26th Avenue Festival on September 8 Benefits City’s Youth
The End of Summer DAYS festival will be Denver Area Youth Services largest fundraiser this year
By Rebecca Voll
The first annual End of Summer DAYS Festival will fill the streets of Park Hill with live music, food and fun, all to benefit our community’s youth.
Denver Area Youth Services (DAYS), a local non-profit that provides comprehensive human services to 2,000 children, youth, and families in the greater Denver area each year, will host this free community festival on September 8 from 12pm to 6pm on 26th Avenue from Holly to Glencoe. As music fills the late summer air, neighbors and friends can enjoy a wide variety of delicious foods, browse unique items from local artists and merchants, sip a brew in the beer garden, and let the kids have a ball in an activity zone just for them.
DAYS chose Park Hill as the venue for the Festival because DAYS offers services within community, and the executive director and several staff members are Park Hill neighbors who knew how much the community loves its events and rallies together to support those in need. The End of Summer DAYS will be the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year.
“DAYS is unique and special because of the sheer magnitude of comprehensive human services it provides,” says Executive Director Noël d’Albertis. “It is an agency truly dedicated to promoting the quality of human life in the Denver Metropolitan area.” DAYS operates a residence for young mothers in Northeast Park Hill, among its many services.
The musical line-up for the End of Summer DAYS Festival includes hometown rock and reggae favorites Project 3, boogie-woogie blues man Sammy Dee Morton, soulful Motown from Sugar Hi-5, and the danceable pop-fusion of The Symbols. All acts have a penchant for good causes, with distinct sounds to please a variety of musical tastes.
Park Hill restaurant Oblio’s has generously stepped up as a Festival sponsor, and Odell Brewing will provide tasty craft brews to adults in the beer garden. A variety of other styles of food are planned as well, from Argentinian fare to ice cream sandwiches, and the Festival still has room to include other local eateries who would like to provide their specialties at the event, to round out the feasting experience.
Neighbors will have the opportunity to peruse and purchase artwork and merchandise from vendors at the event, with must-have items ranging from jewelry to LED-lit wall art to re-purposed license plate art.
The downtown Hyatt Regency hotel is hosting a kids’ activity zone that will feature face-painting, a jumping castle, and other fun-filled family games and surprises.
In addition to Oblio’s, Odell, and Hyatt Regency, early sponsors of the event are the Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. and Mid America Bank. Sponsors of the End of Summer DAYS Festival make it financially possible for DAYS to continue to provide vital human services to youth in the community, including home-based family therapy services, foster care, parenting education, outpatient substance abuse treatment, sexual health education, community supervision, case management and mental health services.
26th Avenue will be closed from Holly to Glencoe so attendees can enjoy the festivities. Feedback from the neighbors in the immediate area who were notified in advance of the event, has been supportive and enthusiastic.
The End of Summer DAYS still has space available for food vendors, merchants, businesses, community organizations, and event sponsors. Please contact Polly Washburn at pwashburn@denveryouth.org or go to www.denveryouth.org/events for more information.