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

We had fun walking through a great little fest, full of paintings, photos, wood crafts and…read moresculpture, even woven pieces, like these really cute little shrugs for ladies. Jewelry, other gifts and collectables were also available. The location was perfect, just between darling Downtown Golden and the whitewater park. The little food court area was nice as well. We got a great bag of kettle corn for snacks during our ride home. I think a lot of the people who were enjoying the warm temps and the water park were happy to see the food court. They also had some very affordable options, including lots of prints of the more expensive originals.

This was quite a crowded festival, but the quality of the art presented was very diverse and…read morebeautiful, so the large crowd did not detract from the festival in my opinion. There was everything from glass art, paintings, wood working, leather work, jewelry and photography. The prices were very variable depending on the artist, but everything seemed reasonable for the quality of the art offered. If you are looking for a unique piece for your home, this is a great place to look.

Typically, we have a ton of fun at the coronation festival. This year we came to see the bands, but…read morewe're way laid by the remote control cars when we came into the entrance we couldn't get our kids to wanna do anything else except do that but we were still sort of able to hear the music and had a nice picnic on the lawn. I really liked the addition to the snowball food cart this year delicious.

The problem I have with them is how they handle parking. I live the in surrounding neighborhood…read morewhere this takes place. Literally every street is packed with cars. People even blocking entry ways, parking in apartment parking lots meant for tenants. Throwing trash, being disrespectful and letting their dogs crap everywhere. I swear this circus brings in the wrong crowd. They should've had overflow parking to nearest Park-N-Ride and offered shuttles to the park. Our apartment dumpster is literally full of carnival trash I am glad this is over

This was the 10th annual celebration of this event and it's getting bigger each year. The event…read morebenefits the six Mountain Area Fire Departments and the Blue Spruce Kiwanis Foundation. This year's Evergreen Chile Festival was cool and hot. Not a lot of chile heat but quite a bit of sun and there was some cool music and all the contestants were cool. Now the chili? Of the 42 samples (out of the 132 entries!) I tried (I couldn't eat one more because I was stuffed!. Woulda killed me.) Actually call me prejudiced but after I made it down the first of two aisles of contestants, I started looking for Mexicans or Latinos manning the stoves (I think there might have been 2 or 3). I needed a real chile verde fix! Of all those samples, I think maybe 3 or 4 were bowl worthy. The rest uhhhh were not my cup o' chile. Still fun though! And I'm a fan of the event.

always have fun trying all kinds of yummy chili. One year I will compete!read more

What a lovely way to spend the morning and support small local businesses. I was able to get some…read moreholiday shopping done and get a little something for myself! Fabulous event!

What a great day! My husband and I just love local art, and supporting these artists. I hadn't…read moreheard of the Jackalope Arts festival, which apparently appears every year just up the street from me in Olde Arvada. We went out on this sunny and warm October day, glad to enjoy some time outdoors in the sun. We were greeted, as well, with an enjoyable stroll through local venue booths sporting everything from beeswax products to locally mixed spices to jewelry made from local stones (think petrified wood and Marble's marble, among many others). I was drawn to the designs at a T-shirt shop, and when I couldn't find my size in the design I wanted, they assured me that I could email them and they would make it for me and send it along to my home. The jewelry maker at Waystone (mywaystone.com) promised that if I could bring her a piece of petrified wood that I had discovered in my backyard, she would make it into something special to display in my home. While she accepts items through mail, since she is just down I-70 just east of Denver, I mean to bring it right to her. I was excited to visit this arts fair, and came away with some nice items, along with the cards of some artisans to whom I will reach out for some custom items. What a great way to spend a glorious fall day outside!

If you're looking to pay tribute to your Deutschland heritage or dust off your Lederhosen then come…read moreon down and enjoy the show! It's $8 to get in and a beer is $5, with huge steins and bottles for a bit more money. July 12-14th this year. They have a pretty legit German band and as the night goes on and the beer flows more smoothly the dance floor opens up for all the old-timers to get down to songs that we've never heard but I guess if you came over on the boat in the last 70 years you know them. :) There's some balloon animal stuff, a soccer goal kicking thing and other kid stuff to keep them occupied. They have Sourdough pretzels, Bratwurst with Kraut and Mustard, Schnitzel and Goulash to munch on at your table while you get sloppy and promise each other you're going to go to Red Rocks every week next year. You know what I mean. Make sure you designate a driver beforehand. It's pretty good beer.

I attended this festival this year, for the first time. I liked the smaller, family-friendly, laid…read moreback feel, contrasting sharply with the huge annual Oktoberfest in Lodo. The admission price was reasonable, there was a wide range of classic German beer to choose from, and the food was good if a bit overpriced. The setting on the outskirts of Morrison was lovely, and the shelters provided a good bit of shade, appreciated on a hot day. The live music was good considering the festival size. On the downside, they sold about 650 Groupons this year, and it seems they weren't ready for that impact. I arrived fairly early on Sunday and in retrospect was thrilled that I only spent 10 minutes in line, as when leaving I observed absolutely absurd lines -- I expect those later arrivals spent an hour between the three lines to get the included admission, beer, and brat.

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.

Beautiful church and enjoyed the priest and homily. Parishioners were welcoming at the early 7:30…read moreAM Sunday Mass without being intrusive! Strong Hispanic influence which was nice to see how they are active in the community. Glad they have the song reference displayed in the upper corners of the church (but didn't until mid-Mass)!

Catholic church. It's big and beautiful on the inside since it was remodeled…read more There's a young priest, he does mass really beautifullly.

This event was held at the Ralston Park Addition in 2015. At 64th and Simms. Parking was good as it…read morewas right next to a high school with a large lot. I liked the fact that we could get beer and still play with the kiddo. They didn't have a separate beer garden for only 21 and up. And the beer selection was good. Arvada Brewery, Yak & Yeti and Odyssey Beerwerks. Yum! I liked the craft table for the kids. My daughter loved painting rocks. But the title of the event was Sand in the City and all the kids had to play with in that regard was a small pit of clay dirt. It was very crowded and my child was excited about digging in the sand, only to be freaked out by the number of kids in a very small area digging madly for toy cars in plastic bags. I understand true sand is probably hard to come by but there must be a park that has a more impressive sandbox than this. With actual sand. There were bouncy castles and other such things for older kids that looked cool. Maybe when she gets older we can thoroughly enjoy this event and ignore the lack of sand. But right now this event was only A-OK for our toddler.

Parking was atrocious. The entire site reminiscent of a mob scene.read more