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Good morning, Fort Collins. Grab your coffee and gear up because we are only two days away from celebrating Cinco de Mayo.

In today’s ChoiceCity Dish:

• Good news for Trolley enthusiasts

• Goatflix and Chill

• Lowdown on the Rocky Mountain Showdown

If you like our new facelift, drop over to Facebook or Instagram - whichever you use most - and light up our comment section with a 👍 or 👎

Now down to business.

THE PERFECT MORNING

Picture this - you’re sitting on the patio of a busy downtown corner. Birds chirping, a gentle breeze, the sun on your neck, hustle-and-bustle of the morning commute, and the smell of freshly roasted, freshly brewed coffee is drifting up from your Americano that just so happens to be the perfect temperature.

You take a sip and notice a couple approaching. You guess they’re in their mid-forties. The man is rugged and tall. The woman petite, with dark, cropped hair, sharp features and a beaming smile.

They stop and ask if you need anything else. You smile assuming they work there, but you’re all set and have nowhere to be. He compliments you on your CSU hat before sharing that he and his wife are both Alumni. It’s where they met as students in 2003. Her eyes tell the story as she smiles back at him. It was so long ago and yet, it was yesterday.

Before leaving, they thank you for your business and invite you to come back on Sunday, to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with them. The kicker, $5 margaritas - how could you say no.

Seconds after they’ve gone you realize it was the owners, Marli and McCabe Callahan, and you are again reminded of just why you like this place so much. The personal touch, the customer service, the atmosphere. A lot of places offer that though. Is it the full bar inside, the access to gourmet breakfast and lunch with local ingredients? Maybe it’s the history? The Old Town location in the Armstrong Hotel. The fact that it was the first wireless internet cafe to open in Fort Collins. Or the convenience they offer with a second location across from CSU’s Oval.

Who are you kidding, it’s all of those things. And what better place to start your day than at Mugs in Old Town.

LOCAL DISH

🎨 Today, May 3, marks the beginning of Downtown Fort Collins Art Week A celebration of creativity that will conclude on Sunday, May 12. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make a fairy garden, paint with acrylics, hop in a meditation circle, learn how to hack into your flow state, or spark your imagination in a whole new way, this is for you. Check out the full schedule to see all of their free workshops and pick the ones that suit you best.

🍣 Let’s all wish Chef Hiroshi “Nimo” Nimota a very happy and well deserved retirement. And say goodbye to Nimo’s Sushibar and Japanese Restaurant. It has been a Fort Collins staple since 1992, so from all of us who have eaten there and enjoyed the sushi over the years, thank you!

🚃 The Fort Collins Trolley is back and ready to celebrate the 40th season shuttling passengers. If you’ve never ridden before, the ride begins at City Park and takes you along Mountain Ave to Old Town. It’s vibrant and visceral, and grandma will love it.

The trolley runs May through September, Noon to 5 PM, weekends and National Holidays. Your kids will love it too.

RAMS

May 3 | FRIDAY | 6 PM

🥎 Softball Vs Boise State

May 4 | Saturday | 12 PM

🥎 Softball Vs Boise State

May 6 | Monday | All Day

⛳️ Woman’s Golf @ NCAA Regional Day 1

May 9 | Thursday | All Day

🏃‍♀️🏃Track @ Mountain West Championships

🥎 Softball @ Mountain West Championships

FOOTBALL

Former Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, Mohamed Kamara, was selected as the 158th pick in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. Way to go Mo!

Season Tickets

🐏 🦬 It has been a very long time since the Colorado Buffaloes have made the drive to Fort Collins to play a game of football. So long ago that Bill Clinton was your president, gas only cost $1.23/gallon and the Dallas Cowboys won a Super Bowl (for the last time). The year was 1996.

