May 2022 Announcements
Colfax Marathon Returns May 15
The Colfax Marathon turns 15 years old this year. The 26.2-mile course kicks off at 6 a.m. on Sunday, May 15 in City Park, just west of Park Hill. Thousands of runners will spend the next six hours taking the ultimate urban tour of Denver as they sprint through Empower Field at Mile High, past Denver Fire Station #1, and along seven miles of rivers, lakes and bridges. The race winds through eclectic neighborhoods, historic Lakewood and downtown Denver
The race also finishes in City Park, with live music, drinks and food. (Check out runcolfax.org for details.)
While the Colfax Marathon is a Denver tradition, so too are the accompanying traffic headaches. So non-marathoners, plan your alternative routes accordingly.
Make Park Hill Beautiful Cleanup Is June 4 and 18
The second annual Park Hill the Beautiful Great Alley Cleanup is taking place during two dates in June, and all Park Hillians are invited to do some post-COVID spring cleaning.
The first cleanup is Saturday, June 4 for the portion of the neighborhood between Colorado Boulevard and Quebec Street north of 26th Avenue, to Smith Road. The second date is Saturday June 18, and includes all of Park Hill between Colorado and Quebec south of 26th Avenue to Colfax. Park Hill neighbors east of Quebec are also invited to join the fun.
This is a chance to get outside, meet up with folks on your block, and get to work. Put on your work gloves and grab your rakes and brooms and pick up a year’s worth of stuff that has gathered along fences and garages. Haul out your clippers and saws to neaten up the vegetation.
This old-fashioned Alley Clean-up is sponsored by the Greater Park Hill Community registered neighborhood organization, and kicks off the 2022 Park Hill the Beautiful Campaign. Many of us know that cleaner alleys help with the perception of a safer environment, and undoubtedly make us feel better about ourselves and the space where we live.
To maximize efficiency, we recommend you and neighbors on each side of your alley pick a two-hour time slot between 8 a.m. and noon on the day of the clean-up, and proceed accordingly. The dates align with Denver’s scheduled large item trash pickup the following week, on Monday, June 6 and Thursday, June 23.
—Jon Bowman and Jacqui Shumway
100 Artists Featured At Art Festival June 4-5
The 9th Annual Park Hill Art Festival is set for Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5.
Founder and organizer Darren Skanson estimates that this spring’s juried fine art and fine craft show will showcase close to 100 professional artists from Colorado and beyond. The artists’ work range from paintings to fine jewelry, woodwork to sculptures, textiles to photography.
The Art Fest will be on the grounds of the Park Hill Masonic Lodge, on Montview Boulevard between Dahlia and Eudora streets, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no entry charge.
The Art Festival has grown by leaps and bounds, including weathering two years of pandemic. Two years ago, after the world went on lockdown and people were filled with uncertainty, Skanson sent a note to rally his fellow artist friends. “Fight this chaos with hope and beauty,” he wrote. “It is our calling to be hopeful. We are the reminders of what mankind can be. We are the reminders that the world has beauty.”
Denver Potters Spring Show Runs May 5-8
The Denver Potters Association will hold its Spring Show and Sale from Thursday, May 5 to Sunday May 8. The show is at the Sixth Avenue United Church, 3250 East Sixth Avenue ( at the corner of 6th Avenue and Adams Street) in Congress Park south of Park Hill. The sale is a Denver tradition and showcases dozens of top local artists and their work in functional and sculptural ceramics, jewelry, glass, wood, fiber, and body care products. (Think Mother’s Day gift or treat for yourself.)
Hours of the show are are Thursday, May 5 from 3 to 7 p.m.; Friday, May 6 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 7 from 9 a.m.. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free and street parking is available in the adjoining neighborhood.
For more information call 303-377-5535 or visit denverpotters.com. Find them @castleclayartists on Instagram and Facebook.
Revving It Up: Get Ready For The July 4 Park Hill Parade
Registration is in full swing for the 12th annual Park Hill Parade. More than a dozen groups have already signed up, including the Westernaires, Platinum Divaz Dance and many other favorites — which could include you and your group of merrymakers.
