
NoCo Urban Race is a 50-mile adventure that brought competitors through Greeley and other Northern Colorado communities. People come from all over to participate, but we are lucky enough to have this kind of energy and community connection right in our backyard.
And because exploring can also take us beyond Greeley, we are sharing two travel stories this month: one to Alaska and one to Florida. I had the opportunity to experience the Florida trip with fellow magazine publishers, and it was the ultimate reminder that travel is not just about the destination. It is about the people you share it with and the memories you bring home.
This summer, I hope you find time to explore both near and far. Try the new patio. Cheer at the parade. Take the trip. Adventure is everywhere, and so much of it begins right here at home.
Gracefully Etched Photography by Graci, Tanya Hamner, Jake Hodnett, Randy Owens Photography by Randy Owens, Blue Photography by Audrey Roybal, Woven Victory Photography by Olivia Schmitt, John Robson, George Rosales
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
President Matthew Perry
COO David Stetler
CRO Jamie Pentz
CoS Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Matthew Endersbe
LAYOUT DESIGNER Emily Lisenbee
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Brandy Thomas
TARA RASMUSON, PUBLISHER
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inside the issue
1: NorCo WIB attends the Women 2 Women 14th annual Circle of Sisters event 2: Wing Shack management team explores Wiley Roots Brewing Company where Shack Beer is brewed 3: CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteers stand with Judge Hause (Division 19) after being sworn in to serve youth in Weld County 4: North Range Behavioral Health accepts Greeley Mayor Dale Hall's proclamation declaring May as Mental Health Month 5: The Greeley Philharmonic Guild hosts annual Mad Hatter Tea, with sweets, fashion, and fun 6: Balanced Movement hosts yoga at Alkynes of Vines 7: Greeley Firefighters rescue a group of baby ducklings from a storm drain on Mother's Day
business monthly
Brian Seifried Celebrates 22 Years
Brian Seifried celebrates 22 years since the grand opening of the original Wing Shack. Since its founding, Wing Shack has become a cornerstone of the Greeley community, proudly supporting hundreds of local events, schools, nonprofit organizations, the Greeley Blues Jam, and the Greeley Stampede. What began as a small shack in Garden City has grown into 17 locations across Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming, with additional locations on the way.
Building Brighter Futures
Life Stories is grateful for the continued partnership of the Union Colony Exchange Club of Greeley. Pictured are Life Stories staff members alongside Exchange Club representatives, recognizing the organization’s generous support of the Life Stories mission. Their continued commitment strengthens advocacy efforts for children and families across Weld County while helping create brighter futures for local youth.
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America the Beautiful, Made in Colorado
O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain! America! America!
God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!
Those words were born in Colorado. And so were we.
Here’s to 150 years of Colorado the Beautiful, the state we call home.
Edison’s Ice Cream Opens in Downtown Greeley
Edison’s Ice Cream officially opens its doors in downtown Greeley, bringing handcrafted scoops and pints to the heart of the community. Following a much-anticipated grand opening, the shop is quickly becoming a go-to sweet spot for locals looking to satisfy their sweet tooth. Whether stopping in for a single scoop or grabbing a pint to go, Edison’s offers the perfect ending to any downtown outing. Visit them at 911 8th Ave.
Model: Jonelle Davis
Tres Amigos Mexican Restaurant Now Open Downtown
Tres Amigos Mexican Restaurant is now open in downtown Greeley. The newly renovated space features imported tiles from Mexico, creating a vibrant and authentic atmosphere. Known for standout menu items like its popular mushroom salsa, Tres Amigos is already earning praise from local diners. Guests can experience bold flavors and warm hospitality at the downtown restaurant, located at 806 9th St.
At Boomerang Self Storage, we’ve built a brand-new self-storage facility with your life in mind. Whether you’re stashing seasonal gear, storing a business inventory, or parking that RV you love to hit the road in, we’ve got you covered.
We offer a variety of unit sizes to fit everything from boxes to boats – with 13’ wide x 14’ tall doors, outdoor RV/boat parking with wide driveways, convenient RV dump station, onsite manager and a secure facility. Locally owned and operated, our goal is simple: make it easy for you to store what matters and focus on what’s next.
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Free Moving Truck for New Self Storage Tenants — we help you get started
Downtown Greeley's Nerd Store Expands
The Nerd Store Toys is the newest addition to downtown Greeley, with owner Trax Parry expanding into a dedicated 1,100-square-foot toy destination. The new space carries toys for infants through teens, building on The Nerd Store’s reputation as a beloved community staple and Toy Store of the Year nominee. Stop in and explore the new location at 805 Eighth St.
Welcome Karter to Ark Medical Aesthetics
Ark Medical Aesthetics is excited to welcome Karter, the newest Medical Esthetician on the team. Known for her warm personality and attention to detail, Karter is dedicated to helping clients achieve healthy, radiant skin. To celebrate, enjoy a relaxing ZO Skin Health Facial for just $69.99 throughout July, regularly priced at $100. Limited appointments are available, so reserve a spot today. Scan to read more Scan to read more
More Than A Sponsor. A Neighbor.
Chevron’s Partnership with the Greeley Stampede Reflects a Year-Round Investment in Weld County
Every summer, the Greeley Stampede transforms Greeley. The gates open, the midway fills, and each summer the community gathers around one of its longest-standing traditions. Families return to the same seats year after year. Volunteers arrive before sunrise. Local businesses prepare for one of the busiest stretches of the season.
What attendees see during the Stampede is only part of the story.