So what we’re saying is it’s kind of a big deal. If you are planning to attend the Rocky Mountain Showdown this fall in Fort Collins, you just might want to grab your tickets sooner than later. The deadline for single-game add-ons to the RMS is May 8, and you must be a season ticket holder - or become one - to buy them. They are also offering a three-game bundle, or Mini-Plans, where you can pick and chose a three-game bundle from their listed options.

What happens after the May 8 deadline?

Because season ticket holders have been buying up a large portion of the add-on RMS tickets, and 10,000 additional tickets have been set aside for students, the likelihood of RMS tickets being released to the public is marginal. If there are remaining tickets available to the Showdown, they will go on-sale starting August 1.

What should I do?

Get on the phone with Keith Keyser, CSU Athletics, Ticket Sales @ (970)491-3632 and get your tickets today.

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

Friday

Art Walk | 6-9 PM

Look at the map and guide yourself through the tour, free of charge. What better way to start your Art Week?

Saturday

Barbie Brunch | 10 - 12:30 PM

Culinary education fused with farm-fresh dining, and did we mention it’s Brunch? Grab your ticket @Farm Fusion.

Dude’s Ride | Noon

Free men’s event @cyclebarfortcollins but you will need to sign up through their app in their bio. They are hosting a 45 min ride with all the fan fair, so hop on a bike and start peddling with some bros 😎

Ride the Rails | Noon - 5 PM

Take a ride on the Trolley with Fort Collins Trolley.

Goatflix and Chill | 8 - 10 PM

Have you ever watched a movie beside a baby goat? We didn’t think so. Come watch Solo - A Star Wars Story on the East Lawn at the Foothills Mall. Tickets here 🎬

Sunday

Colorado Marathon | 6:30 AM

The Colorado Marathon will be taking place on Sunday, May 5. Keep this in mind if you plan on driving through the Poudre Canyon. The race will begin at 6:30 AM, and will finish near Washington Park so travel will definitely be impacted in the area. For more information, click here.

$5 Margs | 7 AM - 6 PM

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Mugs (both locations) all day long with $5 margaritas.

Bike Tour | 8 - 9:45 AM

Start your morning at the Petrichor Collective (131 E Lincoln Ave ) for a free, guided bike-tour (donations welcome but don’t be late) with the FC Mural Project to celebrate Art Week.

Farmers Market | 10 - 2PM

Opening day for the Fort Collins Farmers Market. Come to 1001 E Harmony Road (Ace Hardware parking lot) to see who shows up and what you can buy.

WEATHER

Friday

66 🌡 38 | ⛅️ | 10% | 19 MPH

Saturday

63 🌡 36 | ⛅️ | 0% | 14 MPH

Sunday

74 🌡 40 | ☁️ | 5% | 14 MPH

THE DIGEST

A friendly reminder to Fort Collins residence, on May 1, the City of Fort Collins Utilities reverted back to on-peak summer hours for electricity usage rates. This will only include weekdays, 2-7 PM and it runs until September. They would like to encourage you to save money by shifting your usage to their off-peak times and/or to reduce total usage. You can read more about it through this link.

UNWIND

Kick your feet up and stay a while. If you are looking for the perfect vacation rental property or a place to call your own, we found you the perfect spot.

It’s on a half-acre lot, requires minimal upkeep on landscaping and offers a splendid amount of natural privacy. Not to mention the location is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ situated in North Fort Collins overlooking Long Pond Reservoir, and only a stone throw from the Country Club. This place has it all, plus enough character to match the listing agent, Greg Roeder.

If you would like to schedule a tour - and possibly challenge him to a game of pickleball - reach out before this one sells.

EXTRA SERVING

The 2024 World Beer Cup crowned their champions and it was no surprise that Odell Brewing came home with the hardware for their Mountain Standard IPA, receiving a second place medal in the Australian-Style Pale Ale category🥈

THANKS!

Thank you for reading ChoiceCity Dish today. If you enjoyed this and found something useful, please share it with someone who is running the Colorado Marathon this weekend.

Dan Straub | Publisher | ChoiceCity Dish