Hi fellow travelers! I hope you all are exploring! As a young child I spent most of my summers visiting family in Ohio. The summers were green, lush, buggy and humid and filled with endless nights of church festivals. It’s one of the reasons I love visiting Ohio in the summer, every parish has a festival and each weekend you can bet there is cotton candy, Ferris wheels and carousels. As I grew older, I wondered why Colorado didn’t have the same type of events at their Parishes? It made me long for those summers, when the nights were filled with neon lights, carnival rides, games and sounds of kids running wild, wondering what to do next.
I still long for the church festivals of my youth, but have found that Colorado can hang with the best of them when it comes to summer nights. Here are my favorite summer festivals that will definitely make you feel like a kid and entertain every member of your family.
Parker Days-
Parker, CO is a small little town, but come the second week of June it becomes a wild and exciting world of fun. I was first introduced to Parker Days by my cousins who live in Parker. They asked us to come and join them for a night of rides, food and games. The festival is really large and spans most of the area of downtown Parker on Mainstreet, they have everything from kiddie rides and games (which is where you will find me and my kids), to intense tween and adult rides (which is where you could find my cousins). They boast a beer garden and all of the famous festival foods like funnel cakes, corn dogs, and cotton candy. They even have an area where you can shop for homemade goods and listen to music. This festival may take you the full three days it runs to actually experience all of it. The best part is that admission is free! You pay for rides and food and any items you purchase, but if you just want to come and experience the electric energy that flows through this festival, then you are about to have a blast.
The Denver Greek Festival-
If you do not make a stop at this festival you are going to miss out on the most delicious and magical cultural experience. What is better than going to Greece, tasting their food and dancing to their music? Driving down the street to The Assumption of the Theotokos Metropolis Cathedral of Denver, whew! that’s a mouthful. Every summer they put on a fabulous display of Greek food, dance and shopping that will make you think you hopped a flight to the Greek Islands. You can’t miss the Gyros or the Loukoumathes (delicious doughnut like pastry covered in nuts and honey), or the Greek inspired jewelry from my favorite vendor Kosmima. The best part is that there is Greek dancing performed by young kids, dressed in traditional Greek clothing and older adults who dance like Zorba The Greek!, It’s absolutely mesmerizing. Admission is usually $5 and children under 12 years of age are free. They offer discount tickets as well. This is a festival that I literally wait on pins and needles for every summer.
Juneteenth Festival-
You have never seen a party like the one that happens during this festival. It’s cultural, emotional and electric, this festival celebrates freedom and the African American heritage. It’s a place where everyone can come together and experience the feeling of brotherhood, community and joy. There is a parade that kicks off the festival and music, food and dance that commemorates life, love and freedom. You can even rent a cabana to stay cool and out of the heat, while you enjoy the fruits of this festival. This year Ashanti is headlining the music festival and you can bet you will hear everything from hip hop to jazz to blues. You really can’t miss it, it’s a free event so it will be packed, with most likely the entire city of Denver and everywhere else.
State and County Fairs-
The Colorado State Fair and county fairs that happen every summer are really great places to experience festival food and music. They have rides and games and music and of course every food you can imagine. But, some of the fairs also have rodeos and livestock shows that are traditional to Colorado. They can get pretty busy, but the great part is that you can go to every county fair if you want. They typically have an admission, but run deals that can drop the prices for kids and seniors. It’s a great time for everyone and a fun way to spend your weekend. Here is a list of counties that have fairs: Denver, El Paso, Montrose, Mesa, Archuleta, Douglas, Larimer, Boulder, San Luis Valley, Jeffco, Adams. The Colorado State fair takes place in Pueblo, CO and I can’t tell you enough what a cool city Pueblo is, even if you aren’t going to the fair, you can enjoy this city to the fullest.
Now, I know there are hundreds more festivals that you can attend in Colorado and I could write pages about the amazing festivals that take place in our beautiful mountain towns. But, if you are looking for a little summer fun in the city, these festivals are sure to please everyone, why not try them all?