ERIE, Colo. — Perfectly positioned between Denver and Boulder is the town of Erie, with a charming main street that brings together local businesses and the loyal community members who support their favorite spots. Denver7 | Your Voice visited the area to hear from the people who live and work there about what makes this place so special.
Briggs Street bustles with businesses and local stores and is known as the Old Town district. Denver7 | Your Voice stopped inside Fox Dog Coffee to experience the local flavor and community charm firsthand. Steph Hauser and her husband opened the doors to the business in 2019. Since then, they have been serving up coffee drinks and bites to eat.
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"Our biggest mission in building Fox Dog was to create a space where the community could come together, and our biggest motto is love, serve, inspire," Hauser said. "So, what we do is we sort of want to create the environment for our friends here in Erie to come and feel like they can be loved on, they can be served, but they can also serve and love each other."
Having been in the business for seven years, Hauser has witnessed the area's remarkable growth and the community's generous heart.
"There is nothing like this group of people here in Erie," Hauser said. "They are so supportive of each other. They are so wanting to do good for their neighbors. We've seen that time and time again. We just have such a lucky vantage point from behind the counter here."
Behind the counter, customers can see a mural depicting the town of Erie and the surrounding cities. Hauser understands the importance of the town's location and its ability to bring together people from all walks of life.
"It's become the sort of nucleus for big families, starting families, people who are retiring," Hauser said. "You have this incredible mix of people who have been here for decades and decades, and seeing the city change over time, and us coming in — we get to be a part of that change."
On a cold January day, Larry Faulks and Seajay Crosson were inside the business enjoying a warm drink along with the pastry. The two moved from Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Erie to be closer to family.
"It's a different world here. I'm familiar with Texas plants and Arkansas plants, and she's familiar with Indiana plants and Arkansas plants," Faulks said. "But Colorado is a different world."
While the two moved to an unknown place, they quickly discovered the strong sense of community and the immense pride many have for Erie.
"When we moved here, a couple neighbors actually brought us over cookies, and I don't think I've ever lived somewhere where neighbors brought us cookies," Crosson said.
When it comes to the biggest challenges of living in Erie, the two expressed concerns about the rapid growth impacting the small-town charm and the lack of grocery stores nearby.
"You actually have to get in the car and go quite some distance to get some groceries, and then another thing: It's mostly restaurants here. So, I wish there was a fuller array of businesses so that we didn't have to drive so much to other places," Crosson said.
Carly Brooks Rogers was another customer enjoying a cup of coffee. Originally from Washington, she moved to Erie to stay close to family and loved that it felt like a safe place to call home.
"I was kind of deciding between places and wanted to be closer to family, and I had only been here during the winter, actually, because I used to work with a ski team, so I would go to the mountains, and then I would come here and see my aunt. So, I just wanted to be closer, and it was a cute small little town," Rogers said.
During her time living in Erie, Rogers has watched the town become "up and coming" and wonders how the continued growth might impact crime and traffic.
Just a couple of blocks from the coffee shop is Briggs Street Books and Music, run by Casey and Dan Gump. The store celebrated a major milestone recently: one full year in business after opening on Feb. 1, 2025.
"We wanted to add something to the community down here, and we really love it down here," Dan Gump said. "So, we need more retailers."
The store is located inside the Coal Park building and is upstairs next to the restaurant Piripi. Besides books, records are on sale, where there is a listening station for customers to enjoy.
"Music brings people together, and so we wanted that kind of space that like, you can just come out, you can come hang out and go sit at the listening station and listen to some music," he said. "Buy a book, sit in the corner, hang out, go grab a cup of coffee and come down, or have dinner across the hall."
While the business is fairly new to the area, Gump has lived in Erie since 2020 and has watched more people discover the town alongside the other local businesses that have opened.
"It's growing, it's changing. We've got new restaurants coming in. We've got new retail things coming in, and it's just I would say it's very up and coming, and give it a shot," Gump said.
A short drive from the Old Town district is Lil' Buckaroo's Petting Zoo, which opened in 2021. The farm manager, Martina Carlucci, said there are 40 animals total, including miniature donkeys, miniature belted galloway cows, alpacas, and more.
"It's really cool to see people come in here and just light up and laugh and giggle when they're feeding the goats, and it's a really big confidence builder for little kids as well, to go in there with an animal that's maybe larger than their comfort zone," Carlucci said.
Growing up around horses, Carlucci said she went to college for horse management and has always wanted to be around these animals. She first started working on the property on the horse boarding side and then moved over to the petting zoo.
"There's a ton of benefits to being with animals from a mental standpoint. It also gets people outside, and you're able to meet people in your area. It's a fun rainy day activity," Carlucci said.
Over the years, she has also seen firsthand how Erie has developed.
"Even just when I moved here a couple of years ago, there were a lot less neighborhoods around us, so I've been here about four years," said Carlucci. "There's been some pretty rapid growth around here."
As more people move to Erie and call it home, Carlucci believes the town's small business community will flourish alongside it.
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