three big days & nightS
august 10-12, 2018 FIREWORKS ZOPPé FAMILY CIRCUS LIVE MUSIC PARADE CARNIVAL car show fine art show FOOD COURT Beer & Wine Garden Spaghetti Dinner Chili Cook Off PIE BAKING CONTEST FREE ADMISSION
anderson park 44th avenue and field street • wheat ridge • colorado
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2018 WHEAT RIDGE CARNATION FESTIVAL
NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE – JULY 16 – AUGUST 13, 2018 – ngazette.com
history
parade
A History of the Carnation: the Festival, the Flower and the Farmers
Carnation Parade Celebrates “Deep Roots – Short Commutes”
Every August in Wheat Ridge there’s a community shindig for a few thousand of the city’s closest friends. The party, the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival, is nearing the half-century mark and is one of the longest running events in Colorado. The festival, set for August 10-12, in Anderson Park at 44th and Field, derives its name from the post-World War II period when Wheat Ridge was home to a thriving carnation industry. The last carnation grower in Wheat Ridge phased out their operation in 2008. The event has changed and grown, but has always been a free, locally-driven and family-friendly event. In 2017, there were over 30,000 attendees at Anderson Park. Now a three-day festival, it attracts residents and visitors from around the state. The festival has been a long-time of supporter of many local Wheat Ridgefocused nonprofi ts and service clubs, as well as student and senior organizations. All monies generated by the festival go to these local entities or back into the costs of the festival itself. The festival is a registered nonprofi t and is managed by a board of Wheat Ridge volunteers. The city of Wheat Ridge was incorporated and offi cially become a city on Aug. 15, 1969. In honor of the city’s birthday, the area’s agricultural history (the Wheat Ridge High School sports teams are named the Farmers) and carnation production, a festival was born. The carnation fl ower has its own lengthy history. The scientifi c/Latin name is Dianthus Caryophyllus, which translates into Flower of Zeus or Flower of the Gods. The carnation is one of the world’s oldest cultivars. It’s fi rst mentioned in ancient Greek literature as growing on hillsides. Colorado’s abundant sunshine makes for a near-perfect place to grow carnations since the blooms need ample sunlight. Wheat Ridge is close to Denver and provided the needed space for greenhouses. In the 1960s the city had 32 diff erent carnation growers and sent fl owers to the White House every Monday morning. The bouquet was displayed in the front foyer with a card stating: “With compliments to our nation’s capital, Wheat Ridge Colorado, Carnation City,” according to the Wheat Ridge Historical Society. The city’s moniker as being the “Carnation City,” prompted a group of people to organize an offi cial agricultural and fl oricultural weekend celebration. Thus, the Carnation Festival and Parade become an annual tradition, fi rst held on 38th Avenue. The parade remains on 38th Avenue, (with a brief hiatus to 44th Avenue at one point.) Over the years, the parade has featured fl oats with mounds of carnations from the local growers. The greenhouses are gone, but the connections to the past remain. The world now receives its carnations primarily from South America. The festival itself has had a few sites since the beginning, until fi nding its present home at Anderson Park. Like so many traditions, occasions and festivals, fi nding the exact origins of the festival and historical specifi cs are as steeped in unknowns as the carnation fl ower itself. Many of the city’s founders and festival originators have passed but their legacy continues.
“Everybody loves a parade” and there are many beloved and famous parades to celebrate in U.S. history. The top four include the fi rst St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1762, the fi rst Mardi Gras Parade in 1856, the fi rst Tournament of Rose Parade in 1890 and the inaugural Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924. First held in 1969, to commemorate the year of our city’s founding, the theme for this year’s Carnation Festival Parade is “Deep Roots – Short Commutes.” Chaired by District IV City Councilmember Leah Dozeman, assisted by Festival Board Member Ruth Baranowski, the parade functions as one of the most visible ways the city honors service groups; local schools and businesses; the fi re and police departments; state and national politicians and political candidates; and church groups and hobby clubs, including auto, horseback riding, biking, walking, martial arts, cheerleading and dance. The parade also honors distinguished residents by selecting a Grand Marshal, Count and Countess, who serve as royalty and ride in the parade. Optimist Ron Benson will be one of possibly multiple Parade Announcers. Engaging residents in all aspects of the parade is a main goal of the 2018 parade. Community groups and individuals, who want to secure one of 80 maximum spots, need to register online by Wednesday, July 25th. This year, the following parade application fees have been implemented: $45 for Wheat Ridge businesses; $50 for businesses outside Wheat Ridge; and $150 for politicians and political candidates. Also, a late fee will be charged for applications received after Friday, July 27th . On the day of the parade, two resident judges will randomly select three attendees from the crowd to help judge the winning entries in the categories of Best Marching Band, Marching Unit, Musical Group, Business, Vehicle and Float as well as Most Creative and a Community Award. \ Commemorative plates, featuring a local artist’s design, will be awarded to the parade category winners. The winners of the commemorative plate competition were 1st place: Wilma Knies for “Wheat Ridge Farmers Market”, 2nd place: Ruth Baranowski for “A Diff erent Type of Gold” and 3rd place: Zachary Urban for “Rooting for Wheat Ridge”. The parade application can be found on the homepage of TheCarnationFestival.com. Parade winners, royalty, the city and the Carnation Festival board will be honored at the Awards Ceremony on Saturday, August 11th. The parade runs Saturday morning from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. With staging from Ames to Depew Streets, the parade route continues to Upham Street along West 38th Avenue. Dominick Breton and the Grange board will serve a $7-donation Pancake Breakfast at The Grange from 7 am to 9 am. Parking is available in front of Wheat Ridge Cyclery, at Stevens Elementary and along the side streets of the parade route. The Festival Board welcomes everyone in the community and surrounding communities to join in the celebration of Wheat Ridge.
