Denver County

Ten festivals you don't want to miss this summer

Summer is all about festivals: There's no better way to get away for a day without ever leaving town. International fests take you to faraway places right in your own back yard, others celebrate ethnic cultures, urban enthusiasms, arts-and-crafts, the joy of eating or just being yourself in a judgme ... More >>

The Denver County Fair online ticket store is open for business -- with early-bird pricing!

It's time to gear up for the third annual Denver County Fair, which is aiming to make its trifecta year the best ever. Got a cherry pie to die for? An elegantly stitched quilt? A hen that struts like nobody's business? You have until midnight on July 26 to enter competitions; visit the website for c ... More >>

The 2013 Denver County Fair comes with new poster, tattoo and expanded event schedule

It's not time for the Denver County Fair quite yet -- that won't happen until August 9-11 -- but it's time to start getting excited about it. To help you with your immediate pie cravings and future funnel-cake dreams, we present this year's Denver County Fair poster, the third in a fun and funky ser ... More >>

Add your slice of the pie to the Denver County Fair's new online "fair-raiser"

How much does it cost to put on a county fair? According to Tracy Weil of the Denver County Fair, about $200,000 -- and the DCF isn't funded in any way by the county, unlike most traditional fairs. Of course, that's also what helps sets the DCF apart from all the other fairs: Weil and fair director ... More >>

Five prizeworthy parts of the 2012 Denver County Fair

During a long weekend at the new, improved, second annual Denver County Fair, one thing became very apparent: There's no way to see everything, and there's nothing you'll want to miss. We caught spelling bees and speed-knitting contests, an art gallery that seemed like an endless maze, cooking and c ... More >>

Photos: The food (and pie faces) of the 2012 Denver County Fair

It's hard to tell which part of the Denver County Fair is better: the food, the festivities or the half-sick, half-elated, entirely dazed feeling you get when you're done with them. Regardless, the annual tradition combined all three (plus a freakshow) once again at the National Western Complex this ... More >>

Denver County Fair: Viva Denver Gets Loco on Sunday

The second annual Denver County Fair is already under way, and in honor of the fact that one-third of Denver County's population is Latino, one-third of this year's fair will be Latino. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, the fair will be devoted to Viva Denver, a celebration of Latino culture. The fun ... More >>

Photos: Freaks and friends at the Denver County Fair

This looks like it hurts. A lot. This morning, Westword photographer Christopher Morgan headed to the opening hours of this year's Denver County Fair to capture the pained and friendly faces at the Freakshow Pavilion in the National Western Complex. This year's event runs August 10-12 and promises " ... More >>

All’s Fair

Denver County Fair Geek Pavilion: "Stormtroopers, zombies, steampunks ... it's going to be pretty dang cool"

Fear not, geeks (and geek-curious): The Geek Pavilion at the second annual Denver County Fair, which runs from Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12 at the National Western Complex, is in excellent hands. That's because Dana Cain, the Denver County Fair's director, is passionate about nerd lif ... More >>

Denver County Fair Freakshow Pavilion: "You can't call it a freakshow unless you have a freak"

Ukulele Loki knows a thing or two about what makes a freakshow a freakshow. He's been active in the circus and sideshow arts (yes, that is a thing) for years, honing his craft as a "talented talker" (or what the squares might call a barker, a term he rejects as vulgar) and delving into the history a ... More >>

The Denver County Fair says: Yes, in my back yard! Enter competitions now

Update: A lot of folks are reporting bumper crops this warm summer. How about you? If you haven't already entered your prized eggplant or handmade quilt (because, hey, not all of us garden) in the Denver County Fair, you've been given a reprieve: The fair has extended its online competition entry d ... More >>

Ten new reasons to buy your ticket to the Denver County Fair now

If last year's inaugural Denver County Fair was a grand experiment, this year's "is going to blow the first one out of the water on all counts!" says DCF maestra Dana Cain. That's because Cain's mental notepad was a cover-to-cover frenzy of new ideas and lessons learned by the time the 2011 event wa ... More >>

Zombies! Miniature horses! Iguana beauty contests! Robot wars!

