. . . in the eye of the beholder.
For twenty-eight years, the Golden Fine Arts Festival has been one of Golden's signature summer events. Sponsored by the Golden Chamber of Commerce as a fund raiser, the two-day festival typically draws more than 30,000 visitors to Golden on a weekend in late August. Admission is free. The 28th annual Arts Festival will be Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm on August 17 & 18, 2019.
The main venue for the festival is 11th Street, between Maple and Arapahoe Streets, adjacent to the south shore of Clear Creek. There, visitors will find 130 open-air exhibits, featuring ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, paintings, photographs and sculptures. Cash awards totaling nearly $2,000 are awarded each year in multiple categories. Live music, a Kids' Art Zone, food venders, and artist demonstrations complement the festival experience.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in town many merchants sponsor special events to capitalize on the visiting crowds and to enhance festival-goers' Golden experience. The regular Saturday morning Farmer's Market, across a footbridge from the Arts Festival, will be open all day (8 am - 4 pm). At the Clear Creek History Park (a few steps east from the Arts Festival main venue), there will be demonstrations of the 19th century arts of lace making, leather crafting and blacksmithing. For visitors willing to wander a few blocks from the Arts Festival there will be live music at several locations in historic downtown Golden. Click here to go the Fine Arts Festival website.
