This past weekend was the People's Fair, an annual event that takes place in Denver's Civic Center Park. There are three big festivals in this park: Cinco de Mayo in May, The People's Fair in June, and the Taste of Colorado in September. All are virtually the same festival, and even many of the booths are the same. The People's Fair used to be run by a non-profit neighborhood organization called Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN), but a few years ago they decided they needed to buy a Victorian mansion adjacent to Cheesman Park for their headquarters, and sold the fair to a for-profit organization. I couldn't help but notice that the crowds were down this year from what they used to be. Plus, parking was not hard to find. Was it the midday heat, or a rebellion by the people?
When I say that many of the booths are the same, I am not kidding, and the evidence can be seen in the photograph on the right. At the Cinco de Mayo celebration this past May, the turkey leg booth was in the exact same place as at this year's People's Fair. The only difference is the addition of a sign that says Das Turkey Leg, probably left over form last years Oktoberfest. I know it is probably the same booth. However, I can only hope that they are not the same turkey legs. If so, I hope that by the time they get to September, they have medical attendants standing by.
I parked my car a couple of blocks south of the Denver Art Museum, and both walking to and from the festival, I couldn't help but notice a lot of homeless people sleeping on the grass, many more so than usual. It took me a while to realize that a lot of these homeless people spend their days in Civic Center Park, and the People's Fair has driven them off for the weekend. They are not nearly as noticeable in the park, and so it at times like these that you notice just what a large homeless population Denver, not to mention so many other cities, has. It makes you wonder if this problem will ever be solved. On this subject I remain a pessimist.
No comments:
Post a Comment