Are you a group of neighbors looking to show your red, white and blue spirit? Are you a community organization that wants to get your members together to celebrate? Or maybe you’re a group of misfit musicians looking for a reason to get together and play for the crowds.
All are welcome!
The Park Hill Parade takes place on Monday, July 4. It draws thousands of cheering fans lined up along 23rd Avenue between Dahlia and Krameria streets, Registration is open now and is free for all groups. Check out the parade website at parkhillparade.com, or email organizers at parkhillparade@gmail.com.
The Park Hill Parade is a Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. event and is supported 100 percent by sponsors. This year’s title sponsors are Nestman Orthodontics, the Urban Cookie, Dardano’s School of Gymnastics and Wolfe + Epperson-COMPASS. Premier sponsors include Tables Restaurant, Grape Expectations Wine & Spirits and Clair Family Dentistry. Sponsors include Dee Ciancio Realty, Ciji’s Natural Pet Supply, Park Hill Treasures, Denver Zoo and Kona Ice 5280.
EdEquity Corner To Host BOE Member Escárcega
Colorado Board of Education member Lisa Escárcega is the guest at EdEquity Corner’s May meeting, on Wednesday, May 11 at 7 p.m. Escárcega will share her perspective on the role of the State Board in districts and schools, current testing and accountability plans and the state accountability framework. Join EdEquity Corner for this free, virtual event. Register at tinyurl.com/edequitymay22.
Escárcega was elected to the Colorado State Board of Education in November 2020 representing the 1st Congressional District. She recently served as the executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE). Prior to CASE, she was with the Aurora Public School District, serving for a decade as a senior member on the district leadership team.
EdEquity Corner is sponsored by Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education, a group of parents and community members who are working to ensure students attending all Park Hill elementary schools get a quality education. Check out their website at phnee.org.
Students: Get Paid To Create
The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver is accepting applications for a first-ever Creators Studio paid internship program for young Denverites ages 18 to 26. The internship program is meant to help prepare 20 artistically inclined young adults to build a career within the creative industry. Participants will be mentored by artists and business professionals over the course of the seven-week program. They can choose to focus on either visual arts or creative exploration and will receive creative training, entrepreneurial development training, and mentorship. Participants will be paid up to $720.
Creators Studio applicants must be a Denver resident aged 18 to 26 and have a high school diploma/GED (2022 graduating seniors are eligible). Applications are due by May 4, and can be found at mca-denver.typeform.com/to/PmMOz- BsV.
Young DAVA Artists Explore Their Links
Join the Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA) for Linked, an exhibition of artworks by youth centered on the theme of personal and social identity. A family block party will kick off opening night on Saturday, May 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The exhibition is free and open to the public Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Aug. 19.
DAVA students identify with many different social and cultural circles, which are linked together in a very diverse environment. This exhibition showcases how unique the young artists are, exploring nationalities, race, gender, education, abilities, languages, social class, and much more. As students express themselves and share their stories, they discover new connections and develop a sense of belonging.
DAVA’s youngest students created puppets inspired by themselves. They used storytelling and play to bring them to life. As a group, they also built a giant rainbow grounded in paper flowers under which visitors can be photographed. Middle school students created Family, a two-sided tapestry comprised of everyone’s unique experiences, and Our House, with windows representing each individual’s social and personal identities. High school students reflect on their differences and similarities in personal projects.
DAVA is at 1405 Florence St., one block south of Colfax Avenue in the Aurora Cultural Arts District. For more information about the exhibition, email: gallery@davarts.org or call 303-367-5886. The website is davarts.org.
Park Hill Yard Sale Is May 21
The 10th Annual Park Hill Yard Sale is Saturday, May 21 from 8 a.m. to noon. Simply complete the quick registration form at greaterparkhill.org/events/yard-sale/ and your address will be added to the official yard sale map so shoppers can find you. Don’t have anything to sell? Plan to head out that day to all the sales happening around the neighborhood and see what treasures you can find. The Park Hill Yard Sale is sponsored by HomeSmart Realtors Nina Kuhl, Steve LaPorta, Roberta Locke, and Ann Torgerson.