When the Streets Are Filled with Art: A Look at the 34th Annual Cherry Creek Arts Festival

Photo: Emma Montanez

The four friends from Kansas City stood in the shade of Signe and Genna Grushovenko’s tent as Signe explained the inspiration for a large painting before them. “This one reminds me of my childhood,” one said. “It looks like it was painted just for us,” said another. The friends had driven from Kansas City to Denver to spend the weekend shopping for art at the 34th annual Cherry Creek Arts Festival, from July 4 to 6. “We heard this was the one festival you have to attend if you love art.” 

They weren’t alone. The streets of Cherry Creek North were filled with 260 exhibiting artists and throngs of festival goers throughout the three-day affair. The temperatures reached the mid 90s, but that didn’t deter Coloradans or out of town visitors from enjoying the many offerings: work from the artists, of course, but also 14 free live music performances; the always bustling Creation Station, where kids and families enjoyed free art activities all weekend; and even a pop-up silent disco, which had festival goers dancing in the street at the intersection of Fillmore and 2nd.

Cherry Creek Arts Festival Opening night. Delnaz Dance Ensemble from Bella Diva World Dance. | Photo: Liz Levy

“One of my favorite moments from this year’s festival was Saturday night, when more than 600 people gathered on Fillmore Plaza for a free and moving performance from the fantastic Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble,” said Tara Brickell, executive director of CherryArts, the nonprofit organization that produces the Cherry Creek Arts Festival.

Tara also noted some of the festival’s activations that may be less familiar to casual attendees but personify why the festival exists. “Another highlight was our Student Art Buying showcase on Saturday afternoon,” she said.

Photo: Emma Montanez

Each year, CherryArts works with two dozen Colorado schools through their Student Art Buying program. They provide curriculum that teaches students about the business of art, and then host student representatives from each school. CherryArts give each group of students $500 to spend on original art, which they take back to their schools for permanent display. Since the launch of this program, students from more than 450 schools have added more than 1,300 pieces of original art to their lobbies and hallways.  

Over on Steele Street, five of the artists at the festival were exhibiting their work at a major show for the first time. This quintet received $5,000 each and months of mentorship through the CherryArts Emerging Artist grant program. One of those artists—Eunjoo Kang, who grew up in South Korea but is now based in Mead, Colorado—won third place overall at the festival, a rare feat for an emerging artist. (See all the 2025 award winners here.)

Photo: Emma Montanez

The success of the Cherry Creek Arts Festival helps support the year-round work of CherryArts, and spurs tourism and tax dollars for Cherry Creek North and the city of Denver. This year’s artists generated more than $4.4 million in total sales. And those four friends from Kansas we met in the Grushovenkos tent were among thousands of out of towners who spent July 4 weekend in Denver, inspired by art.

The 35th annual Cherry Creek Arts Festival will take place from July 3 to July 5, 2026.

Photo: Frank Montanez