There's no other way to put it. With the transformation of plain old pavement into gorgeous, vibrant masterpieces, Larimer Square's 15th annual Denver Chalk Art Festival is simply a visual feast.

More than 200 artists (both professional and newbies) will take their craft to the streets on Saturday and Sunday, June 3-4, creating an art gallery of sorts on the very pavement of downtown Denver's Larimer Square. Their tool of choice? Chalk, of course. WHEN: Sat./Sun., June 3-4 | 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. WHERE: Larimer St. (from 15th to Speer); 14th St. (from Market to Lawrence) [gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="16559,16560"] Featured artists will spend the two days of the festival on their hands and knees, first drawing the outline for their piece, then moving on to lay the color base, followed by layering and blending vivid pastel colors to create the desired contrast and depth. Festivalgoers are certain to enjoy the experience of watching the creative process, observing artists in their true element.
Produced by the Larimer Arts Association, an organization committed to arts education and awareness in downtown Denver, the Denver Chalk Art Festival is completely FREE to the public, though there will be beverages and Italian food available for purchase (in keeping with the chalk art craft's Italian roots), a wine-tasting tent, and an art gallery. A designated kids' corner will provide children with the opportunity to create their own chalk art masterpieces, as well. Cheer on teams from local high schools and youth groups as they create chalk art drawings to compete for a prize. The winning group's visual arts department will receive art supplies for their program. [caption id="attachment_16563" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]chalk art The winner of last year's Youth Challenge, by Heritage High School.[/caption] And don't forget to snap photos of your favorite chalk art drawings, then submit them to the "Capture the Color Photo Contest" by uploading them to the festival's Facebook page with the hashtag #DenverChalkArtFestival. Prizes will be awarded! For more information, visit the festival's web site. All images courtesy of Facebook. Have you been to the Denver Chalk Art Festival before? Will we see you there this weekend? Let us know in the comments!

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J. Moore
A synesthete who sees the world in vivid color, Joy is all about soaking up life experiences -- and then translating those experiences into words. Freckle-faced and coffee-fueled, Joy is on a personal quest to visit all 50 states in her lifetime (40 down!), see all the Broadway musicals, and eat all the tacos. For fun, she plays the piano, diagrams sentences, and solves true crime stories from her couch, along with her husband of 20 years and their teenage daughter.
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