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Keith Desrosiers, Thorne Nature Experience’s executive director, looked at properties across Boulder County in his search for one that could meet all the requirements for a nature preschool, house office space and increase community access to the outdoors.

As it turned out, he didn’t need to search that far. He ended up finding land in Lafayette that’s adjacent to Coal Creek and the areas that Thorne’s early education programs already use as their outdoor classrooms.

“We couldn’t have been more lucky to find the perfect site,” he said. “We want to build a nature center in the backyards of the kids who have the least access to nature.”

Thorne bought the 2.5 acre site in the Lafayette Tech Center that’s adjacent to Coal Creek for about $1 million, then spent the last year raising money for construction. About 30 donors raised $3 million, while Thorne secured a construction loan to cover the rest of the cost while fundraising continues.

Altogether, the new Lafayette Nature Center, which is about a mile from Alicia Sanchez Elementary, is expected to cost about $5.5 million. A groundbreaking was held this week, while an opening date is set for June 2024.

Desrosiers said the environmental education nonprofit began looking for a location to build a nature center a few years ago.

Thorne’s current offices, located at Boulder’s Sombrero Marsh Environmental Education Center, are leased to Thorne by the Boulder Valley School District under a 25-year agreement that ends in 2024. With Thorne growing from four full-time staff members to its current 25 full-time staff members, Desrosiers said, Thorne needed its own space.

Thorne also started an outdoor nature preschool about three years ago, first with a location in Boulder and then adding a second location in Lafayette.

“The preschool was a really great fit for our mission, but the facilities were a real challenge,” Desrosiers said.

The program is designed so 3 to 6 years olds are taught almost exclusively outside, in all kinds of weather. But Colorado’s preschool licensing rules still require an indoor space, which also is needed for Thorne’s summer camps and afterschool programs.

Using the Lafayette Nature Center as the preschool’s home base will eliminate the need to rent indoor space at the Arts HUB, freeing up more money to offer scholarships, Desrosiers said.

The nature center’s plans call for one building to house office space, while a second will serve as the home base for the preschool, after school and camp programs. The second building will be licensed for up to 40 preschool children and include 1,322 square feet of indoor space plus 1,476 square feet of covered outdoor space.

“We wanted to have more covered outdoor space than indoor space,” Desrosiers said. “They’re outside all the time.”

Along with the two buildings, the site will include a community gathering space available when Thorne’s programs aren’t in session. That space will have two gazebos, field space, a nature play park, restrooms and a connection to trails.

For the nature play area, Thorne is adding a natural slide, climbing structure and swing, as well as water and sand play areas and mock prairie dog mounds and tunnels. The goal is to have a similar look to a park with natural play elements that opened near Alicia Sanchez Elementary in 2019.

That park is part of a larger program called Nature Kids/Jovenes de la Naturaleza Lafayette, with Thorne as one of the three major partners. The program’s goal is connecting low-income and Latino youth in Lafayette to nature and outdoor activities — and Thorne’s new Lafayette Nature Center also will provide space for programs that are part of that initiative.

“It’s all about getting kids outside,” Desrosiers said.

After 70 long years, the only hospital serving Lafayette County is being rebuilt.

DARLINGTON, Wis. (WMTV) - Rural Wisconsinites in Lafayette County will soon have access to expanded health services thanks to the commitment of a long-time employee and her dream.

Before becoming CEO, Kathy Kuepers was once a nurse at the Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County. The same building has been serving the community since 1952.

“We have actually been fighting healthcare to this community in Lafayette County and the surrounding areas for over 70 years, and that building was the original building,” Kuepers said. “It served us well, but it was time to actually expand our space, as well as making it efficient space. Because it was originally built for in-patient hospitalizations and most everything is outpatient.”

After 70 long years, the only hospital serving Lafayette County is being rebuilt.

“This new building is about twice as large, but the space is more efficient, so it’s just under 82,000 square feet. But all of the departments are strategically located to the departments that they need to be, so, we’re so excited about that,” Kuepers said.

Orthopedic Surgeon Doctor Daniel Stormont has served as the director of surgery for the last few years. He says the new facilities will allow him to provide even more services to one of the most vulnerable populations.

“We see so many elderly people that they don’t want to travel to the big city,” Dr. Stormont said. “The things that we do we do well, we will do for them, but also with a caution and that is if we feel we can’t do it, if there’s a high-risk factor, make sure they get to the right facility to get it done safely and competently.”

Now, Dr. Stormont says he will be able to perform procedures that have been beyond the capacity of the current hospital. He says more workers are also coming on board.

“We have another UW trained orthopedic surgeon joining me. We have a urologist, who’s my son actually, we have mental health services, we have a great primary care department, we have neurology. We’re just expanding rapidly to meet the needs of the community.”

