Colorado 2020 In Photos: Racial Reckonings, Wildfires, Elections And More, Wrapped In A Pandemic

It was the year when news never stopped — and it felt like one day bled right into the next. Whether you worked in news, lived the news or checked it every day (and maybe took a few breaks here and there) it was an unprecedented time that we all experienced. Here are the 2020 photos that feel most memorable from CPR News and Denverite photographers and reporters.

January

We traveled the state listening to the voices of voters, followed the observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Denver's Marade, investigated why Colorado has such a high rate of police officers shooting people, and watched the opening of t he 2020 legislative session.

Marade 2020 — George Williams of Denver rides his horse Hollywood in the 2020 Marade marking the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in Denver.

Voter Voices Albert Claunch Monte Vista San Luis Valley — Voter voices in Monte Vista: At the Southern Rocky Mountain Ag Conference with Albert Claunch, who farms and runs livestock in the San Luis Valley.

Voter Voices Pueblo — Voter voices in Pueblo: At the Squawk coffee shop in Pueblo with owners Victor Levi, left, and Dave Swinston.

Craig Moffat County Commissioners Meeting Beck Cook — Voter voices in Craig: Moffat County Commissioners Don Cook, at left, and Tay Beck.

OIS Bernadette Romero — Bernadette Romero holds a photo of her late son Ronnie, 22, a suspected burglar, methamphetamine user and mail thief who was followed by Westminster police as he drove a stolen jeep from a burglary in 2018. Officers say Romero eventually turned the Jeep towards a motorcycle cop, who told investigators he feared for his life and fired into the car, hitting Romero in the back of the head.

A man yawns in a bow tie during the first day of the 2020 legislative session at the Colorado State Capitol in January.

February

The first stories about the spread of coronavirus began to emerge, and DIA officials said they were prepared to monitor travelers. We illuminated the plight of the homeless in Denver's suburbs, covered presidential candidate rallies, and President Trump in Colorado Springs, and followed a Coloradan over the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

DIA General Scenes — Denver International Airport, Feb. 27, as DIA officials first began to take notice of the pandemic.

Sue Sanders inside her car, where she sleeps at night in a Centennial Walmart parking lot.

Elizabeth Warren Campaigns In Denver — Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren brought her campaign for president to Denver's Fillmore Auditorium.

Pete Buttigieg Rally — Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg stopped for a rally at the Crowne Plaza hotel near Denver International Airport.

Bernie Sanders Campaigns In Denver — Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders at a campaign at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

Trump Campaigns In Colorado Springs — President Donald Trump campaigns in Colorado Springs, here mocking Democrat Amy Klobuchar for what he said was "choking" during a Democratic candidate debate.

Anti-Defamation League Civil Rights Tour — Sheldon Steinhauser walks the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge with an Anti-Defamation League tour group from Denver, in Selma, Ala. Steinhauser participated in the final leg of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery civil rights march, but had never visited the famous bridge where the march began following the earlier Bloody Sunday conflict of March 7, 1965. This was his first time walking the famous bridge.

March

The coronavirus pandemic reaches Colorado in earnest as the governor declared a state of emergency, ordered schools and ski areas closed, issued stay-at-home orders, asked everyone to mask up, wash their hands, social distance and join together to "flatten the curve."

Polis Coronavirus Emergency — Gov. Jared Polis declares a state of emergency to deal with the spread of coronavirus on March 10.

Polis Moss Coronavirus Press Conference 200330 — University of Colorado pulmonologist Dr. Marc Moss speaks to reporters about the the state’s progress in halting the spread of coronavirus.

Coronavirus Masks Gloves Donated At CU Anschutz — Denise Donnelly sorts through boxes during a donation drive for personal protective equipment for healthcare workers at a warehouse at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

Coronavirus Colfax and Hwy 40 From Bennet top the Buffalo Herd Overlook — A non-existent morning rush hour on Colfax, viewed from Federal Boulevard. The morning after Gov. Jared Polis advised people to stay home.

Vi O’Connor, the co-owner with her husband Don, of Any And All Bikes on Broadway in Englewood, helps customers on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. The store remains open during the statewide stay at home order issued by Gov. Jared Polis. Under the initial order, bike shops had to close, but the order was amended March 26.

