Every year over Labor Day weekend, A Taste of Colorado brings dozens of booths to Civic Center Park, serving up food from local Colorado restaurants. The free event brings in hundreds of thousands of visitors to enjoy live music and art and to sample some of the best food the state has to offer.
Last year, the pandemic forced organizers to cancel the festival, marking the first time in almost 40 years that it didn't operate. Now, Taste is returning, though it'll look a bit different from festivals past.
The Downtown Denver Partnership announced that Taste will return to Denver over Labor Day weekend, but this year's version will be held downtown, where it'll host attractions, events and food tastings out of restaurants and venues scattered around the area.
"Taste of Colorado is a well-loved tradition that spans generations," said Sharon Alton, Vice President of Downtown Experience at the Downtown Denver Partnership. "We're proud to bring Taste back as we emerge from the pandemic, this year in a new format that will be a true celebration of our city's culture and everything that our city's artists, musicians, and restauranteurs have to offer. Never has it been more important to highlight all things local, and we can't wait to do just that alongside our community over Labor Day weekend."
This year, featured food will be exclusively sourced from local, independent Colorado restaurants. According to the application to participate in Taste, food trucks will populate the area on Lawrence Street between 15th and 17th streets, while booth and tent vendors will operate in Skyline Park, where the Skyline Beer Garden and Southwest Rink have been held. Participating downtown restaurants can operate out of their own locations and won't have to pay a fee to participate. Each restaurant will offer at least two highlighted Taste items in the form of tiny samples. Interested downtown restaurants can apply here.
Downtown Denver Partnerships will announce a full lineup of attractions in the coming months. In the meantime, local artists and musicians can apply to participate. Interested bands can submit an electronic promo kit to this email, and muralists, who would contribute murals designed to celebrate "urban adventure and exploration," can apply here.
A Taste of Colorado Dates:
Saturday, September 4, 2021: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Sunday, September 5, 2021: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Monday, September 6, 2021: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
