One final Taste of summer
The departure of summer is nigh. Although autumn doesn’t officially begin until Sept. 23, Labor Day weekend ushers in many summer endings and fall beginnings as swimsuit season comes to a close and Broncos fever rises.
In Colorado, one of the traditional signs of the changing season is the last of the big Civic Center festivals: A Taste of Colorado.
A event, which kicked off Friday and runs through Monday, is in its 34th year.
Gargantuan turkey legs and ears of roasted corn have always been festival staples, but they have recently been joined by a doubling of gourmet food trucks.
Whether you’re looking for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options such as rasta bean stew and potato onion pierogies, or you’re blowing your entire calorie budget on fried Oreos and lobster sliders, there is something to sate every appetite.
You can expect bites from more than 50 different restaurants, wares from upward of 300 vendors and concerts spread across six stages.
Rick Springfield, Sheila E. and Lauren Duski are just a few of this year’s big headliners as the festival has kicked the caliber of its musical acts up a notch in recent years. Taylor Dayne, Boyz II Men, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Blues Traveler and other performers headlined last year’s event.
Visitors strolling under the hot summer sun Saturday said they had come because it offers something for everyone in the family.
“We always come out,” Jen Newman said as she worked her way toward the food booths. “We always just wander around, try some new food — and the vendors are fun to look at.”
This year, the People’s Fair, which opens the festival season in May, did away with ticket-based food purchases, but A Taste of Colorado doesn’t plan on making any changes.
“Patrons really like the ticket concept,” festival spokesperson Sharon Alton said. “That structure isn’t going to change.”
Entry to A Taste of Colorado is always free. Foodand-beverage tickets cost $15 for a strip of 10 while merchandise vendors take cash or credit cards.
This year, the event is cracking down on its animal policy, which now only allows service animals, leaving several Denver natives and their chihuahua on the wrong side of the fence.
A woman who identified herself only as Cathy K. said she and her pet had never been turned away before — and she has been coming for 20 years.