98th Arvada Harvest Festival moving ahead at Clear Creek Valley Park How Arvada’s One Small Step program is combatting homelessness

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI LFUGLEI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As cities across the nation look for ways to assist unhoused people, Arvada is utilizing a program designed to help — One Small Step.

One Small Step is designed as a way to rehabilitate criminal defendants experiencing homelessness without punitive measures. Instead of facing jail time or nes for low-level o enses, participants are connected with resources to better their lives.

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e 98th Arvada Harvest Festival will look a bit di erent than years past, as most of the beloved local event will be held at Clear Creek Val- ley Park this year from Sept. 8 to 10. Unlike the other facets of the festival, the parade is not moving — it will be held at 9 a.m. on Sept. 9 on 58th Avenue between Tabor Street and Miller Street; just like last year. e move to Clear Creek Valley Park comes after years of discussion between the festival’s organizers — the Arvada Junior Chamber Foundation, or Jaycees — and the City of Arvada that have centered on returning the festival to its original footprint in Olde Town Arvada.

Renee Nelson, the Co-Chair of the Arvada Harvest Festival Committee, said the move was necessitated to ensure the tradition would reach its centennial anniversary. Nelson said that the city’s proposal would have cost the Jaycees its nonpro t 501(c)3 status.

“We had to go (to Clear Creek Valley Park) to ensure we would make it to our 100th year,” Nelson said. “ e city tried to force us into the footprint of where the BID hosts events, where the BID would run (the Harvest Festival) and we would just volunteer and show up — that would e program restarted in January 2021 after experiencing a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Housed within the municipal court, One Small Step is overseen by Municipal Judge Kathryn Kurtz.

When defendants participate regularly and complete the program, punitive measures such as jail time or nes can be waived.

“All of our defendants are really, really good, kind-hearted people who’ve just had a lot of struggles in their life,” said Kurtz. “I think the coolest part about it is watching people make progress and positive change in their life.”