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Festival At Overland Golf Course One Step Closer To Reality

DENVER (CBS4) - The City and County of Denver is moving forward in the process to host a massive three-day music and art festival at Overland Park Golf Course.

The decision, which was announced Thursday, comes after months of gathering public input on the proposed event. Many in the community raised concerns about hosting a festival of this size, which organizers estimate would draw up 60,000 people per day in its first year. The event could close the public golf course for about a month.

overland park golf course music festival plans map

"We learned so much about what is important to our neighborhoods and that protecting them from impacts like trash, sound, and parking are as vital as protecting the landscape, turf, and wildlife that we so value about our green spaces," Jolon Clark, Councilman for District 7, said in a prepared statement.

The Denver festival would be modeled after the annual Outside Lands festival in San Francisco, a three-day summer event that has been held for years and attracted 210,000 people last August.

The Outside Lands event features hundreds of musical and comedy acts and high-end food and art shows.

outside lands music festival
(credit: CBS)

Earlier this year, activist Bridget Walsh told CBS4 she thinks this is another attempt by Mayor Michael Hancock's administration to monetize the city's parks.

Bridget Walsh
CBS4's Brian Maass interviews Bridget Walsh, a parks activist (credit: CBS)

"Parks are under attack all over the city and we have to band together to protect our parks if we want to maintain our quality of life in Denver," said Walsh.

Last week, organizers of Denver's annual 4/20 rally came under fire for a mess of trash seen scattered across Civic Center Park the morning after the event.

CIVIC CENTER TRASH 6PKG2_frame_120
(credit: CBS)

The potential music festival is still not a "done deal."

Denver will now begin negotiating a contract with festival promoter Superfly to ensure the company will mitigate impacts on the community. That contract will then go to the City Council for approval, which would include a public hearing.

"It's an exciting opportunity for Denver," said Katy Strascina, Executive Director for the Office of Special Events, in a statement released by the city. "We look forward to continued community engagement through the next phase of the process to ensure that local interests and values continue to play a part in the planning of the festival."

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