Wendy Sosa did not let some snowfall hamper her mood Saturday afternoon.
Sosa, executive director of the Colorado Dance Collective, said the start of 2025 has been “coming up roses” for the nonprofit.
Part of that bouquet of roses that put a smile on Sosa’s face was the nonprofit’s second Winter Taste of Downtown.
For the second January in a row, Sosa and other members of the nonprofit set up shop at the Midnight Oil Bookstore, 827 10th St., Greeley, greeting those who signed up for the event.
“Even though it’s kind of a snowy day outside, people are showing up and having a great time,” Sosa said.
The event is a scavenger hunt that allows participants to explore 22 downtown Greeley businesses. Participants are given a map/passport of the businesses and walk around the area to check out what each business offers.
They get a stamp on their passport for each business, and if they got between 12-15 stamps, they receive one entree in a raffle to win tickets to the nonprofit’s Hip-Hop Madness show Saturday, March 29 at the Millennium Event Center, 815 10th St., Greeley. If they got more than 16 stamps, it was good for two entries.
“I want to be a part of the community events,” Denise Schieffer said.
Schieffer is the owner and baker of Rise and Pies, 920 9th Ave. Her business was one of five new businesses that joined the event. She opened up her store last August but has been baking and serving her breads, sticky buns and cinnamon rolls for the past four years at various farmers markets, including Greeley’s.
She said the event brings people through the doors, and she had already met plenty of new faces shortly after the event’s start at noon. Along with wanting to be more involved with downtown events, Schieffer found the timing of the event to be ideal because January tends to be a slower month for downtown.
Luis Ochoa, owner of Pura Vida Nightclub and Lounge, said the event helped him to showcase his club, which has been open for six months at 818 9th St.
“We want to bring more people to Greeley,” Ochoa said. “That will help increase the economy in downtown. That’s one of our goals all the time is to have a good image of Greeley all the time.”
Victoria, Ochoa’s daughter, has been dancing with the collective for a decade. At each business, a dancer was present to greet those who walked in. She credited Sosa for maintaining relationships with downtown businesses as well as expanding to incorporate others.
Customers shop at Mom’s Popcorn during the Taste of Downtown in Greeley on Saturday. The fundraiser was for the Colorado Dance Collective. (Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)Ochoa wants Greeley residents to view his club as the place for Latino music, and he gave thanks to Greeley police for keeping downtown and other areas in the community safe.
Sosa said the next Taste of Downtown is tentatively scheduled for mid-July. She said details of the event are still being worked out, but she is excited to unveil them soon.
Customers enjoy the food at The Cow Saloon & Eatery during the Taste of Downtown in Greeley on Saturday.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)Allo Fiber, 808 9th St., not only participated in the event as a new business but also stepped up as a corporate sponsor. The event raises funds for the Colorado Dance Collective.
Sosa also said the Rotary Club of Greeley awarded a grant to the nonprofit that is set to go toward putting in a new dance floor in their second building inside the Greeley Warehouse, 532 12th St. The nonprofit was also recently given a gift from the Weld Community Foundation.
For more information about the dance collective, go to coloradodancecollective.com.
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