Community Announcements
We’ve Got a Date
Park Hill Home Tour & Street Fair is Sept. 28
This year’s Park Hill Home Tour & Street Fair is set for Sunday, Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Inquiries about this year’s featured homes should contact Nina Kuhl at kuhlnina@yahoo.com. Information about the Street Fair is available at www.ParkHillStreetFair.com, or contact Kate Sultan at krsultan@comcast.net, or Lynn Maedel at lynnmaedel@cacmle.org.
Juneteenth 2014 Brings Music, Celebration, Social Action
This year’s Juneteenth festival kicks off on Friday, June 13 and the celebration lasts through the next day, June 14. Juneteenth is a 50+-year-old Denver tradition, marking June 19, 1865, when union soldiers first enforced the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas – almost 2-1/2 years after it became the nation’s law. The annual event began in Denver in the 1950s, gained steam in the 1980s, declined somewhat in the 1990s, but then attracted over 20,000 visitors in 2012 and 2013 when it officially became the Juneteenth Music Festival. This year Juneteenth has partnered with 350Denver.org, an environmental group that promotes awareness of climate change and other issues. Working together, Juneteenth 2014 and 350Denver.org combine a celebration of freedom with social action to insure a healthy, sustainable future for Denver and beyond. Juneteenth 2014 kicks off with a pageant on June 13. A parade kicks off the next morning, June 14, at 10 a.m. at Manual High School. Main events take place in the heart of Denver’s Five Points Neighborhood west of Park Hill and north of downtown, along Welton Street between Park Avenue and 28th St. There will be food and music vendors, a farmer’s market, a car show, art displays and sales, street performers, a health and well being zone, an environmental education zone, activities for the kids, and more. The Five Points neighborhood organization is committed to diversity, safety, community outreach, and actively supports the Festival. The Festival is free and open to the public, and is solely supported and sponsored by local businesses and community groups. For more information go to juneteenthmusicfestival.com.
Get the Skinny On Denver’s Central Rec Center
A public meeting about Denver’s Central Recreation Center is scheduled for Tuesday, June 3 at 6 p.m. at the East High School Cafeteria, 1600 City Park Esplanade. Denver Parks & Recreation staff will present updated information on the project, an approximately 60,000 sq. ft. public rec center at Colfax Avenue and Josephine Street. The origins of the rec center date to 2007, when Denver voters supported a Denver Better Bond Program that allowed the city buy the 2.56 acres of land for a recreation center for $6 million. A 2012 survey asked potential users what types of amenities they would like to have, and respondents indicated the desire for indoor leisure and lap pools that can host competitive events, a large fitness/training area, a multi-court gymnasium, multi-purpose classrooms, a child care/toddler area, a large group exercise room and other amenities. The June 3 meeting is one of a series of public meetings in the coming months to further refine these ideas and develop a final building program and conceptual design. The city plans to break ground in the spring of 2015, with an expected 18-month construction time. Free childcare is available at the June 3 meeting for kids 5 and older. Register by sending the name and age of the child to to CDRC@denvergov.org For info call Jeff Green at 720-913-0633.
All Are Welcome to Temple Micah New Space
On June 8 at 11:15 a.m., Temple Micah members and guests will dedicate its newly refurbished Mikdash/Chapel housed within the Park Hill United Methodist Church, at 5209 Montview Blvd. The dedication will follow Temple Micah’s annual meeting, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Park Hill United Methodist Church has a long history of upholding the values of fairness, inclusion, diversity and the rights of all to participate in spiritual community. In 1978 the Mikdash was named after Pastor J. Carlton Babbs, who lived the values and promoted inclusion and harmony. Temple Micah’s history is also one of inclusion, diversity, learning and practicing the words of the Prophet Micah to “Do Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly.” Following the dedication, everyone is invited to stay and view the space. Park Hill United Methodist Church Youth Ministry will hold a BBQ lunch fundraiser for their mission work. All are welcome. Please join us in acknowledging this historic transition.
Get Ready to Get Outdoors
Get Outdoors Colorado is celebrating its 7th annual National Get Outdoors Day and inaugural GO Play! 5K race at Denver’s City Park on June 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come play, learn, explore, paddle, dance, eat, and just have fun. All are welcome to this free event, presented by Get Outdoors Colorado, a nonprofit partner collaborative that is dedicated to getting people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities outside living healthy, active lifestyles. For more information: Kate Jerman- kejerman@fs.fed.us
Get Ready To Ride
The Stapleton Transportation Management Association will lead free themed bike rides each Wednesday evening in June leading up to Bike to Work Day on June 25. The themes and dates will be:
June 4: Stapleton Public Art Ride – A ride down 29th Avenue, through Westerly Creek Park, and up to the Central Park Rec Center. We will visit multiple outdoor art installations in the Stapleton neighborhood and learn the history and meaning behind each.
June 11: Central Park Boulevard Ride – Join us on this ride as we head north over Central Park Boulevard over I-70 into Northfield and Conservatory Green. While on this ride, we will discuss the best practices and safest ways to interact with this busy and sometimes intimidating intersection.
June 18: Sand Creek Regional Greenway Ride – This ride travels east on the beautiful Sand Creek Greenway. We will experience the wild spaces, learn about native and invasive species, and discover the history of the Greenway.
All the rides are free and family-friendly. They start at 6 p.m. at The Hub, 7484 E. 29th Ave, behind Cycleton in the Stapleton Town Center. Those without a bike can sign up for a bike library membership and use one of the many bikes at The Hub. Membership costs $20 a year and includes a free helmet.
The People’s Fair Turns 43
The 43rd Annual Capitol Hill People’s Fair kicks off on Saturday, June 7 at 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and runs Sunday, June 8 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Civic Center Park in Downtown Denver. The People’s Fair began as a small gathering in 1972 at Morey Middle School in historic Capitol Hill. In 1976 the fair moved to the grounds of East High School, after outgrowing the space at Morey. The People’s Fair continued to grow, and in 1987 it moved to Civic Center Park. Today the People’s Fair is one of the largest two-day free festivals in the country, with more than 200,000 fairgoers. It features handmade arts & crafts, food from local restaurants, kids’ activities, live local entertainment, and more. Special features include a wine pavilion adjacent to the jazz stage, the Mural Project (groups of Denver youth design and create murals that share a central theme), an “InstaPassport” – a photo scavenger hunt utilizing Instagram, Fine Art Avenue located on 14th Ave., and a Kids and Family Area with kids craft projects, sports activities, a carnival, and more.