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2018 WHEAT RIDGE CARNATION FESTIVAL
ngazette.com – JULY 16 – AUGUST 13, 2018 – NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE
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9195 West 44th Ave. 303-423-0162, ext. 100 www.e-gia.com West 29th Ave. @ Depew St. • Wheat Ridge • 303-233-3377 • west29th.com
ZOPPé CIRCUS
FINE ART SHOW
Enjoy thrills under the Zoppé Family Circus Big Top
Local Artists Shine at the Art League Exhibition
Ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages, the circus is coming to town! Those words are rarely heard since Ringling Brothers and other touring circuses have shut down. Fortunately for Colorado circus-lovers, in August the Zoppé Family Circus will perform during the annual Carnation Festival under their Big Top Veneto. (Veneto is what this sixth generation of the Zoppé Circus Family christened their big top tent, in honor of the Italian town from which the family hails.) The Carnation Festival will occur at Anderson Park, 44th & Field, with Zoppé Circus performances Friday, Aug. 10, at 4 and 7 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 11, at 1, 4 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 12, at 1 and 4 p.m. On Saturday the circus will be preceded by a parade along 38th Ave. from Ames Street to Upham Street beginning at 9:30 a.m. A favorite among Carnation Festival-goers, Zoppé Circus is celebrating the 176th year of their family-run extravaganza. Among the 54 individuals who make up the company coming to Wheat Ridge are 10 blood relatives of the Zoppé family. “We are the classic circus in America today,” said Giovanni Zoppé, who runs the thrilling show. “We’re a complete circus, but we are what a circus was in the 1800s. That goes along with the costumes, music, and style of show. Everything we do takes you back to the 1800s.” Zoppé likens the circus to Christmas. Just as Christmas comes every year, with different presents under the tree, the Zoppé Circus also comes every year and brings different acts. Zoppé says this will be the freshest show they’ve performed in the past 10 years. Among the new acts is a bareback-riding performance by Zoppé’s sister Tosca, who has been an amazing bareback rider since she was young. She will re-create their father’s classic bareback riding act. Another new act features four-to-five horses abreast, with a human pyramid of six-to-eight people atop them. “This is not an act you can see in America today,” says Zoppé. The circus also will introduce an act this year that features a bicyclist riding around a large bowl-shaped apparatus. The equipment is 15 feet at the top and 10 feet at the bottom. As the bicyclist rides, the bowl goes up about 35 feet and continues to move. The “bowl” has a large hole in the middle of the bottom. Zoppé explains that this riveting act, which is 120 years old, has not been performed in at least 65 years. He felt it was time to introduce the act to modern-day circus-goers. Admission to the general Carnation Festival is free, as is entry to a variety of concerts. Tickets for each circus performance are $15 for general admission (bleacher seating), $20 for VIP (chair seating) and free for children two and under. The shows sell out quickly, so it’s a good idea to purchase your tickets soon. Visit thecarnationfestival.com/events-entertainment/zoppe-circus for more information and tickets.
