Reader: I Love the Chaos of First Friday on Santa Fe

The Art District on Santa Fe introduced a new vending program for May’s First Friday, and some vendors weren’t happy about being moved to side streets…and being charged $50 for the privilege. But many of the art lovers who crowded the area on May 2 were pleased with the changes.

And some wondered why the district didn’t go further: Why not close Santa Fe altogether on these nights? In their comments on the Westword Facebook post of Kristen Fiore’s First Friday stories, readers offer many other observations. Says Jonathan:

Oh, great, more of Denver watering down what used to be awesome events. What’s next? Are they going to start charging patrons for First Friday, too?

Notes Amy:

A handful of businesses on Santa Fe built First Friday years and years ago. Not the vendors. Outside vendors negatively affect the small businesses that pay for their retail spaces. Some vendors get aggressive when asked to leave even when they are blocking doors to the businesses. Denver has always required vendors to be permitted, no matter where they are in the city. This isn’t a new thing. Since nobody seems to comply, from what I can tell the District is trying to give everyone an opportunity to be there and take advantage of the crowds without the chaos on the already small sidewalks.

Responds Rick:

I love the chaos of First Friday. I attend every month and enjoy the energy all the vendors bring to the arts district- which is dead every other day.

Suggests Simi:

Block cars on Santa Fe already. That would free up so much more space for vendors and pedestrians.

Explains Judith:

The First Friday Artwalk in the Art District on Santa Fe is one of the most consistently well-attended and wel- loved institutions in Denver. It has always been challenging to manage venders along the street because of the narrow sidewalks and the fact that it is intended to be about art. Imagine if you had an art gallery with a BBQ food truck spewing smoke outside your door every First Friday! This is an effort to give everyone a positive experience and a chance for all art mediums to have opportunities. Let’s give it a chance. This Friday is the trial run.

Counters Chris:

This crowd is known as “We will take it from here” crowd. Start something grassroots, make it successful, then the same old people come in, take it over, make new rules, and drive it into the ground.

Observes Christina:

Businesses pay a lot of money to be on Santa Fe. This is organized and sometimes things have to change. It was a successful May first friday.

Offers Barbie:

I think charging the vendors and food trucks is excessive, but they should move to the side streets. There are so many people and it’s hard to get around and into the galleries anyway. The vendors are blocking egress.

Comments Bill:

Denver is always wrong on literally everything, but it is right about this. The retailers and galleries who pay rent and have the proper permits are being negatively influenced by non-permitted vendors. It is not fair to those who do it the right way both for space and competitive advantage (you can charge less when you don’t have the costs of complying with the law). Amazing that Denver is on the right side of this, as it generally encourages complete disobedience of laws. Nothing to do with any identity politics or gentrification, simply enforcing the laws in a way that is fair to the folks already complying.

Responds Geoffrey:

A leftover from a time when Denver was a much smaller, less claustrophobic, town. Now it’s just a traffic disruption and a few more layers of bureaucracy.

Concludes Michael:

In tech they call it enshittification, but IRL it’s called fuckafication. Cool people will start something new somewhere else. Such is the cycle of cool shit.

Were you at the May First Friday on Santa Fe Drive? What do you think of the changes? Post a comment or share your thoughts at editorial@westword.com.