When the International Festivals and Events Association really wants to honor your event, it bestows the impressively named Gold Grand Pinnacle award upon it.
This year, Denver's 4th of July weekend staple, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, claimed that top honor, beating out the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the Philadelphia Flower Show.
"To be recognized among those leading organizations and events is really an honor," said CherryArts board chair Jeff Pfeifer, "and something that we think speaks highly of Colorado and the quality of events and art opportunities that we have here."
Cherry Creek Arts Festival, which is put on by the CherryArts nonprofit, marked its 33rd year this summer. More than 150,000 people attended over its three days, drawn by works from 250 artists — including seven international artists and 35 from Colorado.
This is the first time in more than a decade the festival has won a Gold Pinnacle -- it's brought home a half dozen over its history, though -- and organizers said it underlines that Cherry Creek Arts has become one of the top fine arts festivals in the country.
Pfeifer said the associations' judges considered several criteria. Those include the festival's accessibility — it's free and opens early on its first day for those with mobility limitations and other concerns — as well as its environmental commitments and its focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.
"That goes from the mix of artists that are represented, as well as efforts to outreach in our community to make sure that other groups are represented as part of the festival," said Pfeifer.
The festival also serves as a big fundraiser for CherryArts' efforts to bring arts education to more children and adults in the metro area. The nonprofit operates a mobile gallery and sponsors students to purchase original art for their schools. It also gives a handful of early career artists a leg up each year through the Emerging Artists Program, supplying them with mentoring, a free booth at the festival and -- new this year -- financial support.
Meet two of Denver’s new ‘emerging artists’ at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival
"The more successful we are at the festival, the more it helps to fund and drive those kinds of year-round activities which support mission of the organization, which is to create art experiences for everyone," said Pfeifer.