The Wheat Ridge Art League Exhibition will be on display during the Carnation Festival at the Anderson Building at Anderson Park, 4355 Field St.: Friday, Aug. 10, 4-10 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 11, noon-10 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 12, noon-4 p.m. It’s been said that art is never an extravagance, but if hanging an original on your wall has seemed out of reach in the past, and you don’t have an unknown Rembrandt your Uncle Ralph gave you tucked away in a basement corner, it’s good reason to head to the Wheat Ridge Art League’s three-day exhibition during the Carnation Festival. More than two dozen members of the Wheat Ridge Art League will be exhibiting their best pieces – watercolors, oils, pastels, pencil drawings, abstracts, modern, still life. It’s all there this year, and many, though not all, works of art will be for sale with prices ranging in affordability that makes it easy for a beginning collector to pick up a piece, and hard for a seasoned connoisseur to resist. “This is the best kept secret in town,” said Pat McAleese, Chairwoman of the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival Art Show. The art show is not a juried event (one in which an artist submits a piece to be accepted by a board) but is rather a members-only show. The Art League, organized in 1974 and now in its 44th year, has more than 40 members, with most hailing from Jefferson County. Artists pay a nominal $30 annual membership fee and together contribute to fulfilling the purpose of league, which is “To pursue the study of the arts, to encourage originality, and to provide members with the opportunity to obtain public recognition.” The league offers its members a visiting artist demonstration during its monthly meetings, in addition to other workshops and, of course, the Carnation exhibition. The Carnation Festival serves as the league’s exclusive art show. Throughout the year, member artists may be on exhibit at any one of the seven regular exhibit spaces around Wheat Ridge, Arvada, and the Highlands, including the Arvada Motor Vehicle Department at 6510 Wadsworth and the Wheat Ridge Municipal Building, 7500 W. 29th Ave. The league commissions a judge to present awards to members for their show submissions, from Best in Show to Honorable Mentions, fulfilling the league’s mission to offer its artists, from amateur to professional, the opportunity to earn recognition for their creativity. In addition to the annual exhibition, the League collaborates with the Carnation Parade Committee on a commemorative plate design contest which is presented to the first place parade winner The commemorative plate reflect the theme of this year’s parade: “Deep Roots -- Short Commutes”. All plate submissions will be displayed during the art show. The Carnation Festival Art League Exhibition offers the public the opportunity to experience art and interact with local artists on an intimate level, underscoring the value to the public in obtaining their own original artwork.
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JOHN KING BAND
DELTA SONICS
Friday, Aug. 10 WILD MOUNTAIN – 3:45 to 5:30 p.m. Wild Mountain is a nod to that transcontinental link between the auld sod’s Celtic music and its centuries of translation by Irish-Americans in the still-wilder mountains of Appalachia. It is little surprise that the six-piece Denver band mixes it all with a rock influence—Wild Mountain was formed from the ashes of the Indulgers, Colorado’s longtime
MICHAEL MORROW AND THE CULPRITS
Now that you’ve seen what Wheat Ridge has to offer, why not keep the flavor going year round? Simply bring this coupon into Wheat Ridge Poultry, make a minimum purchase of $19.99 and be entered into a drawing to win free steaks for one year. Other restrictions may apply. See store for details.
KISSm
ngazette.com – JULY 16 – AUGUST 13, 2018 – NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE
BUCKSTEIN
“shamrockers,” and co-founder Mike Nile is a Los Angeles transplant who once played with the classic-rock band Spirit. Greengrass, Wild Mountain’s 2017 debut, was co-produced at Grapevine Studios in Wheat Ridge by Nile and Neale Heywood, a former guitarist with Fleetwood Mac. Fiddler Renee Fine and singer Sarah Jones are among the band’s “wild” standouts. MICHAEL MORROW AND THE CULPRITS – 5:45 to 7 p.m. Full-strength Southern rock with more than a hint of “hard” is the culprit here. So while 1970s-era Blackfoot or Molly Hatchet might echo from the Marshall amp, one might also recognize shades of Aerosmith or Kiss in the band’s chords and hearty vocals. Last year, the Colorado-based Culprits released the aptly-titled Raucous, the first CD by Michael Morrow’s newly-reconstituted band. “Blue Skies” and “Our Darkest Hour” are among the fan favorites that have had audiences wondering how four guys can produce so much sound. Is someone else hiding behind that Marshall amp? THE TRAMPOLINES – 7 to 8:15 p.m. Formed in 2004 and centered on the vocalist-guitarist-songwriter team of Chris Stake and Mark Sundermeier, the Trampolines have bounced across the United States many times over as both an acoustic duo and full band. With two discs, a CD/DVD set and thousands of record sales between 2005 and 2017, the Colorado band has played and toured with the likes of James Taylor, the Fray, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, the Bodeans, John Waite, and the band’s local brethren, the Samples. Now, the recently reformed Trampolines have sprung back for a few shows with the original full-band lineup. BUCKSTEIN – 8:45 to 10:45 p.m. (with fireworks at break) Denver’s Matt Buckstein is a 6-foot-4 baritone who just happens to have once hit 200 million televisions worldwide as a contestant on American Idol—he was pursuing an acting career at the time, but fate and country music had other plans. “I couldn't get arrested in Los Angeles.” he says. “One day, a few friends of mine went to the American Idol auditions. They wanted some company so I went along. I got through and they didn’t.” These days, Buckstein is working on his band’s next album set for release this year. “If my sound were a drink, I'd like to think it would come in a bottle with a cork instead of a twist cap,” the bass singer says. “And I'd like to say it's got a crisp bite with a smooth finish.”
SILVER AND SMOKE
Buy 4 Steaks, Get One at 50% Buy 3 steaks at regular price and get the 4th steak for 50% off Other restrictions may apply. See store for details.
FREE Pound of Hamburger with minimum purchase of $19.99 Other restrictions may apply. See store for details.
