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Denver’s best family-friendly summer festivals 2022

Denver Family Festivals

Summer in Denver is in full swing and so are the many family-friendly festivals in the Mile High City including a Unicorn Festival, taco tasting for taco lovers, the Colorado Renaissance Festival and more! Don’t miss these fantastic events that include arts, entertainment, food and more. 

Also, don’t miss our Summer Activity Guide with 250+ ideas, Denver Free Days to our area museums and Denver Playgrounds & Parks: A guide to the best play areas in metro Denver. 

Colorado Shakespeare Festival

WHEN: Thru Aug. 7, 2022
WHERE: University of Colorado, Boulder

For more than 60 seasons, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival has delighted audiences with classic theatre under the stars. This year’s season includes “Two Gentlemen of Verona,” “All’s Well That Ends Well,” “The Book of Will,” “Coriolanus” and “The Alchemist.”

Colorado Renaissance Festival

WHEN: June 18–Aug. 7, 2022
WHERE: Larkspur

This season we will take you on a magical tour through time and legend. As you wander down the village streets and pathways of the Colorado Renaissance Festival, experience a 16th-century Renaissance amusement park! Ready thyself to revel with master revelers, watch artisans create original works of their ancient craft and be taken in by the tantalizing aromas of roast turkey legs, steak on a stake, fresh baked goods and much more. Featuring a cast of hundreds of authentically costumed merrymakers living and working throughout the village and performing, continuously, upon the Festival’s stages.

Top Taco

WHEN: June 23, 2022
WHERE: Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Greenwood Village

Festival-goers sample unlimited taco tastes from more than 60 restaurants and signature tequila cocktails from some of the best bartenders in Denver. Vote for your favorites to crown four categories of awards: Top Creative Taco, Top Traditional Taco, Top Vegetarian Taco and Top Cocktail. With five stages of amazing music, creative tequila lounge areas, an entire tent dedicated to mezcal tasting and some of the best chefs and mixologists in the city, Top Taco has become the can’t-miss summer event in Denver!

Denver Fringe Festival

WHEN: June 23–26, 2022
WHERE: River North Art District – RiNo

The Denver Fringe Festival is an annual performing arts festival featuring original theatre, comedy, improv, cabaret, magic, dance, aerial, circus and more at venues throughout Five Points and the RiNo Art District.

Highlands Street Fair

WHEN: June 25, 2022
WHERE: Highland Square

Head to the free Highlands Street Fair to enjoy live music, food from local restaurants, great shopping and more! Support local business and the local Denver community to start your summer on a high note.

Cherry Blossom Festival

WHEN: June 25–26, 2022
WHERE: Sakura Square

Fans of taiko drumming, teriyaki chicken, sake and Japanese artwork and wares won’t want to miss this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival – “Sakura Matsuri” in Japanese. The annual event celebrates the Japanese heritage and culture through live entertainment, food and drink, a marketplace and informative exhibits and demonstrations.

Colorado Tiny House Festival

WHEN: June 25–26, 2022
WHERE: Riverdale Regional Park, Brighton

Tour tiny house models, container homes, bus and van conversions, yurts, tents, tipis, teardrops, overland and expedition trailers, custom campers, RVs and more! You’ll learn from industry experts during incredible speaking presentations and meet professional builders and people who have DIY-built their own tiny home who can answer your questions.

Unicorn Festival

WHEN: June 25–26, 2022
WHERE: Clement Park, Littleton

Spend a beautiful weekend in a magical world! Ongoing entertainment and activities include multiple unicorn corrals and photo ops, sing-alongs and stories, princess meet and greets, a castle maze and dragon slide obstacle course, fairyland face painters, food trucks and more!

JULY

Cherry Creek Arts Festival

WHEN: July 1–3, 2022
WHERE: Cherry Creek North

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival is an innovative outdoor fine art event featuring 220 juried artist exhibitors selling original artworks, family-friendly art activities for people of all ages, live music, immersive art experiences and amazing food and drink. The three-day event gives patrons the rare and special opportunity to meet and purchase art from artists from around the country.

Fan Expo

WHEN: July 1–3, 2022
WHERE: Colorado Convention Center

Experience the ultimate playground for comics, sci-fi, horror, anime and gaming. Three days of citywide events, family-friendly attractions and world-renowned celebrities await you at Fan Expo!