The new hospital is expected to be completed in 2024, with employees transitioning in early 2025, Kuepers said. The current facility will be in operation during construction.

correction: CEO Kuepers' first name is Kathy, not Kelly

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Trader Joe’s is actively scouting the Lafayette market to open a store, a commercial real estate agent said.

The grocery chain that is often ranked as one of the most popular in the country is actively searching for a location in the Lafayette market, said Seth Citron, senior adviser for Stirling Properties, during the Acadiana Commercial Outlook hosted by the Realtors Commercial Alliance of Acadiana on Wednesday.

After initial attempts years ago to open in Lafayette, the company is “back sniffing around,” he said.

“They are active. That’s what I understand,” Citron said. “I don’t know where they’ll land and I don’t know when, but I know they’re at least active right now.”

He declined to speculate any more regarding a possible store opening but did note the changing landscape of the retail market in Lafayette may have renewed the company’s interest.

Trader Joe’s has locations in Metairie and Baton Rouge, both of which are believed to be leased locations in shopping centers. Citron said the company may look at either buying or leasing a space in the Lafayette market, which currently has a small number of vacancies.

Trader Joe’s has four stores planned for 2023 in the United States already after opening seven last year, some of which were in small to mid-sized markets. A recent national poll from YouGov, a market research and data analytics firm, ranked Trader Joe’s the second-most popular grocery store in the United States overall but No. 1 among female respondents.

The pending arrival of Topgolf, Dave & Busters and the nearby Rouses Market in south Lafayette shows the strength of the market, “and they’re going to want to be a part of that,” Citron said of Trader Joe’s.

“Three or four years ago, maybe not so. Maybe they had a little cold feet," he said. "These are tenants — specifically Topgolf and Dave & Busters — that I did not think I would see anytime soon in Lafayette. Nothing against Lafayette. But these guys traditionally, or at least five to 10 years ago, looked for much a larger metro, much bigger demographics. We have a regional connectivity here that I think was very intriguing to them.”

That area of south Lafayette Parish has some of the highest levels of household incomes and accessbility to large residential developments in Broussard and Youngsville.

It also has a growing number of grocery stores. Once the Rouses Market opens at the corner of Camellia Boulevard and Verot School Road, you can choose from eight grocery stores within a 3-mile radius of the intersection at Kaliste Saloom Road and Ambassador Caffery Parkway.

Citron also noted the Acadiana Mall, which lost the Buckle store when it moved to the River Marketplace shopping center next to Target, is “not trending in the right direction.”

Old Navy, which moved from its space next to the mall to a smaller one at the Ambassador Town Center, is paying 50-60% more in rental rate at its new location but store officials “could not be happier with their (sales) numbers,” he said.

Citron predicted the store will become one of the company’s top performing stores in the Gulf South region as the result of the move.

Art Night Out hopes to spark creativity, love and appreciation for the local arts in Lafayette.

The free event occurs every second Friday of the month from May through September on South Public Road between Emma Street and Cannon Street. The event, which runs from 5 to 9 p.m., has an arts market, where more than 50 vendors set up to showcase local art and conduct art demonstrations.

The Arts Night Out events started in 2009. Rachel Hanson, arts and cultural resources program manager, said that the event was different then. The city, along with arts co-op pARTiculars, the ARTS!Lafayette nonprofit, the Cultural Arts Commission, the Lafayette Urban Renewal Authority and many volunteers started the event to get people interested in Old Town as well as local arts and artisans.

“It’s all about partnering with local groups in town,” Hanson said.

Hanson noted that the event focuses on showcasing local food, drinks, arts and entertainment. All the food and beer comes from local restaurants and breweries, and the arts showcases Colorado artists and musicians. The city has also partnered with the Center for Musical Arts and the Arts Hub in Lafayette to provide local entertainment. Art Night Out also has face painting, balloon twisters, stilt walkers and more.

Art Night Out has evolved into a well-loved city tradition.

Hanson noted that Lafayette is identified as an artistic city, and the event wants to value that identity. Coloradoan musicians are chosen to perform the event, with Brandywine and the Mighty Fines taking the stage at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The art market also showcases local arts, goods and products.

Cathy Faughnan, acrylic painter and member pARTiculars, will be at the Arts Night Out event Friday and will be doing a demonstration of her bold, abstract art at the pARTiculars tent from 6:30-8 p.m. Faughnan said the event is a chance for the community to celebrate the summer and the local arts. pARTiculars, 401 South Public Road, is located in Old Town Lafayette, and Faughnan said it was only natural for the carts co-op to join the event that would take place on the front steps.

Faughnan focuses on acrylic paintings and modern impressionism. Her paintings are bright, colorful with western scenery and animals. She will be demonstrating how she completes her bold, abstract painting at Art Night Out and involve the community in her process.

“People in the community will come and help me paint the underpainting. It’s a very free movement, just brushstrokes and lines,” Faughnan said.

