Ciao Cara! If you find yourself craving a little Italian food, music or wares, bring your…read more"appetito per la pizza e pizelle". Plenty of vendors for that as festval goers have options to enjoy a slice of Italian Pie. Shop local businesses here as they share their creativity and artistry, be it with clothing or empty wine bottles. Best part is the time of year so take a stroll on Alaska and enjoy all the festival offers. Colorado is "in its season", so grab a bite and park yourself in front of the music stage (the event showcases local talent with two band stages), then watch the local troop "throw flags" at closing ceremonies. Bella!

Our family attends every year! One of the highlights of the summer for us! The kids crushing grapes…read moreis fun for the whole family to watch...face painting and delicious food! Gigantic rice crispy treats, authentic Italian desserts, the olive oils are a must buy as well is the farmers market! Sausage and peppers are my favorite foods to sample and the strawberries and cheesecake on a stick is to die for! Make sure you bring tons of cash for the food samples, games for kids, drinks and gifts! For a family of four we bring $200 but that buys us each food, drinks, face painting, a bottle of wine, olive oil and veggies from the farmers market! Make sure to list this as a must for September! Bel-Mar is also such a beautiful area and the shops are fantastic as well

This is a quintessential cultural event must-do for anyone in Denver. Started over 20 years ago,…read morethis annual gathering has become a fan favorite for people who love art and Denver festival celebrations. What started in downtown at Larimer Square with dozens of artists has now become over two hundred talents chalking it up over several blocks around the Denver Art Museum. The way this festival works is sponsor-driven. Local businesses and organizations buy "squares" to which carefully curated artists are assigned with full autonomy in theme and execution to create, as long as the sponsors' names are chalked first. The artists are then given two days to create their design in real time, rain or shine. It's an opportunity to witness visual art in all shapes and colors. With the youth group and school opportunities as well, you've got kids of all ages being represented on the pavement. In addition to the visual arts, the festival includes live music and vendors. I strongly recommend planning your weekend around it. This is an event to build a tradition around, for sure!

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous, so I couldn't resist heading out to check out some chalk art!…read moreThe crowd was out in full force (no surprise there), which made snapping clear photos a bit tricky--but I still managed to grab a few that I really loved. The creativity and talent on display were just incredible! These artists seriously blow me away every time.

Sunday 8/3/2025 last day of the season…read more Parked on W17 grass lot. Shuttles to the entrance. Joust Arena daily shows: 11:30, 14:30, 17:30 Best foods is located at 'Kings Pantry or Queen's Pantry' on top of the hill. Globe Stage has music and shade and misting water tunnel. Map attached is upside down. The front gate is North. Tickets: $30 Turkey leg: $14 "Fare thee well"

It's been over a decade since I've been to the Renaissance Festival. Same old excitement and…read moreamusement but even hotter, more crowded, and even more expensive! I remember when a Turkey leg used to be $7 and now they're $14.. still worth it haha Quick tips: -Opens at 10am - arrive between 8am-9am for parking &/or walking -Bring cash cash cash! (But they do have ATMs) -Bring umbrellas/fans unless you wanna pay $60+ for one (may or may not by UV protective) -Baby strollers/carts have entry in middle aisles of gates (ask workers for assistance) -arrive early for shows you really want to see to get good shaded areas or bench seats (or you'll stand the entire time) -if you see a cool booth and really want something, you can double back or wait because more than likely there will be the same booth again later on another side!

Years ago, this festival was a lot of fun. They had lots of craft and art vendors, dog adoptions,…read moreand a dog frisbee competition. Now, it's all commercial vendors, politicians, and artists who didn't know what a dull festival it was before the paid their dues. This year, there was a "beer garden" with 5 or so booths. The vendor section is a fraction of its former size, with fewer than 30 vendors (all but about 5 commercial stuff like windows, politicians and the like). I once volunteered my services and was brushed off easily by one of the men running it (I believe it's run entirely by men). I started wondering if they pocket whatever money they make for running it rather than making any effort to improve it. If it were up to me, I'd figure out a way to chase away the commercial vendors, attract more local artisans and food vendors, and create a theme instead of having a bunch of bouncy stuff for kids to play on, a car show (which is the only cool perk now), and lots of vendors nobody wants to talk to.

This festival is ok if you have nothing else going on. We went on opening night and they had…read moredecent live music, but bleh food options. The reason we settled on three stars was because of the location. Scenery is beautiful.

It's an annual friend tradition to go here every year - and I live about 40 min away. The biggest…read morelure for me is the American Legion-sponsored rubber duck race down Clear Creek. It's so much fun to see the ducks floating down the rive, to help throw them back in the rive flow, and donations go to a good cause. The food selections are also great. I appreciated seeing Santiago's this year, but do miss the giant rice crispy treats. The music is fun. The vendors seems to be the same each year, so it would be nice to see some new products next year.

Great festival. They always have good bands which everyone can enjoy. A wide variety of good food…read morefrom many vendors. Ice cold beer for a fair price. Sundays have a really good car show. Saturday morning's car show is well worth the visit. We usually spend all weekend at this event.

If you are Polish or enjoy Polish cuisine, this is a great way to spend an afternoon. The festival…read moreis all about great Polish food including Pierogi, Golabki, Bigos, Potato Pancakes to name a few. Also, there's plenty of beef choices authentic to Poland. Also several events are scheduled throughout the day, like Pierogi eating contest, beer drinking contest, folk dancers and singers. Visit the webpage for the schedule. Festival takes place at the Saint Joseph Polish Roman Catholic Church.

