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Colorado is at the heart of rec-legal cannabis culture, and the availability of great art walks is just one of the many perks that go with that status. Here are the best in Boulder, Denver, and Telluride.
Boulder
North Boulder Art District
Follow the polka dots along Broadway and you’ll find yourself in the midst of the fun and vibrant North Boulder art walk. While you’re there, check out the Lotus Opening Studio and learn how art complements meditation. To really delve deep into the cerebral elements of meditation practice as you surround yourself with artistic endeavors, reach for a deeply relaxing THC-infused tea like the Colorado-based Stillwater Mint. Throw in a few ice cubes to it cool down and by the end of the walk you’ll feel so totally relaxed you’ll hardly know what to do with yourself.
Date: First Fridays, year-round
Time: 6pm–9pm
Denver
River North Art District (Upper Denver)
Denver’s thriving art scene is proudly displayed at the trendy RiNo neighborhood Art District’s First Friday art walks. Tucked into this seemingly industrial neighborhood lie a variety of special art galleries such as those in the stunning Dry Ice Factory. Regularly housing up to 32 studios under one roof, the Dry Ice Factory never disappoints when it comes to variety and talent. To navigate so many different mediums and forms of artistic expression, fill a vape with the eye-opening Durban Poison and puff as you bounce from studio to studio. And if you like a little kick with your art, head over to Millers and Rossi before heading home—this self-proclaimed art speakeasy is one half modern design and one half 1920s glamour. Order the Smoked Old Fashioned to really feel like you’ve been transported back in time.
Date: First Fridays, year-round
Time: 6pm–9pm
Arts District on Santa Fe
Lined with 60 separate art galleries, the Arts District on Santa Fe boasts one of Colorado’s largest art walks. It showcases everything new, old, unique, and intriguing, like the Abecedarian Gallery for lovers of literature and artistic book art. Due to traffic, First Fridays includes complimentary shuttles that pass through the streets every 20 minutes. When you arrive, pass the time at a Mizuna, a fancy eatery serving up rich, French cuisine, and end the meal with their deeply inviting Chocolate and Rhubarb Pot de Crème before savoring a few of Dixie Elixirs‘ Mango Dew Drops and heading to the nearest artistic endeavor.
Date: First Fridays, year-round
Time: 5:30pm–9:30pm
Navajo Street Art District
Though spanning minimal space (it’s about a block long), the Navajo Street Art District houses some of Colorado’s most prominent studios. You’ll kick yourself if you skip Zip37—one of the oldest art galleries around—that displays fine art, diverse pieces, and out-of-this-world creations. Toke up with the cerebrally stimulating White Nightmare before checking out Jeanne Treaux’s Bubble Headed Cowgirl for an up close and personal experience, then head into Factotum Brewhouse for a Friday night pick-me-up in the form of a chocolatey stout.
Date: First Fridays, year-round
Time: 5pm–9pm
Golden Triangle Museum District
The Golden Triangle Museum District is chock full of—you guessed it—spectacular museums. With so much history, art, and culture surrounding this magnetic hub, it’s only fitting for the city of Denver to celebrate the eclectic block by opening up its sidewalks to the masses. Big names such as the Denver Art Museum sit in harmony with smaller, localized spaces like the Walker Fine Art Museum to cater to a variety of tastes. To move through this vast array of venues and endless museums, keep Jesus OG on hand for its relaxed vibe and ability to focus the mind. You’ll find this strain to be particularly perfect for walking through Hadley Hooper‘s imaginative Tableau at the DAM, displayed through August 20th.
Date: Last Fridays, year-round
Time: 5pm–9pm
Telluride
Telluride Arts District
Though far from Colorado’s big cities, Telluride puts up a creative fight when it comes to their modest yet endlessly diverse First Thursday art walk. This mountain town itself is a stunner, and its breathtaking surroundings offer the perfect backdrop to the twelve galleries that shape its equally breathtaking art scene. Stop at the Telluride Bud Company for a fresh strain like the earthy Violator Kush, which exudes the great outdoors, before popping into Lustre to view some nature-inspired jewelry in a venue bursting with color.
Date: First Thursdays, year-round
Time: 5pm–8pm