Saturday, Aug. 11 THIN AIR – 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. Named for Widespread Panic’s “Thin Air (Smells Like Mississippi),” this Denverbased tribute to the neo-jam band probably picked the right part of the song title for its moniker. Smells like Mississippi? Thin Air captures the organic grassroots of Panic in its sound, delivery—and, yes, the length of the songs on the set list. Out of Thin Air come six musicians: Ryan Morrow, bass, Lionel Lucchesi, drums, Bill Stonebraker, lead guitar, Grant Kuhlman, guitar and lead vocal, and Ari Margolis, keyboard, plus a rotating roster of special guests on percussion. Sway to the music and vanish into Thin Air. SILVER AND SMOKE – 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. Go West, young man! Since 2015, Colorado’s Silver and Smoke has blazed a trail the band calls Western rock—a maverick fusion of American blues, rock, folk, country, punk and bluegrass, all with a decidedly west-of-the-Mississippi attitude and altitude. Silver and Smoke even moseys its way into classical and jazz, the band says—perhaps in deference to Western Europe and the Lower West Side of New York. In just two years, Silver and Smoke has toured—what else—the West Coast, and earned airplay on radio stations across the untamed Western United States. The band made its debut last year at the 2017 Underground Music Showcase—in central Denver, but west of Capitol Hill. YOUR OWN MEDICINE – 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. This Denver-based four-piece will give you a taste of Your Own Medicine—a heavy dose of catchy melodies, washed down with an emotional, modern punch—as prescribed by Michael Kellogg, vocals and guitar, Carlos Martin, bass, Bo Burbank, drums, and Emerson Willis, guitar. The lineup has just released its debut, Waiting to Fall, a CD the band describes as a “complete reflection of the intense effort [Your Own Medicine puts] in daily to be the very best out there in the scene, on stage and in your speakers.” Warning: Do not take more than directed. KISSM – 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. If you never had a chance to flick your Bic at a ‘70s-era Kiss concert, Kissm is a rare opportunity for a 21st century makeup—quite literally. Dressed in authentic reproductions of original Kiss costumes and face paint—the Demon, Starchild, Spaceman and Catman,
WILD MOUNTAIN
TYLER WALKER BAND
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THE TRAMPOLINES
live music ON THE MAIN STAGE ALL THREE DAys & nights
By Peter Jones One never really knows what they are going to hear at Wheat Ridge’s Carnation Festival. “When I told the board members we’re going to have a Kiss tribute band, I got some sideways looks. It’s a spectacle to be sure,” said Joe Demott, the Carnation Festival board chair who books most of the acts for the city’s three-day signature jubilee. Although “something for everyone” is perhaps the longest-standing hyperbole in the history of show business, this festival really means it, with a total of 11 bands representing everything from turbo-charged Celtic folk to straight-ahead Chicago blues. While the 49th celebration of all-things Wheat Ridge also boasts a parade, a circus, fireworks and a car show, to name a few attractions, the live music has taken on a life of its own in these modern worlds of social media and traveling self-contained band audiences. “We’re really highlighting the music as an event itself,” Demott said. For example, while platoons of the Kiss Army will most certainly invade Anderson Park for Kissm [with accompanying face painters at the ready], the easygoing hacky-sack set may be just as populous for Thin Air, a jam-band tribute to Widespread Panic. More than 20,000 people—music lovers and others—from across metro Denver will attend the festival over the course of the weekend, Demott estimates. A major attraction this year will be Saturday’s headliner, the John King Band, direct from Georgia, the only non-Colorado act on the schedule. King, whose biggest hit, “Tonight, Tonight,” has been a fixture on country radio, will bookend his sets with one of two fireworks shows. Another country act, Colorado’s Matt Buckstein of American Idol fame, will light similar honors on Friday. “You usually get that huge mass exodus after the fireworks with most of the families, so hopefully that will kind of keep a few people there and quell that traffic,” Demott said. The Wheat Ridge Rotary, Kiwanis and Optimist clubs will be selling the beer.
Free Steaks for One Year
2018 WHEAT RIDGE CARNATION FESTIVAL
2018 WHEAT RIDGE CARNATION FESTIVAL
NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE – JULY 16 – AUGUST 13, 2018 – ngazette.com
respectively—the Colorado tribute is a note-for-note, voice-for-voice facsimile of a classic Kiss show, replete with all the fire breathing and smoking guitars you demand (when you rock and roll all night, that is). A note to the Kiss Army: Kissm incorporates several different eras for a comprehensive deep-cuts appreciation. Lick it up! TYLER WALKER BAND – 7 to 8:15 p.m. The winners of 97.9’s “Big Country’s Got Talent” competition and three-time Rocky Mountain Country Music Award nominees, the Tyler Walker Band has recently released The Rivergate Sessions, recorded in Nashville. Singer-songwriter [and Nashville transplant] Walker discovered his love for music at an early age, by way of his parents' eclectic 8-track collection. Sharing the stage these days are guitarist Brian Sunde, drummer Ryan Kimray, guitarist Paul Trinidad and bassist Joe Marone. JOHN KING BAND – 8:45 to 10:55 p.m. (with fireworks at break) In a short time, Georgia-born John King has made a name for himself in country—all around the country—going from construction worker to rising music star in a matter of months. His exultant debut, “Tonight, Tonight,” considered by some to be country’s answer to Pharrell’s “Happy,” earned King his first Top 40 hit and was heard by millions of NFL fans in 2014 when it was used to highlight CBS’s Thursday night football. His song “We Went,” as recorded by Randy Houser, went No. 1. and received an ASCAP Songwriter Award. Last year, "I Still Pick Up” debuted in the Top 5.