Central City Opera’s 2022 Festival

WHEN: July 2–31, 2022
WHERE: Central City Opera House, Central City

Central City Opera’s summer festival is a four-week extravaganza of storytelling and powerful voices, featuring classical music’s biggest talents. Central City Opera’s 90th season will include mainstage productions of the classic operetta “Die Fledermaus” and the modern musical, “The Light in the Piazza.” The moving Holocaust remembrance opera “Two Remain” rounds out the 90th Anniversary season.

Colorado Black Arts Festival

WHEN: July 8–10, 2022
WHERE: City Park

The Colorado Black Arts Festival proudly presents its 36th annual celebration of African American art and culture, a Colorado experience like no other!

Blues and BBQ

WHEN: July 16, 2022
WHERE: Citizens Park, Edgewater

Carve out a spot in your calendar for a full day of blues music and delicious, juicy BBQ.

Mile High Global Bazaar

WHEN: July 16–17, 2022
WHERE: Skyline Park

The Mile High Global Bazaar is a three-day, annual celebration of international cultures, arts, crafts, merchandise, food and music. The event will consist of exhibitors from around the globe representing a vast array of cultures and goods. Denver is home to more than two million people representing a vast array of cultures and countries from around the world. 

RiNo Showcase

WHEN: July 17, 2022
WHERE: Number Thirty Eight

RiNo Showcase is an annual series of festival-link events where locals creatives can share and sell their work. Artists and vendors always keep 100% of their profits.

Cheeseman Park Art Festival

WHEN: July 23–24, 2022
WHERE: Cheesman Park

This show was just nationally ranked as one of the Top 100 Shows of the Decade by Sunshine Artist Magazine! A charming event with an outstanding lineup of artists and craftsmen, the Cheesman Park Art Fest has you culturally covered from live music beneath the trees to Denver’s best food trucks! All of the booths showcase handmade juried works of art and craft. From jewelry and pottery, to oil paintings and woodwork, there’s something for everyone!

Colorado Dragon Boat Festival

WHEN: July 23–24, 2022
WHERE: Cheesman Park

Join Colorado’s annual celebration of Asian and Asian American heritage with the biggest dragon boat festival in the U.S.! 

The Big Eat

WHEN: July 28, 2022
WHERE: DPAC/Denver Performing Arts Complex

The Big Eat, hosted inside The Galleria at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, is a one-night showcase of the Denver area’s vibrant and dynamic independent dining scene. Featuring small bites and sips from more than 60 independent food and beverage providers, guests experience the city’s diverse array of local and international cuisines, all while supporting Colorado’s food community.

16th Street Fair

WHEN: July 30–31, 2022
WHERE: 16th Street Mall – Pedestrian Mall

The annual 16th Street Fair is a celebration of fine art, handcrafted goods and the 16th Street Mall in Downtown Denver. Take a stroll along the 16th Street Mall to enjoy a showcase of emerging artists and designers producing original and unique handmade goods in a wide array of media. This is Downtown Denver’s premier art and craft festival located in the city center along the busiest pedestrian street in the state!

AUGUST

Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department and Annual Mountain Festival

WHEN: Aug. 1–Sept. 10, 2022
WHERE: 10830 Rist Canyon Rd., Bellvue

Benefitting the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department, events include a full day’s lineup of performers, demonstrations, booths and activities for the entire family. Other festival favorites include a used book sale, silent auction, bake and plant sales, craft and art vendors, food trucks, educational booths and demonstrations. Admission, parking, a hayride shuttle to/from the parking area, live musical entertainment and ice cream all are free of charge.

Colorado State Fair

WHEN: Aug. 26–Sept. 5, 2022
WHERE: Colorado State Fairgrounds, Pueblo

The annual Colorado State Fair creates an entertaining, inspiring and educational inter-generational experience highlighting the preservation, promotion and exposition of our State’s vibrant and diverse agriculture, industry and culture.

RiNo Showcase

WHEN: Aug. 27, 2022
WHERE: Number Thirty Eight

RiNo Showcase is an annual series of festival-link events where local creatives can share and sell their work. Artists and vendors always keep 100 percent of their profits.

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