The Denver County Fair -- version 2.0 -- is coming back to the National Western Complex on August 10, just over five weeks from now. We've just come from a mind-blowing powwow with DCF masterminds and will soon share all the fair's new twists and turns. But first, there's news about how you can get ... More >>

Denver County Fair unveils 2012 poster

Are you ready to "open up a can of Yee Haw!" at the Denver County Fair? While you'll still have to wait until August 10 for the second edition to start -- filled the National Western Hall of Education with a carnival, vendors and pavilions, and the return of the Freak Show -- the fair just unveiled ... More >>

Denver County Fair announces dates, changes for 2012

Scenes from the 2011 Denver County Fair.​It's not too early to make plans for the second annual Denver County Fair -- which has been moved to the second weekend in August, starting on Friday, August 10 and running through Sunday, August 12, with extended hours. "We won't be up against the Dra ... More >>

Occupy Denver: ACLU reacts to restiction against recording during court appearances

​Westword has been present at every Sunday-morning arraignment related to Occupy Denver arrests. It was only this past Sunday, however, that I was forbidden by the court from recording anything while inside. The recent ban on anyone other than lawyers taking notes on the arrests and bond rates ... More >>

Thanksgiving on a stick! The Denver County Fair throws a party for its cookbook

​The folks who put on the Denver County Fair last July didn't have a lot of control over the food sold at the event: The concessionaires came with the National Western Stock Show venue. But they're making up for any complaints about that with their very tasty Denver County Fair Cookbook, which ... More >>

Reader: Food doesn't have to revolve around trucks to be acceptable

​ The Denver County Fair was a hit with just about everyone -- everyone who wasn't particularly hungry. But Jenny An's disappointment in the Denver County Fair fare earned this rebuke from Kimberly: Food doesn't always have to revolve around the "Denver Five" or food trucks or Frank Bonanno i ... More >>

Denver County Fair and balanced report: Kenny Be's Worst-Case Scenario

​ My 45-hour-long art exhibit at the Denver County Fair was filled with fun, but there were some highlights...

The Denver County Fair in photos

Itchy-O got menacing.​After 150 years of conspicuous absence, the Denver County Fair reared up in the blazing heat of this weekend and shot its oversized, overstimulated load all over the National Western Complex, leaving us spent until next year. It was an epic time and one we won't soon forg ... More >>

Reader: Only a commie would criticize the food at a fair

Charles Phoenix celebrated retro recipes at the Denver County Fair.​The Denver County Fair may have celebrated some of this city's most innovative entrepreneurs -- but the vendors selling food there didn't rank among them. Jenny An's criticism of the eating opportunities at this inaugural fa ... More >>

Titwrench fest and body paint color our Over the Weekend gallery (PHOTOS)

​It's summertime, and the photos are eye-popping. Find snapshots from Titwrench Fest 3 at the Mercury Cafe, Midnight at Chloe and the Denver County Fair (including an appearance by Devo), as well as our top nightlife photos of 2011 so far (NSFW) and more, on the Westword slideshow page.

The Denver County Fair's speed-sewing competition was sew intense

​Chances are good that you may have missed the most intense part of the Denver County Fair over the weekend. If it wasn't the animals (and the hipster animals), the floating hamster balls, the Sears representatives casting for a new commercial or eating fried Lucky Charms mixed with Cap'n Crun ... More >>

Seedy cartoonist to bedazzle urban farmers at Denver County Fair: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

​ The illustration above appeared as the third panel of my "Predictions 2011" Worst-Case Scenario comic in the December 30, 2010 issue of Westword. I was predicting that the success of the Denver County Fair would turn all loft and apartment residents into rooftop and balcony farmers. But, in ... More >>

The Denver County Fair Arts Pavilion: All Colorado, all the time! Here's what you'll see

Lisa Fricker​ What can you expect in the Denver County's Fair's landmark Arts Pavilion? Not even pavilion manager (and official fair poster artist) Mark Penner-Howell knows for certain at this juncture, at least as far as the big juried show is concerned, but there are at least 400 entries to ... More >>

Picnic with a Steampunk at the Denver County Fair

​The Victorians -- despite their tendency to straitjacket themselves into whalebone corsets, waistcoats, petticoats, fancy hats and stiffly starched, high-collared blouses -- perversely also loved to commune with nature in all its glory, high and low. It's perfectly natural, then, for the Colo ... More >>

Mythica von Griffyn on the Colorado Bigfoot, Bat Boy and the tattooed, bearded lady

​Mythica von Griffyn has a long history in the haunted house business, where she first started working when she was only fourteen, and she's also known as a multi-talented poet, chalk artist and body painter. That considered, Mythica is a match made in heaven as the Freak Show manager for the ... More >>

Let out your chickens! Here comes the Denver County Fair!

