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We found five local places to watch the Denver Broncos open their latest NFL campaign against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night. 

Why it matters: It's the start of a highly anticipated season for Denver, which is carrying legitimate title hopes. 

Drink specials include free shots for Broncos touchdowns, plus other discounts on game days. 

Come for swag and concert giveaways, a Teremana Tequila tasting, plus food and drink specials at this heavy metal bar. 

The lowkey cocktail bar will have free snacks and drink specials during games, including an $8 beer-and-shot deal. 

The enormous outdoor plaza will host a free watch party, including live DJ entertainment, plus food and drink options around the square, on a first-come, first-served basis. 

The restaurant offers $1 wings and drink specials to enjoy while watching games on seven plasma TVs, a 120-inch screen and a 98-inch display.  

Five local spots to watch the Broncos this season  

If you can't make it inside Empower Field at Mile High, try these places instead.

Four friends sit on the grass outside a dark building, wearing Denver Broncos jerseys (orange and navy), holding drinks, laughing and cheering as a "Playoffs" banner is visible in the window.

Broncos fans inside McGregor Square. Photo: Courtesy of McGregor Square

We found five local places to watch the Denver Broncos open their latest NFL campaign against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night. Why it matters: It&#x27;s the start of a highly anticipated season for Denver, which is carrying <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="legitimate title hopes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/09/11/broncos-2026-season-preview" data-vars-content-id="033cee51-6523-40f5-ada6-9c332843cc1a" data-vars-headline="Five local spots to watch the Broncos this season " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/09/11/broncos-2026-season-preview" target="_self">legitimate title hopes</a>.

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Bo Nix's return from injury Monday night will be a baptism by fire at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium. If he emerges unscathed, look out for Denver this season.

Why it matters: A win over the Chiefs to start the season would amplify Super Bowl buzz in Denver. 

Behind the scenes: Some sportswriters and pundits expect the defending AFC West champs to regress this season, especially with a brutal schedule ahead. 

Denver starts off with a 20-to-1 chance at winning a Super Bowl, per DraftKings Sportsbook. 

Yes, but: Fans aren't buying it. What they are buying: season tickets, with renewals hitting a record 99.5% rate this year after the team reached the AFC title game last season.

State of play: Entering his third year, Nix has shown he can perform when the lights shine brightest, becoming Denver's first signal caller since Peyton Manning to lead the team to back-to-back playoff berths. 

Newcomer Jaylen Waddle has fans salivating over his star power at wide receiver, while Courtland Sutton remains a top receiving target. 

And don't forget the defense: Cornerbacks Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss are critical stoppers, and linebacker Nik Bonitto plans to hunt down opposing quarterbacks all season. 

Between the lines: Linebacker Jonathon Cooper's ongoing domestic violence case cast a shadow over the roster and raised questions about whether he will — or should — play at all this season.

Head coach Sean Payton reportedly said he was "proud" of the personal work Cooper had done since his June arrest, including a counseling program the team required as part of his return.

The bottom line: In Nix We Trust. Denver's Super Bowl hopes may hinge on whether he and Payton can conjure some more Mile High magic.

What's next: Denver takes on the Chiefs at 6:15pm Monday on ABC and ESPN. 

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The case for Denver Broncos optimsim

The defending AFC West champs are looking for another sterling season.

Denver Broncos quarterback in orange jersey about to throw a pass, with a teammate nearby and a blurred stadium crowd in the background.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. Photo: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images


<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bo Nix&#x27;s return from injury" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/01/25/broncos-patriots-playoff-loss-2026" data-vars-content-id="062f6fda-e8f4-47ad-8c05-a644976f2805" data-vars-headline="The case for Denver Broncos optimsim" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/01/25/broncos-patriots-playoff-loss-2026" target="_self">Bo Nix&#x27;s return from injury</a> Monday night will be a baptism by fire at Kansas City&#x27;s Arrowhead Stadium. If he emerges unscathed, look out for Denver this season.Why it matters: A win over the Chiefs to start the season would amplify Super Bowl buzz in Denver.

News

Fifteen-year-old Gabe Evans watched the carnage unfold at home in Colorado. In Wisconsin, college senior Jason Crow saw the attacks on TV — and made a life-altering choice.   

Why it matters: The Sept. 11 attacks helped propel both future Colorado congressmen toward military service, shaping careers that would eventually carry them from combat zones to Capitol Hill.

The big picture: Both served in the U.S. Army and National Guard and deployed to the Middle East.

Crow, a Democrat, says 9/11 prompted him to seek active-duty service. "I was unwilling to let other people go and do my fighting for me," he said in a video posted Thursday. 

Crow's roughly four-year military career included combat tours, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He earned a Bronze Star for his service.

Evans, a Republican, joined in 2007 and served for 12 years. His family's military history — including a grandfather who served in World War II — drove his decision, with memories of 9/11 weighing on him.

He signed up while in college, reaching the rank of captain while serving abroad and specializing as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot. 

He served under three administrations, telling us he never had doubts about his presence in the Middle East. 

Between the lines: Evans belongs to the bipartisan For Country Caucus, whose nearly 40 veteran members pledge not to campaign against one another.

Crow, a former caucus co-chair, is no longer listed as a member and has publicly backed Evans' opponent. 

Still, Evans says military service gives veterans in Congress common ground even when they disagree publicly.

"We all wore our country's uniform and nobody cared what your political party was," Evans tells us. 

Crow strikes a similar tone, but he went a step further in his video, questioning the legacy of wars that followed 9/11, saying the U.S. "should not be in an endless cycle of conflict."

