Where Do You Belong?

October 8, 2026

Coloradans share what connection means to them

What does it take to build communities where more people feel connected – including to people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives?

That question is at the heart of Belonging Colorado. So we took it to a place that brings together people from across the state: the Colorado State Fair.

At our interactive booth, we talked with Coloradans about connection and community, invited people to draw the places and spaces where they feel like they belong, and asked one simple question: Where do you belong?

Creating more opportunities to connect

People who stopped at our booth approached the question in different ways.

Some had an immediate answer, but most paused to reflect on what belonging really meant to them. Often, that meant thinking back to a time or place where someone had made them feel welcomed, included or valued. Shared hobbies and interests were common themes, as was connecting with others over food.

But all shared a common thread: Belonging can be rooted in a familiar place. It can grow through shared experiences. And it can come from relationships with people who make us feel welcomed and connected.

Those connections also help build the trust communities need to navigate differences. That’s the idea behind bridging – creating opportunities for meaningful connection among people with different backgrounds or perspectives.

It’s not about agreeing on everything. It’s about building relationships strong enough to listen, understand, and see one another as neighbors.

Our Colorado State Fair booth was one small example. People who might never otherwise have met stopped in the same space, considered the same question, and contributed to something together.

Because belonging isn’t something communities simply have; it’s something we can intentionally build.

The question we asked at the Fair was simple: Where do you belong? The answers reminded us that belonging can be found in familiar places, shared experiences, and relationships with people who make us feel connected.

When we create more opportunities for those connections to happen, we help build a Colorado where more people have a place to belong.

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