Photos: Shenanigans Ensue at August First Friday in the Art District on Santa Fe

August’s First Friday in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe is the one time that cars aren’t invited to the arty party. August 1 was purely for the people.

Turns out, when there’s not a never-ending line of traffic shooting through the middle of a community event, the streets come alive with music, dancers, food and art.

The monthly art walk has had some growing pains this year. After the number of street vendors grew beyond the ADSF’s capacity, resources and infrastructure, the art district had the event permitted as a special event, citing issues with inaccessible sidewalks and vendors blocking gallery entrances.

First Friday becoming a bona fide special event meant that vending would no longer be free. It also meant that while Santa Fe Drive remained open to traffic during the art walk, it was no longer open to vendors, who were assigned designated areas on the side streets instead.

But for the August event, vendors were welcomed back onto Santa Fe Drive for an evening celebrating community and creativity.

People browsed local art, ate at food trucks, checked out galleries and gathered to watch the many performances that brought music and dancing to the street instead of exhaust fumes.

August’s First Friday is always special, but right now, closing down Santa Fe Drive for the event is only a once-a-year possibility. ADSF director of operations Ana Paula Pinto told Westword in June that while the district would love to close Santa Fe Drive for First Friday every month, “the city will not permit them more than once per year due to the heavy amount of traffic that moves down Santa Fe Drive.”

But with that street closed on August 1, the traffic was all in art.

Here are some snapshots from the event: