After a year hiatus in 2021, the Arvada Winterfest flooded the streets of Olde Town once again for its fourth anniversary. Organized by the Arvada Festival Commission, this culturally driven event celebrates the rich diversity of our great state. Complete with food trucks, craft vendors, live performances, a beer garden and an ugly sweater contest pet parade — it was certainly a day filled with incredible experiences and delicious bites.
The party erupted on February 26 and lasted from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Olde Town Arvada decorated high to low with murals, ice sculptors and cultures of all kinds was certainly a sight to see. The Colorado Asian Cultural Heritage Group lit up the crowd with their famous dragon and lion dance. Polka dancing demonstrations and Irish step-dancing left all in awe while the Mariachi Sangre Mexicana band brought the beauty of Mexican culture alive. Paws n’ Play sponsored its famous ugly sweater contest for pets and these cute and cuddly friends were the stars of the show.
Adelle Burton, special events coordinator at the Arvada Festivals Commission, was excited to finally bring this event back to McIlvoy Park in 2022. “The cultural performances are something really different for Arvada,” Burton said. “It’s neat that we get to highlight those various cultures and teach people about them.”
The Arvada Winterfest partnered with the Business Improvement District to ensure thorough support of the community. In the past, all proceeds from the beer garden were used to support its efforts, and this year was no different. “Their goal is to enhance the vibrancy in that area. They recently did the murals on some of the streets in Olde Town so that’s an example of how the funds from Winterfest support the Business Improvement District,” Burton said.
The beer garden was a hit as it is every year. The spot celebrated local breweries and left all thirsting for more. New Image, Elevated Seltzer, Denver Beer Company, Ironton Distillery and choices from Flights Wine Café were all included in the agenda. Colorado is known to have some of the best brews in the country and the Arvada Winterfest certainly recognized this fact.
Food trucks sprinkled the space with lines running up and down the streets. These traveling chefs represented various cultures and prepared amazing dishes for the people of Arvada. Darleen’z Dillas served up some of the best quesadillas in Denver and left all filled to the brim with cheese. Original by Greeks supplied Mediterranean food galore with its hefty gyro wraps, fresh salads and falafel. Msosi Kenyan Cuisine brought mouthwatering samosas, chapati, mandazi and more to the party. All Olde Town Arvada restaurants were open for the fun and patrons had the ability to choose from the best of the best. With these diverse choices, all taste buds were left satisfied at this cultural event.
The Arvada Winterfest will return in the coming years to continue celebrating the fascinating art and culture that is present within Colorful Colorado. This event is one of the best to attend to immerse yourself in upbeat dance, cuisine, music, art and more. To keep up with the other events that Arvada has on the schedule, visit arvadafestivals.com and mark your calendars — these dates are not to be missed.