The community is invited to take the brush into their own hands and create the underpainting for Faughnan’s abstract painting, and the public will also choose what image to paint over the base.

“There’s a lot of people out there that were made to feel bad about what they can create,” Faughnan said.

Faughnan hopes to get people to see that creating art is fun and that anyone can do it. She added that art helps others express themselves. pARTiculars also offers a variety of art classes, and Faughnan will teach acrylic classes in September.

For more information about pARTiculars demonstration, classes and involvement in Arts Night Out, visit partciularsart.com. For more information about Arts Night Out and how to sign up for volunteer shifts, visit lafayetteco.gov.

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Lafayette’s reputation as a sleepy suburb of Boulder and Denver is fading as quickly as a mountain sunset reflection in the town’s beloved Waneka Lake. The city, with a population of 30,000, has cemented its own identity among the neighboring “L towns” (Louisville, Longmont, and Lyons) with a smartly developed downtown along Public Road, Lafayette’s main street. Selecting a greatest hits list of places to dine is becoming an increasingly difficult task, with formidable contenders in every corner of the community. Here, 14 spots you shouldn’t miss in this growing culinary scene.

Up a steep hill on the east edge of town is Acreage by Stem Ciders, a high point in both the topographic and culinary landscapes of Lafayette. Here, diners can enjoy panoramic mountain views from the light-filled main dining room, the outdoor deck beside a firepit, the gravel-paved cider garden, or the Back Forty, a drinks-only area that includes a playground, yard games, and Adirondack chairs. (Yes, it’s perfect for little ones who don’t tolerate long periods at the dinner table.) You’ll be hard-pressed to find a seared salmon cooked to as buttery perfection as the one on the menu, alongside other comforts such as duck confit poutine, Bavarian pretzels, and patatas bravas. Also to crave: carefully constructed entrées, including cornish game hen with polenta cakes, bison burger, and braised short rib that pair perfectly with a Stem cider (or a cider slushie) on tap. 1380 Horizon Ave., Lafayette

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You know the weekend is in full swing when a happy cacophony of cheers and clinking glasses spills from the patio of Teocalli as friends gather around salt-rimmed margaritas and palomas. In fact, the place bustles seven nights a week, having in just three years cemented itself as a resounding town favorite. Locals know that anyone who claims to serve a better carne asada taco is issuing fighting words and that only fools skip the salsa trio, which comes with your choice of five original sauces. (All are exceptional, but be sure to include the macha, a picante tomato-and-peanut paste sweetened with dates.) For dessert, the warm churros (100 percent gluten-free, as is the entire menu) are obligatory. 103 N. Public Rd., Unit C, Lafayette

Jeannot’s opening in early 2022 was so anticipated that the restaurant sold out of pastries before noon for its first several days. Such is the draw of Julien Jeannot, who grew up in the Provence region of France and studied pastry making at Michelin-starred restaurant Château de la Chèvre D’Or before making a circuitous route to the Boulder area in 2018. His pedigree is evident in the shop’s golden-crusted croissants, silky gateaux that are almost too pretty to eat, and gleaming fruit tarts. But before you dive into the sweets (a challenge, we know) try a traditional French breakfast or lunch dish, like a croque monsieur, Lyonnaise salad, or oven-roasted chicken sandwich. The traditional French fare, in a small but open and airy space, offers a tasty retreat du jour in Colorado. 2770 Arapahoe Rd., Ste. 124, Lafayette

“It’s like a choose-your-own adventure,” says chef Casey Taylor of Westbound & Down, a popular Idaho Springs brewpub that expanded to Lafayette in December 2021 and Denver this past summer. He’s talking about the fact that each of the eight pizzas on the menu come in a classic round shape or a Detroit-style rectangular variety encrusted in savory frico (a crispy cheese edge). Taylor sources grains for the pizza dough from restaurateur Kelly Whitaker’s Dry Storage, a Boulder artisan mill down the road, adds beer to the dough at the pre-fermentation stage, and proofs it for over 12 hours. Served with the brewery’s Italian Pilsner—which head brewer Jake Gardner rightly identifies as “the perfect palate cleanser” between cheesy bites—the combination is one that makes W&D an elevated option for pizza-and-beer nights. 2755 Dagny Way, Ste. 101, Lafayette

If you haven’t been to Community lately, it’s time to return. The former Moscow Mule–centric drink menu has been replaced by Lafayette’s finest craft cocktail program, from the Not So Basic Bee (a Sichuan-peppercorn-tinged take on a Bee’s Knees) to the Sage Against the Machine (bourbon studded with sage-pear syrup and cider). And while the Brussels sprouts doused in Calabrian chile sauce will always be a crowd favorite, you’ll want to explore the constantly evolving (and seasonally influenced) menu of sticky rice farro, wild boar pappardelle, or Skuna Bay salmon over a sunchoke purée. Enjoy your selection by the roaring firepit out front, under the pergola-covered back patio, or inside the cozy dining room. Each environment is a warm welcome fitting of the restaurant’s name. 206 S. Public Road, Lafayette

