The Taste Of Colorado 2022

This past weekend the 39th annual Taste of Colorado took place here in Denver's Civic Center Park, its traditional home, unlike last year, when it took place on the 16th Street Mall. The festival was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, and for some reason, it was decided to have it on the 16th Street Mall in 2021, which I am sad to say took away all of its charm. Happily, it was back to normal this past weekend in Civic Center Park with food vendors, an arts and crafts marketplace, musical acts, and an annual chalk art festival relocated from Larimer Square. And if the photograph on the left looks familar, it should. I took almost the same photograph for the Cinco de Mayo festival back in May. The only difference is that instead of the roasted corn booth in the photo, there was an empanada stand. I must admit that these festivals are a lot alike, and often have the same food vendors. In a few weeks, there will be a number of Oktoberfests here in Colorado, all selling "das turkey legs." And the music will go from Mexican in May, rock and roll on Labor Day weekend, to German bands during Oktoberfest. But still lots of fun.

As usual, the food and drinks at these festivals are not cheap. I passed the booth of a local brewpub and brewery yesterday that was selling a pint of beer for $12. I have to say that if someone put a gun to my head and ordered me to buy a pint of beer at that price, I would have to give it some thought first, kind of like that old Jack Benny routine where a guy with a gun comes up to him and says "your money or your life." When Jack just stands there for a while, the robber says "come on, come on, your money or your life," and Jack tells him "I'm thinking, I'm thinking." And don't even get me started on the prices at the arts and crafts marketplace.

The annual Denver Chalk Art Festival has been held in Larimer Square since 2003. Back then, if my memory serves me correctly (and often it doesn't), it was originally called the Italian Chalk Art Festival. Why Italy has been taken out of the equation I don't know - no doubt it probably involves political correctness. But in any case, the festival was postponed or severely limited during the past two years due to the pandemic, but now has a new home on 12th Street, just south of Civic Center Park, as seen in the photograph on the left. Larimer Square was closed to traffic in 2020 to allow outdoor dining during the pandemic, and this change has become permanent, which I assume is the reason why a new location was chosen. I know I sound like an old curmudgeon, but the chalk festival was a lot more fun and much more atmospheric in Larimer Square, a block of 19th century commercial buildings evoking another time. I think if they had tried, they could have made it work there despite the outdoor dining, but that's just me. Unfortunately, the city never calls me for advice. Go figure.