​Maybe you've heard about it: The buzz has been slowly growing over time. But what exactly is this Denver County Fair people are clucking and waving around their feathers about? Well, that's not an easy question to answer, since chances are pretty good there's never been anything quite like it ... More >>

Update: Devo at the Denver County Fair tickets go on sale

​Update: Yay! DEVO Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. this morning! Get yours at the Denver County Fair website. It's official: As previously reported here a few weeks ago, Barry Fey joined the Denver County Fair fold to help Dana Cain and Tracy Weil wrangle a high-profile act music headliner fo ... More >>

Summer guide: The Denver County Fair is about to blow other county fairs away

​Yesterday, we brought you the news that Devo is set to headline the Denver County Fair -- good news for anyone inclined shape it up/get it straight/move forward/move ahead. But there will also be about one million other things to do at the Fair, plus other fairs to go to, weird-ass attraction ... More >>

Summer!

Where to go until September

Summer 2011: All's fair in Colorado this summer

Summer 2011: After years of false starts, the Denver County Fair is making its debut

Barry Fey lured out of retirement to join Denver County Fair team as musical director

Legendary local concert promoter Barry Fey, who retired in 1997, is back in the game. We just received word from the Denver County Fair owners, Dana Cain and Tracy Weil, that Fey has been tapped as musical director. The Rockfather will be booking the talent for Saturday night's concert and will als ... More >>

Park Hill pumpkin seeds for the neighborhood that's out of its gourd: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

​ The first annual Denver County Fair is only four months away! Lucky for urban farmers, prize-winning produce practically grows itself. To get your urban garden growing, all you need is a patch of dirt and a packet of Denver County Fair neighborhood seeds...

Dana Cain's top ten things needed for a successful county fair

Predictions 2011: Kenny Be's Worst-Case Scenario

​ Prediction #1: Unable to stop the increasing incidence of slope rage, Colorado ski resorts begin to promote Spring Break pay-per-view broadcasts of Ultimate Ski-Fighting® to help generate revenue. Below, see how the stoner vote affects the Denver Mayor's race...

The year in reviews: a handy link guide to all local record reviews in Westword in 2010

​ Since we're in the process of compiling picks for our annual Moovers and Shakers issue next week, we thought we'd put together a link guide of everything we've reviewed this year thus far. Even though it shouldn't be at this point, it's always a bit staggering to reflect upon just how many ... More >>

Denver Republican headquarters attacked -- but why? Point fingers in our vandalism poll

​Vandals reportedly attacked the Denver County GOP headquarters twice over the weekend. Who's to blame? Radical anarchists like Maurice "Ariel Attack" Schwenkler, charged with vandalizing Democratic HQ last year? Republican operatives? Drunk teens who randomly selected the building to test out ... More >>

Denver County Death March

Denver County Death March
Self-released

Lindsey-Flanigan Justice Center is new, but Denver civil court's still booked at the Sheraton

Lindsey-Flanigan.​Denver's new Lindsey-Flanigan Justice Center, which opened July 6, has 35 courtrooms, 48 conference rooms and modern art installations spread across its 317,000 square feet. And while it will be used by judges, lawyers and parties in all kinds of criminal, drug and juvenile c ... More >>

Jury duty in Denver: Can we get some bagels or some chit-chat up in there?

A Flickr photoThey got to sit on an actual jury duty. They are the lucky ones.​Every week we introduce you to some pillar of shmuckiness. This week: Whoever Runs Jury Duty. The Post reports today that Colorado employers can now verify their workers' jury duty summonses online -- a service tha ... More >>

Huge brawl in LoDo Halloween night! Pillow-wielding assailants sought!

Geez, it was like Bravehart at 15th and Larimer on Halloween night -- but with pillows. More random scenes like this and soon everyone's going to start packing feather-filled heat just to go clubbing. Tell mom I'm going to a sleepover at the Denver County Jail, okay?

Best Place to Get Jail Threads Without Going to Jail

Where the Buffalo Roam

In With the New, Out With the Hooch

The only cocktails at the Denver County Jail this New Year's Eve were fruit cocktails.

Court Is Adjourned

Someone to Lien On

OFF THE RECORD

WHOSE DIVORCE RECORDS ARE SEALED? READ ALL ABOUT IT.