Welcome to the weekend! Denver is hosting a slew of events this weekend, including some for Oktoberfest, but if you're looking for something more neighborhood-ly, we have you covered.
The Montbello neighborhood is hosting its annual Montbello Alive! event, which celebrates the rich history, diversity and resiliency of the Northeast Denver neighborhood.
Celebrating its seventh year on Saturday, folks can head to the Parkfield Lake Park & Amphitheater at the Montbello Recreation Center located at 15555 E. 53rd Ave.
Starting at 4 p.m., there will be over 50 vendors and resource booths, along with a live performance from the Pink Hawks, a local Afrobeat and Latin orchestra. Folks are encouraged to visit each booth in order to be entered into a prize drawing that includes televisions and Xbox gaming systems.
At night, there will be a group bike ride around the five-mile Montbello loop. Folks can come to the event early to decorate their bikes with neon lights and they can perform safety checks.
To close the events, residents will be greeted by minions -- Gru's minions to be exact. There will be a screening of "Minions: The Rise of Gru" on a large outdoor movie screen.
The event is hosted by the Montbello Organizing Committee, along with Struggle of Love Foundation, Montbello 2020 and Families Against Violent Acts. According to the MOC, about 56% of Montbello residents live under Denver's median income of $60,000. But organizations involved in the event have helped the neighborhood in their fight for food justice, affordable housing and better transportation. The ultimate goal is to build community wealth to help Montbello residents can continue to thrive.
Before heading to Montbello, folks can head to east Denver for the 10th annual HarvestShare event hosted by East5ide Unified|Unido. HarvestShare takes over six parks, a farm, a school and about 20 streets across Five Points, Whitter, Clayton, Cole and Skyland from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The event began in 2013 as a way for urban farmers and gardeners to bring their extra crop to the community. The goal is also to promote healthy eating and active living amongst residents.
At each park, participants will find a community-based nonprofit including, Make a Chess Move, an organization that teaches youth life-changing and saving decision making through the game of chess, and GRASP (Gang Rescue and Support Project), that works on gang intervention.
There will be a free drumming workshop hosted by the Moyo Nguvu Cultural Arts Center and a basketball competition with a cash prize.
East5ide Unified is an organization focused on the 80205 zip code, an area experiencing displacement due to gentrification and high rent costs. When Denver evictions jumped in June, 55 of them, the highest number, happened in 80205. The organization is working to educate neighborhoods on the vast changes, while also continuing to give residents a sense of community.
Here's the list of venues:
Fuller Park (2801 N Williams St.)
Frederick Douglas Park (30th & Gilpin St)
Madame CJ Walker Park (30th & High St)
Dr. Alan Hale Williams Park (30th & Lafayette St.)
George Morrison Sr. Park (1400 E Martin Luther King Blvd)
St. Charles Place Park (37th and Lafayette Street)
Seeds of Power Unity Farm (3561 Humboldt St.)
Wyatt Academy (3620 Franklin St.)
