Are you planning to visit Denver, Colorado at the beginning of the summer? If you are, you may want to check out some of the festivals and events that occur in June in the Mile High City. From events highlighting the culture of the people who make up Denver’s diverse population to celebrations of art and music, you will find plenty of entertainment in the city in June. Adding a few of these to your itinerary, or even planning your travel dates around one, can add a unique experience to your next vacation.
Denver Summer Events Focus on Culture, Art, and History
While Denver may be known for its ties to Mexican culture and food with its strong Latin American population, it also has some Greek heritage. Every June towards the middle of the month, the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Denver hosts the Greek Festival on the grounds of their cathedral. Greek food, live music, dance and activities make this a family friendly event that adds some culture to your summer.
Denver also has a Juneteenth festival that falls on the weekend closest to June 19th, African American Emancipation Day. This festival, designed to celebrate the end of slavery in the United States, is a time for the African American community to look at its culture, heritage, and history. The festival is held in Denver’s Historic Five Points neighborhood, where food, live performances, and artwork, all surrounding the African American community, are available.
If you love live music, be sure to plan to attend Make Music Denver, the city’s contribution to World Music Day. This annual daylong celebration on June 21, the first day of summer, invites musicians of all types to the downtown region to welcome summer in song. The event is completely free and ends with free concerts from popular local artists.
If you wish to sample Asian culture and cuisine, head to the Denver Buddhist Temple towards the end of the month for the Cherry Blossom Festival. This annual event features Obon folk dance, food, martial arts performances, and dance demonstrations highlighting the culture of Japan. Admission is free, but bring money for food because you will not be able to pass up the tantalizing smells on the grounds.
If you love art, then plan to visit Denver the first weekend in June to see some of the world’s best chalk artists literally take to the streets. The Denver Chalk Art Festival on Larimer Square makes the sidewalk come alive with the work of skilled artists. You can watch over 200 artists create their works in front of your eyes. Live music and vendor booths make this a festival well worth attending, but the crowds can be thick with over 100,000 attendees daily, so get your spot early if you want to hear a particular band perform.
If You Go
Dates and times for Denver’s June events can change, so before you plan your Denver, Colorado vacation, visit www.denver.org to check the latest information about locations, dates, and times.
Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006, specializing in travel and finance writing, with work having been published on USA Today, the New York Stock Exchange and Hotels.com in addition to here on Go Colorado!
Chalk art Festival leopard photo by Flickr user messycupcakes (messycupcakes.com).
Photo of Greek dancing courtesy of the Denver Greek Festival.
David Booker photo courtesy of Make Music Denver.
Chalk Art Festival ram photo by Flickr user UCFFool.