The Colfax Ave Business Improvement District hosted the 2nd Annual Art-i-fax Street Party on Saturday, August 12, 2017.
Park Ave was shut down from Colfax to Humboldt for the day which provided a great central space for the party, made the intersection of Colfax and Park safer for pedestrians and vehicles, and gave attendees a feel for what the space could be like if it were converted to a public plaza. It was a fun day filled with music, art, food, beer, and community building.
Art-i-fax had something for everyone, from music lovers to kids and everyone in between. Green Door Fitness kicked off the day with a circuit style workout. Local artist Mythica brought the pavement to life with a colorful live chalk art performance. Comic artist and illustrator Karl Christian Krumpholz sketched bar coaster portraits of attendees. Attendees enjoyed live music from local bands Electric Thinking Machine, Foxxes, Gun Street Ghost, and FaceMan.
Kids hula hooped with JumpBunch Denver and explored an Art Petting Zoo with Denver Public Library in our Kids Section. If you listened closely, you could hear live poetry coming from the trees, courtesy of Lighthouse Writers Workshop. Scraps Mile High was on hand with their composting trike talking about all things compost. Guests enjoyed food from local Colfax establishments like Spices Cafe and Fresh Mex. Many people beat the heat with a cold beer from Great Divide Brewing, complete with a Colfax Ave koozie designed by ArtHouse Design.
We also presented a few special community members with our inaugural “Characters of Colfax” awards. Jonny and Anistacia Barber, the dynamic duo behind the blog colfaxavenue.com, received the “Heart and Soul” award. Former Councilwoman and longtime Colfax advocate Jeanne Robb received the “Colfax Champion” award.
Art-i-fax was more than just a party; it was part celebration, part demonstration. The theme this year was Reflections. The idea was to celebrate Colfax’s past and the history that goes along with it, while also reflecting upon the kind of community we want to build in the future. In addition to enjoying the party, the BID (with help from Voices on Canvas and studioINSITE), invited attendees to weigh in on what they would like to see in a public plaza on Colfax.
People were able to write directly on enlarged maps of the event area to tell us exactly what they’d like to see in a space like this. The location of the party (Park Ave) was a nod to our Streetscape Plan and the idea that this space could be converted to a public plaza in the future. We received lots of valuable feedback that will help us further refine our Streetscape Plan. You can view the plan in its entirety at colfaxave.com/streetscape.
We had beautiful weather, right up until the last half hour during FaceMan’s set when a typical Colorado afternoon thunderstorm rolled through, which made for an epic ending to the day. Thank you to everyone who made Art-i-fax possible, from our amazing squad of volunteers, to our artists and of course our sponsors. It takes a village and our village is pretty awesome. Click here to see more photos from the event. See you next year for a bigger and better Art-i-fax!
Thank you to all of our sponsors – ArtHouse Design, Levitt Pavilion Denver, Argonaut Wine & Liquor, Illegal Pete’s, The Fillmore Auditorium, Front Range Services, Certifiably Green Denver, UMB Bank, Kentro Group, Green Door Fitness, FirstBank, Councilman Wayne New, Council President Albus Brooks, Angelo’s Records, Hush Vapor Lounge