Coronavirus Hancock Closes Marijuana Stores — Customers lined up outside the LivWell cannabis dispensary on South Broadway in Denver on March 23 after Mayor Michael Hancock ordered liquor stores and recreational pot shops to be closed by 5 p.m. Tuesday to combat coronavirus. He later walked that order back.

A sight typical of the ones many Coloradans began to see across the state: Medical personnel speak with people waiting in line to get tested for the coronavirus at a drive through testing facility at the La Plata County fairgrounds in Durango.

April

The state began to adjust to a regimen of closed businesses and restaurants, emergency shelters, working from home, and wearing masks. In Denver, courting controversy, the city continued with its policy of homeless encampment sweeps despite the pandemic. And there were bright spots: a Western Slope pandemic drive-in movie, and the Lumineers helped launch Colorado Public Radio's Back From Broken podcast.

Denver Homeless Sweep — A man who gave his name as Robert listens as a city worker in a face mask as authorities descended on several square blocks near Champa and 22nd streets on April 30, 2020, to clear out a tent city.

Small Businesses In Colorado Springs Think About Reopening After Coronavirus — Tom and May Johnston embrace in their Mineral Adit Rock Shop in Colorado Springs, on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. They’re not sure when they’ll reopen once the coronavirus lockdown ends for non-essential businesses.

Empty Coors Field — A sign of the times: “The Player” statue outside Coors Field sports a face mask. Denver’s home of the Colorado Rockies lies dormant with Major League Baseball’s 2020 season currently shut down because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Polis Press Conference 200427 State Capitol — Gov. Jared Polis leaves heads to his executive offices after briefing the news media Monday, April 27, 2020, on the state’s ongoing response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Denver Auxiliary Shelter For Women Opens At Coliseum — The City of Denver opened a 300-bed women's auxiliary shelter April 20, with plans to run it in the same way as a similar men's shelter at the National Western Complex. Anyone seeking shelter there will be screened for coronavirus symptoms before entering. Once inside they'll have access to cots, portable showers, medical triage and other amenities.

Delta Drive In Movie Theatre Tru Vu Open During Stay At Home Orders — April Hunger and her son, AJ, drove down from Grand Junction for opening night at the Tru Vu in Delta. AJ, 7, had been wanting to see “Sonic the Hedgehog” since long before the pandemic shut down all the movie theaters in the state.

Back From Broken Lumineers — Back From Broken podcast host Vic Vela interviewed the founding members of the Lumineers, Jonathan Fraites and Wesley Schultz, at Denver’s Clocktower Cabaret.

A car speeds westward in rural Adams County as the sun sets behind the Rocky Mountains.

May

May was a brief respite. We started to meet COVID-19 survivors, businesses were allowed to reopen with strict capacity limits, some folks ventured out to deal with their pandemic hair, others wondered if it was safe to date. High schools found innovative ways to stage graduation. Then, George Floyd was killed with a knee on his neck by a Minneapolis police officer and protests erupted. In Colorado, Denver was the epicenter of those protests, which eventually ran on for weeks.

Jason Jahanian COVID-19 Survivor — Jason Jahanian and his wife Michelle watch as their kids Kestin, 8, at left, and Bryson, 4, play in the front yard of their Lone Tree home on Monday, May 11, 2020. Jason is a COVID-19 survivor.

. Capitol Hill Books owner Holly Brooks in her reopened store on Colfax Avenue across the street from the Capitol. May 20, 2020. Brooks said she was relieved to be open again after being forced to close during the coronavirus outbreak.

Coronavirus Dating Jacques Gonsoulin — Jacques Gonsoulin rollerskating alone in Denver on Friday, May 15, 2020.

Michelle Barron At David MacDonald’s Hair Salon 2 — Back to normal, or close to it, means different things for different people as business and social restrictions ease during the coronavirus outbreak. Dr. Michelle Barron, a CU Anschutz infectious disease expert, couldn’t wait to get back in the chair at hair stylist David MacDonald’s salon in Denver on May 22, 2020,

Denver East High School Drive Thrtu Graduation Clas of 2020 — Denver’s East High School held a drive-thru graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 on The Esplanade in front of the school on Thursday, May 28, 2020. Like schools across across the state, East was forced to move all classes online for the balance of the academic year after being ordered to close by the state to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

George Floyd Denver Protest Day 3 — Denver protesters observe a moment of silence over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer.

