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Denver is Colorado’s capitol and largest city, making it the state’s best place to enjoy a variety of diverse festivals. Attending a large festival in Denver is a great way to visitors to get the feel of the city, or for locals to get together and enjoy anything from music to film to beer. That’s right—Denver has an entire festival dedicated to beer. The Great American Beer Festival features over 1,600 kinds of beer from 320 American breweries. For something more family friendly, help celebrate Denver’s diversity at the Capitol Hill People’s Fair. Cowboys and girls should be sure to attend the National Western Stock Show, Rodeo and Horse Show. Every January, the Denver Coliseum transforms into a huge barn featuring various events, including steer wrestling, bareback riding and live performances. Whatever kind of festival you would like to take part in, Denver is sure to have something you’ll love.
A Taste of Colorado
Civic Center Park, Broadway and Colfax Ave., Denver, Colorado; Tel. 1.303.295.6330
Labor Day weekend is the perfect time of year in Denver to enjoy the weather and to congregate at Denver's Civic Center Park for the annual Taste of Colorado Festival. Thousands of people from all over the Denver area come to the park to eat fine food from an excellent representation of Denver restaurants, listen to fine live music and browse fine art displays from area artists and craftsmen. The downtown Denver based Taste of Colorado festival brings all of these together for Labor Day weekend enjoyment along with a host of other attractions including fair games and carnival rides. Live music from local Colorado bands and many national acts play all day and once everyone has worked up a healthy appetite, they can choose from the 50 or so restaurants from around Colorado with booths set up. There's no better way to spend a Labor Day weekend in Denver.
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Capitol Hill People's Fair
Civic Center Park, Broadway and Colfax Ave., Denver, Colorado
Celebrating the diverse Denver culture and community, Capitol Hill People's Fair is one of Colorado's greatest arts and crafts festivals bringing almost a quarter million people to Civic Center Park during a weekend in June. Community residents and visitors can bring the whole family to enjoy handmade arts and crafts, tasty food and great entertainment. The People's Fair has a commitment to raise funds for and promote various non-profit organizations in the Denver and outer-lying areas. The fair is free to all and offers six stages of entertainment, street performers, arts and much more.
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Cherry Creek Arts Festival
Clayton Lane & Cherry Creek North, Denver, Colorado; Tel. 1.303.355.2787 x212
Art education and outreach programs in Denver area schools receive the proceeds from the non-profit cooperation of the Cherry Creek Arts Festival—all the more reason to go. The reason this Cherry Creek neighborhood festival is so popular is that over 200 international artists come to Denver in early July to display their art during a full weekend of events and festivities. Plenty of outdoor activities take place at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival including a hands-on "Artzone," outdoor art and while live Denver local bands provide an excellent musical backdrop. Fine cuisine makes the festival a daylong activity for families and couples to enjoy the cultural diversity found in art.
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City Park Festival of the Arts
City Park Denver
There's no better way to celebrate the waning summer than a day outside with barbeque and live music at the City Park Festival of the Arts that usually takes place during the first weeks of August. Denver's City Park—that also houses the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science—puts on the annual City Park Festival of the Arts with two stages of live music, artists, children's areas and some of the best barbeque in Denver. Over 140 artists represent Denver and the surrounding areas with displays and sales of their art at prices that are only offered once a year. If free sounds better than taking out a wallet, come enjoy everything from rock 'n' roll and swing to hip-hop and salsa all being played outdoors at the beautiful Denver City Park.
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Colorado Indian Market and Southwest Showcase
Denver Merchandise Mart, 451 East 58th Ave., Denver, Colorado; Tel. 1.303.292.6278
Native American entertainers and artists come together in Denver every January for a weekend of vending, watching performances and eating traditional food at the Colorado Indian Market and Southwest Showcase. The Denver Merchandise Mart hosts the Navajo Weaving Market where over 100 Navajo weavings are on display and some can be bid on at auction to benefit charity. Native American books and music are also on sale at the Colorado Indian Market and an Indian Food Court has a variety of Indian and Southwest cuisine for festival-goers to try. Special guests always end up making an appearance at the Colorado Indian Market and Showcase to speak, perform and enjoy the activities.
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Denver Cinco de Mayo Festival
Civic Center Park, 100 West 14th Ave Pkwy., Denver, Colorado; Tel. 1.303.534.8342
The largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the nation is held in Denver and draws almost a half million people for a weekend full of events. Celebrating the Mexican victory over the French in the 1862 Battle of Puebla, a parade, live entertainment, children's entertainment plus food and drink stalls make the Denver Cinco de Mayo Festival an all-day event that's also a great educational and cultural experience for the whole family. A "Celebrate Culture" parade travels through the streets of downtown Denver and the city also has three stages set up for live salsa, Latin jazz, Notena, Tex-Mex bands and more. A special feature, and one of the most attended events, of the Denver Cinco de Mayo Festival occurs on Saturday, a Maricahi Mass to start the whole festival off on the right foot.
