Lakewood’s Kristin Hamann was researching things to do around Denver Aug. 19-20, when the Golden Fine Arts Festival popped up on her screen.
Hamann hadn’t been to it before and decided to stop by Aug. 19, along with thousands of other art fanatics.
Golden’s 11th Street was packed with 150 artists, thousands of attendees and tens of thousands of art pieces — jewelry, paintings, photos, sculptures, fibers and more — this weekend as the Golden Chamber of Commerce hosted the 33rd annual event.
Lisa Zarucka, a Denver-based mixed media artist, was participating in her first festival, and said Aug. 19 that all the logistics had been “flawless.” The crowd was nonstop, saying people were already streaming through before it officially opened. And, she said all her fellow artists were very talented.
About two-thirds of the participants were Colorado-based artists. The out-of-state artists spanned from the Great Lakes to the Southwest.
Many artists had participated before, like painter Beth Hubbert from Sherman, Texas.
She and her husband, John, were at last year’s event, and said this year’s had equally good artists and attendance.
They commended the organizers and volunteers for all their hard work putting it together, saying they especially loved the pre-festival reception for the artists Aug. 17. They said it was a great opportunity to meet the other artists, as it’s difficult to step away from their booths once the festival starts.
The Hubberts believed Golden and the surrounding area was very “art friendly,” as locals have a strong appreciation for art-centric events like this.
Among the art admirers walking among the booths were Kevin Ford and Michael Sattler.
The couple biked from Denver for the day, saying they love returning to the festival to see the variety of art and artists collected along 11th Street. Plus, they continued, they’re “always looking for something for the garden.”
