Schedule
12-12:30pm Community Yoga with Urban Sanctuary, bring your mat, all ages, family friendly
12:30-2pm Nico Martinez Trio
1-3pm Community Art Workshop with Charlo
2-4pm Community Lighthouse Writers Workshop
2-4pm Kaylee Bender - DJ Bugs Honey  
4-6pm Brothers of Brass

Lighthouse Writers Workshop - Join Tawanna LaTrice Hill for a series of interactive writing activities open to all ages! Together we'll explore themes of home, community, memory, and storytelling. Anyone who participates in an activity will receive a free Lighthouse journal!

Vendors
Denver Food Rescue, Denver Public Library Mobile Library Truck, Denver Urban Gardens, Volo, Harvest Moon Botanics

Food
Big Raven Bread, Cohesion, South American Vendor Tent (arepas + empanadas), Little Bodega (paninis and convenience store in Five Points), Lottie’s Meats + Provisions 

About the Artists

“MUSIC CAN CHANGE THE WORLD BECAUSE IT CAN CHANGE PEOPLE.” Originally from the city of Medellin, Colombian singer/songwriter, Nico Martinez, came to the United States at the age of 10. Drawing musical inspiration from his Colombian roots, Nico has developed a unique sound that fuses the rhythms of multiple genres and eras of music. Combining eclectic notes from Colombian folk, Jazz, Flamenco, Reggaeton, Spanish rock, Caribbean, Pop-rock, and American classics, Nico creates a diverse and inclusive atmosphere at every live performance.

Nico’s mission is to infuse the Denver community with love and creative sound, dissolve cultural barriers, forge magical moments, and be an inspiration to others. He seeks to reinvent Latin fusion by incorporating international sounds, composed of flavorful and energetic melodies, with his own unique style and voice.

Nico envisions himself as a multi-cultural leader that influences the Denver community to feel connected, inspired, and enriched by the diverse and dynamic atmosphere that music can create. 

Charlo is a multimedia artist and designer. Using symbols, letters and lines, his monochromatic two-dimensional works are a space for exploration and discovery. Hidden themes and messages reside in the densely packed compositions, allowing viewers to impart their own sense of meaning from the works. The interwoven shapes, words and symbols foster a sense of community interaction, collaboration, and hopeful optimism.

Having emigrated from Monterrey, Mexico in 2013, the Denver-based artist describes himself as filled to the brim with gratitude. In his native language of Spanish, the equivalent for “experiencing joy” is “alegría” and it is this experience of joy he wishes to share with the world through his works. The deceptively simple yet dense paintings and drawings are reminiscent of influential artists such as MC Escher, Keith Haring and Remedios Varo. His communal collaborations between spectator and artist began in Denver with his Make Alleys Great Again project, in which the artist appropriated the slogan of a politically divisive U.S. politician to instead bring unity and joy to communities. Using the NextDoor app, the artist connected with fellow residents of the greater Denver community who invited him to paint murals onto their garage doors. All told, the artist brought local art to more than five dozen alleyways.

In 2021, he produced a live mural entitled The Joy of Being Together in partnership with Nextdoor and the New York Stock Exchange. The artist's joyful, optimistic, and community-oriented work continues to gain interest on a national level. Charlo made his debut as a keynote speaker at TEDxMileHigh in August of 2022 allowing him to tell his story to a much wider audience. Since then, the artist has continued to make his mark in the world through his community driven projects. The Gratitude Of The Flowers, Charlo’s first solo exhibition allowed him to showcase his ability to do more than just murals. Charlo's multifaceted work has made his work a staple not only in the community but within the homes of his collectors.

Twanna LaTrice Hill is a writer, actor, director, and teaching artist. She is an inner city born and raised, Princeton/Harvard/Regis educated, agnostic, Unitarian-Universalist, Buddhist (lite), tarot reading, disabled, single, straight, 59-year-old, Russian speaking, liberal female survivor who has seen too much & lived much more. Her short story, A Life of Little Consequence, was featured in the anthology Denver Noir which won the Colorado Book Award in 2023. She has had two plays produced and performed in the Denver metro Area -  Love Multiplied in 2022 and Indescribable in 2023. She completed her first memoir, What’s Done in the Dark, in May of last year and is currently working on her second, They Hardly Ever Kiss You, and her first novel. She has a BA from Princeton University in Russian with minors in Creative Writing and Theater & Dance; an MA in Soviet Studies from Harvard University; and an MA in Nonprofit Management from Regis University. Twanna is a passionate woman dedicated to ending violence in all its forms, lives in the occupied territory of the Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho— otherwise known as Denver—and shares her life with her service dog, Roxi.

Brothers of Brass has grown to be one of the premier street bands in the country, and has taken their music to the stage and studio. Having already played some of Denver’s finest stages, we hope to be sharing our sound on stages across the country soon, and recently released our second album Trapadelics vol. 1 in December with a third to follow in 2024.