"I think we have to have a national conversation about it," Crow adds. 

The bottom line: Crow and Evans returned home from their deployments. Thousands of other Americans did not.

107 Coloradans died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, according to iCasualties. 

More than 7,000 Americans died in the two conflicts. 

Colorado lawmakers share how 9/11 shaped their careers

Two lawmakers from opposing parties served abroad following the attacks.

Split image: left, a camouflaged soldier holds an American flag beside a military helicopter; right, a desert-camouflage soldier with helmet and gear stands by a pickup in rocky desert terrain.

Gabe Evans and Jason Crow during their military service. Photos: Courtesy of Evans' and Crows' congressional offices. 

Fifteen-year-old Gabe Evans watched the carnage unfold at home in Colorado. In Wisconsin, college senior Jason Crow saw the attacks on TV — and made a life-altering choice. Why it matters: The Sept. 11 attacks helped propel both future Colorado congressmen toward military service, shaping careers that would eventually carry them from combat zones to Capitol Hill.

Politics

The Denver Art Museum's annual Friendship Powwow invites the public to enjoy music, dance and art from the local and regional Indigenous community. 

Why it matters: Saturday's event offers a chance to learn and celebrate Native culture, but also marks the debut of a dance regalia set made by celebrated Dakota and Nakoda artists. 

Zoom in: The dress set is created by GrowingThunder Collective and commissioned by the DAM.

The collective is a three-generation group of Assiniboine/Nakoda women who created the beaded yoke dress and accompanying pieces reflective of their tribal nation's aesthetics. 

A family member is expected to wear the dress Saturday. 

The vibe: The grand entry featuring powwow dancers begins at 11am inside the Sie Welcome Center and Sturm Grand Pavilion. 

There will also be hands-on activities, food and vendors selling jewelry, arts and crafts.

If you go: Admission to the DAM (100 W 14th Ave. Pkwy.) is free on Saturday during regular hours (10am-5pm). 

Denver Art Museum to host powwow during free day

The free event boasts hands-on activities, food and vendor.

Group of Indigenous people in traditional regalia with colorful beadwork and feather headdresses, some with face paint, standing indoors at a cultural event.

The Friendship Powwow at the Denver Art Museum. Photo: Courtesy of the Denver Art Museum 

The Denver Art Museum&#x27;s annual Friendship Powwow invites the public to enjoy music, dance and art from the local and regional Indigenous community. Why it matters: Saturday&#x27;s event offers a chance to learn and celebrate Native culture, but also marks the debut of a dance regalia set made by celebrated Dakota and Nakoda artists.

Culture

From sports to Shakespeare, this weekend offers family fun across the metro area. 

⚽️ The Rapids host CF Montréal at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday in an MLS showdown. Starting at ~$23

🪅 Fiestas Patrias Colorado is a family-friendly Hispanic Heritage Month celebration on Sunday including lucha libre, dancing horses, Aztec dancers and more at Mile High Flea Market. Free

🏎️ Lego's Formula 1 track experience at Denver Union Station gives children an immersive experience to build and race their own mini racers this Saturday and Sunday. Free

🎞️ Platt Park Movie Night screens "The Parent Trap" tomorrow. Attendees are encouraged to bring instruments for an open jam session before the screening. Free 

🎭 Shakespeare in the Parking Lot delivers a family-friendly performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (noon) and "Romeo and Juliet" (2pm) at Orchard Town Center in Westminster on Saturday. Free 

🧘 Yoga at Coors Field this Saturday gives you a chance to practice your downward dog inside the ballpark while raising money for the Rockies Foundation. Starting at $50 

Weekend things to do in Denver

From sports to Shakespeare, this weekend offers family fun across the city and beyond.

Children crowd around a LEGO interactive race display outdoors; a boy points at a red LEGO screen while a digital finish board shows zeroes and a checkered track, with palm trees in the background.

The Lego Formula 1 Off Track experience. Photo: Courtesy of Lego Group 

From sports to Shakespeare, this weekend offers family fun across the metro area. ⚽️ <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Rapids host" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E006393B6D07A97?artistid=805925&amp;wt.mc_id=MLS_TEAM_COL_SCHED_PG_GM12?camefrom=CFC_KSE_El7Cf418p0qgCTNnIkKUFw&amp;utm_source=El7Cf418p0qgCTNnIkKUFw&amp;utm_medium=El7Cf418p0qgCTNnIkKUFw&amp;utm_campaign=El7Cf418p0qgCTNnIkKUFw" data-vars-content-id="fd67c2d2-bc15-4ac8-a8af-8e60ba075d61" data-vars-headline="Weekend things to do in Denver" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E006393B6D07A97?artistid=805925&amp;wt.mc_id=MLS_TEAM_COL_SCHED_PG_GM12?camefrom=CFC_KSE_El7Cf418p0qgCTNnIkKUFw&amp;utm_source=El7Cf418p0qgCTNnIkKUFw&amp;utm_medium=El7Cf418p0qgCTNnIkKUFw&amp;utm_campaign=El7Cf418p0qgCTNnIkKUFw" target="_blank">The Rapids host</a> CF Montréal at Dick&#x27;s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday in an MLS showdown. Starting at ~$23

Esteban L. Hernandez

Featured stories

Five local spots to watch the Broncos this season

The case for Denver Broncos optimsim

Denver Art Museum to host powwow during free day

Colorado lawmakers share how 9/11 shaped their careers

Weekend things to do in Denver