Spent this last weekend downtown exploring Denver’s Outside Fest. By day, Civic Center Park was full of activities to check out like yoga classes, cold plunges, motivational seminars about personal development and outdoor conservation, and also a massive rock wall. By the night, the lawn filled with fans eagerly waiting for headliners such as Trampled by Turtles, Khruangbin, and Lord Huron. 

This was the festivals second annual Denver takeover. Walking through the main gates felt like an oasis in the middle of the city.  They brought the mountains to the concrete jungle. The sounds of the music echoed off the surrounding skyscrapers. Outside Fest had all the key essentials to make for a great weekend. They had good food and brews and great tunes to boogie to all day long. There was also loads of shaded hang out areas for when you need a breather between games of cornhole and giving the half pipe a go. The grounds were extremely easy to navigate. The stage was the first thing you saw walking in, seated at the steps of the Capitol building with a huge lawn area to wait out your favorite artists. Food and drink trucks sat on either side of the festival grounds, and the venders made a big loop leading you through the whole park. VIP had several shaded tents to get out of the heat and reserved lawn area for more dancing room. The first sets of both days featured Denver local artists like Squeaky Feet and The Copper Children.

In true Colorado fashion, Day 2 had to be evacuated midway for severe thunderstorms. For the safety of all attendees, we were asked to seek shelter outside the festival grounds while Outside Fest’s social media teams kept us up to date with frequent posts letting us know the new game plan and set times. Keeping to the “Colorado bipolar weather” trend, just like that, an hour later the clouds cleared and we had sunny blue skies for the rest of the night.

Whether you’re having a day out with the family or getting weird with friends at Khruangbin, Outside Fest had something for you to do. I’m look forward to checking out next years lineup and watching this festival grow and continue to get better. 

Lord Huron

Khruangbin

Sylvan Esso

Trampled By Turtles

Neal Francis