Welcome to Wednesday!

• 👂 Sounds like: "Stuck in the Middle with You," by Stealers Wheel.

🌤️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny, with a high of 83.

🔥 Situational awareness: The Dry Creek Fire prompted evacuation warnings yesterday between Allenspark and Hall Ranch as crews battled the roughly 6-acre wildfire west of Lyons.

• Firefighters had slowed its forward progress by yesterday afternoon. We'll be watching for updates.

Today’s newsletter is 580 words — a 2-minute read.

The Boulder Farmers Market wraps its Wednesday season on Oct. 7 after expanding beyond produce into a neighborhood gathering space.

• The 3:30–7:30pm finale caps a season that brought more artisan vendors and community resources to the weekday market.

The latest: Organizers newly partnered with Community Food Share on a resource fair connecting residents with food, health, housing and youth services.

• Yes, but: The market's broadened role came during a tough year for Colorado farmers, as historically low water squeezed growers and ranchers and an April freeze wiped out fruit crops for many Paonia and Hotchkiss vendors.

What she's saying: "The Wednesday market has really become our Boulder neighborhood market," marketing director Frankie Ryder tells Axios. "It's really the folks who live in Boulder … coming together to support small businesses."

Vendor watch: Among those small businesses not to be missed before season's end: Longmont-based Ray Road Nut Butter, which makes organic spreads with no refined sugar, including crowd-favorite pistachio cream and an almond Brazil cashew blend.

• Bean Boy Foods turns black beans and lentils into fiber-rich, soy-free tofu that crisps like a potato.

What's next: Saturday markets continue 8am–2pm through Nov. 21.

• Ryder's Prime Day pitch: Shift some grocery spending from Amazon to local farms and "the community that we want to build here in Boulder."

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🍽️ Kimbal Musk's The Kitchen Boulder and Denver restaurants have a new owner: local restaurateur Bryan Dayton. (5280)

🥗 In more restaurant news, True Food Kitchen, which opened at the Twenty Ninth Street mall in April, has filed for bankruptcy and plans to close 12 restaurants, excluding the Denver and Boulder locations. (Quartz)

🗳️ Energy costs are emerging as a key issue in Colorado's closely watched 8th Congressional District race, where voters' pocketbook concerns could help tip the balance. (Axios)

📚 Boulder's library district plans to cut about 20% of its staff as falling property-tax revenue and rising maintenance costs squeeze its budget. (Boulder Reporting Lab)

📶 A federal radio quiet zone north of Boulder is worsening spotty cell service in Longmont and parts of Boulder County after major carriers had to adjust their signals. (The Denver Post)

The St Julien Hotel & Spa just scored some serious bragging rights, ranking No. 8 on Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 list of Colorado's best hotels.

• Readers gave the locally owned, 201-room hotel a score of 97.64.

Why it matters: With Flatirons views, a 10,000-square-foot spa and a prime downtown perch, the St Julien is already built for Boulder luxury.

• Come Sundance, it'll also be choice celebrity-spotting territory.

Flash-forward: Sundance runs Jan. 21–31, 2027.

• Hotel Boulderado will serve as festival headquarters, but St Julien's polished rooms, Pearl Street-adjacent location and martini-slinging lobby bar could make it a magnet for the Hollywood crowd — and those hoping to spot them.

🚘 Mitchell is "making his way downtown, walkin; fast, faces pass and he's homebound" … just not yet.

🥰 Thanks to Gigi Sukin for holding down the fort and David Dudley for jumping in.