With influences ranging from R&B to southern brass and psychedelic jam rock to trap hip hop, Brothers of Brass boasts a wide musical lexicon with a little something for everyone!

Schedule
12-12:30pm Community Yoga with Urban Sanctuary, bring your mat, all ages, family friendly
12:30-2pm Gio Bard Zero
1-3pm Community Art Workshop painting with Kristina Davies
2-4pm Community Lighthouse Writers Workshop
2-4pm Nico Jiménez DJ set
4-6pm Tenia Nelson Trio

Lighthouse Writers Workshop - Join Hakeem Furious for a series of interactive writing activities open to all ages! Together we'll explore themes of home, community, memory, and storytelling. Anyone who participates in an activity will receive a free Lighthouse journal!

Vendors
Denver Food Rescue, Denver Urban Gardens, Volo, Harvest Moon Botanics

Food
Big Raven Bread, Cohesion, South American (arepas + empanadas), Little Bodega (paninis and convenience store in Five Points), Lottie’s Meats + Provisions 

About The Artists

Classical and jazz pianist, singer-songwriter, and guitarist fluent in genres ranging from flamenco to blues, Gio Bard Zero has played at venues like the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Dazzle, and Newman Center for the Performing Arts, and continues to wow audiences across Colorado.

Born and raised in Tbilisi, Georgia (the country, not the state), Gio studied classical piano and oboe through the Tbilisi State Conservatory. The rippling socioeconomic effect of the Soviet Union's collapse, as well as continued occupation of his country by Russia, eventually led Gio's family to relocate to the US. After changing continents, he picked up the guitar, a few other instruments, studied jazz, and began writing and singing eclectic songs.

In addition to performing as a singer-songwriter, Gio continues pushing boundaries of instrumental music, regularly playing private and public concerts that consist of sublime classical pieces, tasteful arrangements of jazz tunes, and energetic flamenco numbers.

Kristina Davies (b. Denver, Colorado) is a visual artist and educator who believes that the act of creating is a form of self-discovery. The interaction with materials, music, gesture, and mark making, all come together in an intuitive dance. At times, her work is non-objective, where her visual vocabulary is pure abstraction. Often, her paintings become figurative, and a narrative unfolds, or a concept comes through in a powerful, unexpected way.

She holds a Master of Education in Integrating Teaching through the Arts from Lesley University, a K-12 Teaching Credential from San Diego State, and a BA in Sociology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Working as a teacher for twenty-five years, she was passionate about bringing all forms of the arts into her
classroom.

Kristina studied art at the University of Colorado in Boulder, San Diego State, Art Students League of Denver, and Anderson Ranch in Snowmass. Knowing she wanted to dive into her art practice full time when she retired from teaching in 2019, she opened up her art studio in Denver.

A key component to Kristina’s artistic mission is community-based art, knowing the transformative, healing power of expression through artistic experiences.She is passionate about making the arts accessible to ALL and creating positive social change in areas such as LGBTQ rights and racial justice.

Kristina paints in her studio in the Art District on Santa Fe in Denver. She has exhibited in Denver and Santa Fe, and her works are in private collections in California, New York, Colorado, and France.

Hakeem Furious is a wordsmith hailing from Jacksonville, Florida and developing his roots in the Rocky Mountains. He graduated from a southern arts high school as a Theater major and developed a knack for words when he was involved with the spoken word community established at Florida A&M University, an HBCU that cultivated his understanding, appreciation, and preservation of Black culture and resilience. Currently, he travels the country performing poetry, curating shows, and writing curriculum and grants as CEO of the #UltraTerrestrialTour.

The Tenia Nelson Trio (TNT) is a special collection of like minded jazz musicians lead by Denver pianist Tenia Nelson. These sets will feature a number of classic R&B tunes re-imagined through the jazz lens. Tenia Nelson- Piano, Brendan O' Donoghue- Bass, Alex Tripp- Drums

Tenia Nelson is a Denver based pianist, percussionist and jazz educator. Tenia received her Bachelors of Music Education Degree from Metro State University of Denver in 2004 and a Masters of Music is Jazz Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2010. Tenia plays in a number of formats and styles and is a member of Spherio, that explores the music of Thelonious Sphere Monk.

Schedule
12-12:30pm Community Yoga with Urban Sanctuary, bring your mat, all ages, family friendly
12:30-2pm Denver Municipal Band - Latin Jazz
1-3pm Community Printmaking Art Workshop with Nikki Pike
2-4pm Community Lighthouse Writers Workshop
2-4pm Nico Jiménez DJ set
4-6pm Cherokee Social

Lighthouse Writers Workshop - Join Suzi Q. Smith for a series of interactive writing activities open to all ages! Together we'll explore themes of home, community, memory, and storytelling. Anyone who participates in an activity will receive a free Lighthouse journal!