Long before opening day arrives, months of planning are already underway. Staff, volunteers, sponsors, vendors, and community partners work together to coordinate entertainment, rodeo events, logistics, safety, and guest experience. It is a year-round effort that depends on organizations willing to invest not only in the event itself, but in the community surrounding it.
The relationship between Chevron and the Stampede extends far beyond sponsorship. It reflects a shared investment in Weld County and the organizations, programs, and traditions that continue shaping the community year after year.
“Long-term partners like Chevron are essential to the success of the Stampede,” says Justin Watada, CEO of the Greeley Stampede. “Their support helps make it possible to deliver high-quality programming and maintain the scale and impact of the event.”
HODNETT, RANDY OWENS, GEORGE ROSALES
That support often happens behind the scenes. It helps fund infrastructure improvements, year-round planning efforts, and outreach initiatives that allow the Stampede to continue growing while maintaining the traditions generations of Weld County residents have grown up with.
For Chevron, that involvement is part of a broader approach to community engagement throughout Northern Colorado. The company focuses its local support on education, workforce readiness, youth development, health, and essential needs—areas designed to create long-term opportunities for students, families, and local organizations.
That work is visible across Weld County, from elementary classrooms to workforce training programs and college pathways.
At Aims Community College, Chevron-backed scholarship programs have helped more than 600 students pursue post-secondary education and workforce readiness opportunities. At the University
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TANYA HAMNER, JAKE
Photographer: Randy Owens
of Northern Colorado, students participating in the Center for Urban Education and the Frontiers of Science Institute STEM program have received scholarship support, mentorship opportunities, and access to college credit pathways designed to strengthen future workforce opportunities in Northern Colorado.
Chevron also helps support student programs across Greeley-Evans School District 6 through work with The Success Foundation. More than 11,000 students participated in career exploration initiatives, engineering education, internships, and outdoor learning experiences connected to those programs during the 2025–26 school year. At the Career & Technical Education Center, 82 percent of students earned industry-recognized certifications while every student participated in workbased learning opportunities.
The impact reaches beyond education as well.
Alongside Weld Food Bank, Chevron helps support programs including mobile food pantries, senior food box distributions, and child nutrition initiatives serving families throughout Weld County. The organization provides food assistance to an average of 1,000 people each day.
Chevron also continues investing in organizations like Life Stories Child & Family Advocacy, helping provide trauma-informed advocacy, healing services, and prevention education for more than 1,200 children and family members navigating difficult circumstances.
Support from Chevron has also helped Colorado Youth Outdoors expand outdoor education and relationship-building programs serving more than 8,000 children. Funding helped increase summer camp capacity and expand participation opportunities for schools serving disadvantaged youth.
In one of the organization’s most hands-on volunteer efforts, 60 Chevron employees helped build and deliver new bicycles to 325 second-grade students at Title I schools in Greeley, Evans, Eaton, Galeton, and Kersey through Wish for Wheels.
“What stands out most is seeing how long-term investment can change individual and family trajectories,” says Naomi Woodard, Director of Colorado Operations for Chevron. “In Weld County, that impact is visible in classrooms, career labs, food distribution sites, and outdoor learning spaces. It shows up in people’s daily lives.”
That philosophy aligns closely with the Greeley Stampede’s own commitment to supporting Weld County beyond the event itself.
While the Stampede is best known for its summer events and traditions, the organization remains active in the community throughout the year through volunteer efforts, charitable giving, educational support, and local partnerships. Over the past year, the Stampede contributed more than $10,000 through silent auction donations and community requests while also supporting Banner Health blood drives, Weld Project Connect, local 5K events, and volunteer efforts with the Weld Food Bank.
The Stampede also contributes more than $175,000 annually to local organizations and nonprofits throughout Northern Colorado. Support reaches a wide range of causes, including military appreciation efforts like High Plains Honor Flight, cancer support programs benefiting the NCMC Foundation, local volunteer organizations, and partnerships with groups like ten24 Ministries.
Beyond its charitable efforts, the Stampede continues to have a major economic impact on the region, generating an estimated $23 million for the local economy each year.
For Chevron employees, community involvement is not limited to sponsorships or financial support. In 2025 alone, Chevron’s Colorado workforce contributed more than 3,130 volunteer hours through mentoring, nonprofit leadership, STEM programming, food distribution events, and career panels.
“Students meet professionals who believe in them, nonprofits gain trusted partners, and employees feel proud to contribute beyond their daily roles,” Woodard says.
That consistency is what has made the partnership between Chevron and the Stampede feel lasting. While the Stampede remains one of the community’s most visible traditions, the work happening around it continues throughout the year—in schools, nonprofits, scholarship programs, and organizations serving Weld County families every day.
“The Stampede is more than an event,” Watada says. “It’s a tradition woven into the fabric of the community.”
Through its relationship with the Stampede and continued support of local organizations, Chevron’s presence in Weld County reaches far beyond a single summer event. It is reflected in the programs, opportunities, and partnerships that continue long after the Stampede grounds empty each year.
Photographer: Tanya Hamner
Steamway has been serving Northern Colorado for 51 years.
Since the early 1970s, we’ve proudly served our community with professional carpet cleaning — and have since expanded into a full-service remodeling and interior design showroom.
Whether you need expert carpet, tile, granite, or duct cleaning, or you’re ready to refresh your home with new carpet, hardwood, LVP flooring, countertops, or window coverings, we’re here to help.
