Union Station Throws a Party for Statehood Celebration Friday

August 1 marks the 149th anniversary of statehood for Colorado, and Union Station — which got its own refresh last summer — will be the basecamp for Denver's Colorado Day celebration. It's Friday, so knock off work a little early and head downtown: The travel- and-transportation-themed fun starts at 4 p.m. and (officially, at least) ends at 9. Family-friendly festivities will feature free live music in the Great Hall, including tunes on the grand piano by Adam Revell, beats by DJ Chris Cockroft and a preview performance of Bolero, an upcoming show from Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. Meow Wolf Convergence Station will also be on hand with a free makers station and interactive performances.

In addition to the free events, the celebration will also offer a guided history walking tour through historic Lower Downtown, where participants can learn about the city's history and architecture along with efforts from preservation pioneers such as Dana Crawford, the developer who created Larimer Square who passed away earlier this year. "I love sharing Denver's history with people through walking tours, and this is a favorite of mine," says Alison Salutz, director of education at Historic Denver. "It's such a great way to explore the city and find small details that we'd otherwise miss."

The 60 to 70-minute tour will begin at 4 p.m. at the top of the Clocktower at the corner of 16th Street  and Arapahoe, and finish inside Union Station with a behind-the-scenes look at the freshly renovated Crawford Hotel. Tickets are $25 (plus fees) and can be purchased here.
Walking tours work up an appetite, and foodies won't want to miss A Taste of Union Station, featuring snacks and sips from the station's tasty array of food and beverage offerings, including Mercantile, Ultreia, Olive & Finch, Milkbox Ice Creamery, The Cooper Lounge, Terminal Bar, and Snooze, an A.M. Eatery.

"We’re thrilled to offer guests a chance to easily sample the best of Union Station’s eclectic F&B programs, from iconic breakfast bites at Snooze to decadent desserts at Baumé, all in one delicious experience," says John-Mark Larter, director of food and beverage operations for City Street Investors, which is part of the Union Station Alliance management group. "You can expect essentially to have a full meals worth of small bites. All of the restaurants in the building are coming together, with the unfortunate exception of Ogo Kitchen. That's just because they're not up and running yet, but we're looking forward to them joining the shenanigans next year. So every station will have two bites available, and those two bites will be paired with two beverages." Tickets to the all-you-can-bite event are $25 each for adults, with $10 kids tickets available. Purchase tickets in advance here.

This is the first Colorado Day celebration for Union Station, and Larter sees it as a practice run for 2026, the state's 150th birthday. "I'd like to see what lands, and what our guests are enjoying this year," he says. "And not to tease, but we do have some pretty big, pretty spectacular things in the works for next year."

Colorado Day at Denver Union Station Friday, August 1, 4 to 10 p.m., 1701 Wynkoop Street, denverunionstation.com