Five Points Debuts a New Festival This Weekend

Festivals in Five Points went through the wringer this year. The longtime Five Points Jazz Festival, an annual free event for 25 years, was replaced with a grant program, and the Juneteenth Music Festival just barely made it, thanks to a heroic drop in by the Drop 104.7.

But on Saturday, September 13, the historic neighborhood will see the debut of Hi Points Festival, a multi-venue, day-long event along the Welton Street corridor that celebrates the cultural and musical legacy of Five Points. There will be twenty live performances, including a tribute to Charles Burrell, the legendary bassist known as "the Jackie Robinson of classical music" who passed away in June. The tribute, which will take place at Cousins Plaza, will be led by pianist Purnell Steen, who will be joined by Carl Jackson and the Park Hill Project.
 
"The debut of Hi Points Festival is as much about renewal as it is about music,” says Norman Harris, executive director of Five Points Business Improvement District, which is producing the fest alongside Conjure Productions. “On Welton Street, we’re recreating the energy of a historic corridor — filling it with life and thriving businesses — while also celebrating how new genres have been recreated from the roots of jazz. This festival shines a spotlight on our community, honoring legends like Charles Burrell and showing how Five Points continues to inspire both tradition and innovation in Denver’s music scene."

The action along Welton will be anchored by a main stage at the Five Points Plaza, where there will be performances from Love Language, TheyCallHimAP, Dreams Delight and Isaac Sinclair's WayBack. Several venues have joined in, too, including 715 Club, Le Rougarou, the Marigold and Spangalang.

Unlike past music festivals in the neighborhood, Hi Points isn't just staging jazz and hip-hop. The festival "stands apart for its diversity of music," according to a press release, and is "intentionally designed to appeal to a wide range of music lovers," offering everything from R&B, funk, hip-hop and jazz to neo soul, pop, Afro fusion and house and bass music. There will also be a showcase from Beats Bodega, the local open mic hosted by Face Defeat.

"The philosophy is simple," organizers note. "Music has the power to bring communities together, and this festival creates a shared space where that connection can flourish."

Hi Points, 2 p.m. Saturday, September 13, Welton Street corridor. Tickets are $15.