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WHERE IT BEGINS
The Greeley Stampede’s 4th of July Parade Anchors Tradition
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
In Greeley, the Fourth of July doesn’t begin on the Fourth. It starts days earlier—sometimes a week out—when folding chairs quietly appear along downtown curbs. They sit empty at first, lined up in careful rows, marking territory not out of urgency, but out of tradition. Everyone knows they’ll be back.
By morning, those same spots are filled. Families return with coolers, blankets, and the kind of familiarity that doesn’t need coordinating. The route— from near the University of Northern Colorado down 10th Avenue toward Lincoln Park—is already understood. It has been for years.
Then, just before it all begins, the sky shifts. A flyover cuts through the morning and, for a moment, everything pauses. Conversations stop. Heads tilt upward. And just as quickly, the sound fades, leaving behind a signal that the parade is about to begin.
What follows is the Greeley Stampede Fourth of July Parade—more than 120 floats, marching bands, equestrian groups, and longhorn cattle moving steadily through downtown. Recognized as the largest Independence Day parade in Colorado, it draws tens of thousands each year.
But what defines it isn’t the scale.
It’s the return.
The same corners, held year after year. The same early mornings. The same rhythm of anticipation, arrival, and passing. Even as the floats change and the crowd shifts, the experience remains—familiar in a way that feels intentional.
When the final float moves through and the street begins to clear, there’s no real sense of ending—just a quiet understanding that the day will carry on, as it always does.
Because in Greeley, the parade isn’t just part of the Fourth of July.
It’s what the day is built around.
DRINKS ON DECK
Some patios offer a place to sit. Ta Culichi built an experience.
Designed in the shape of a boat, the new outdoor space feels less like a restaurant patio and more like a vessel — one that carries the sights, flavors, and spirit of the Mexican coast straight to Greeley. Inspired by coastal culture and the restaurant’s seafood roots, the patio stands out as one of the most unique dining spaces in Colorado.
Warm wood finishes and spacious seating give the area an inviting atmosphere for lunch, dinner, or late evenings with friends. The design makes it clear this is more than added seating — it is part of the destination. Built into the tables are coolers packed with ice, keeping cold drinks within reach all night. It is the kind of detail that turns a dinner out into something worth talking about, and keeps the energy going from the first round to the last bite.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BLUE PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUDREY ROYBAL
Ta Culichi Brings Coastal Energy to Greeley with a Standout New Patio Feature
The coastal concept doesn't stop at the design. Just as the boat-shaped patio brings something unseen to Greeley, so does what comes out of the kitchen.
Ta Culichi flies in fresh seafood from Mexico each week, delivering flavors and ingredients that simply don't exist anywhere else in the region. The patio and the plate tell the same story — a restaurant committed to bringing the coast to Colorado in every detail.
Signature dishes, shareable plates, handcrafted cocktails, and cold cervezas all pair naturally with the open-air setting.
Ta Culichi has built something Greeley hasn't seen before. Distinctive in design, unmatched in sourcing, and unlike anything nearby — it is quickly becoming a destination in its own right
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ARTICLE BY KENNIDI HOLCOMBE
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
BY CITY OF GREELEY MUSEUMS
STILL Becoming
As America Turns 250, Colorado Turns 150, and Greeley Marks 140 Years, a Prairie City Holds Something the Nation Has Always Needed: Proof
That the Work Is Worth It
There is a moment, if you know where to stand, when the distance between generations disappears.
It happens at Island Grove near dusk on the Fourth of July, when the light over the high plains goes from gold to amber to the particular deep blue that belongs only to Colorado summer evenings. Families have been arriving for hours—lawn chairs in one hand, children ahead, grandparents a few steps behind, everyone moving toward the same stretch of grass with the easy familiarity of people who have done this before and expect to do it again. The crowd builds slowly, the way a good fire builds: first a few people, then more, then something that feels like a whole community breathing together.
For a moment, the years collapse.
This July, they carry unusual weight. America turns 250. Colorado turns 150. Greeley marks 140 years as an incorporated city, though its roots stretch back to the Union Colony settlement of 1870. Three birthdays on the same landscape, each telling a different piece of the same story—about what it costs to build something from dry ground, about who gets to belong to it, and about why the people who stayed, generation after generation, decided it was worth staying for.
The word for all of it is not arrived, but becoming.
THE CENTENNIAL STATE IN A CENTENNIAL MOMENT
The timing of Colorado’s statehood has always felt like something more than coincidence.
When President Ulysses S. Grant signed the proclamation on August 1, 1876—one hundred years after the signing of the
Declaration of Independence—Colorado entered the Union with a name already waiting for it: The Centennial State. It was the 38th star added to the American flag during the nation’s own birthday season, as if by design.
This year, that alignment returns in a way that happens only once in a very long time. As America marks 250 years of independence, Colorado marks 150 years of statehood at the exact same moment. No other state shares that distinction. Colorado was built to mark time with the nation. Their stories are wound together at the root.
Neither story was simple, and perhaps that is exactly why they endure. America, across 250 years, has always been a work in progress, shaped by generations of people striving to build something stronger than what existed before.
A TOWN BUILT ON PURPOSE
Six years before Colorado achieved statehood, a journalist from New York City stood where two rivers met the high plains of northern Colorado and decided it was exactly where he wanted to build something that had never been built before.
Nathan Cook Meeker was the agricultural editor of the NewYork Tribune, working for the paper’s celebrated owner, Horace Greeley. In 1869, Meeker traveled west on assignment and returned not with a story but with a conviction. He believed communities could be built on purpose—that education, cooperation, agriculture, shared morality, and the hard work of irrigation could produce not just a functional town but a meaningful one.
