What to expect heading into Sept.
Denver is set for a musicand beer-filled September. A new music festival will dazzle Instagram feeds, the annual Taste of Colorado festival is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people, and the Great American Beer Festival should be just that: great.
With all the food and drink being served up, Denverites looking to get around the city will need to take note. Road closures and heavy pedestrian traffic will squeeze weekend transportation more than usual this coming month.
Marking its 35th year, the festival is packing in its biggest lineup yet. Organizers expect more than 500,000 attendees this year and are working closely with the Denver Police Department to have plenty of off-duty officers to ensure a safe event, said Doug Schepman a spokesman for the Denver Police Department. The festivities will converge in Civic Center for three days this year.
Civic Center and surrounding road closures started midnight Wednesday and go through noon Tuesday.
Other roads will be closed from 9 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Tuesday. Go to atasteofcolorado.com for information.
RTD will be strained with riders traveling to the Rocky Mountain Showdown, the annual football game between the University of Colorado and Colorado State, on Friday.
Local businesses expect a boost in revenue from the festival.
“What a lot of people do is come down once or twice a year for a festival like this,” said Sharon Alton, vice president of downtown experience for the Downtown Denver Partnership, which puts on the festival. “It is really a way for us to showcase downtown and the city center in general.”
Things only get louder later in the month with Grandoozy, a first-time festival put on by the same masterminds behind Bonnaroo.
The lineup includes EDM icons The Chainsmokers, rap royalty Kendrick Lamar and all-time-great Stevie Wonder. The festival will mean several road closures and partial blockages, but most important for festivalgoers there will be no parking.
Grandoozy is marketing itself as a car-less affair and is encouraging attendees to find eco-friendly transportation to Overland Park. Shuttles from Boulder, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs will run for longdistance fans. For cyclists, the festival is offering free bike valet off the South Platte River Bike Trail.
Superfly, the production company putting on the festival, also is encouraging people to use public transportation.
For street closures and entrance information, go to grandoozy.com.
Filling the Colorado Convention Center with more than 4,000 beers from 800 breweries, the Great American Beer Festival won’t be closing any streets. Attendees are encouraged to ride RTD, and ride-sharing pickup and drop-off points will be available.
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