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When Denverite Colton Patterson started an Instagram page under the moniker Broken Bow<\/a> in 2023, it was simply a place to celebrate Americana lore through pictures of vintage movies and musicians. Patterson had no idea that he would amass 1 million followers and parlay the brand into a clothing company<\/a>, live recording sessions with country artists<\/a>, and soon a brick-and-mortar Western bar in the Mile High City \u2014 all before he was old enough to legally drink.<\/p>\n Broken Bow Western Bar and Dance Hall<\/a> debuts this weekend, giving locals a chance to preview the dancefloor, food and drinks ahead of opening more regular hours. The venue, at 2201 Lawrence St., takes over the space formerly home to Mile High Spirits\u2019 distillery tasting room, which closed in January<\/a>.<\/p>\n For the 19-year-old Patterson, the bar is a natural evolution of his Instagram page \u2013 one that offers a chance to build a community IRL and revive what he sees as a nostalgic pastime. Additionally, the bar will feature a retail component where locals can check out Broken Bow\u2019s hats, button-down shirts, bananas and more, all of which feature Patterson\u2019s original artwork and designs.<\/p>\n \u201cReally what we always post about in the main thing is just the great places and people and cultures of America,\u201d said Patterson, whose love of country music came from summers spent listening to CDs and tapes with his grandfather in Missouri. \u201cIt came to a head where it\u2019s like, man, I don\u2019t know how we\u2019re going to keep saying this or pushing this stuff out there if we don\u2019t have something to show for it in real life. And I realized I wanted to build a place that was like one of these old places that played the type of old music that existed in America.\u201d<\/p>\n Colorado, of course, is not short on country musicians or venues that play their music, but Patterson hopes to add his unique spin to Broken Bow Western Bar and Dance Hall by showcasing artists he\u2019s collaborated with and curating an aesthetic that mimics his Instagram page. Inspired by venues like Denver\u2019s Grizzly Rose and Austin\u2019s Broken Spoke, he helped shop for decor to ensure it felt authentic.<\/p>\n Broken Bow previously designed T-shirts for bands such as Turnpike Troubadours<\/a> and Whiskey Myers<\/a>, and recorded live performances with the likes of the Honkytonk Wranglers, Josh Meloy and Kade Hoffman. Patterson hopes there will be all-ages nights that he and his peers can join in the fun.<\/p>\n