Blake Street Tavern, an award-winning sports hangout, bar and eatery popular among locals and tourists, will shut its doors in early April.

The tavern, which opened in 2003, has long been a favorite sports bar in Lower Downtown.

After years of celebrating sports and bringing the downtown community together, tavern announced it is closing on April 9 “to enjoy one last Rockies homestand with everyone,” according to Blake Street Tavern General Managers Shelley Majeres and Rhiannon Arriaga Mackenzie.

The tavern is located just a block away from Coors Field, home to the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies home opener is April 6.

Its awards include Westword’s “Best Sports Bar” in 2022, “Best Sports Bar for Food and Drink” in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and Nightclub and Bar Awards’ National Sports Bar of the Year in 2017.

“Our goal is to provide our customers with the ultimate game watch atmosphere, whether you’re an individual stopping in for a game while on a business trip, or a member of one of our many alumni watch groups,” the tavern’s website says. “You may be watching your favorite team from thousands of miles away, but our hope is that your experience with us makes you feel right at home.”

The tavern has also brought the community together weekly for events like happy hours, trivia nights and karaoke.

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Denver residents are mourning the sports bar’s exit on social media. On Twitter, a former employee said the bar meant more to him than almost any human being alive.

“We have deep appreciation and affection for our staff, guests, vendors and partners,” Majeres and Mackenzie wrote in an email to the Denver Gazette. “BST is forever grateful to be a part of this community and will always treasure each relationship that was formed in these historic walls.”