Seeds Planted for a Strong Foundation
Growing out of a community task force lead by Elaine Asarch to support the revitalization of Civic Center in 2004 , the seeds of the Conservancy’s work were established when the 2005 Civic Center Master Plan called for the newly established Civic Center Conservancy to serve as an umbrella partner alongside the City in a public-private partnership. The community informed plan called for a cleaner, safer, more welcoming public green space.
“Partnership with the City was critical in our development. The City and Country of Denver takes the lead because this is and always will be a public space,” said Asarch.
Many do not realize that restoration work on key historic features of the park, like the Greek Amphitheater, Voorhies Memorial, and Broadway Terrence, were advocated for by the Conservancy back in 2007, reinforcing Civic Center Conservancy’s role in preservation of the historic character. In 2012, Civic Center was named Denver’s First National Historical Landmark, and McNichols Building was renovated as an arts and cultural hub. Goals for a more accessible and beautiful park have come true because of public support. An active park downtown helps Denver thrive as a whole.
Cultivating Growth Through Programming
In 2006, Conservancy-led public programming was introduced to activate the park starting with the Outdoor Market & Café. We quickly realized that an active park is a thriving park and have stayed on mission ever since. Programming has grown year over year and in 2025, we celebrated 16 years of EATS — the largest lunch time food truck rally in Denver. We also expanded NIGHT MARKET — a series that infuses culture, cuisine, and community — into a series of three family-friendly evenings in the park.
The Conservancy builds community through partnerships, supporting everything from AAPI’s Culture Fest and Denver’s Indian Festival to large 30,000+ person concerts hosted by AEG and Outside Fest.
“The AAPI community has so much to give, and we want to contribute to the growth of the City of Denver. The Conservancy has been the cornerstone for us by providing support and a platform, a sort of home for us in the park. We hope this partnership continues to grow in the coming years,” said Jory Zhang, AAPI Commission Member.
We aspire to increase our programs to amplify even more communities — we can do it with your help!
Blooming and Spreading Seeds For a Better Denver
When Eric Lazzari became our current Executive Director in 2019, it heralded a new chapter focused on social impact and equity for the park with a focus on meeting the needs of the park. Coming out of a temporary full park closure and COVID, the Conservancy was inspired by significant investment in staffing and operations by Denver Parks and Recreation. We strengthened partnerships through our volunteer program, SPARKLES, and our workforce program, WORKS, to do our part to create a clean, beautiful, and inviting space.
The Conservancy has spent the last three years building our mission-driven programming by cementing social impact models for our activations. This involves launching our Youth WORKS program and supporting hundreds of small businesses and entrepreneurs, including dozens of new BIPOC, immigrant, and women-owned and operated food truck and artisan vendors.
“In my 14 years working on Civic Center, I’ve never seen the park feel so alive,” said Lazzari. “It’s cared for in a way that makes it truly beautiful and welcoming, and the programming is just right with the perfect blend of big, nationally produced events and meaningful, community-centered, culturally rich experiences.”
This year is a special year to give. We are looking back at how Civic Center Conservancy has uplifted downtown and helped make Denver better over the past 20 years. We’re also looking forward to the positive changes the park will experience as we move in and out of reconstruction.
Civic Center Park is your park — your gathering place, your green space, your connection to Denver’s heart. Your gift ensures its legacy continues to inspire for the next 100 years.
Support Civic Center Park today!
Civic Center Conservancy through the years (top left clockwise): Bike-In Movies, Civic Center MOVES, Civic Center Conservancy original branding info tent, AEG concert featuring Goth Babe, Art in the Park: Tree of Transformation, Greek Theater activation with COVID protocols, the first year of SPARKLES with PCL.
