The parking lot at 7561 W. 80th Avenue has a deadline. Safeway has said its store there, the only Safeway in Arvada, will permanently close by November 14, 2026. About two and a half miles south and west, on Grandview Avenue in Olde Town, The Bluegrass Coffee and Bourbon Lounge poured its last drinks on October 31. Its Candelas location had closed the day before.
Two weekly habits ended within about two weeks of each other. The other grocery options, a planned new grocer, and the busiest part of Arvada's holiday calendar all sit on one stretch of Wadsworth Boulevard, roughly between 68th and 80th Avenues. This November, that corridor carries more of the city's everyday routine than it did a month ago.
Safeway's last days at 80th and Wadsworth
The Arvada Press reported that Safeway made the decision after reviewing the store's performance. The store has long competed with a King Soopers directly across the street. A Safeway spokesperson said the company would try to move employees to other Safeway stores around the Denver metro area.
The closure is less about losing a grocery store than about losing a brand. Within a few blocks, the intersection still has more grocery choices than most corners in the city. Here is the nearby map once the Safeway doors lock:
| Store | Location | Status this November |
|---|---|---|
| King Soopers | Directly across 80th and Wadsworth from the Safeway | Open |
| Sprouts | Shopping center at 77th Avenue and Wadsworth | Open |
| Natural Grocers | Same shopping center at 77th and Wadsworth | Open |
| Whole Foods Market | 7815 Wadsworth Blvd., the former Hobby Lobby site | Planned |
| Safeway, Wheat Ridge | 3900 Wadsworth Blvd. | Nearest remaining Safeway |
| Safeway, Denver | 3800 W. 44th Ave. | Second-nearest Safeway |
Two details put the change in context. King Soopers runs seven stores in Arvada. When Safeway closed 10 Colorado stores a year ago, none were in Jefferson County. This is the first time that wave has reached Arvada, and it comes at the start of the heaviest cooking weeks of the year. For anyone attached to Safeway's store brands or its loyalty program, the nearest substitute is now a drive south on Wadsworth to Wheat Ridge.
The Whole Foods across the intersection is still a plan
Whole Foods' first Arvada store is meant to go kitty-corner from the closing Safeway, at 7815 Wadsworth Boulevard. The shopping center's owner lists a 40,000-square-foot space for the store. The plan is to demolish the former Hobby Lobby and build a new Whole Foods in its place.
The timeline matters here. Denverite first reported the project in January 2025, when the plan had city approval and some permit applications were still under review. A week later, BusinessDen reported that the company had confirmed the store but had not disclosed an opening date. The Arvada Press story on the Safeway closure describes Whole Foods as planning the store and gives no opening date. A Thanksgiving grocery plan that counts on this store would be a guess.
Olde Town heads into December without Noel
The Bluegrass opened on Grandview Avenue in 2015. Founders Drew and Sheena Gordon built it on their Kentucky roots: a full coffee bar by day, American bourbon by night, live music, and pizza that drew its own following. Josh Schwartz, the longtime general manager, described the goal to the Arvada Press in one line:
"We always want to be the 'Cheers.' We want people to be known by name, and their drink."
In the same report, Schwartz pointed to rising costs across the industry, a building that needs repairs (the oldest freestanding building in Olde Town), and a lease that recently came up for renewal. He also said several investors had offered to buy the brand, so a revival later, possibly at another location, is still possible. The story, updated October 20, reported the offers but no completed sale.
The closing also affects the Olde Town holiday calendar. The Bluegrass ran Noel, an annual Christmas pop-up bar. The Noel page still shows the 2025 season at 7415 Grandview Avenue, and no 2026 location has been announced. Olde Town has also not yet posted a 2026 date for its tree lighting on its events page. Last December, Noel took over 7415 Grandview Avenue. This December, nothing is listed at that address.
What arrived while those were leaving
This fall has brought new places too, and they help explain how the city's routines are moving.
- 303 Ramen reopened September 11 at 8025 Sheridan Boulevard after closing at its former Olde Town site. It's open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to the Arvada Press.
- TeeLee Floral and Events moved into the former mayor's residence at 5613 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard. It now sells retail bouquets and home goods and offers classes alongside its event flower work. Holiday centerpieces and hostess gifts are now available at the south end of the same road that carries the rest of this month's errands.
- My Book Cellar is planned for 5715 Upham Street as a bookstore, café, bar and community space. In September, the owners were aiming to open before the holidays. Their own site now says "Coming Winter 2026 to Olde Town Arvada." In time, a coffee-and-a-drink spot in Olde Town could fill some of what The Bluegrass leaves behind, but it is not open yet.
Wadsworth holds the holiday calendar
The Arvada Center at 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. is marking its 50th year, and its holiday season is the most fully scheduled thing in the city. The Apex Community Recreation Center at 6842 Wadsworth starts things off. Here it is in date order, starting from the first weekend of November:
- Through November 8: last days for pARTy: Celebrating 50 Years and Rigsby Revisited: 50 Years Later in the Arvada Center's Upper Gallery.
- November 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Apex's Craft Fair at the Community Recreation Center, with seasonal work from more than 60 artisans. Admission is $2, or free if you bring new school supplies.
- November 20 through January 3, 2027: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on the Main Stage. Matinees are at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and evening shows are at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, with select Tuesday evenings and Friday matinees.
- November 27 through December 13: the 40th Annual Fine Art Market. The opening reception runs 5 to 9 p.m. on November 27.
- November 27 through December 13: the 50th Annual Holiday Pottery Sale. It's open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on opening day, then 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
- December 11 and 12: Stories On Stage: Making Merry, then Hazel Miller and the Collective: Christmas with Soul.
The anniversary exhibition 50: A Half-Century of Art stays up through December 31, so any of those visits can include a walk through the gallery. The pottery sale and the art market both open the day after Thanksgiving. The same Friday also works for a stop at the grocery stores near 77th and 80th, just a few minutes north on the same road.
Majestic View fills the weeknights
Away from Wadsworth, Majestic View Nature Center at 7030 Garrison St. has a run of November programs. Most are small and have set start times.
- November 7, 9 to 11 a.m.: Nature Journaling for Everyone, ages 8 and up.
- November 14, 10 to 11:30 a.m.: Winter Adaptations, ages 6 and up.
- November 14, 1 to 3 p.m.: a guided tour of the wetland restoration project.
- November 19, 6 to 8 p.m.: Mocktail Art & Sip, for adults.
- November 20, 6 to 7 p.m.: Astronomy Night, for all ages, no registration required.
Astronomy Night ends an hour before Joseph opens at the Arvada Center that evening. The Saturday after Safeway's deadline, November 14, has a morning and an afternoon session at the nature center.
We'll keep watching 7815 Wadsworth for a Whole Foods opening date and Grandview Avenue for news on The Bluegrass name, and we'll share updates as soon as they're official. If this fall's changes have you thinking about your own corner of Arvada, call or text the North Metro Realty team. We're always glad to talk about what's opening, what's closing and what it means for your street.
