Wheat Ridge festival celebrates city’s carnation roots

Wheat Ridge will celebrate its rich agricultural heritage with the 45^th Annual Carnation Festival on Friday and Saturday. The two-day affair has been revamped this year and features a variety of new elements, including a street fair, expanded beer garden and food court, exotic Italian car show and improved kids activities.

The festivities, which typically draw 25,000 attendees, will run from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, and 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday at Wheat Ridge’s Anderson Park (4355 Field Street).

The Zoppe’ Italian Family Circus again will serve as the festival’s main attraction, entertaining audiences in the same tradition as their ancestors did more than 160 years ago. The Zoppe’ Circus special engagement in Wheat Ridge runs from Friday through Aug. 24 with 13 public performances plus the Automezzi Italian Exotic Car Show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday and an Italian Village featuring Italian beer, wine, food and gelato.

The festival also offers a range of entertainment and attractions, including:

• Live music;
• A neighborhood parade followed by the 38th Avenue Fair;
• A fine arts show;
• KidsZone with carnival games and inflatables;
• Chili cook-off;
• Artisan exhibits;
• Nightly fireworks.

The festival also provides plenty of opportunities for residents to connect through such events as a pancake breakfast, spaghetti dinner (featured on both Friday and Saturday nights), a community softball game and a pie bake-off.

One of the state’s longest running celebrations, the festival pays tribute to Wheat Ridge’s history as the “Carnation Capital of the World.” During the 1960s, the city boasted 32 different carnation growers and sent a bouquet to the White House every Monday morning, which was displayed in the front foyer with a card stating, “With compliments to our nation’s capital, Wheat Ridge Colorado, Carnation City.” The Carnation Festival was created when Wheat Ridge was founded in 1969 to celebrate and honor the carnation industry.

“The Carnation Festival is an event that reminds residents of Wheat Ridge’s agricultural roots and offers the chance to celebrate our proud traditions,” said Wheat Ridge Mayor Joyce Jay.

For more information, visit www.thecarnationfestival.com.