What is the Best Month for Black Visitors to Visit Denver, Colorado

36 Hours in Denver, Black in Denver, Uncategorized, Visit Denver Michelle@SquareState
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The number one question that I get asked every single time I’m traveling is “Where do you live?” When I answer “Colorado” the most common reaction is a long pause then “There are Black people in Colorado?” More often than not this question is asked by other Black people.At this point find it really funny and having traveled to 45 of the United States and having lived abroad-I totally understand the confusion. In fact, those questions were a large part of why I started this website. If you’re Colorado curious but aren’t sure when to visit continue reading. There is one month that stands out because of the sheer amount of things to do and immaculate vibes. If you’re wondering what is the best month for black visitors to visit Denver, Colorado I’ve got you covered. Read on.

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June is the BEST Month for Black Visitors to Denver

Hands down, June is the best time of year for Black visitors to experience Denver. There’s so much to do, the people are in a great mood and the summer high season has quite hit yet. It’s busy but it’s not insane in town. This year (2024) I also anticipate that the Nuggets will still be in the playoffs for most if not all of the month of June before the finals (fingers crossed).

What to Expect

If you’ve never visited the Rocky Mountain West, it’s a truly beautiful part of the United States. And strongly encourage you to go on a road trip while you’re visiting. That said, there are some things to expect when visiting Denver and the state of Colorado this June.

  • Lots of Tourists-Colorado is incredibly popular for summer vacation travel. You will notice this in a number of places such as Rocky Mountain National Park and other national parks in the state. A lot of traffic in the i-70 mountain corridor and in many hiking spots.

  • Are the people friendly-Yes, the people are very friendly as a rule in Denver.

  • What’s the Black Population of Colorado-Colorado has a 10% African American population. This is the same as the entire US. If you’re coming from the South which has beautiful overrepresentation of African Americans in that region, Colorado is the opposite of the South LOL!.

  • Cost-It’s expensive here. There are deals to be had. But, prices are higher here. If you’re from California or New York it’s almost on par with those states.

  • People look like they’re about to hike, bike or do yoga at all times. Because they probably about to do one of these things.

Tips on Visiting Denver in June

There are some practical tips related to high altitude travel and then I have a few tips to share related to traveling while Black in Denver.

Basic Tips

  • Denver is a high altitude location-Learn about altitude sickness

  • Carry a water bottle with you and stay hydrated

  • Lotion, chapstick and sunblock will be your best friends

  • Bring a pair of sunglasses

Being Black in Denver

I get a lot of questions about what to expect when experiencing Denver when Black. I’m answering this from the perspective of a tourist experience.

  • Reframe Your Expectations-Imagine that you’re visiting a foreign country-adjust your expectations with that in mind.

  • “Live and Let Live”-We don’t live by a lot of rules here about what you should and shouldn’t be doing. It’s very “live and let live” here. If you want to go hiking, biking, etc. Go do it. I’ll share some communities below that you can enjoy those activities with.

  • Racism Exists in Denver-It’s America. But I think you would experience it more in work related spaces vs. as a tourist. However, sh$t happens.

Where to Stay

There are a couple of different districts that are great to stay in. But, I’ve shared some hotel suggestions that are close to transit, have nice amenities and are near popular tourist destinations.

Book a Tour

If you’re visiting Denver in 2024-I strongly recommend booking a tour during your stay in town. There are a couple of very important reasons why a tour would be a wonderful compliment to your trip to Denver.

  • A lot of the travel content about Denver is OLD-I spend a lot of time looking at what is coming up on Google/TikTok/Pinterest/etc. when people are searching for information on Denver. It’s surprisingly inaccurate and I’m low-key amazed by how inaccurate a lot of the posts/etc are that I keep finding when I look up tips on Denver. Most of what I’m finding is from pre-COVID. The city has changed quite a bit in the last 4+ years.

  • Infrastructure projects-Right now we’re in the middle of a lot of construction and infrastructure projects. Many of these will be completed at the end of summer and the end of 2024. Very likely-after many people’s vacations. A tour will help you better experience and navigate around those projects.

  • Traffic is wild-Especially if you’re heading into the mountains and not used to mountain driving.

Below are some fun tours that I thought you may enjoy while visiting town.

Juneteenth in Denver

It may surprise a lot of people reading this that Denver has one of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the United States. It has been celebrated in some fashion or another since the 1950’s. My theory is that many people don’t realize how close Texas is to Colorado. We’re separated by that weird section of Oklahoma created when Texas wanted to remain a slave holding state. Check the map of the United States. Because of the proximity, many families have roots in both Colorado and Texas and vice versa. In fact, Juneteenth was the largest celebration that I enjoyed a few years after the pandemic lockdowns. It was amazing.

Community Spaces-Where to Meet the Fam

One of the tips that I share with all visitors to Denver is to connect with the people who live here. By doing this you’ll have a richer and more nuanced experience of Denver (regardless of color) For Black visitors to Denver looking for a few Black spaces or events-I’ve included a few of my favorites below.

  • MoBetta Greens Market

Learn More About Black Denver

Denver and the state of Colorado has a long history of Black Coloradans. Learn about Five Points, Lincoln Hills (a historic resort) and the Deerfield Settlement-spaces of historic and current importance to Black Coloradans. Learn about Mayor Wilmington Webb who walked all around Denver in his quest to become the first Black mayor of Denver. He won and was elected a consecutive 3 terms. Learn about Black Cowboy Culture and attend the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Heritage Rodeo if you visit in January.

  • Blair Caldwell Library (Third Floor)
    • Ask if there’s a librarian who can give you tips about how to experience the third floor.

Additional Black Denver Summer Experiences

Here a few additional events that you may find interesting or that I think you might enjoy attending. Let me know how things go!

Concerts

There was a time when very, very few concerts with Black audiences were booked in Denver. There was a music booker who roadblocked it (that’s the rumor) and the view was there wasn’t enough of an audience for certain acts to stop in Denver. Nowadays there’s an audience and also a willingness of out of state visitors to travel to town for their favorite musicians concerts. By the way, tickets for many of these concerts are REALLY affordable.

Black Owned Eats and Drinks

The most obvious impact of gentrification in the city of Denver is how it spread out the Black population. People have moved around the metro area and their businesses have moved with them. You won’t find a concentration of places to eat and drink that are Black owned. Check out the following resource that I put together asking the question “If Denver had Black Restaurant Week-Where Would We Go?”

The Best Times to Visit Denver, Colorado

I’ve shared why June is the #1 month to visit Denver for Black visitors. It’s also the number one month that recommend for all visitors to the state. If you’re looking at other times of the year to visit, I’ve made a list of the 7 best times to visit Denver throughout the year in the following order.

  • June

  • The first week of May

  • September

  • October

  • End of November

  • January

  • March

  • April

What is the Best Month for Black Visitors to Visit Denver, Colorado

June is the best time for Black visitors to Denver. There’s just so much to do and a number of spaces that are African-American focused or curated. For travelers who aren’t used to traveling in concentrated white spaces-June is a great month to have a Denver, Colorado experience.

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