Vendors
Denver Food Rescue, Denver Public Library Mobile Library Truck, Cohesion, Harvest Moon Botanics , Big Raven Bread, Denver Urban Gardens

Food
Big Raven Bread, Cohesion, South American (arepas + empanadas), Little Bodega (paninis and convenience store in Five Points), Lottie’s Meats + Provisions

About the Artists

The Denver City Band was formed in 1861 to bring culture to a mining town. More than 160 years later, we're sGll here, but today we're known as the Denver Municipal Band. We're also sGll bringing music to the Denver-area community. In fact, today, our mission is to bring music to Denver-area residents (from Westminster to Highlands Ranch) for free in parks near them. We also help Denver-area youth develop a passion for music and refine their musical talents.

We're unique in that we play as a 40-piece Concert Band, a 20-piece Jazz Band, and contract to a show band, a brass quintet or smaller ensembles. Because of our flexibility, we play everything — orchestral, rock, soul, and funk. Our Concert Band, which plays the most frequently, performs a wide variety of music including movie scores, showtunes, Big Band standards, marches, and other classic masterpieces.

We're made up of some of the best professional Colorado musicians. Many of our performers play with other ensembles such as the Colorado Symphony, Colorado Ballet, Central City Opera, Denver Brass, and the Queen City Jazz Band. In fact, famous visiting musicians want to play with us.

Our Conductor Dr. Joe MarGn's professional brass playing includes principal trombone/ euphonium with the Denver Brass, trombonist with the Aries Brass Quintet and principal trombonist with the High AlGtude trombone quartet. He appears on numerous recordings with these three groups including CDs on the Delos and Klavier labels. Dr. MarGn performs and provides clinics with the Summit Brass as part of the annual Rafael Mendez Brass InsGtute hosted by the University of Denver. He has also performed with the Colorado Symphony, the Boulder Philharmonic, Greeley Philharmonic, Cheyenne Symphony, Colorado Ballet Orchestra and numerous Broadway show producGons at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

Nikki Pike grew up in Black Forest Colorado where she learned to ride bikes and climb trees in between flashlight tag, midnight soccer, and competitive sledding. The adopted daughter of a Nurse and an Engineer, and sister to four brothers and a sister, Nikki learned to work in groups and negotiate at an early age. Fighting over the measuring cups in the bathtub and wooden spoons in the garden, The Pike family children grew wild imaginations.

The earliest sign that Nikki may later become a sculptor was in her sixteenth year in being grounded for a month. Rather than moping around and feeling sorry for her new life in confinement, Nikki raided her father’s toolbox and undertook the accidental but artistic resurfacing of her very first vehicle, an AMC gremlin. Otherwise, realizing her interest and making a commitment to art came much later after her surrender to finally join the quest to attend college and explore communications design. Her exposure to materials and objects fed her need to make and build and fulfilled the physical gap that once was spent playing soccer.

Suzi Q. Smith is an award-winning artist, organizer, and educator who lives in Denver, Colorado. She has created, curated, coached, and taught in Denver for over 20 years, managing the largest poetry festivals that Denver has seen to date. A TEDx speaker multiple times, Suzi has performed throughout the United States for over a decade, and has shared stages with Nikki Giovanni, the late Gil Scott Heron, and many more. The author of poetry collections Poems for the End of the World, A Gospel of Bones, and Thirteen Descansos, Suzi is also a singer-songwriter, playwright, and multi-disciplinary creative. Currently, she is Affiliate Faculty with Regis University’s Mile High MFA, Lighthouse Writers Workshop, and DU’s Prison Arts Initiative, as well as the [margins.] Conference Director for The Word. She also serves as a community representative on the Denver County Cultural Council.

Cherokee Social
Bio coming soon

Pulling inspiration from many corners of the rock world, Cactusheads’ music is filled with infectious hooks, gritty guitars, and adrenaline-fueled rhythms à la Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, and The Strokes, to the modern psychedelic sounds of Ty Segall and punk rockers Parquet Courts.

Their debut single, Fresh Meat, is a high-energy, garage-born tune that’s sure to get your heart pumping and your feet moving. Both Fresh Meat and Shoot It Down are self-recorded and self- produced and it’s only a taste of what’s to come. Cactusheads are ready to bring their music to ears across Colorado and beyond.

Schedule
12-12:30pm Community Yoga with Urban Sanctuary, bring your mat, all ages, family friendly
12:30-2pm Mariachi Alma Del Folklore
12-3pm Community Art Workshop with Quana Madison, live painting, all-ages
1-3pm Community Lighthouse Writers Workshop
3-4pm Open Mic with Lighthouse Writers Workshop
4-6pm Pamlico Sound

Lighthouse Writers Workshop - Join Suzi Q. Smith for a series of interactive writing activities open to all ages! Together we'll explore themes of home, community, memory, and storytelling. Anyone who participates in an activity will receive a free Lighthouse journal!