George Floyd Denver Police Protest Day 2 — Officers in gas masks move up 15th Street in front of the Colorado Supreme Court in a cloud of tear gas on May 29. Daytime protests over the killing of George Floyd were loud and emotional during the day, but as night fell, there were confrontations with police and street violence.

Aubrey Rose, an 18-year U.S. Army veteran, marches with an upside-down American flag over his shoulder.

June

As the protests moved into June in Denver, they felt less violent; Denver's police chief even joined a march. Protesters also brought new names to the fore: Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky, and Elijah McClain, who was killed by police in Aurora. By the end of the month, we witnessed the vote count on Primary Election Night.

Denver Police Chief Pazen Joins Demonstartors Protesting George Floyd’s Death In Minneapolis — Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen marches and speaks with demonstrators June 1 as they peacefully protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

George Floyd Denver Protest June 3 Night — Protesters gather peacefully on Lincoln Street in front of the state Capitol on June 3. At about 10 p.m. — an hour past curfew — they held phones aloft as lights and stayed silent for nine minutes in honor of George Floyd. Police blocked off the roads around the Capitol to give the demonstrators room but otherwise held their distance.

George Floyd Protest June 5 Brothers of Brass — Urged on by the music of Denver-based Brothers of Brass, one march felt more like a celebration on the way to Cheesman Park on June 5, 2020.

Tommy Rhine has been repairing shoes in downtown Denver for more than 40 years at his shop, Rhine's Shoe & Boot Repair. He learned how to cobble in high school. Tommy Rhine Jr., Rhine’s oldest son, put a sign in the window that says ‘Black Owned Business,’ when the downtown protests began in May. The idea was to promote support for the business and to deter people from destroying his store.

Prayer Vigil March George Floyd Police Brutality Protest June 5 — A prayer vigil and march against racism and police brutality, organized by the Episcopal Church of Colorado, started at Denver’s St. John’s Cathedral, and stopped for moments of silence at the state Capitol and District 6 police station.

Violinists play in front of the Aurora municipal building during a day of protests demanding justice for Elijah McClain. June 27.

BALLOT SORTING COUNTING REJECTING DENVER — Election Judge Dianne Veach sorting and securing mail-in ballot envelopes at Denver Elections Division headquarters on Primary night, June 30. In the marquee race, former Gov. John Hickenlooper won the Democratic nomination to face Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in the fall.

July

As the pandemic raged on, we looked for the human impact, and lighter moments: high school sports practices, the opening of the Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, life in out-of-the-way Marble, the 4-H kids in Mesa County, clean air protests in Weld County and artist openings in Denver.

US-OLYMPIC-PARALYMPIC-MUSEUM-COLORADO-SPRINGS-PRE-OPENING — A visitor looks out on the main atrium, beneath a video wall, of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, ahead of the museum’s ribbon cutting and opening on Thursday.

Paul Harris Jr. is better known as Lead King Paul, as he splits his time between Marble and Lead King Basin, where he looks after an old miner’s cabin. He loves it here, he says, and won’t ever leave.

Mesa County 4H — This is the second year 12-year-old Danielle Long has shown lambs, and she says she gets “really attached” to them. With school out due to the coronavirus, she and Rocco have spent a lot of time together.

Patricia Nelson Bella Romero Extraction Oil And Gas Greeley — Clean air activist Patricia Nelson stands beside state health department air quality monitoring equipment in the parking lot of Bella Romero Academy in Greeley, with an Extraction Oil and Gas facility behind her. She's among those trying to shut down the well pad because of a benzene spike.

Denver Hot Weather Confluence Park — Beating the heat in Denver’s Confluence Park on Monday, July 6, 2020. Triple-digit temperatures are possible this week.

Jasmine Abena Colgan artist — Artist Jasmine Abena Colgan’s new show “Human Currency" was at Leon Gallery in Denver, which had just reopened for the first time since the pandemic began. "Each piece addresses a contemporary issue that signifies deep rooted historical practices of slavery, racism, fertility, womanhood, birth, and wealth," she says in her artist statement.

Evergreen Elephant Butte Fire — A precursor to a busy fall wildfire season: Helicopters pull water from Evergreen Lake and drop it on the Elephant Butte Fire in nearby Upper Bear Creek.

