COMMUNITY OF COLORADO-OWNED BUSINESSES –  EAT, DRINK, SHOP, EXERCISE, PLAY, WORK.

 BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO

One thing us Wash Parkers are fond of, is getting outside of our bubble to explore new local hot spots. Stanley Marketplace is our new favorite place to work, eat, shop and play. We had the pleasure of sitting down with General Manager, Allyson Fredeen, before she goes into labor, (which could be any day now). Her passion for this space is palpable. 

Some of our readers may be unfamiliar with Stanley Marketplace. What can you tell us about the 50+ Colorado businesses inside this 140,000 square foot space?

  Stanley Marketplace is a fun, community-centric marketplace and small business collective featuring only local, independently owned boutiques, restaurants, and wellness & service businesses. Fun fact: more than half are owned by women! Our former aviation factory building (Stanley Aviation, established in 1954) houses everything from a bagel shop to a yoga studio, a zero-waste shop, fashions for all styles and people, a ceramics studio, a cooking school, household furnishing, a florist, restaurants as well as hosting year-round unique and creative events open to the public and so much more. In addition to offering a place to eat, drink, shop, exercise, play and work, we pride ourselves on being a community gathering place that makes connections between neighbors with sustainability, innovation, creativity and collaboration in mind, creating one of the most unique collectives of small businesses in the country. Stanley Marketplace and its local businesses are committed to providing regular programming and services designed to benefit the larger neighborhood and community like providing space for nonprofit organizations to connect with the community and/or host outreach events; all-levels fitness events; free weekly story-time in Spanish and English; free community outdoor movie nights; a city-library pop-up, a weekly summer farmers market to bring fresh, local produce to the neighborhood; live music nights and silent discos, regular multi-cultural events and celebrations. We live by the motto “there’s always something happening for the community at Stanley.” 

 

More than a marketplace, you are a community of like-minded people who like to work sustainably, thoughtfully and creatively. Can you expand on this mission?

  Stanley Marketplace is deeply committed to environmental and sustainable practices and makes it a commitment to work with like-minded business owners. From the initial repurposing of an existing building (rather than the environmental costs of a new build) when founded to the xeriscaping and storm water management techniques that support it, to practices within the marketplace like recycling and waste reduction – and even some of the independent businesses make further efforts toward sustainable practices. When it comes to sustainability, we think being green is just the beginning. We support and encourage the sustainability of our community and businesses to grow and thrive with other businesses who feel the same way. We also support our partners who are doing good outside of Stanley and empower them by offering our space, energy, land and resources and we strive to support inclusivity through partnerships, programs and opportunities to bring the community together as much as we can. 

Beyond shopping and dining, neighbors can also partake in an array of events. What do you have on the calendar in the coming months?

Guests will find regularly scheduled events and programming at Stanley Marketplace every day of the week that offer something for everyone. From seasonal events like our annual summer music series to weekly farmer’s market, community pop-ups and monthly yoga classes benefitting local animal shelters, there’s always something happening at Stanley. We’ll kick-off the new year with an array of fitness and wellness events in January and will even celebrate International Lego Day on 1/28 with a Lego pop-up in our common area. For Black History Month we will host free live music and support black artists and creators with art shows and exhibits and, as always, we will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Wick School of Irish Dance for a vibrant performance for all ages to enjoy. 

 

Just outside of the Stanley Marketplace is Lu Bird’s Light Playground. We featured this beautiful nonprofit in our magazine almost six years ago. It’s so good to see the dream came to fruition. Can you remind our readers about this foundation?

  LuBird’s Light Foundation knows all kids deserve a chance to play and their mission is to make that happen. The team behind LuBird’s Light has worked towards building the first adaptive playground, in the Denver-Aurora area, that’s inclusive of kids with specific physical and sensory needs. The foundation was created to build magical, inclusive playgrounds for children of all needs and to support children and families with rare disabilities. With the generous donation of land from Stanley Marketplace and a village of people and businesses, the playground is built and in use on a daily basis. Learn more about the project at lubirdslight.org.

 

We were surprised to learn about the immersive experiences at Stanley. From gymnastics to theatre, yoga to VR, there seems to be something for everyone in the family. Did we miss anything? (Lume?)

After hosting Van Gogh Alive last summer and coming out of the pandemic, we heard from our community how much they were missing connections with the arts and culture. This fall, the former Hangar at Stanley Marketplace was transformed into THE LUME Colorado, the permanent location of multi-sensory experience producers, Grande Experiences’ digital gallery. For the grand opening of THE LUME Colorado, Grande Experiences launched the world premiere of DALÍ ALIVE, an immersive look into Salvador Dalí’s life and work, in partnership with The Dalí Museum. ​​A powerful and vibrant symphony of light, color, captivating imagery, stirring soundscapes, and evocative aromas take you out of your world and immerse you inside the surreal visions synonymous with the renowned artist. Showcasing both Dalí’s challenges and triumphs, the breath-taking production dynamically animates the works of the incomparable artist, providing visitors with the sensation of stepping into the life of Salvador Dalí himself and feeling the redemptive power of his imagination. DALÍ ALIVE explores how the artist continually reinvented himself – his place, his person, his family, and his very human transience – to overcome obstacles. His personal and artistic moments of reinvention are shared through chronological segments highlighting his early, formative years in Spain, his introduction to Surrealist circles, his influential time in America and the enduring cultural impact still recognized globally today. More information and tickets can be found on The LUME Colorado website.

 

Our mission is to shine a light on the importance of shopping small and supporting local. You’ve created a one-stop shop to make this easy for your neighbors and surrounding communities. How has the marketplace been received since it opened its doors?

Six years ago Stanley Marketplace opened to the public thanks to the efforts of the grassroots neighborhood group looking to build community and create that so-important “Third Place” where we spend time between work and home. Unlike other market halls in the Denver area, though, we do it different here with our Stanifesto (Do Good, Be Good), our community events, the spirit of collaboration embraced by all our businesses, and serving the community as a literal marketplace for shopping all local: fashion, flowers, a wine & spirits shop, a grocery and food market, bars, restaurants, Pilates studio, gymnastics classes, kids’ maker space, a day care and preschool, fitness, beauty services, even a fashion academy and music school … we offer pretty much everything here, and our community, regulars, and visitors alike appreciate it all – they love being here, supporting the businesses, and having a great time. All Stanley Marketplace tenants are proud to offer high-quality, thoughtfully-sourced products and services. Whether it’s locally-sourced ingredients for restaurant menu items, the best outdoor gear in the world for boutique shops, highly-trained professionals hosting camps or performing beauty services, or work from local artisans at home decor and gift stores, each business offers a top-notch experience.

What can we expect from Stanley in the future?

  We’ll continue the important work of bringing people together and building connections between neighborhoods, generations, strangers and friends by removing fences, building bridges, and providing opportunity. In 2023, we’re looking forward to offering more of everything from fun events, continued thoughtfulness, and more reasons to visit us, as the place everyone comes to connect with others, exchange ideas, build relationships and get everything you need. We will of course bring back fan favorites like weekend movie nights on our field, our summer music series – both of which are free to attend, but will also sprinkle in some new activations for the community to enjoy this summer – stay tuned for more!

Consider shopping small and supporting local this holiday season at Stanley Marketplace! Visit stanleymarketplace.com for more info.