Lighthouse Writers Workshop - Clayton Community Days Open Mic with Theresa Rozul Knowles
Did you write a piece you're proud of during the Clayton Community Days writing workshops? We'd love to hear it! Join us for an open mic hosted by Lighthouse Writers Workshop! Your emcee, Theresa Rozul Knowles, is a Lighthouse instructor and passionate artist based in Denver. Before the open mic, hang out as we unveil the Lighthouse mural on 39th and York streat created by The Worst Crew. This mural is a celebration of the Clayton neighborhood inspred by those who call Clayton home.

Vendors
Denver Food Rescue, Denver Public Library Mobile Library Truck, Cohesion, Harvest Moon Botanics, Denver Urban Gardens, Volo, 

Food
Big Raven Bread, Cohesion, South American (arepas + empanadas), Little Bodega (paninis and convenience store in Five Points), Lottie’s Meats + Provisions 

About The Artists

Mariachi Alma del Folklore, the first all-female mariachi group in Colorado, was formed on March 21, 2018, by lifelong educator and musician, Pam Liñan. The debut occurred at the 5th Annual Mariachi Women’s Festival at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse in San Gabriel, California. This group shared the stage with the Grammy Award Winning, Mariachi Divas from Los Angeles, Mariachi Las Adelitas UK from London, and Mariachi Estrellas from Vancouver, Canada.

Since then, Mariachi Alma del Folklore, comprised of talented trumpet, violin, guitarron, vihuela and guitar musicians has played throughout Denver, Ft. Collins and Colorado Springs. Mariachi Alma del Folklore performs with a passion for celebrating and sharing the love of traditional mariachi music culture with their audiences and the greater community.

Quána Madison is a multi-disciplinary artist with disabilities, a healing arts facilitator and a well-being advocate. After a life-changing near-death experience and the sudden onset of chronic illnesses, Quána dived into the world of arts and wellness topics to support her holistic well-being journey. Quána strives to inspire, educate, empower, and uplift people through her artwork and consulting services

Suzi Q. Smith is an award-winning artist, organizer, and educator who lives in Denver, Colorado. She has created, curated, coached, and taught in Denver for over 20 years, managing the largest poetry festivals that Denver has seen to date. A TEDx speaker multiple times, Suzi has performed throughout the United States for over a decade, and has shared stages with Nikki Giovanni, the late Gil Scott Heron, and many more. The author of poetry collections Poems for the End of the World, A Gospel of Bones, and Thirteen Descansos, Suzi is also a singer-songwriter, playwright, and multi-disciplinary creative. Currently, she is Affiliate Faculty with Regis University’s Mile High MFA, Lighthouse Writers Workshop, and DU’s Prison Arts Initiative, as well as the [margins.] Conference Director for The Word. She also serves as a community representative on the Denver County Cultural Council.

Theresa Rozul Knowles is an educator, entrepreneur, and event typewriter poet (or, in the case of COVID-19, "Pick a Topic Get a Poem Junt via Post Office). Her 13 years of teaching have included cognitive skills training, coordinating special education programs, and teaching creative writing. She graduated from the University of Memphis with honor in literature and a minor in Italian and theater. She has a poetry chapbook, Samhain & Such Inspired Junts; her poetry has been featured on NPR's All Things Considered, Pink Progression's Refuse to Stay Silent, Spit Poet Publishing, Sampaguita Press, and Immortal Verses. She is a co-coordinator of the Malaya Movement's Colorado chapter. When not dancing while contemplating action steps to empower the people or pretending the bath tub's an ocean while writing dramedies and poetry, Theresa's blessed ADHD brain also operates Citrine Ink to raise consciousness through creative writing experiences.

Pamlico Sound Boulder Colorado’s longest-running champions of high-energy, authentic funk and soul music, The Pamlico Sound are known for their original contemporary songs and performances, while drawing inspiration from legends like Sly & The Family Stone and Parliament Funkadelic. The joyful interplay between band and audience combine to create the “Jive Church”: a non-religious, theatrical/interactive experience inspired by the Black Baptist churches of the south—with everyone moving, shouting and shaking in a celebration of the uplifting power of Pure Funk'n Soul. 

 An 11 piece band with four dynamic lead vocalists and a killer horn section riding atop a precision rhythm section of bass, drums, guitar, keys and percussion, TPS works like a well-oiled dance party machine. The audience is always part of the show with sing-alongs, call-and-response chants and singing parts, dance-offs, and a call for congregants to come forward and get “Baptized in The Funk”—a “ceremony” that’s a lot more sanitary than it might sound!