Bucket List Community Cafe

November 2025 Bucket List Radio Show on KGNU

The November edition of the Bucket List Community Cafe radio show aired this week on KGNU, marking the fifth episode of the monthly program that highlights the stories shaping life across the Denver metro. Hosted by Bucket List editor Toni Tresca and powered by a newsroom of student and early-career journalists, the Bucket List radio show weaves together reporting on veterans’ housing, neighborhood access, wildlife conservation and cultural heritage.

Bucket List on KGNU: Palantir Protests, DIA and More

The October edition of the Bucket List Community Cafe radio show aired this week on KGNU, offering another wide-ranging look at the people, places, and policies shaping Denver life. Hosted by me, Toni Tresca, and produced by our team of student and early-career reporters, the fourth episode dives into local activism, infrastructure upgrades, cultural rebirth and a celebration of the spooky season.

Bucket List Community Cafe on KGNU: August Edition

In this edition of Bucket List Community Cafe on KGNU we're diving into some of the most talked about developments in the city. From a massive women's soccer stadium project to federal funding cuts to the arts. We've also got coverage of a local farmers market, a new exhibit capturing the immigrant experience in America and even the unexpected world of Pokémon card scalping. All that and more coming up in today's show. Hosted by Toni Tresca.

Bucket List on KGNU Inagural Edition

The Bucket List Community Cafe radio show on KGNU brings hyperlocal storytelling to the airwaves with heart, curiosity, and a deep love for Denver. Hosted by Toni Tresca, each episode dives into the civic pulse of the city—from transportation frustrations and unsafe streets to vibrant arts festivals, neighborhood activism, and underrepresented cultural communities. With reporting from a team of emerging local journalists, the show highlights the everyday issues and inspiring efforts shaping life in Denver.
In this inaugural episode, listeners hear why Federal Boulevard remains one of the most dangerous roads in the city, what’s behind the lack of public transit to Red Rocks, and how neighbors are organizing to make change—from the Denver Community Film Festival to the upcoming Mile Long Table event. With coverage of the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, the evolution of UMS, and a love-hate reckoning with the Colorado Rockies, this show is a fresh, grounded take on what it means to live, move, and make meaning in Denver today.

Podcast: Artist Bala Thiagarajan Talks Cherry Creek Arts Festival

After courageously leaving her career in science and PhD in biology behind to become a full-time artist, Bala Thiagarajan is onto her next big journey: the Cherry Creek Arts Festival. For the first time in her career the Denver creative is getting her opportunity to shine at Colorado’s biggest arts festival from July 4 through 6.
Thiagarajan sat down with us for June’s episode of the “Bucket List Community Cafe Podcast” to break down what it means to get into the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, what makes the Denver arts scene so special, the importance of representation and much more.

Podcast: Super-Traveler Sam Gennawey Talks Life on the Road

175,000 miles, 380 pit stops at National Parks across the United States and six full years of living in a van later, Sam Gennawey has done it all. The former urban planner and owner of an independent record label decided it was time to spice up his life, so he traded in his downtown Los Angeles loft for a camper van and embarked on the journey of a lifetime.
After struggling with his mental health, Gennawey decided to make a drastic change and become a nomad, living his life on the move. Since then, he has been learning about the history and secrets of America's most scenic locations. In his book “Sacred Landscapes,” released on May 20, Gennawey reveals everything he’s learned about our country’s National Parks, along with helpful tips and tricks for thriving and surviving as a nomad.

Podcast: Journalist Carol McKinley Concludes Career

Within the world of journalism, Emmy award-winning Carol McKinley has done it all. McKinley has covered some of the most significant events in the country for over four decades, including the JonBenét Ramsey investigation and the Columbine and Aurora theater shootings. She also covered the Iraq War and the end of Saddam Hussein.
Now, after firmly establishing herself as one of the most prolific reporters in Denver, McKinley has decided to retire and call it a career. Carol joined us on the April episode of the “Bucket List Community Cafe Podcast” to discuss her legendary career.

Podcast: Regan Linton Challenges Status Quo for Disabled Actors

Regan Linton, a well-known actress from Denver, persevered when life threw her a massive challenge. After a life-altering car accident left her paralyzed from the waist down in 2002, she made a commitment to keep creating.
On March’s episode of the “Bucket List Community Cafe Podcast,” we sat down with Linton to talk about her journey as a disabled actress, work as an activist, the inspiration behind some of her most known work and where her projects will take her next.

Podcast: Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition Is Fighting Back

Raquel Lane-Arellano from the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition joined us on the podcast to talk about their efforts.
As Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids continue to unfold across the state, the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) has been working tirelessly to advocate for immigrant communities. 
Raquel Lane-Arellano, communications manager and Colorado rapid response volunteer, has been on the frontlines of these efforts. For the February episode of the “Bucket List Community Cafe Podcast,” we spoke with Lane-Arellano to understand the ongoing impact the new administration’s policies have had on Denver’s immigrant communities since its inauguration. 

Podcast: Butterfly Pavilion On Butterfly Crisis

As climate change becomes an increasingly prevalent issue throughout the state of Colorado, the local butterflies are feeling the effects. Butterflies, as pollinators, are critical to the long-term viability of our state’s ecosystem. 
Unfortunately, butterfly populations have been decreasing drastically over the past 50 years due to increased temperature across Colorado, loss of vegetation like milkweed and wildflowers, and increased pollution. A recent study by the Colorado Department of Natural Resources suggests that Colorado’s butterfly population has decreased by over 50% in the last 35 years.
How concerned should we be about Colorado’s falling butterfly population? Is this indicative of more scary and drastic climate-induced changes to come? On December’s episode of the Bucket List Community Cafe Podcast, we sat down with Shiran Hershcovich, senior lepidopterist at Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, to talk about the role climate change has played on the butterfly population and how it affects everyone.