Westword: Ten Best Things to Do in Arvada
Westword | Clarke Reader | February 17, 2025
Olde Town Arvada is a thriving downtown in the midst of a renaissance. The area is surrounded by new hotels and apartments in various stages of construction, but Olde Town manages to still feel like a small-town main street.
Full of restaurants, bars and fun shops, this area is a great representation of a city that has been seeing steady growth and development for years. With such a wide range of activities to offer, it’s easy to understand why.
We selected ten spots in Olde Town Arvada — and the surrounding area — that are worth visiting for a delicious bite, a cultural exploration or a shopping splurge.
The Bluegrass Coffee & Bourbon Lounge
7415 Grandview Avenue
thebluegrasslounge.com
Owners Sheena Gordon and her husband Drew decided to bring a taste of their native Kentucky to Olde Town when they opened The Bluegrass in 2015 and it’s become a favorite spot for dinners and whiskey connoisseurs alike over the ensuing decade. Consistently recognized as one of the top 80 Bourbon Bars in the country, The Bluegrass also specializes in fantastic pizzas (including two killer brunch pizzas on the weekend). With frequent live music and a patio that is creatively used throughout the year, The Bluegrass is the kind of place where you want to be a regular.
Archery Games Denver
5405 West 56th Avenue, Unit D
archerygamesdenver.com
Whoever had the idea of marrying archery and dodgeball is either some kind of mad genius or just plain deranged, but whatever the case, Arvada’s Archery Games Denver is the home of “archery dodgeball,” where two teams do battle with bows and foam-tipped arrows. The 3,300 square-foot playing field allows plenty of room for teams to strategize and the end result is a melee of arrows and battle cries as players go head-to-head. There are eight types of games to select from, including Elimination, Fireball and Dog Eat Dog. Those with some adrenaline to burn won’t want to miss this truly unique activity — losers buy the first round.
Black and Read
6655 Wadsworth Boulevard
blackandread.com
All hail a store where physical media is still king. Black and Read just relocated to a new and bigger home after 34 years at its previous location, and that means there are even more stacks filled with books, CDs, vinyl, cassettes, DVDs and games to wander through. Shoppers can spend a whole day exploring all the items on offer while talking to staff and fellow shoppers about their favorite books, why a certain band’s independent debut is superior to their first major label release, and get involved in a game night. At a time when streaming makes so much art feel ephemeral, Black and Read offers a potent reminder of the power of connecting with a physical object.
Read the full article from Westword