Downtown Denver’s had a lot of road closures lately, and this weekend’s may be the weirdest.
21st Street is shuttered this weekend from Blake to Market streets so people can throw beanbags into holes — a cornhole tournament. The closure stretches one block, for the event that starts at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23 and ends at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25. The road should be open again by Monday morning.
If you need to drive that route or park nearby, you’d be better off taking Larimer Street, 20th or 22nd streets. Find some other place!
But if you like watching or playing cornhole, it should be a pretty great weekend downtown.
The Ballpark Collective is hosting the three-day cornhole tournament, called the Colorado Cornhole Classic, August 23 to 25. It’s the first time the event’s been held.
Mayor Mike Johnston and Councilmember Darrell Watson will be tossing the first bags Friday at 3:30 p.m.
DJs and bands will grace the stage. There will be four tournaments and a Showdown Stadium for the final matches and showdowns between local celebrities.
Rockies’ mascot, Dinger, will take on fellow mascots. Unnamed athletes will face off. And there will be a bout between the Denver Police and Fire departments.
Tournament winners will receive gift cards and swag from local businesses.
Families are welcome to take a toss.
Organizers bill the event as family friendly. It’s a reminder that there’s still a lot of fun to be had in a neighborhood that took a hit on its reputation during the pandemic. Now, neighbors are struggling to bring it back.
And they are looking for a break from bad news as they build a better future.
“We are building momentum for great things happening in Denver’s Ballpark District,” said Ballpark Collective Board Chair, Matt Van Sistine, in a statement.
For more information, go to the Colorado Cornhole Classic website.