August

The Platinum Divaz showed us how black girls can be mentors and leaders, we saw the Grizzly Creek Fire and its aftermath in Glenwood Canyon, and met some of the firefighters. Colorado Republicans gathered to see President Donald Trump nominated to run for a second term. And we spent some time in Palisade and Steamboat Springs while running between assignments.

Platinum Divas dance group practices — Members of the Platinum Divaz dance group, Desire Gee, 14 (left), Taliyah Griffin, 14, and Sanyi Williams, 12 practice their routine at their studio in Aurora.

GRIZZLY CREEK FIRE GLENWOOD SPRINGS 200812 — A fire fighting plane visible from Glenwood Springs drops flame retardant on the Grizzly Creek Fire Aug. 12.

With the absence of a common dining area, a Grizzly Creek firefighter eats breakfast back at his tent at a strike camp in Carbondale.

GRIZZLY CREEK FIRE GLENWOOD CANYON — A mountainside burnout intentionally set and managed above Bair Ranch on Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. The burnout, helicopter water drops, a firebreak cut running down from the ridge above, and prevailing winds, combine to deprive the Grizzly Creek fire’s potential run down this valley to Bair Ranch.

REPUBLICAN LAUREN BOEBERT CAMPAIGNS FOR CONGRESS IN RIFLE CD3 — Garfield County Commissioner John Martin leads fellow county Republicans in the Pledge of Allegiance Aug. 20 at Order Up in Rifle, during the party’s monthly meeting. GOP businesswoman Lauren Boebert spoke to the group as she campaigned for Congress.

Trump Republican Convention Watch Party — Republican National Committee delegates from Colorado, who were not able to travel to President Donald Trump’s convention acceptance speech, gathered Thursday evening Aug. 27, 2020, for a watch party in Windsor. Stephen Barlock, a Trump campaign Denver co-chair, cheers as the president speaks.

PALISADE CLARK FAMILY ORCHARDS WAGON RIDE — A wagon ride under smokey skies at Clark Family Orchards in Palisade.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS YAMPA RIVER SUMMER TOURISM — The morning hatch is on as Tim Hirt nets his catch on Aug. 19 on the Yampa River in Steamboat Springs.

September

The public health mandates to curtail the spread of the coronavirus drew angry Republicans to a rally at Bandimere Speedway, officers of color spoke about the challenge of policing during the racial reckoning, armored pro-Trump demonstrators appeared on Denver streets, opponents of a proposed abortion ban spoke out, we met some COVID long-haul survivors and the mountains turn gold.

BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY PROTEST DOUBLES AS TRUMP RALLY — At Bandimere Speedway in Morrison a “COVID Chaos” protest against emergency public health rules issued by Gov. Jared Polis to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, doubled as a kind of rally for President Donald Trump’s re-election. At the rally’s end, everyone was invited onto the race track for an official group photo.

POLICE OFFICERS OF COLOR HAVARD — Denver Police Sgt. Carla Havard has been with the Denver Police Department since the 1990s. She's trying to change the culture of policing from the inside. "Law enforcement in general, historically, has not treated brown and Black communities fairly," she said. "We know that."

ELX LATE TERM ABORTION PROP 115 BALLOT MEASURE — Christina and Roy Taylor play with their three children in West Meadows Park in Littleton. She was 20-weeks pregnant with her third child in May 2017 when an ultrasound revealed her fetus baby had no kidneys and no bladder. She and her husband decided to get an abortion at 21 weeks and one day - a procedure that would have been banned had a ballot measure passed in November.

MALEA ANDERSON COVID-19 LONG-HAULER — Malea Anderson at her home in Erie. She's a COVID "long hauler," some who suffers all kinds of symptoms for months after initially being infected: fatigue, brain fog, exhaustion, headaches, vertigo, shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle aches.

FALL FOLIAGE COLORS ASPENS — Autumn air turns the aspens gold in West Chicago Creek outside of Idaho Springs on Sept. 28

October

JBS meatpacking came under fire for how it handled workers who got sick during the pandemic. The East Troublesome and Cameron Peak wildfires blew up and evacuations were ordered. We profiled one of the first classrooms to go back to in-person learning during the pandemic. And, we published a year-long photo project on oh, what an extraordinary time to become an American citizen.