Sunday, Aug. 12 DELTA SONICS – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (during the car show) If you have the blues in Colorado, it is probably the Delta Sonics’ fault. The Sonics may be the most prolific blues band in the Rocky Mountain region—mixing Chicago with West Coast swing, New Orleans R&B and a few dashes of early rock and roll. The band, featuring ace harmonica player Al Chesis, won Westword's Best Blues Band for six years and was a semifinalist at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Over the years, the Sonics have shared the stage with the likes of B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Robert Cray, Koko Taylor, Taj Mahal, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
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NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE – JULY 16 – AUGUST 13, 2018 – ngazette.com
2018 WHEAT RIDGE CARNATION FESTIVAL ROTARY CLUB OF WHEAT RIDGE invites you to join us at the
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CAR SHOW
Don’t miss the live music, food, and cold beverages at the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival in August. Our Rotary Club helps support the Wheat Ridge community with profits from sales at the Festival. We look forward to meeting you!
tasty food
Car Show Comes Roaring Back, August 12, 9am-3pm
Chili, Spaghetti, Beer, Wine & Much More Entertain the Palate
Classic car owners and enthusiasts are really tuning up for the 2018 Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival because this year the Wheat Ridge High School Farmers Football and the WR Quarterback Club are partnering with the Carnation Festival for the fi rst time to present the “Big Wheels on the Farm” car show fundraiser. The beautiful vehicles will roll in (loudly) on Sunday, August 12th, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Anderson Park (44th and Field St.) The display will showcase decades worth of American muscle, hotrods, exotics, classics and vintage vehicles--all parked in the grassy area in the heart of festivities, surrounded by food trucks, vendors, the main stage and more. It’s a perfect combination for a day of family fun, while helping raise money for the high school football team. (Registration fees support the program). There will be plenty to gawk over during contests among the diff erent car classifi cations. To maintain the festival’s community spirit, the judging will be done by Wheat Ridge Community Service Members. Custom-made trophies will be awarded in multiple categories including one for each car class, and a Best of Show Award. Whatever the classic/vintage car type, this show is sure to have a category for it. This year’s categories are:
It’s time once again, to gather, celebrate and eat the wonderful fl owers after which the Carnation Festival is named. No. Wait. Although the carnation off ers a unique fl avor that enhances the look and taste of salads or desserts, the 2018 Carnation Festival will also off er much more substantial and traditional food options as well. The Spaghetti Dinner will be served both nights, August 10th and 11th. This dinner is the longest-lived event of the festival and is so big that it has its own tent. It will be served on both Friday and Saturday, 4 – 8 pm in the food court, which is close to the Beer Garden, so the two most popular food treats will be near each other. (If you have any German heritage, you know that beer is considered a food for adults and is almost as necessary as bread.) The dinner will benefi t the Colorado Professional Firefi ghters Foundation, and two dozen volunteers from West Metro Fire Rescue will work in shifts to feed the crowds. The Beer Garden, despite the name, will off er a wide variety of beverages for the entire family. There will be two locations: one near the Main Stage and the other in the center of the Food Court. Water, diet and regular soft drinks will be available for $1 each. Beer (aka liquid bread) and wine will be available. The Wheat Ridge Rotary Club has teamed up with Budweiser and Breckenridge Brewery to off er a great selection. Craft beers and wine will be available for $6 each and Bud and Bud Lite for $5. This is the only major fundraising event for the Rotary Club each year. Funds gained at the festival remain in the community by way of scholarships and funds for local non-profi t organizations. On August 11th, the eighth annual chili cook-off will be held. If you have never been to a chili cook-off , you are in for a tasty and heated treat. There will be trophies and prizes for the top three cooks in both the red and the green categories, with one overall People’s Choice prize. Public tasting is fi ve dollars ($5). Children younger than six are free. Located in the spaghetti dinner tent near the food court, the public can taste and vote, 12 noon – 3pm, with winners being announced at 3:30 pm. You can either share your famous chili with others by competing or use your tastebuds to help determine the winner. This charity event is sponsored by Wheat Ridge Poultry. The tasting fees will benefi t the Wheat Ridge Community Foundation. Another great Wheat Ridge tradition