Mountain Fest and Taco John’s

*Golden Eye Candy – Linda Cobb – Coors Porcelain – enlarge*

What’s Happening in Golden Today?

7:30AM-4PM Colorado Mountain Fest
9-10:15AM Align and Flow (Virtual)
9:30-11:30AM Full Walking Tour @ Dinosaur Ridge
10AM-3PM Brunch at the Rose @ Buffalo Rose
2PM HAIR @ Miners Alley Playhouse

Live Music

11AM-2PM Keith Wren @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage)
2-5PM Sturtz @ Golden Mill
3-6PM Stone Beat Invasion @ New Terrain Brewing
3PM Jewel & the Rough @ Wrigley’s

4-7PM Will Whalen @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage)
4PM Stump & Tree with Scottie Bolin @ Over Yonder
8PM Karaoke @ Ace Hi Tavern

Golden History Moment

*Advertisement from the Golden Transcript – September 25, 1980 – enlarge*

42 Years Ago
The September 25, 1980 Golden Transcript announced the upcoming Grand Opening for the Taco John’s at 23rd and Ford Streets. This was actually a re-opening. Taco John’s opened in January of 1977. It was new building at that time, having a replaced the decades-old Oriental Service Station. The new restaurant was so successful that the owners decided to expand their building to make it three times as big. The ad above includes small photos of the empty lot in 1976, the original Taco John’s store in 1976, and the new and improved building in 1980.

Golden Frames & Gifts (with tribute to Brian and Julie Q!) – Google Street Images – enlarge

Taco John’s closed their Golden store some time in the 1990s. It was replaced for a year or two by a restaurant called “Taco Mesa.” After that, Golden Frames & Gifts moved in and remained there for about a decade.

*Bonfire Burritos – Google Street Images – enlarge*

Bonfire Burrito bought the building in 2019 and has attracted a devoted, almost cult-like following.

Thanks to the Golden History Museum for providing the online cache of historic Transcripts, and to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866!