The Denver Arts Festival Is This Weekend!

I went to the Denver Arts Festival yesterday afternoon and really enjoyed walking around and looking at all that art. Years ago, this festival was held right downtown, centered around the Denver Pavilions dining, retail, and entertainment complex along the 16th Street Mall. Then, it was moved to the grassy area in front of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, which to me seemed a bit cramped, and finally it moved to Denver's Central Park Conservatory Green neighborhood, in the far northeast part of the city, where it is now held every Memorial Day Weekend. Don't get me wrong - it is a fine place for an art festival, but it does take a while to get there, and the atmosphere is much more suburban than downtown Denver.

There were artists from all over the country displaying their work, although I would say a majority were from Colorado. I was especially happy to see so many booths featuring photography, such as the one in the photograph on the right. The photographs displayed were mainly Colorado or Western landscapes, wildlife photos, and a few weird digital offerings (cartoon-like dogs wearing sunglasses, animals dressed up having cocktails, etc.), unlike at the annual Cherry Creek Arts Festival, which features photographers displaying portraits and scenes from around the world, but I still enjoyed looking at them.

One artist was even selling custom designed fountains, as seen in the photograph on the left. I thought these fountains were kind of cool, but I really don't think I would be able to install it on the balcony of my condo. Plus, if it every leaked, the HOA would be all over it, no doubt saddling me with a hefty fine, and so I didn't even bother to look at the prices. I did check the price of some of the larger paintings that might look good over my sofa, but many were in the $3,000 to $5,000 range, which to me seems a bit pricey. However, the web page for the festival points out, curiously enough, that Denver's Central Park neighborhood is in the top 1% of median income and education levels in the nation, and so I imagine the locals probably don't blink an eye at those kinds of prices. They probably consider them bargains. In any case, the Denver Arts Festival continues today until 5:00, so you still have time to head over there and take a look. Be sure to bring your checkbook.