is the pancake breakfast on Saturday morning before the Carnation Festival parade. The breakfast, 7-9 am, will include ham, eggs, pancakes, coff ee and juice. There is no required cost but a $6 donation per person is always welcome and greatly appreciated. The breakfast is a chance to meet and greet your neighbors at the Wheat Ridge Grange Hall. If you have never been inside the Grange Hall, 3850 High Court, this is the perfect time to see a fi ne vintage building while fi lling up on carbs that will sustain you throughout the parade. Funds will help the Wheat Ridge Grange continue the exceptional work that they do with youth in the community. To polish off the day, a classic from bygone Carnation Festivals, the 2018 piebaking contest will bring sweetness to Wheat Ridge. Come try your recipes against your neighbors and compete for that Blue Ribbon designation! Bring pies on Friday, August 10th from 3-4 pm. The Spaghetti Dinner, and the Pie-Baking contest will all be held in the food court main tent. To enter the chili cook-off or pie contest go to thecarnationfestival.com/events-entertainment/specialty-food
• Trick Truck • Pre-war (1940 and older) hot rod • Post-war (1941 – 1972) hot rod • Contemporary (72 and newer) • Stock Original (all years) • Air-cooled VW/Porsche • Best of Show • Motorcycle • Junior class (18 years old and younger) * Subject to change Do you have a specialty car that you would like to show off at the expanded car show this year? Entries are still open. Please complete the form on the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival website (thecarnationfestival.com) to submit. After registering and paying, the Big Wheels on the Farm committee will contact you with more details. The $40 registration fee is non-refundable. The fi rst 50 cars pre-registered will receive a dash sponsored by Wheat Ridge placard. Hig Schoo h Quarte l Wheat Ridge High School rback Club Football prides itself in giving back to the community and looks forward to the community enjoying extraordinary cars at Sunday, August 12, 2018 9am-3pm the Big Wheels on the Farm car Anderson Park show. 44th & Field
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2018 WHEAT RIDGE CARNATION FESTIVAL
3:45-5:30 p.m. Live Music – Wild Mountain Main Stage 4-6:15 p.m. (OPENING SHOW!) Zoppé Circus Performance
4-11 p.m. Beer Garden, Food Court & Vendors Carnival Open – rides, games and food 4-6 p.m. NEW for 2018! Pie Baking Contest 4:30-8 p.m. Famous Spaghetti Dinner Food Court Main Tent Student Garden Bench Art Auction next to circus tent 5:45-7 p.m. Live Music – Michael Morrow & The Culprits Main Stage 7-8:15 p.m. Live Music – The Trampolines Main Stage 7-8:45 p.m. Zoppè Circus Performance 8:45-10:55 p.m. Live Music – Buckstein Main Stage
9:30-11:30 a.m. 49th Carnation Festival Parade 38th Ave. between Ames and Upham Streets 11:30 a.m. FREE SHUTTLES begin to and from nearby parking lots Noon-3 p.m. 8th Annual Chili Cook-Off ($5 tasting donation benefi ts the Wheat Ridge Community Foundation) Food Court Main Tent
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PETS MUST BE ON A LEASH ON THE FESTIVAL GROUNDS. NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES PERMITTED OUTSIDE OF FESTIVAL GROUNDS. For up-to-date info: thecarnationfestival.com facebook.com/ WheatRidgeCarnation Festival
Fireworks!
Friday & Saturday Nights 9:15 p.m.
Entrance Sunday Aug. 12 • 9-3
Spaghe tti Di Chili Co nner okoff Pie Bake Off
Noon-11 p.m. Beer Garden, Food Court & Vendors, Carnival Open – rides, games and food
2:15-3:15 p.m. Live Music – Silver and Smoke Main Stage 3:30-3:45 p.m. Announcements Main Stage
9:15 p.m. FIREWORKS!
3:45-4:45 p.m. Live Music – Your Own Medicine Main Stage
11:30 p.m. LAST SHUTTLE to parking lot
4-5:45 p.m. Zoppé Circus Performance
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Art Show Fine Art Display
Entrance
Student
Noon-10 p.m. Wheat Ridge Art League Fine Art Show Anderson Building Gymnasium & Outdoor Demonstrations next to circus tent
1-2:45 p.m. Zoppé Circus Performance
Beer & Wine Garden
Big Wheels on the Farm Car Show
Noon-9 p.m. Zoppé Circus Box Offi ce Open
12:30-1:45 p.m. Live Music – Thin Air (Widespread Panic tribute)Main Stage
Pool
Main Stage
4-10 p.m. Wheat Ridge Art League Fine Art Show Anderson Building Gymnasium & Outdoor Demonstrations next to circus tent
Carnival Rides
7-9 a.m. Grange Pancake Breakfast 3850 High Court (Behind Wheat Ridge Cyclery)
ge
3:30 p.m. FREE SHUTTLES begin to and from nearby parking lots
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r Villa Vendo
3-9 p.m. Zoppè Circus Box Offi ce Open
Saturday, Aug. 11
Bike Corral
$10 Parking
Field Street
Friday, Aug. 10
ngazette.com – JULY 16 – AUGUST 13, 2018 – NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE
44th Avenue Shuttle Stop
Shuttle Stop
8:45-10:45 p.m. Live Music – The John King Band Main Stage
4:30-8 p.m. Famous Spaghetti Dinner Food Court Main Tent Student Garden Bench Art Auction next to circus tent
11 a.m.-1 p.m. Live Music – Delta Sonics Noon-4 p.m. Wheat Ridge Art League Fine Art Show Anderson Building Gymnasium & Outdoor Demonstrations next to circus tent
9:15 p.m. FIREWORKS!
