Get ready for a program full of art in all its forms–street art, installations, music, and much more will rock RiNo this September from the September 5th to 11th. The inaugural Art RiNo is hitting the town, and we’ve got the full scoop.
First off, the most intriguing thing about Art RiNo is that it’s basically smaller festivals within bigger festivals within a giant sprawling festival, kind of like the Russian Dolls of festivals. There’s plenty to do, some family friendly events, some that involve lots of beer, some for people who want to get active and engaged with the art and some for people who want to sit back and watch. Let’s go through what this first-time festival has to offer and why we’re so excited.
Murals
You can enjoy live demonstrations of muralists doing their thing–creating beautiful standalone art pieces on six different walls–from local and international muralists. Denver-native, SpeakS’s work celebrates community and culture, Patrick Kane McGregor is already a prolific Denver-local artist who will be making a mural here, and Australian artist Smug, who is based in Glasgow, Scotland, will have a wall to himself where he will be creating a mural in his signature hyperrealistic art style.
Music
RiNo Art will also be partnering with the Westword Music Showcase, taking place from the 9th to the 10th, where the floor is given to Denver-local bands to display their music to a wider audience in different venues like ReelWorks and Larimer Lounge. The showcase also has internationally-acclaimed artists like The Flaming Lips, who are headlining at the Mission Ballroom Outdoors venue. General admission for this event costs $55 and can be purchased online.
Pop Ups and Workshops
Get interactive with pop ups and workshops you can participate in, from the Identity through Art Panel, Pop up Dj Sets, a Colorado Rapids Pop up featuring a Luche Libre wrestling match, a picnic with art vendors, and even a RiNo bar crawl the caps off the afternoon on Sunday.
Luminade
A light installation festival will be illuminating Art RiNo from September 7th to 10th from IRL Arts, a collective of artists with a focus on high impact creative projects based in RiNo. It will take place at RiNo Art Park from dusk until 10pm, where guests can see the featured, standout art: dazzling installations that will be “brought to life through projection mapping, LEDs, sculptures, murals, and other interactive-based pieces,” featuring Denver-local and international artists.
They’re schedule is on their website if you’re interested and everything aside from Westword Music Showcase, is completely free.