Starting this Friday, Nov. 19, you’ll need to show proof of vaccination to get into large indoor unseated events with more than 500 people. (Think: concerts, receptions, bars, dance halls, and the like.)

The new mandate, announced Sunday night by the state health department, comes as part of a public health order for Denver, Broomfield, Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, and Jefferson counties.

Several concert venues were already requesting proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for entry, BUT under the new rules, negative tests will only be an acceptable alternative to proof of vaccination through Dec. 1. After that: no vax card? No entry. (Churches and other places of worship are exempt from the mandate.)

The public health order is set to expire January 1, 2022, unless extended.

As of Sunday night, Colorado had the third highest rate for COVID cases in the nation, behind only Minnesota and New Mexico.
[Denver Post]

⛅ Enjoy today’s 70-degree high before some cooler temps settle in for the rest of the week. 

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

🚬 Cigars and hookah exempt from tobacco ban proposal
After weeks of contentious debate and two stalled votes by City Council, the flavored tobacco ban proposal sponsored by councilmembers Amanda Sawyer and Debbie Ortega is about to be up for vote again — but this time with some changes. Now, the proposed ban would no longer include flavored cigars or hookah. A council committee is scheduled to vote on the measure tomorrow. [Westword]
👉 Dive deeper: Learn more about where this proposal came from in this recent episode of City Cast Denver when we talked with Denver Post reporter Noelle Phillips, who’s been following the measure from its inception.

😷 DougCo parents can no longer opt kids out of mask mandates
Back when Douglas County decided to set up its own health department, its first order of business was to allow DougCo residents the option to opt out of local mask mandates, including students and staff at schools. The Douglas County School District — alongside several concerned parents — then sued the health department, alleging a violation of safe access to education for students at risk of COVID. The county health department has now amended its opt-in order, exempting DCSD. But private schools and businesses are still allowed to opt out. [CO Community Media]

🛍️ Local shopkeepers have high hopes for holiday season
With the holiday season approaching, local business owners want you to know they’re still here, and they need your support. Erika Righter, who owns Hope Tank on South Broadway, has recently deployed banners around the city that read “Go Big for Small Biz” to encourage shoppers to spend their holiday dollars locally. According to the National Retail Federation, there’s been a steady rebound in foot traffic since the peak of the pandemic, but it might not be enough for small businesses. [Denverite]
👉 How you can help: Do your holiday shopping in town! And don’t forget about Small Business Saturday.

🤔 CONVERSATION STARTER

It’s Native American Heritage Month. Is there someone or something you’d like to shout out?

City Cast Denver reader William Dewey suggests knowing CU Denver Associate Professor Glenn Morris, who is the director of the Fourth World Center for the Study of Indigenous Law and Politics. According to its website, the center “provides resources and services that focus on the legal and political issues faced by indigenous populations.”

Do you have someone or something you want to highlight? Write me at peyton.garcia@citycast.fm, or by replying to this email.

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🗓️ MARK YOUR CAL

+ WEDNESDAY: Clyfford Still Free Day
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Clyfford Still Museum is inviting guests to visit for free from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Plus, there will be a keynote presentation from Director Joyce Tsai and other community programming.

+ THURSDAY: Don’t Tell Denver Comedy Show
Feeling spontaneous? Buy a ticket to a super secret comedy show. You won’t know the exact venue until the day of the show. And performing comedians aren’t announced until they walk onto stage.  

+ THURSDAY-SATURDAY: Warren Miller Showings
It’s time to book your tickets for this season’s Warren Miller film experience, featuring pro snowboarders and skiers as they shred their way through the best slopes in the country.

At the peak of the pandemic, when local produce suppliers no longer had restaurant clients to sell their harvest to, Alexandra LittleJohn started buying up that produce for herself so it wouldn’t go to waste. Then she thought, why shouldn’t everyone consider doing this? So she created LittleJohn Produce Box Project, a nonprofit offering boxes of locally grown fruits and veggies on a subscription basis, available for delivery or pick-up. Boxes range in portions from family-sized to “Single Lady”-sized and contain a different variety of fruits and veggies each week. Bonus: Subscribers also have the option to buy donation boxes that go directly to local families facing food insecurity.