5:15-6:30 p.m. Live Music – KISSm (Kiss tribute) Main Stage
11:30 p.m. LAST SHUTTLE to parking lots
1-2:45 p.m. Zoppé Circus Performance
Sunday, Aug. 12
6:30-7 p.m. Parade Awards – Main Stage
9 a.m.-3 p.m. Big Wheels on the Farm Car Show
7-8:45 p.m. Zoppé Circus Performance 7:00-8:15 p.m. Live Music – Tyler Walker Band Main Stage
CARNIVAL/FIREWORKS
Main Entrance
4-5:45 p.m. (LAST SHOW!) Zoppé Circus Performance
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Food and Beverages Available
Community
Bigger and Better: Carnival and Fireworks
Student Garden Bench Auction and Student Art Show Return
This year’s Carnation Festival carnival, spreading across the south side of Anderson Park, will have more favorite carnival games and rides than ever. Of course, there will be endless concessions with funnel cakes, corn dogs, cotton candy and other classic carnival foods. Carnival rides vary from $1 to $5, but an unlimited daily pass is available for $20. Parents always enjoy watching children rush onto a ride and climb off laughing. If the next words they hear are, “Can we go again? Please, please?” purchasing a wristband allowing a day of endless rides might be a great choice. The fi reworks show at this year’s 49th Carnation Festival will be bigger and better. Both Friday and Saturday nights at 9:15 p.m., two graduates of Wheat Ridge High School will orchestrate an amazing fi reworks show. Two days before the festival, Steve Shriber and Jeff Hendricks of Firestorm Pyrotechnics will bring the fi reworks over Loveland Pass, because a semi-truck full of fi reworks can’t go through the tunnel. When Shriber was growing up in Wheat Ridge, he loved every fi reworks show. Eventually, he began saving his money and driving to Wyoming to buy fi reworks – a lot of fi reworks. He then returned to Wheat Ridge and sold fi reworks to his friends. After years in school and in the aerospace industry, Shriber and Hendricks began Firestorm Pyrotechnics in Springville, Utah. Firestorm Pyrotechnics produces choreographed shows combining music and fi reworks. The timing and matching of music and multifaceted fi reworks displays are what draws the ooohs and aaahs at every show. There will certainly be food, fi reworks, and fun that all can enjoy at the 49th Carnation Festival!
The Student Garden Art Bench Auction and Student Art Show will again be part of the Carnation Festival. Volunteers will transport the benches to the festival grounds on Thursday afternoon, arrange them for display and set up bidding sheets. The benches will be displayed in the large tent to the west of the circus tent. New for 2018 is a design which converts the garden benches into small picnic tables. The benches were built and design by the Career Explore Construction Pathways class at Wheat Ridge High School under the instruction of Jane Johnson. The benches are special in their own right, but Wheat Ridge schools have taken it a step further. After being coated with a layer of protective paint, the benches are painted by school art departments in the Wheat Ridge area. Each one is as unique as the students who built and created it. Better yet, the proceeds go to a great cause - right back to the art programs of the schools. The bidding opens on Friday 4:30 to 8 p.m, and continues Saturday 4:30 to 8 p.m. The highest bid on each bench wins and proceeds go directly to each school’s art department. The Student Art Show runs concurrently with the three-day Carnation Festival Art League Exhibition, inside the Anderson Building. Exhibition times are Friday, Aug. 10, 4 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 11, noon to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 12, noon to 4 p.m. While bidding on the benches or enjoying the art show, be sure to enjoy the demonstrations by various artists from the Wheat Ridge Art League, which will continue throughout the festival.
heat Ridge WR W Community CF Foundation
The Wheat Ridge Community Foundation encourages giving, fiscally supports organizations that serve civic, educational and community needs and sponsors and supports educational programs.
