All About the Cherry Creek Arts Festival

‍

Need to quench your thirst for inspiration and wonder? Look no further than right here in Denver. At the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, you can look at art, listen to music, and take a bite into a delicious meal all at the same time.

Once a year during the 4th of July weekend, the Denver community comes together under DenverArts to celebrate creativity in all its facets, be it visual arts, music, or culinary. If you’ve been around these parts before, we’re excited to see you come back. But if it’s your first time exploring the Denver area, then here’s your mini brief on one of our favorite summer festivals.

‍

What is the Cherry Creek Arts Festival?

Every year, CherryArts, a local nonprofit, brings Cherry Creek Arts Festival to the Denver community, a 3-day event that highlights the beauty of art and brings it to the pulse of Denver. Imagine an entirely outdoor art show featuring hundreds of skillful local artists showcasing their talents to thousands of Denver community members.

And if you’ve been to other arts festivals before, there are three main facets Cherry Creek Arts Festival (CCAF) that makes it particularly special:

Visual Arts— 250 national and international artists bringing ceramic, mixed media, jewelry, fiber, and painting creations to the town. All artists are hand-picked by a jury, only passing if they’ve fulfilled rigorous requirements.

Culinary Arts— bringing together Denver’s favorite restaurants, bakeries, and food trucks, like DenverPops healthy and delicious popsicles for kids and adults to enjoy, Ez Eats, a gourmet food truck with everything from tacos to stir fry to baked potatoes, to Big Apple Bodega featuring their infamous chopped cheese sandwich.

Performing Arts— the festival’s main stage features local musical acts (last year was Hunter James & The Titanic (rock & roll), Ghost Tapes (modern soul), GRUPO TLALOC Danza Azteca (an Aztec/traditional Mexicana group) SF1 (hip hop & pop), and Soul School (soul and funk), to name a few. Artists perform on the mainstage during the entire span of the long weekend 3-day festival creating an ever-changing vibe for attendees. 😎

Through facilitating art experiences, CherryArts has brought millions of dollars to independent artists by being an avenue for showcasing their work, helping Denver’s community flourish in the process through tax gains and interconnected communities. And as far as the festival goes, CherryArts brings even more engagement and gain to the city of Denver.

‍

Where is the Cherry Creek Arts Festival this year?

According to their website, you’ll find the festival on 2nd Avenue between Clayton and Adams Street, between 1st and 3rd Avenue on Fillmore, between 2nd and 3rd Avenue on Detroit, St. Paul, and Steele Street, and between 1st and 2nd Avenue on Adams.

‍

What to expect at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival

Pricing: The festival is totally free, happening on the fourth of July weekend for everyone who wants to stay in celebration mode. 🎉 Vendors, of course, will charge for purchasing things like art and food.

Kid-friendliness: This event is very kid-friendly! Do your research beforehand if you’re concerned about the volume of the main stage for younger children, but you’ll even find kids standing on shoulders listening to the outdoor tunes.

Dog-friendliness: Since it’s open to the public, you can certainly bring your dog to the festival; consider stashing away a portable water bowl for when they're thirsty and some food for when they’re eyeing your culinary treats.

What to wear: Casual and flowy; enough to help you feel cool on a Denver July day.

‍

What to do at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival

Arts Festival ✨

The outdoor art show features the work of renowned artists showcasing their unique and adored pieces. Purchase art directly at the vendors or bid and buy pieces at their auction or the CherryArts Shop. Take a look at their pop-up work at the kickoff evening featuring selected artists amongst live entertainment, and light hors d’oeuvres. Donation proceeds support the CherryArts education programs, which support the artistic dreams and goals of Colorado kids.

Creation Station 🎨

If you’re bringing your kids to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival for the first time, you’re in luck: there are experiences curated just for them! Take your kiddos to Creation Station, a place with its own gamut of games, food, and music just for kids.

Let your kid contribute to the Imagination Mural, letting you add your artistic touch to a collective piece of art, or participate in a watercolor coffee filter flower workshop, where kids will turn a regular coffee filter into a beautifully-bloomed flower. This particular program is brought to the community by Denver Preschool Program, which both liaisons between parents and preschools and seeks to improve the quality of local and national preschools.

For those who are vision-impaired, CherryArts in partnership with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation through the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment presents “Color Field Tactile Painting,” an activity for blind and vision-impaired participants using tactile materials like spray bottles and droppers.

As you’ll see, all of the Creation Station events are sponsored by a foundation or organization, bringing advocacy to arts and arts in education and helping support other artists, all while bringing beautiful community and creativity to the downtown Denver streets.

Mainstage 🎶 & Culinary 🥙

Browse art and listen to local musicians alongside your Denver neighbors. They’ll be playing a variety of genres from rock to soul to blues to indie pop, all for free alongside the festival. For a ticket, you can see additional artists, playing to support CherryArts’ altruistic mission. All the while, enjoy your time outdoors with some delicious fuel from local restaurants, food trucks, and bakeries.

‍

Live in Denver— the Alpha way.

Our Alpha Real Estate team is made up of Denver locals, having seen our city from when they were children and now through their own children. We’re family-centric, and believe most anyone can thrive dwelling in the beautiful Denver landscape.

Whether you’re moving by yourself or with your family, we know one thing: your home extends beyond the walls of your house. We know you want a community that will foster your growth and inspire you to reach new heights, because it’s what we care most about. And whether you’ve been to these festivals a hundred times, or are browsing around to see what life might be like in Denver, our agents are right here with you, ready to help you make Denver a home for yourself and your family.

Find your perfect home today, and learn more about how you can enjoy festivals, outdoor spaces, and local artists.