A demonstration that the American frontier did not have to be seized recklessly; it could be reasoned into existence.
Like many reformers of the post–Civil War era, Meeker believed carefully planned communities could model a better version of the country itself.
In December of 1869, he placed an advertisement in the Tribune describing his vision. He specifically sought people of strong moral character who believed in temperance, education, and collective effort. Thousands responded. By the spring of 1870, the first settlers were arriving by train at the place where the Cache la Poudre and South Platte rivers converged, carrying their belongings and expectations onto open prairie.
The expectations did not survive the wind. Some colonists left within weeks, unwilling or unable to reckon with the distance between the vision and the reality. Those who stayed found that every element of a livable place had to be built from the beginning: homes, schools, fences, roads, a newspaper, a post office, and a sense of what they were to one another.
Nothing was given, and everything was constructed from the beginning.
Water made that possible. Early irrigation ditches transformed dry prairie into productive farmland, allowing settlers to establish roots where many believed none could exist. The systems they built helped shape settlement across much of the American West.
THE MANY LIVES OF THIS PLACE
Long before settlers arrived, Plains tribes gathered along the rivers surrounding present-day Island Grove, where communities formed beside the same water that later drew Union Colony settlers west.
What Meeker imagined and what Greeley became are two different things, and the distance between them is the most interesting part of the story.
The founders envisioned a cooperative agricultural colony of like-minded settlers. What emerged over the following decades was something the founders could never have fully predicted.
The sugar beet industry, which transformed northern Colorado in the early twentieth century, brought waves of immigrant laborers whose arrival permanently shaped the character of this region. Germans from Russia. Japanese workers. Hispanic families from the Southwest, followed later by
2004.38.0005A, City of Greeley Museums, Permanent Collection. Hilda Cox and sons, ca. 19121914, photographer unknown.
Mexican laborers who arrived during periods of agricultural expansion and stayed for generations.
Those families did not simply pass through. They built churches, businesses, schools, traditions, neighborhoods, and generations of community life that continue shaping Greeley today.
Their presence complicated the original blueprint in ways the founders could not have anticipated—and that complication became one of the city’s greatest strengths.
Education settled into the city just as permanently. Strong schools were central to the Union Colony vision from the beginning, and the Meeker School opened in 1874 as one of the largest schools in the state. In 1890, the State Normal School of Colorado opened in Greeley with the mission of training teachers for a growing state. That institution eventually became the University of Northern Colorado, whose campus still shapes the rhythm and identity of the city more than a century later.
Downtown evolved too.
The streets no longer resemble the earliest archival photographs preserved by local historians, but their purpose remains surprisingly recognizable. People still move toward downtown looking for connection: restaurants, conversation, music, festivals, coffee shops, public art, celebrations, routine. The storefronts changed. The generations changed, but the instinct remained.
1991.42.1060K, City of Greeley Museums, Hazel E. Johnson Collection. Harvey Witwer and Stow Witwer in Horse-Drawn Coach, ca. 1931-1941, photographer unknown.
That may be what defines cities that last—not their ability to stay the same, but their ability to change without entirely losing themselves in the process.
WHAT THE PRAIRIE HOLDS
Greeley has been gathering to celebrate the Fourth of July since 1870, when residents marked the holiday at Lincoln Park with fireworks, music, and a massive American flag that still survives today in the collection of the Greeley History Museum.
On the night of July 4th, when fireworks crack open the sky above Island Grove and the crowd goes momentarily quiet before the cheering starts, something passes through the air that is genuinely difficult to name.
It is not nostalgia. Nostalgia wants to return somewhere. This feels different.
It feels like standing in a place that has absorbed a remarkable amount of human effort and human hope over a long period of time—and held it.
Where families built homes on open prairie. Where immigrant communities helped shape a growing city. Where education remained a priority. Where traditions endured because each generation decided they were worth carrying forward.
This is what this particular July makes impossible to ignore about Greeley: not a perfect history, but an honest one. Not a city that has arrived somewhere final, but one still taking shape.
America, at 250, is the same.
The country is still wrestling with its founding promises while balancing its past against the pressure of its future. The work continues because the nation itself continues evolving.
And maybe that is what places like Greeley understand best.
The prairie has never rewarded people who expected permanence without effort. Everything here had to be built—the schools, the neighborhoods, the traditions, the meaning. Each generation inherited something incomplete and made a decision, quietly or loudly, to continue the work.
“The measure of a place is not what it looked like at its founding. It is what it has chosen to keep, what it has been willing to change, and who it has made room for along the way.”
That decision is still being made here every day.
A child watching fireworks rise above the plains tonight is connected, in some unbroken way, to the settlers who first stood on this ground and asked what it could become.
These things are not small. In many ways, they are everything.
Because the measure of a place is not what it looked like at its founding. It is what it has chosen to keep, what it has been willing to change, and who it has made room for along the way.
By that measure, Greeley is not a city with a 140-year history. It is a city still in the middle of becoming one.
And on a warm July night, standing beneath a Colorado sky that has watched all of this unfold, that feels less like a limitation and more like the most hopeful thing imaginable.
The most enduring stories are never finished. They are only continued.
Editorial Note: Historical research for this feature included archival materials and regional records from History Colorado, Greeley Museums, Weld County collections, the University of Northern Colorado, Visit Greeley, and Colorado historical archives.
1992.75.0389, City of Greeley Museums, Lew Dakan Collection. Aerial of downtown Greeley, 8 August 1974, photograph by Lew Dakan.
