Calendar
Mark your calendars for the launch of an exciting new A Taste of Colorado produced by the Downtown Denver Partnership over Labor Day weekend, September 1 – 3, 2018. With a larger main stage, bigger national entertainment, VIP experience with private main stage viewing platforms and exclusive food and beverage offerings as well as an expanded KidsZone, this years festival is a must see. The festival will continue its 35-year tradition of being the largest free admission food and music festival in Colorado attracting over 500,000 attendees over the three-day weekend. A Taste of Colorado has something for everyone with over 50 food vendors, 175 marketplace vendors, a KidZone experience with arts, crafts & a children’s entertainment stage and the elevated music experience with a larger main stage featuring over 25 national and regional musical acts. This free weekend event will satisfy your ears and taste buds with a lineup of fabulous live music and incredible selection of food.
Sept 1 – Sept 3, 2018
Saturday – Monday
SAT & SUN: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
MON: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
History
Originally named Festival of Mountain and Plain established in 1895 as a carnival similar to New Orleans’ Mardi Gras, the Festival was created to boost the city’s morale and vitality following the silver panic. The event, unsuccessful in ending Denver’s depression and declining in attendance, folded in 1902 when organizers were unable to obtain financial support. In 1983, the Downtown Denver Partnership decided to bring back the spirit of the original festival to commemorate the opening of the 16th Street Mall. The following year, A Taste of Colorado produced by the Downtown Denver Partnership was added to the Festival of Mountain and Plain name and concept and moved back to Civic Center Park in Downtown Denver, where the event first began.
