Community Announcements
Headache Ahead: 6-Month Traffic Jam On 17th Ave.
The dawn of Monday, May 17 ushered in a new era of road closures that will require creative navigation and extreme patience for Park Hill drivers for the next four to six months.
17th Avenue is fully closed for two blocks at Colorado Boulevard west to Jackson Street and will remain closed possibly through November depending on weather. Detour signs are posted. In addition, beginning in September, the project will cross Colorado Boulevard and close off the stretch east to Albion Street.
The roads are closed as the city installs a new stormwater pipe to provide additional capacity to carry and drain stormwater, designed to reduce flood risks in South Park Hill. The existing storm sewers in E. 16th Ave. and Batavia Pl. are currently undersized to adequately convey stormwater levels. According to the city, the construction includes installing a new stormwater pipe beneath Colorado Boulevard which will connect to the current the stormwater system at City Park Golf Course.
In addition, work includes roadway reconfiguration and traffic signal changes at the intersection of East 17th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, as well as safer crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.
During the construction, there will be some changes to RTD’s Route 20. Visit the RTD website for details. rtd-denver.com/app/alerts/routes/20
You can sign up to receive weekly project updates, or email with questions or concerns at info@16thavestorm.com. The project hotline is 720-627-7441, where you can get weekly updates, leave a voicemail or text with questions or concerns.
Comments on local social media pages in the days immediately following the May 17 closure indicated that drivers were not pleased so far — especially because the closure occurred at the same time that a stretch of 14th Avenue was also closed for a separate project. “It is complete gridlock in the south City Park area,” wrote one. “This is going to be a long six months.”
For additional information, check out https://tinyurl.com/DenverClosure
Park Hill Art Fest June 5 & 6
Approximately 80 artists will feature their work in all mediums in the Park Hill Art Festival on June 5 and 6. The festival, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, is on the grounds of the Park Hill Masonic Lodge, at Montview and Dahlia.
The festival last spring was cancelled in the midst of the pandemic, but founder Darren Skanson moved forward with the event last fall — and reported a tremendous turnout while following guidelines for safe gatherings.
The spring show will feature returning as well as new artists, including the photography of Randall Koepsell, oil painter David Harms, Fort Collins drawing artist Nha Vuu, California artist Paul Nzalamba and fiber artist Autumn Tenyl.
For additional information, check out the Park Hill Art Festival on Facebook. Read an interview with Skanson from the April issue at greaterparkhill.org/news-and-opinion/fight-chaos-be-hopeful/.
Jazz Is Back In City Park
After a summer of silence in City Park, City Park Jazz is back , with Sunday night shows beginning June 13.
City Park Jazz started in 1986, routinely drawing between 8,000 and 12,000 people on Sunday evenings for the free summer concerts. The shows couldn’t go on through the pandemic last year, but the 2021 line-up comprises a who’s who of Denver’s jazz scene. The concerts are at the City Park Pavilion, and start at 6 p.m. with the exception of the June 20 show, which starts at 5 p.m. Here’s the schedule:
• June 13: The Burroughs
• June 20: Brass Band Extravaganza with Otone, Tivoli Club Brass Band and Guerrilla Fanfare
• June 27: Annie Booth Big Band
• July 4: Purnell Steen & the Five Points Ambassadors
• July 11: SUCH
• July 18: Chris Daniels with Freddi Gowdy
• July 25: Celebrating Denver Jazz Heritage with the El Chapultepec All Stars, featuring Tony Black & Freddy Rodriguez Jr.
• Aug. 1: Nelson Rangell
• Aug. 21: Cast Iron Queens
For more information, check out cityparkjazz.org
AARP Looking For Leaders
AARP is accepting nominations for its 2021 Colorado Andrus Award for Community Service, which honors 50-plus Coloradans who are sharing their experience, talent and skills to enrich the lives of their community members. Nominations will be evaluated based on how the volunteer’s work has improved the community, reflected AARP’s vision and mission, and inspired other volunteers. The application deadline is July 15 and the award recipient will be announced in early fall.
Community Service nominees must meet the following eligibility requirements:
• 50 years or older
• The achievements, accomplishments or service on which the nomination is based must have been performed on a volunteer basis, without pay. Volunteers receiving small stipends to cover the costs associated with the volunteer activity are eligible.
• The achievements, accomplishments or service on which the nomination is based must reflect AARP’s vision and purpose.
• The achievements, accomplishments, or service on which the nomination is based must be replicable and provide inspiration for others to volunteer.
• Couples or partners who perform service together are also eligible; however, teams are not eligible.
• This is not a posthumous award.
Contact AARP Colorado at coaarp@aarp.org for further information and a nomination form.
Celebrating Juneteenth
Denver’s Juneteenth Festival is back, after having to skip last year’s in-person celebrations during the pandemic.
A number of events are scheduled in Denver this year to commemorate Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with the news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. (Note that this was a full two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – which had become official January 1, 1863.)
On Friday, June 18, a six-hour Juneteenth Music Festival Livestream begins at 2 p.m., featuring an array of entertainment. The program can be viewed via social media platforms and on Denver Community Media channels Comcast 56 & 881HD.
On Saturday, June 19, the Juneteenth Parade kicks off the Street Festival in Five Points, at 26th and Welton. The festival runs from noon to 8 p.m., and on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., and includes musicians, artists, and individuals of many genres and industries gathered to celebrate the importance of art, storytelling, liberation, and inclusion.
Check out juneteenthmusicfestival.com for more.