For more info, or to donate to community programs visit:
wheatridgefoundation.org
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2018 WHEAT RIDGE CARNATION FESTIVAL
NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE – JULY 16 – AUGUST 13, 2018 – ngazette.com
GRAND MARSHAL
SCL Lutheran Medical Center/ Lutheran Medical Center Foundation
COUNTESS
Amanda Weaver
COUNT
Griff Wirth
2018 CARNATION FESTIVAL ROYALTY By Cyndy Beal Have you heard there are real royals living and working in Wheat Ridge? Every year the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival chooses a royal court, which honors those in the community who have made a positive contribution through their active participation or service in the city. Nominees for the court are made by the community. The three members chosen for the court may be individuals or an organization that embody the best of the community and have earned recognition and the royal treatment. Courtly duties include such responsibilities as public appearances (riding in the parade on Saturday morning and festival award presentations Saturday evening) and moving about the festival looking royal while wearing a sash. The 2018 winners are as follows: Grand Marshal - SCL Lutheran Medical Center/ Lutheran Medical Center Foundation Countess - Amanda Weaver Count - Griff Wirth
GRAND MARSHAL SCL Lutheran Medical Center/ Lutheran Medical Center Foundation
Lutheran Medical Center (LMC) has been an integral part of the community for more than 100 years. The hospital has received numerous awards for excellence in healthcare, including being named as one of America’s top 100 hospitals (2014-2017) and made the list of America’s best 50 hospitals in 2018, rated by Healthgrades. In 1905 at the LMC site, the Evangelical Lutheran Sanitarium was founded by the members of St. John’s Lutheran Church of Denver. The original facility on the 20-acre property had two buildings and a tent colony to treat tuberculous patients. “As medical advances diminished the demand for tuberculosis treatment, community leaders decided the center should meet a new need. Lutheran Hospital, a not-for-profit general medical facility located on a 100acre campus, opened its doors in 1961,” according to the LMC website. Presently, the hospital serves the community with inpatient and outpatient care and their many healthcare services for all ages. In 2017, the LMC recorded its aid and attendance at 2,295 births.
LMC is Wheat Ridge’s largest employer with 4,000 employees. The ability for the hospital to continue to operate and grow comes from its own community of doctors, nurses, staff, volunteers--and the work of the LMC Foundation’s fund-raising activities. In 2017, the foundation helped create more than a million-dollarsworth of healthcare support for LMC facilities and its various programs. Lutheran Medical Center Foundation is the 501(c)(3) public nonprofit organization that obtains support for the not-for-profit hospital and its associated services. “We are absolutely honored that Wheat Ridge has chosen us, “said Kathie Repola, executive director the LMC Foundation. “We are very thankful for how Wheat Ridge supports us. “
COUNTESS – Amanda Weaver
Dr. Amanda Weaver owns Five Fridges Farm in Wheat Ridge, a 13-acre organic urban farm that provides products, education and tours related primarily to small-scale food production. The land has had a voluntary conservation easement since the early 1990s. Although Weaver owns the land it must remain a farm and is protected legally as open space through the non-profit Colorado Open Lands. Long before moving to Colorado in 2002 and acquiring the farm in 2011, Weaver spent her childhood summers in Colorado with her maternal grandparents. Her grandfather was a Forrest Service scientist. Her interests in land, food, people and the vital connections between them began in those early years. The farm was originally owned by Earnestine and Walt Williams from the 1930ss to the mid 1990s. It was then owned by one of Wheat Ridge’s founders, Louise Turner. Weaver apprenticed under Turner in 2010. The connections to farm maintenance stems from its relationship with its volunteers, apprentices, coop members, visitors, seasonal growers leasing the land, and others with ties to the property. As a further commitment to sustainability and educating new farmers, Five Fridges Farm now offers an urban farming apprenticeship program in February through November. Weaver holds a PhD and teaches geography and urban farming at the University of Colorado at Denver. The farm often serves as her classroom and research laboratory. She is the District III representative on
the Wheat Ridge Planning Commission and a Board Member for Colorado Open Lands. “I love Wheat Ridge,” said Weaver. “I’m really honored. I’ve never won anything like this in my life.” For further information about Five Fridges Farm go to 5fridgesfarm.com
COUNT – Griff Wirth
Griff Wirth, past principal of Wheat Ridge High School (WRHS) from 2007 to 2017. He has been a principal at Bell and Drake Middle Schools--and has been part of the Jefferson County School System for 23 years. In his retirement, he is an educational consultant and has helped start Career Explorer programs, in eight Jefferson County schools which he helped originate first at WRHS. Education has been and remains a central component from his early years and lasting through the present. Wirth graduated from WRHS in 1981. While in high school he received the Gold Helmet as Colorado’s outstanding scholar/football player/ community service student, joining notable Freddie Steinmark recipient. Wirth’s family moved to Colorado when he was six years old. They relocated to the Applewood area for his father’s new job as an engineer with Coors Ceramic in Golden. He and his wife, Cindy, bought and now live in the house he grew up in. Their three children all graduated from WRHS. After graduating from WRHS, he went to college at Colorado University in Boulder, where he majored in math and education. He later obtained his master’s in administration from Colorado University at Denver. His first job as an educator was as a math teacher and coach in the Widefield School District in Colorado Springs. Some of his personal points of pride as principal of WRHS are his involvement in creating innovative programs, such as the Career Explorer, STEM and Jeffco GT Center-and leading a staff focused on positive traits in character development. “It’s really nice that the people have recognized me,” said Wirth. “Wheat Ridge is a welcoming and friendly community. Thank you, everyone.”