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Denver March Pow Wow
Denver Coliseum, 4600 Humboldt St., Denver, Colorado; Tel. 1.303.934.8045
At the end of March a weekend is devoted to the Denver Native American community with a gathering of dancers, singers and spectators at the annual Denver March Pow Wow held at the Denver Coliseum. All of the senses are stimulated with traditional Native American events. Native American vendors from the Denver area sell arts and crafts, others sell authentic Native American foods, including the ever-popular Fry Bread, and there's always traditional performances going on. There's always plenty to see and hear at the Denver March Pow Wow for people of all backgrounds, it's a fun and educational cultural experience for the whole family.
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Denver Saint Patrick's Day Parade
Lower Downtown Denver, 27th and Blake Sts., Denver, Colorado; Tel. 1.303.321.7888
Stepping off in front of Coors Field, the Denver St. Patrick's Day Parade brings out the Irish in Denver cowboys who join the parade with marching bands and performers. Hailed as one of the biggest and best St. Paddy's Day parades west of the Mississippi, the Denver St. Patrick's Day Parade features floats, clowns, pipe bands, high school marching bands, step dancers, El Jebel Shriners and more that make a loop through the LoDo District in Denver and end up back at Coors Field to start on a day full of green beer, corned beef and cabbage.
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Denver's Great American Beer Festival
Denver Convention Center, 700 14th St., Denver, Colorado; Tel. 1.303.228.8000
At Denver's annual Great American Beer Festival, more than 1,600 kinds of beer from 320 American breweries are served in one-ounce sample sizes to 23,000 beer aficionados from around the world. The festival (also known as GABF) usually falls from late September to early October. Denver's 44,000-square-foot Beer Garden and Food Marketplace features food-and-beer pairing lessons, a culinary school on hand to teach the curious how to cook with beer, live music and a tasting competition judged by over 90 industry professionals.
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Denver Pavilions (16th & Glenarm)
Dedicated to supporting and showcasing Colorado artists, the Downtown Denver Arts Festival is a fine art and craft exhibition featuring over 125 of Colorado’s best artists, including sculptors, metal workers, jewelers, 3-D mixed media artists, fiber workers, painters, photographers and more. Over 150,000 people attend this free Denver festival that is held at the Denver Pavilions each Memorial Day weekend.
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National Western Stock Show, Rodeo and Horse Show
Denver Coliseum, 4600 Humboldt St., Denver, Colorado; Tel. 1.720.865.2474
In January the old west comes to life in Denver at the National Western Stock Show, Rodeo and Horse Show held at the Denver Coliseum that features a showcase of livestock, horses, rodeo performances and commercial exhibits. The classic Denver rodeo includes steer wrestling, bareback riding, team roping and much more. The commercial exhibits are the premiere place to get cowboy gear, livestock supply and everything that a modern day cowboy could desire. Performances, concerts and parades top off this annual Denver event making the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo a fun event for families.
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Oktoberfest on Larimer Street
Larimer Street (Between 20th and 22nd Streets), Denver, Colorado
One of the longest running festivals in Denver, the annual Oktoberfest moved from its long time Larimer Square home to the Denver Ballpark Neighborhood. It's free to get in—but not to partake in the fine selection of German beer—and honors the German heritage and Oktoberfest traditions. German attractions, music and dancers are intermixed with booths selling German goods and cuisine at Denver's Oktoberfest on Larimer Street and children's activities are also offered so the event is even family friendly. Usually taking place in late September to early October, Oktoberfest on Larimer Street in the Denver Ballpark Neighborhood is easily one of the best Denver festivals of the year and keeps getting bigger and better.
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Starz Denver Film Festival
Starz Film Center & other venues, 900 Auraria Pkwy., Denver, Colorado; Tel. 1.303.595.3456
Ten days packed full of premiere releases of international films, feature films, documentaries, short subjects and panels make the Starz Denver Film Festival an exciting event for film-lovers. The director and cast from the films are often available in person to speak with viewers after the screening of their films making movie watching an interactive event. Various venues in Denver host the film viewings during the festival with the main portion of the Starz Denver Film Festival taking place at the Starz Film Center.
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--Denver festival reviews by Avital Binshtock
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