We try to make it here every year to take in the culture, the food and to support to Polish…read morecommunity. I grew up with Polish food and have it pretty regularly and I can tell you that this food is about as authentic as it gets and much cheaper than going to a restaurant. Did I mention they have a pretty extensive (Polish) beer list as well? There is also live Polish music, contests like pierogi eating and beer drinking, and folk dancing - none of which you will be able to find anywhere else in Denver. Given this festival happens each August, the weather is usually nice and it is a great way to enjoy a summer weekend!

Save the flight come here instead. Annual outdoor festival usually in June. I get my LacNiko olive…read moreoil every time.

Go early, the lines get long quickly. We were disappointed that there weren't any cultural drink…read moreofferings that didn't have alcohol or caffeine, but so it goes. We had the tiropita and the spanakopita, which were basically the same hand held phyllo dough wrap with different fillings. The spanakopita wasn't our favorite- it had a lot of really strong tasting spinach that overtook the other flavors. We really loved the tiropita though- the feta added a nice zing to the egg filling. We also did the kourambiethes, which tasted like shortbread covered in powdered sugar. I have had ones that were dry in other places, but these were good! We also watched a cooking demo (did you know zucchini fritters were Greek?), shopped, listened to music, and toured the cathedral. The cathedral was stunning, and the tour guide was very knowledgeable about the religion and its hierarchy. There was also an olive oil tasting that we skipped because the line was too long, but would have been interested in otherwise. For a $5 entry fee, this was super worthwhile- especially for the food!

Total joke in my opinion. Long line to get in. Crowded and the art quality is very low across…read moreeverywhere we browsed. We regret buying a couple of pieces two years ago (even at the old $100 max price). It was clear after we attended this event at Arapahoe Community College, that this is a total joke and basically a scam. Mediocre art selection with an uncomfortable frenzy of dumb people trying to get at the best pieces when they open. Lousy food truck options to boot. Here is your caveat. Hopefully it will save you wasted money and aggravation.

Ah, I remember being in the high school marching band and participating in the parade and walking…read moredown Kipling in uniforms that didn't allow for any cooling of the body. Still, it was fun and a good experience. Now, the name of "Lakewood on Parade" is a bit misleading. Because of budget cuts, they can't afford to keep the parade aspect going. It's been that way for a few years, though. Admission is free. Instead, they focus on getting Jefferson County Stadium all set up to host vendors and a miniature carnival. Being that this is an "educational" zoned venue, they technically don't allow smoking. Generally, the Lakewood Police will look the other way, as long as the smokers are being courteous. They do allow you to bring your own food in coolers, and I don't think they search them. According to the website, there is no alcohol, dogs, cans, or glass containers allowed at the stadium. On the south side of the stadium, they have most of the kids' stuff. This year, there was a small performing stage, which hosted cute little dancers and a teenage band. There are vendors geared toward services for children, and places like a dental group gave away free balloons. There are arts and crafts tables, as well as a booth for a dance/gymnastics group. The carnival has a few small attractions. I'd say they're geared mostly toward little kids. There were four inflatable "rides," a small swing ride, a teacups type ride, and a bouncy trampoline type ride (the kind you might see at Colorado Mills). The rides were decently priced for a fair, being $1-2 per person per ride. On the north side of the stadium, they have more vendors which are mostly adult oriented, such as TV services, financial institutions, or other professional services. The face painting group is over here, too. They use spray on paint, which makes the process go faster and they look pretty nice. In the big courtyard area, they have most of the food/drink vendors, as well as a live band. The bands are local and are usually pretty entertaining. The kids tend to play in front of where the band is playing, and it's not uncommon for a band member to come down and interact with the kids by passing out tambourines, maracas, or just dancing with them. The food vendors are local. The only big time chain I saw was Jamba Juice. We had dinner from a local BBQ company (Brad's Pit BBQ), which was pretty good. I think we'll visit their restaurant to try them again. They had beer stands, a place from Wystone's World of tea, and Poppin Stuff, which had pretty yummy home made root beer. If you want to get food or drink, get there early, as the lines can get extremely long (think 20-30 people) and sometimes you can't tell which line you're waiting in. Lastly, there is the fireworks. People can sit in the stands or go on the field. After they open up the field to allow people on, they have an oldies group playing music. They're usually very good and they play fun songs. After their set, the organizers come out and give recognition to the sponsors and other notable people. Then lights out and the fireworks start. They shoot them off right at the end of the stadium, so they're right there. They put on a good show, which lasts a while. You're so close that you may get pieces of paper landing on you. They play some cheesy patriotic music over the loudspeakers, but it does fit with the show. One of the best things about this celebration is the people. You will see all kinds of people, from the old to the young, the disabled and the abled, and skin colors from light to dark. Families, couples, and teenagers interact well with each other. And people are so friendly. With so many people in such a small area, you'd think that tempers may flare. We didn't have any issues, and this was our second year. Heck, we even made new friends on the field before the fireworks started. The only thing I don't like about the whole event is the stadium. In the courtyard where the food vendors are located, it's a daunting task to get in or out on the south entrances. The fences only allow for one person to get in and out, and the walkways are pretty narrow. You can get two strollers in the lane, but you have to be careful as you pass. If you go out onto the field for the fireworks, there is only one entry/exit. The gate for that only allows one person or stroller through at a time. Getting on the field is bad, but getting off is worse. It can take several minutes for the flood of people to clear out. I'd hate to think what would happen if there were an emergency... it'd be a disaster. In all, this is a fun event and I look forward to going again next year.