1995.51.0058G, City of Greeley Museums, Permanent Collection. Weld County Courthouse, 1964, photograph by Walter Eugene Clark.
AI-0528, City of Greeley Museums, Permanent Collection. The first Hook and Ladder Company, ca. 1879-1880, photographer unknown.
NOCO URBAN ULTRA
Going miles.Beyond: 50 Miles on the Poudre River Trail
ARTICLE BY MANDY MULLEN, OWNER AND RACE DIRECTOR OF MILES.BEYOND RUNNING COMPANY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN ROBSON
At 4 a.m. on April 12, 2026, long before the first hint of sunrise, headlamps flicker to life in the quiet of Bellvue, CO. Sixty-five runners gather at the edge of the Poudre River Trail, nerves humming beneath months of preparation. There’s no roaring crowd or elaborate start line. Just the soft shuffle of shoes on dirt and the quiet understanding that what lies ahead will ask more of them than they can fully predict.
Tim (of Avon) and Lauren (from Florida) taking a break to refuel at one of the many Aid Stations on course
“The NOCO Urban Ultra is more than a race- it paints a picture of encouragement, resilience and community.”
- Alexis Templenuevo
Race Director Mandy Mullen, an ultra-runner and Colorado native, understands the mix of emotion, anticipation, and uncertainty runners bring to the start line. Alongside her husband, Nick Mullen—a Colorado Air National Guard member based in Greeley and an accomplished runner himself—and a close-knit team, Mullen moved through the gathering of athletes, grateful for the opportunity to support runners on a day that would test both body and mind.
The setup is intentionally simple. Unlike many races, there’s no finish line waiting where the runners begin. Once they leave Watson Lake, they won’t return. Instead, they’ll spend the day moving east along the trail through Fort Collins, Timnath, Windsor, and eventually Greeley, crossing county lines while following the Poudre River from canyon country toward the plains. This is the NOCO Urban Ultra.
The course unfolds gradually, tracing the Poudre River through stretches of open trail,
farmland, neighborhoods, and growing communities. Along the way, runners watch the sunrise over the plains, endure the heat of midday, and settle into the quiet rhythm that comes during hours on the move.
There are moments when everything clicks—legs feel strong, conversations flow, and the miles seem to disappear. Other moments feel far heavier, especially in the later miles when the sun is high, aid stations are still ahead, and Greeley feels both close and impossibly far away.
For Greeley resident Josh Olsen, the NOCO Urban Ultra was both a hometown journey and a personal breakthrough. Growing up just blocks from Island Grove and spending years exploring the Poudre Canyon, Olsen said he never considered himself an endurance athlete, but after being inspired by his twin brother to start trail racing, he discovered a new level of confidence and resilience.
Race Director Mandy Mullen, with Kim Russick, Store Manager of the Fort Collins Lululelmon, and Lululemon ambassador cheer on runners
Completing the 50-mile race alongside his brother Dane, while “pushing through the suffering together,” became a reminder that growth often comes from stepping beyond fear and discomfort.
The trail itself reflects that same persistence. According to project manager Zac Wiebe, the trail connection has been nearly 50 years in the making, requiring collaboration between municipalities, organizations, and landowners. When the final section beneath I-25 was completed last year, it opened the door for events like this to showcase the trail in a new way.
Aid stations become pockets of energy and encouragement throughout the day. Volunteers hand out water, snacks, and quick words of motivation as runners move through each stop. Members of the Weld Amateur Radio Society also help support race operations and communication along the course, contributing to the sense of camaraderie found throughout the event.
Ultrarunning isn’t reserved for elite athletes. Many runners spend months balancing training with work, family life, and the demands of everyday routines. The common thread is simple: the willingness to continue forward when things become uncomfortable.
Mullen estimates that nearly four million steps were taken along the trail during this year’s event. Beyond the individual journeys, races like this also bring a unique form of tourism and connection to the region. Runners traveled from across Colorado and nine different states, many bringing family members and friends who spent the day supporting runners while exploring Northern Colorado communities along the route.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and the course cutoff approached, brothers Josh Olsen and Dane Olsen crossed the finish line together after 14 hours and 46 minutes on course—just 14 minutes before cutoff. After a day that began in darkness near the mouth of the canyon, they reached Greeley side by side in the fading evening light.
Alexis Templonuevo all smiles as the FIT4MOM team enters Greeley around mile 36
Josh and Dane, both Greeley Natives, approach mile 8 in Fort Collins
THURSDAY - POET LAUREATE + CULTURE KEYNOTE THE ATLAS EVENT CENTER
FRIDAY - FRIDAY FEST CONCERT - 9TH ST PLAZA
SATURDAY - ARTS PICNIC + 2ND NIGHT OF MUSIC
SUNDAY - ARTS PICNIC - LINCOLN PARK
9TH ST PLAZA DOWNTOWN GREELEY
Not pictured- Tamra Heindselman, Sarah Abeyta Smith & Anne White
A K ENAI PENINSULA ESCAPE REPLACES PACKED SCHEDULES WITH OPEN WATER, WILDLIFE, & TIME TO SLOW DOWN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GII ASTORGA PHOTOGRAPHY, BY GII
ASTORGA
ALASKA,
UP CLOSE
There is a version of life where the meetings can wait and the only thing demanding attention is what’s right in front of you.
Gii Astorga and Heather Berry know that feeling well. Gii serves as Business Engagement and Events Coordinator for the Downtown Development Authority of Greeley, and Heather is the founder and owner of Balanced Movement.