In a spot that’s been a revolving door for a few years, Casian Seafood has anchored down at the end of Public Road with a James Beard semifinalist nomination under its belt and a menu that melds traditional Hmong flavors with Cajun seafood dishes. Order a shareable seafood boil (choose from shrimp, mussels, crayfish, clams, veggies, or a medley), and opt for it to be cooked in the spicy Casian or ginger lemongrass garlic butter sauce. Aromas waft from the blue-and-white tureen as soon as you lift the lid, and nothing tops dipping a hunk of soft white bread into the shimmering broth at the bottom of the bowl. 211 N. Public Road, St. 110, Lafayette

What makes a memorable brunch? Fresh breezes, mimosas, and favorite pancake and egg dishes you don’t want to stop eating. Morning Glory Cafe checks all the boxes, starting with a heavenly back patio that’s shaded by a beautiful redwood pergola and overlooks a quiet, rolling park dotted with pines and aspen trees. Stacks of moist-yet-fluffy pancakes, omelets (try the Lafayette, studded with cotija cheese and green chiles), and original breakfast dishes like the latkes and eggs topped with mango-peach salsa fly out of the kitchen lickety-split. And if none of that tempts you, something off the extensive menu, from salads to delicate fish entrées, surely will. 1377 Forest Park Circle, Ste. 101, Lafayette

The original location of the now-famous Front Range chicken-and-beer joint is one of the most popular spots in Lafayette—though with a large dining room and back courtyard, any line to get in moves quickly. Devotees of the brewpub’s crispy, gluten-free fried chicken say it rivals fried chicken joints in the deep South, especially when dipped in the hot honey chile dipping sauce. Guy Fieri visited the Longmont location in February for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and admired chef Brett Smith’s unique pressure-cooking method, which gives the chicken extra crunch. Balance out the fried offerings with a nutritious and satisfying Yoga Pants salad: a bowl of quinoa, kale, sweet potatoes, and sunflower and sesame seeds. Or just go all in with sides of thick-cut fries, green chile mac and cheese, or mashed potatoes and gravy. 105 W. Emma St., Lafayette

It’s as much the giant smile from Raj Gautam, the son of Tandoori Kitchen’s proprietors, as it is the masterfully spiced Indian curries, kabobs, daals, and naans that keeps fans of the eatery coming back for more. Here, in an unsuspecting strip-mall spot next to the massive Flatirons Community Church, you’ll find traditional favorites like saag, korma, and vindaloo done just right, plus less common fare worth trying: baigan bharta, tandoori-roasted eggplant in a ginger and garlic sauce; thukpa, a Himalayan brothy noodle bowl; and the vegan chettinad, a South Indian specialty cooked with coconut milk and curry leaves. 199 W. South Boulder Road, Lafayette

Frequently, the long wooden tables at William Oliver’s fill to capacity, and guests are hard-pressed to find empty stools at the wooden bar that spans the back wall. Dining at this small pub feels a bit like visiting an Irish film set—until you learn that the taps and bar shelves are stocked with Colorado beers and spirits alongside whiskeys from around the world. The pork-centric gastropub menu includes comforts like the Pint of Bacon (a literal pint glass of thick-cut bacon strips), the Pig and Pickle platter (a board piled with bacon, pork belly, cheeses, pickled eggs, and veggies), and the Bossy Pig (mac and cheese smothered with pulled pork, green chile, and bacon crumbles). A couple tips: Plant-based diners should look for some hearty, well-prepared jackfruit options, and the rooftop upstairs, with its ample seating and an up-above-it-all sense of peace and quiet, is one of the best in town. 201 N. Public Road, St. 1C, Lafayette

Button Rock Bakery’s glass cases are piled high with cookies, cupcakes, and pastries (including a large gluten-free selection), but locals pop in for the routinely the fresh sushi and savory sandwiches.

Next door is Nok’s Donuts, where the fluffy rings are made fresh daily and dipped in mango, coffee, and traditional glazes.

In a building no bigger than a large shed, but with a few seats inside and picnic tables outside, Tip Top Savory Pies churns out hot New Zealand–style pies, traditionally hand-size and filled with meats and gravies. Their varieties are stuffed with mouthwatering combos—think: green chili, egg, and cheese; cauliflower tikka masala; or steak and cheese—that are perfectly portable.

Nearby is Chocolaterie Stam, a crown jewel of Public Road, with its tin, Victorian-style ceiling tiles, grand piano in the front window, and trays of handmade chocolate truffles, confections, and gelato served in footed metal sherbet dishes.