Best of Colorado Springs 2026: vote for your favorites
What this is
Nobody knows this city like the people who live in it.
Best of Colorado Springs is SoCo Insider's annual reader's choice survey. No panel, no judges, no pay to play. Just thousands of neighbors naming the places they actually go back to: the green chile they drive across town for, the mechanic who tells them the truth, the brewery patio that gets them through August.
For a small business, a Best Of win is a year of window decal bragging rights and a permanent line in the local record. For everyone else, it's a map of the city built by the people who know it best.
How to vote
Four steps. Ten minutes. Done.
Open the official ballot
One link, one form. Works on your phone, and you can come back to finish later on the same device.
Add your name, ZIP and email
We verify every ballot. Your email keeps the results honest, and it never goes to the businesses you vote for.
Vote in at least 20 categories
Skip anything you don't have an opinion on, but you'll need 20 picks for your ballot to count. Most people find that easy once they start.
Submit before 11:59 p.m. September 5
Hit submit and you're in. Winners run in the Best Of magazine inside the November issue of SoCo Insider.
The fine print, briefly
Back to basics
Five rules. They exist so the results mean something.
One ballot per reader
Online voting must be completed before 11:59 p.m. on September 5.
We need to know it's you
For verification, every ballot must include a name, a ZIP code and a verifiable email address.
Spell check is a thing
Please use it. We'd hate to hand the trophy to a business that doesn't exist.
Read the categories first
Some are new. Some are gone. Quick heads up: at least three businesses must be operating in a category for it to appear on our ballot.
Cheaters never prosper
So don't even think about it. We see you. All fraudulent votes will be deleted, and offenders may be excommunicated from future SoCo Insider love.
Promotional toolkit
Free artwork, ready to post
Everything is print ready and pre sized. Download what you need and use it anywhere you like.
SocialInstagram square
The main campaign graphic. Works in any square feed slot on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.
SocialInstagram story
Full screen vertical. Post it to Stories and add a link sticker pointing at the ballot.
Print PDFVote for Us poster, letter
Standard letter size, so it prints on any office printer. Good for the front counter, a window or a community board.
Print PDFVote for Us poster, tabloid
The large format version. Print it at a copy shop when you want something people notice from across the room.
Where each piece works best
A quick guide to what goes where
- Square graphic. Instagram and Facebook feed posts, LinkedIn updates, and the top of a newsletter.
- Story graphic. Instagram and Facebook Stories and Reels covers. Add the link sticker so people can tap through.
- Letter poster. Front counter, register, waiting area, restroom door, community board.
- Tabloid poster. Windows, entryways, event tables, anywhere with a bit of distance.
- Any of them. Always pair the artwork with the ballot link. A graphic on its own gives people nowhere to go.
- Timing. Post once when voting opens, once mid campaign, and once in the final week. That last reminder does the most work.
Last call
Voting ends September 5
at 11:59 p.m.
Twenty categories. Ten minutes. Then tell three people to do the same.
socoinsider.com/bestof