WEEK OF DECEMBER 5, 2024
VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 23
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Arvada Flour Mill seeing renaissance due to efforts of Historical Society BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Market from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Breakfast with Santa from 11 a.m. to noon; Santa from noon to 3 p.m. This year’s Winter Market is revamped a bit, as Hengstler explained. “We’re super excited about that,” Hengstler said. “The big change this year is that we’ve added a few additional vendors, so it’s going to actually extend down Grandview and just give people kind of more options, and hopefully bring them around the district so they can also visit our brick and mortar shops.”
Arvada Historical Society Founder Lois Lindstrom had big plans for the city’s historic preservation efforts, and nearly 50 years after Lindstrom successfully got the Arvada Flour Mill placed on the National Register of Historic Places, some of those plans are still working their way into fruition. Lindstrom’s vision for the mill — which was built in 1926 by E.E. Benjamin and quickly became a staple of the budding community in its nascent years with its sale of “Arva-Pride Flour” — centered around turning the property into a permanent reminder of the city’s agricultural roots. After the mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, the Arvada Historical Society took up ownership of the property in 1977. The society then organized a three-year community clean-up effort to restore and transform the mill into the museum, with Lindstrom donating audio tour equipment to the projects. That work was completed in 1980. Another major restoration was completed in 2011, but further efforts to continue restoring the mill hit a snag in the late 2010’s with the construction of the Olde Town RTD station, the COVID-19 pandemic and the retirement of many longtime volunteers. Mill efforts lay dormant for a few years until the involvement of Society Volunteer Karen Miller in the project, which she joined in on in 2022. Miller’s efforts began with opening the mill to the public for regular hours, special events, and tours — school and public ones alike — and have moved onto creating a master plan for the future of the historic building. Miller has helped to form a committee of experts to draft the master plan. The group includes Historical Architecture Expert Deborah Andrews, who chairs the committee, as well as longtime Historical Society contributors Cynthia Shaw and Steve Byers. “The plan encompasses, among other things, goals, use of the site, a business plan, a preservation plan, a financial plan and — most importantly — the vision for the mill,” Miller said. One of the early goals of the committee is to plant winter wheat at the property to harken back to its agricultural roots. Byers, who has experience with farming, is leading the charge on that
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The Holiday Market returns with a revamped format, taking visitors down the Olde Town streets. FILE PHOTO
Make merry: Olde Town Arvada holiday events guide Mark your calendars, Arvada is getting festive! BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
With the holiday season rapidly approaching, Olde Town Arvada is preparing for the festivities with a smattering of wintry events that will fill the historic district with cheer. Returning this year is the Annual Eggnog and Cider Competition, Saturdays with Santa and the Olde Town Ice Skating Rink, along with the revamped-for-this year Winter Market. New features of the season will be Winter Drink Passport and the Olde Town Arvada Holiday Bingo game. The Drink Passport will see 17 businesses participate in a number of drink specials for passport holders, who can try out any of the offers from Nov. 26 to Jan. 31. Passports cost $75 and can be pur-
chased online. Some offerings included with the passport are a free house margarita at Cochino Taco, a free Cranberry Yum Yum from Denver Beer Company, a free glass of wine from Flights Wine Café, a free domestic pint at Homegrown Tap and Dough and a free peppermint mocha from Hunter Bay Coffee Roasters. Olde Town Arvada Holiday Bingo is a promotion happening throughout the holiday season that allows folks to pick up a bingo board from any Olde Town retailer and get in on the fun. Once a bingo board is acquired, folks can cross off events attended and holiday checklist items to be entered in a chance to win an Olde Town Arvada gift card. “Our old town holiday Bingo is designed so you can go around and visit your favor-
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ite businesses, but hopefully also discover some new businesses and really kind of support our local economy this holiday season,” Olde Town BID Executive Director Joe Hengstler said. Here are some of the other events happening in Olde Town this holiday season: 9th Annual Eggnog and Cider Competition/Lagniappe | Dec. 9
5-8 p.m. Dec. 9 The Eggnog and Cider Competition — along with Lagniappe — return on the second Monday of December for another addition of the Olde Town favorite, which features mainstays Scrumptious, The Arvada Tavern and the Bluegrass, along with relative newcomers Cochino Taco and Secret Level. Non-alcoholic offerings are limited this year, as only La
Dolce Vita, Hunter Bay Coffee Roasters and Scrumptious are serving up kid-friendly samples. Holiday Winter Market/Saturdays with Santa | Dec. 7, 14 and 21
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