Between the two of them, stillness isn’t something that happens by accident. It has to be chosen, deliberately and from far away.
“We both are so busy that to truly disconnect, we have to go somewhere far away and be in nature,” Heather said.
They spent nearly two weeks on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, staying at a friend’s property overlooking the Kasilof River. Bald eagles were a constant presence overhead, and wild berries grew just steps from the front door. The pace shifted almost immediately.
“No matter what needed to be done during the day, it didn’t have to be rushed,” Heather said. “Everything just felt slower.” By the end of the trip, her daily screen time had dropped to 20 minutes.
Fishing became the rhythm of the days. On the Kenai River, Gii learned a technique called flossing and hooked a fish within three minutes of picking up the rod. They later floated the Kasilof River in search of Silvers and King Salmon, bringing their catch back to prepare fresh that evening.
Gii, who will be the first to admit he hates touching fish, found he didn’t mind it this time. “Learning about salmon changed things,” he said. “They live such extraordinary lives. Catching and eating them felt earned.”
The fishing eventually led them to Homer, Alaska and out into Kachemak Bay, where puffins skimmed the water, sea otters drifted in clusters while eagles circled overhead. One rockfish they pulled up was so striking, vivid red on the outside with a brilliant blue interior, that they slid it back without hesitation. The day ended with a stop at Seldovia, Alaska, a small community only reachable by boat or plane, where life moves at a pace that feels almost unfamiliar. On the water heading back, they watched one of the most remarkable sunsets of the trip.
Not every day was built around the catch. There were quieter stretches, hikes through trails, Heather stopping to photograph mushrooms while Gii looked up at the open sky. They came across what locals call zombie salmon, fish that have finished spawning and move slowly through shallow water at the end of their lifecycle. One evening, Gii cooked fresh salmon while the sun
set through the dining room window, with nowhere to be and nothing to check.
“Alaska is the best place to unwind,” he said. “There’s so much to look at and explore that it’s hard to think about anything else.”
The final two days were the ones they’ll be talking about longest. They boated from Homer out to a remote cabin accessible only by water. There was no road, no shortcut, and no option but to be exactly where they were. Along the route, sea otters floated past, puffins cut low across the surface, and then a family of humpback whales appeared until they slipped beneath the water and came back up right beside the boat.
“Having a whale pop up right next to us was terrifying,” Gii said. “And an absolutely crazy experience.”
At the cabin that night, they anchored carefully to account for the tide. By morning, the boat sat beached on the exposed shore, but what surrounded it made the inconvenience easy to forget.
The shallow floor around the hull was covered in sea stars in shapes and colors neither had seen before.
“I wasn’t expecting the tide to drop that much,” Heather said. “Seeing all of those sea stars in all their different shapes and colors was incredible.”
They stayed up late stargazing, fully removed from everyday life. On the way back, they stopped at Halibut Cove, home to one of the only floating post offices in the United States, before eventually heading toward Anchorage and the flight home.
They didn’t leave empty-handed. Packed in a box checked at the airport was 50 pounds of fish they had caught themselves, a reminder of a trip that offered more than expected.
“It truly does something to you,” Gii said. “I’ve been to Hawaii a couple of times. If I had to choose, I’d choose Alaska.”
For anyone who has been thinking about making the trip but keeps finding reasons to wait, their advice is simple.
“Go,” Heather said. “Don’t wait.”
DESTIN-ATION WELLNESS
ARTICLE BY COAST TO COAST & CO.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRISTEN EVANS PHOTOGRAPHY
HOW NEWMAN-DAILEY’S DEEP ROOTS IN DESTIN CRAFT THE PERFECT WELLNESS RETREAT
In a world that moves at an exhausting pace, taking intentional time for yourself has become more than a luxury—it’s a vital part of whole-person wellness. Surrounding yourself with the right people plays a powerful role in that wellbeing. Close friends who uplift, encourage and ground you can help restore emotional balance, reignite joy and strengthen the sense of connection that many of us lose in the rush of daily life. This is why planning a retreat with the right support system, in the right environment, can be truly transformative. And when it comes to crafting a wellness-focused escape in beautiful Destin, Florida, NewmanDailey stands as the ultimate concierge.
DESTIN VACATION
For the foundation of your retreat, Newman-Dailey’s valued clients enjoy access to their turnkey rental, Blessings by the Beach. Designed with comfort and ease in mind, this home creates the ideal space for rest, reflection and rejuvenation. It’s where mornings begin peacefully, laughter echoes through shared spaces and the simple act of slowing down becomes a gift in itself.
Whole wellness starts with the choice to prioritize yourself and surround yourself with people who elevate your life. With Newman-Dailey guiding the journey, your Destin retreat becomes a meaningful, restorative experience— one that nurtures relationships, renews your spirit and brings you back to center. DestinVacation.com
“SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE PLAYS A POWERFUL ROLE
Wellness isn’t just about spa days and quiet mornings—it’s about aligning every element of your environment and your relationships to support your best self. Newman-Dailey understands this holistic approach. Their concierge service is designed to remove stress, create intentional experiences and curate moments that allow you and your friends to reconnect, replenish and realign. From the first planning call to the final sunset, they focus on crafting a retreat that nourishes the mind, body and spirit.
