Denver Chalk Art Festival Returns to Larimer

This year 2020’s event has been cancelled due to COVID-19.

The Denver Chalk Art Festival showcases more than two hundred artists painting their masterpieces onto Larimer Square. They turn this popular downtown district into a museum of street art.

It’s free to the public, so come anytime. Next year’s event takes place on Saturday, June 5th from 10am to 10pm, and Sunday, June 6th, 2021 from 10am to 7pm. On Sunday at 6pm there’s an awards ceremony.

The Larimer Arts Association hosts the event, which features five madonnari (professionals in this medium). Two of the madonnari, Stephen DeOrio and Grace Hollenbeck, are Colorado residents. There will be live music throughout the festival and on Friday night.

Denver Chalk Art Festival Kids' Corner — Kids’ Corner. Photo: UCFFool

The Youth Challenge, presented by the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design, invites a dozen groups of students from local schools and organization to compete for cash that goes back to their respective visual arts departments. The Kids’ Corner is open to children and their parents, whom wish to create their own mini masterpieces for a small donation.

Wine from around the world will be available by the glass at three tents within the festival. Beer choices include Blue Moon, Honey Moon Summer Ale, Coors and Coors Light. There will be also be a variety of non-alcoholic beverages.

You can head down early on Friday evening to watch the artists work and enjoy a downtown Denver happy hour. There’s a DIY graffiti showdown, where you compete with a drink in one hand and spray paint in the other. The brewer at Blue Moon Brewing Co. will be there and there will also be live music.

If you can’t make this event, please be sure to head south for the Centennial Chalk Art Festival in mid September.