Mary Poppins with Gelato

Remember the scene in Mary Poppins where they jump into a street painter's picture? Well that's what I felt like doing every 5 steps this past Sunday, because I was at the Piazza Dell Arte on Larimer Square in Downtown Denver. Each year, this street is blocked off and for two days chalk artists from all over Colorado and the world come to scratch at the pavement. Some artists create masterpieces: faces so real and of such beauty that you can only stare and bemoan the fact that it will soon wash away. Other pictures are more light-hearted: a tasmanian devil, a dog with sunglasses, etc.

The festival is supposed to be an Italian affair (harkening back to 16th century artists sketching out the Madonna for compensation), so the experience would not be complete without gelato, wine, and food! Every admirer strolling down Larimer had at least one of these treats with them, and most had dogs. This last is more a stereotype of Colorado than of the festival itself: Coloradans love dogs! Everywhere I looked there were dogs of different sizes, breeds, and temperments; their owners trying to pose them next to the dog pictures as little crowds gathered to watch the spectacle. I felt sorry for the artist who had spent two days crafting the "dog with sunglasses" picture: more people ogled the visiting pups than they did the drawn one.

As always, it was a wonderful way to spend Sunday afternoon and I look forward to what the muses bring next year.