Their deep connections within the Destin community elevate every aspect of your stay. One of the most enriching experiences they offer is the opportunity to enjoy the culinary mastery of personal chef David Cunningham. Sharing a fresh, thoughtfully prepared meal with friends isn’t just delicious—it’s a form of relational and nutritional wellness, bringing everyone together in a way that feels grounding and joyful. CindersAndSaltSpiceCo.com
To support emotional and social wellbeing, Newman-Dailey can put you in touch with the right people to coordinate a Dinner Cruise. We enjoyed an incredible experience with SunQuest’s newest vessel, SOL y LUNA, where breathtaking views and gentle ocean breezes set the tone for meaningful conversations and moments of pure calm. These serene experiences help quiet the mind and allow you to be fully present with the people who matter most.
Evenings spent at The Edge Seafood Restaurant & SkyBar—one of Destin’s local favorites—added an additional layer of connection and enjoyment. With stunning waterfront dining and a lively yet relaxing atmosphere, it’s the perfect place to unwind, celebrate friendship and savor the coastal lifestyle. During our dinner, we enjoyed live music and incredible customer experience from all the staff. While we took in the enchanting scenery of the Destin Harbor during sunset, we savored their signature Southern Mussels, craft cocktails and mouth-watering entree dishes. EdgeSeafood.com
Blessings By The Beach
5 Star Meal with Personal Chef David Cunningham
Aboard the SOL y LUNA
The Edge Seafood Restaurant & SkyBar
ARTICLE BY KALI KASPRZYK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES
MAKEUP BY MIKAYLA CRANE
The 10% Target Mindset
Jen Cohen ON THE PRACTICE OF ASKING FOR WHAT YOU WANT
Winnipeg in the winter, and a 17-year-old waits 45 minutes in the cold for Keanu Reeves. Her fingers are numb. She is not there for an autograph. She is there to ask him to appear in her audition tape for MuchMusic, Canada’s MTV. When he finally agrees, she writes her number on a gum wrapper with a borrowed lip liner.
He calls days later.
That 17-year-old was Jen Cohen — fitness expert, host of the Habits & Hustle podcast, and best-selling author. She has built a career on the premise her frostbitten afternoon proved. She calls the practice the 10% Target: 10 attempts at whatever you want most in life.
The premise is simple. Most people never make one attempt. Almost nobody makes two. The math works in favor of the person who keeps going.
The top-rated Habits & Hustle podcast has logged hundreds of conversations with high performers and the people who study what the body does to the mind. Her TEDx talk, The Secret to Getting Anything You Want in Life, has traveled widely inside Fortune 500 sales-training rooms. On the Share the Lifestyle podcast, Cohen sits down to share the working rules that are the foundation of her latest book, Bigger, Better, Bolder.
“You have to be the CEO of your own life.”
FEATURING JEN COHEN
Discover the full 10% Target Mindset framework.
1 2
MAKE TEN ATTEMPTS
The door opens, or another door does. The unmade attempt and the refused one leave you in the same place — except one of them teaches you something.
STACK THE DECK
Cohen frames her habits as a wager: How do I stack the deck so I win more than I lose? The workout happens first, and the food decisions follow. The email follow-up gets sent, and the answer arrives. The choices compound in a single direction.
3
DISCIPLINE IS A PRACTICED SKILL, NOT AN INHERITANCE
No one is born with it. The people who look disciplined are running a routine they have rehearsed long enough that it no longer feels like effort. The reps are the skill. Miss them, and the skill fades, the same as any other.
4
SELF-TALK ONLY WORKS WHEN THE BODY BACKS IT UP
Confidence does not arrive by repeating the word. It arrives after the body has done the thing — the workout finished, the cold walk endured, the email sent. The mind takes its cues from what the body proves it can do. Talk follows action, not the other way around.
5
NEVER MISS A MONDAY
The first decision sets the slope of the rest. Skip the Monday workout, and the rest of the week tends to follow. Hold the line on Monday, and the slope tilts the other way.
PEOPLE FIRST. POLICIES SECOND. COMMUNITY ALWAYS.
SHOWING UP MATTERS
BY
PHOTOGRAPHY
WOVEN VICTORY PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIVIA SCHMITT
Melissa McDonald, State Farm Agent
“THE PEOPLE WE SERVE ARE MORE THAN CLIENTS— THEY’RE OUR NEIGHBORS.”
For many people in Greeley, Melissa McDonald is a familiar face.
Whether she’s attending a community event, supporting a local nonprofit, or connecting with fellow business owners downtown, Melissa has spent years building relationships throughout Northern Colorado because she believes relationships are what keep a community strong.
That belief has guided her career from the very beginning.
“The people we serve are more than just clients or case numbers— they’re our neighbors, local businesses, families, and community partners,” Melissa says.
As the owner of a State Farm agency in Greeley, Melissa has spent years helping people navigate some of life’s biggest moments. From purchasing a first home and welcoming a new child to opening a business or preparing for retirement, she has walked alongside families through the milestones that shape their stories.
She’s also been there during the moments no one plans for.
A serious accident. Storm damage. A house fire. The loss of a loved one. The kinds of events that can leave people overwhelmed and unsure where to turn next.
Melissa McDonald at Mom's Popcorn, Downtown Greeley
“OUR TEAM BELIEVES THAT SHOWING UP MATTERS. WHEN YOU'RE ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU LISTEN BETTER, COLLABORATE BETTER, AND ULTIMATELY SERVE PEOPLE BETTER.”
“When someone contacts our office, it’s often because something has gone wrong,” Melissa says. “For many people, it may be one of the worst days they’ve experienced.”
Those experiences have reinforced something Melissa has believed throughout her career: insurance is ultimately about people, not policies.
