May, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Globeville Civic Association and the Holy Transfiguration of Christ Orthodox Cathedral will be hosting the 6th Orthodox Food Festival & Old Globeville Days on Saturday and Sunday, July 18th & 19th. Every year since 2004, the cultural, musical and culinary event has grown larger and has received more enthusiastic reviews. The event consists of two days of free concerts, ethnic dancing and entertainment by representatives of a dozen Eastern European, Latin American, African and North American traditions. At the same time there are food booths offered by an equally diverse collection of international cooks. The food festival, free entertainment, ethnic craft and gift booths, educational displays, artistsŐ kiosks, and kids games and activities will last from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The location is Argo Park at the corner of East 47th Avenue and Logan streets, near the I-70 & I-25 "mousetrap" interchange and the Platte River Greenway redevelopment project in the emerging "River North" area of Denver. Across from the park, tucked up against the historic Holy Transfiguration Cathedral, a bazaar of entrees, side dishes, festive treats and desserts will be prepared and served by current representatives of Globeville's proud immigrant tradition from Greece, Eritrea, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Italy, Mexico, Ukraine and other lands. Libations ranging from Eritrean Coffee to the Cherry Vishniak of Russia and Romania will also be available.

In the past years, visitors have come from Montana to purchase the world class cabbage rolls (Sarma, Sarmale and Gulupki) and from as far as Texas to eat Balkan roast lamb. The festival is reputed to have the best Rum Baba cake in the Rocky Mountain West and people purchase the Pelmeni (Siberian meat filled dumplings) in bags to carry a bit of the festival home. The Romanian Mititie or mici (small grilled meat patties of pork, beef and lamb) sold out half way through the second day.

Two additional special features of this year's festival are the culmination of several years of effort to create a Globeville/River North Arts Festival component, and the breaking of ground for the transformation of Argo Park into a more family friendly monument to the ethnic diversity of Globeville throughout its history as one of Denver's oldest communities. Some Colorado historians have dubbed Globeville with the title, "Gateway to the State."

Members of the RiNo (River North Arts District) organization, together with local iconographer Gabriel Hayman, The Colorado Artists Guild, and other Colorado artists and art consortia are cooperating this year to create an arts festival which, it is hoped, will grow year after year into one of DenverŐs best recognized and respected arts event. There will also be several tours of the historic 110-year-old Holy Transfiguration Cathedral with its acclaimed Byzantine Iconography. The Cathedral, one of the half dozen oldest Orthodox Temples in the lower 48 states, was the recent recipient of a three-year preservation and restoration project underwritten by The Colorado Historical Fund.

Almost the next day after the festival, the bulldozers will roll in and the heavy excavation will be underway to carry out a $100,000 renovation designed with the help of the Globeville Civic Association and carried out by Denver Parks and Recreation. A water fountain will flow into a wet sand play area. An elevated patio will feature effigies of the flags of some of the nations of the world that sent their sons and daughters to populate old Globeville, Denver and Colorado. New plantings and landscaping will turn the center of the park into a little paradise for the enjoyment of the community. And, all of this will be possible, at least in part, because of renewed awareness of the significant part played by Globeville and its residents in the history of Colorado.

The chances are that any third generation Coloradoan has at least one Globeville ancestor and the Old Globeville Days offers a splendid opportunity to reconnect with one's heritage or, perhaps even better, to connect with several all together new and exotic heritages. Many of those who drop by for Saturday lunch and a bit of entertainment are still there at supper time and some come back the next day to eat things they just couldn't fit in on Saturday.

In past years, the weekend festival has been sponsored by the Cathedral, The Globeville Civic Association #1, The Denver Foundation, Denver Neighborhood Resource Center, and a number of community businesses and organizations.