Cherry Creek Arts Festival facts for kids
The Cherry Creek Arts Festival is a super fun event that happens every year in Denver, Colorado. It usually takes place during the first weekend of July, often around the Fourth of July holiday. This amazing art festival first started in 1991.
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How It All Started
The Cherry Creek Arts Festival began in 1991. A person named Bill Charney first shared the idea with local business leaders. They liked the idea and gave $15,000 to help start the festival. Many volunteers also joined to help make it happen. Today, Tara Brickell is the festival's executive director.
In 2020, the festival had to be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 30th festival was then held in 2021 instead.
What is the Cherry Creek Arts Festival?
The Cherry Creek Arts Festival is a special non-profit group. It works all year long to bring art to people. For three days in early July, the festival takes over the Cherry Creek North area in Denver. Many people think it's one of the best outdoor art festivals in the country!
Art and Entertainment
Over 350,000 people visit the festival each year. You can see art from more than 232 different artists from all over the country. There are also seven stages with lots of different performances. You might see music, dance, or other cool shows!
More than 1,000 volunteers help run the festival. They work in many different teams to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Helping the Community
The Cherry Creek Arts Festival is a big part of Denver's culture and economy. It helps local non-profit groups by giving them about $20,000 each year. The festival also brings in a lot of money for the city, about $11 to $13 million every year!
The festival gets its money from donations, sponsors, and grants. You can also help support the festival by buying official posters and merchandise. They also sell food and drinks at the event.
Arts in Action Programs
The festival team also runs special art education programs all year. These programs are called "Arts in Action." They reach about 20,000 people in Colorado every year.
These programs include the Mobile Art Collection, the Alliance Project, and the Artist in Residence program. They also create lesson plans for teachers. These plans help students learn about art in schools.
Awards and Special Recognition
Since it began, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival has brought over $100 million to Denver's economy. This money comes from art sales, festival items, food, and people spending money at local stores and hotels.
The festival has won more than 100 awards from the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA). These awards are for being a top-quality event. The festival has won the Gold Grand Pinnacle award, which is the highest honor, four times! They won it in 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2005.
In 2007, the festival won 15 more awards from IFEA. This included the Silver Grand Pinnacle Award and many Gold, Silver, and Bronze Pinnacle Awards. They competed against over 1,500 events from all over the world that year!
