GREELEY CREATIVE DISTRICT
A unique experience, a lasting impact. “The creative field is ginormous,” says assistant city manager Becky Safarik. “It’s artists and writers and performers and inventors. It’s people who make cakes, cartoons, compose music, and so much more. And it’s all represented right here in Greeley.” The sheer amount of talent – including nationally and internationally recognized “Creatives” – helps explain why Greeley was among the first communities to receive Creative District designation from the State of Colorado in 2012, one of only 12 at the time. But the how? That’s where it gets really interesting. “It’s the breadth and depth of that talent,” explains Safarik. “It’s our roots in Greeley’s original establishment as well as our agricultural heritage. It’s UNC’s national reputation as an outstanding performing and visual arts college, which spawns new talent. It’s the contributions of our immigrant neighbors.” And when you put it all together, she adds, it amounts to an extraordinarily rich cultural experience. One of the goals of Greeley’s Creative District is to promote both the area itself and the many creative outlets and individuals it supports – and to serve as an incubator for further growth. “The creative industry is an entire economic class,” Safarik says. “Combining the quality of life a creative community represents with the revenue it generates…this is an important development driver for the city.”
How much of a driver? The numbers bear it out. In 2016, more than 700,000 people participated in Creative District activities, which translated to more than $22.7 million in revenue. Greeley has a creative culture that’s making a measurable difference in the economy and in the appeal of the community.
Agriculture Fest and Feast Since its inception, Greeley’s been an Ag community. And that history feeds right into the city’s creative identity. “Agriculture is a part of – and a complement to – the creative industry in Greeley,” says Pam Bricker, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority. “After all,” she explains, “much of what happens in the development of agricultural technology requires pretty creative solutions.” There’s also something of a paradox at work. There’s a certain humility that goes along with being tied to the earth, yet it’s a vastly more sophisticated business than most people realize. Hence the annual AgriCulture Fest and Feast: a celebration of Weld County’s bounty and the chefs who whip it all up into a multi-course dinner – and a way for people to better understand how food moves from farm to fork. In its first year, The AgriCulture Fest & Feast won the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Community Tourism Initiative. “That’s Greeley,” says Bricker. “That’s who we are.”
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