“Buying a policy online can be quick and convenient,” she says, “but when something goes wrong, you want a real person who already knows you—someone invested in getting you through it.”
In an increasingly digital world, Melissa believes personal relationships still matter. While the way people communicate has changed, she believes trust is still built the same way it always has been—through relationships.
What begins as a conversation about coverage often grows into a connection that spans years of life’s biggest moments. Melissa and her team have celebrated milestones with clients, watched families grow, supported local businesses, and built connections that span years—and in some cases, generations.
One example is Mom’s Popcorn, a downtown Greeley business Melissa has insured since its early days in a much smaller space. As the business expanded, Melissa worked alongside the owner to evaluate changing needs and ensure the company remained properly protected every step of the way. It’s the kind of longterm relationship that reflects how Melissa approaches her work—growing alongside the people and businesses she serves.
That commitment extends well beyond the walls of her office.
Community involvement has never been a marketing strategy for Melissa and her team. It’s simply part of who they are. Whether supporting local nonprofits, volunteering their time, sponsoring events, or investing in programs that strengthen Greeley, they view community involvement as a natural extension of the work they do every day.
“Our team believes that showing up matters,” Melissa says. “When you’re engaged in the community, you listen better, you collaborate better, and ultimately you serve people better.”
It’s a mindset that has helped shape not only Melissa’s reputation, but the culture of her office as well. She is proud to work alongside a team that shares her commitment to service, compassion, and connection. Their goal is simple: to help people feel welcomed, heard, and genuinely cared for.
After years in an industry that has faced significant change, Melissa remains grounded in the same reason she chose this profession in the first place. The technology may evolve, the industry may shift, and the tools may change. The opportunity to help people does not.
For Melissa, insurance may be the profession, but it has never been the purpose.
The purpose has always been the people.
And after all these years, she still believes the same thing she did when she started: showing up matters
Pack a picnic, grab your blankets and camp chairs, and enjoy warm evenings filled with swing, jazz, funk, and rich saxophone harmonies. Performers include Kream of the Krop Swing Band, the John Mills Orchestra, Jees! Funk Band, and the Northern Colorado Wind Saxophone Sextet. Concerts begin at 7:00 p.m. and are open to all— Learn more at GreeleyCo.gov/Events.
JULY 3RD
Downtown Greeley
Friday Fest
9th Street Plaza, Downtown Greeley, Greeley | 6:30 PM
Downtown Greeley’s Friday Fest brings free live music every Friday night all summer long. July’s lineup features Sweet Jessup & The Dirty Buckets (July 10), Be Kind Rewind (July 17), Tumbledown Shack (July 24), and The Burroughs (July 31). Bring your chair and enjoy the best Friday nights in Greeley. Go Cup available 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. for guests 21+. Visit GreeleyDowntown.com for details.
JULY 3RD
Red, White & Vroom! 4th of July Car Show
9th Street Plaza, Downtown Greeley, Greeley | 5:00 PM
Downtown Greeley’s 3rd annual Red, White & Vroom! is a free, all-ages 4th of July celebration featuring a classic car show, live music from the 101st Army Band, craft vendors, and food. Bring the whole family and kick off your Independence Day weekend in the heart of downtown.
JULY 4TH
Greeley Stampede Annual Fourth of July Parade
Parade Starts at 10th Ave & Cranford Pl, Greeley | 9:00 AM
Celebrate Independence Day at the Greeley Stampede Fourth of July Parade featuring festive floats marching bands community groups western heritage and family fun through downtown Greeley. More information can be found at GreeleyStampede.org/Parades.
JULY 6TH
History Colorado’s Hands‑On History Camp
Greeley History Museum, 714 8th Street, Greeley | 8:00 AM
This July, kids will go back in time at the Greeley History Museum for four weeks of fun, themed adventures. Kids who’ve completed grades 1–5 can explore local history, enjoy trips to Centennial Village, and save up to 70% on tuition. Discover weekly themes and register at https://historycolorado. jumbula.com/ or learn more at Gree leyMuseums.com
JULY 19TH
Ride + Flow + Sip
Downtown Greeley – Start at EnduroCycle, Flow with Balanced Movement Yoga | 5:00 PM
Join EnduroCycle and Balanced Movement Yoga for a summer fitness social in Downtown Greeley. Start with an energizing 30-minute ride, reset with a 30-minute yoga flow, then connect with fellow movers over drinks at WeldWerks. Move, recharge, and build community through this one-of-a-kind wellness experience. More information can be found at BalancedMovementYoga.com
CONTINUED
JULY 25TH
Greeley Arts Picnic
Lincoln Park, Downtown Greeley | 9:00 AM
Celebrate creativity at the Greeley Arts Picnic, a free weekend tradition featuring more than 150 artist and craft booths, live music, food vendors, family activities, a beer garden, and hands-on fun for kids. Held in downtown Greeley’s Lincoln Park, the event offers something for all ages. Details at GreeleyCo.gov/Events
JULY 29TH
Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 Whistle Stop in Greeley
10th St. Crossing, Greeley | 1:00 PM
Don’t miss a rare piece of living history rolling through Greeley! Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, is making a coast-to-coast tour this summer to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. The iconic engine will stop at the 10th St. Crossing from 1:15–2:00 p.m. Free to attend. Visit UP.com for the full schedule.
Dr. Kevin and Dr. Kami Marr, a husband and wife dental team from Greeley, provide advanced dental solutions designed to meet each person's unique needs. Their team focuses on personalized care and lasting oral health from helping with dental anxiety to complete smile design.
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