More than Lunch: Food, Community and Music in Civic Center Park

Red umbrellas dot the promenade at Civic Center Park, shading long rows of tables where downtown workers, residents and passersby gather for lunch. The scent of sizzling tacos mingles with sushi and barbecue as food trucks line the walkway, drawing a steady crowd.

On a bright fall afternoon, Amelia Olin, a new Denver resident, and her friends fan out to sample different cuisines before regrouping at a table near the flower beds. “So I always get something from the taco truck over here, either that or Cuban,” Olin said. “And then Kyan just went to go get food from the Tikka truck, and I think Rach went to Momo Sushi.”

“Just walk down to the park,” said Civic Center Conservancy’s Director of Community Partnerships and Activations, Eric Raya Steinbass. “And by coming here, you’re supporting so many awesome small businesses. That’s like the whole idea of ‘shop local, buy local.’”

Each truck is an independently owned small business that attends the whole season. They’ve just recently started their fall season and will continue through mid-October. 

“I’ve been coming since August, and I like that they’ve had some rotation,” Olin says. “I’ve never tried anything bad here, and now that I know it’s here, I don’t want to miss a day before it’s gone.” 

Steinbass prides the event on its vendors and their owners, highlighting both their food and stories. 

“We bring out between 10 to 12 trucks: entree trucks, a beverage truck and a dessert truck,” Steinbass said. “We try to make sure we support women-owned, minority-owned trucks.”

For nearly 20 years, the Civic Center Conservancy has worked as a nonprofit organization to keep Civic Center Park clean, safe, beautiful and active, with the EATS event being one of their most frequent. Vendors have worked hard to build their trucks. Some are balancing having a newborn while starting the only Chilean food truck in Denver, Cachai Chilean Food. Others, like The Wandering Potato, fought to make food for gluten-free people to enjoy.

“Cazuelas has been with us for like three years now, so we have regulars that return year after year,” Steinbass said. “And then The Wandering Potato is brand new to us this year.” 

Janelle and her husband, who operate The Wandering Potato, have worked in the restaurant industry for years, but 12 years ago, Janelle was diagnosed with celiac disease. The frustration of not being able to eat most foods pushed her to create her own 100% gluten-free truck, The Wandering Potato, which they supply locally by ordering from people in Denver, Longmont and Arvada.

“That was a huge, and I mean huge potato,” said a customer who came back to compliment Janelle. “Both of ours were delicious, thank you!” 

Since 2004, the food has been one of the many perks that the Civic Center Conservancy brings to the park. For instance, it also partners with Bayuad Enterprises, a nonprofit that runs a day-work program for individuals transitioning out of homelessness, in order to teach them skills and provide resources to enter the workforce. 

“They bring them to the park and have them work alongside Denver Parks and Recs staff,” Steinbass said. “The day workers learn that skill, that trade. They do that for six weeks, and then ideally, this will expose them so that they can then apply to a job.” 

They also work with Youth on Record, a nonprofit that helps people aged 15-24 learn how to operate in the world of music. The company helps students learn how to perform and produce their own work and network by connecting them with Colorado artists to serve as their mentors. 

“We could hire any random group or any random performer to come into the park, but why not support and work with a group that’s trying to make an impact?” Steinbass said. 

At its height, the Civic Center EATS event was three days a week, bringing in thousands of people daily. In a post-pandemic world, they’ve just got back to two days a week and are being rediscovered by residents weekly. 

“It’s just one of those things where they’ve been doing it for a while and it’s just starting to pick up steam again, so I think eventually it will be back to where it was, like years ago,” Janelle said. 

As the community continues to grow throughout the seasons, it also continues to keep people interested. “A lot of people are working from home, and it’s good to get out and get some sunshine and connect with people,” Steinbass said. 

“I talk to strangers all the time here,” Olin said. “That’s actually how I met my friends today and how I continue talking to people I wouldn’t usually meet. I have just been trying to put myself out there.” 

Janelle continues to see the impact through the window of her truck. “There’s a lot of different kinds of people, which is cool, and I see a lot of networking,” she said. “It could be a little busier, but every event could always be a little busier; there’s nothing really negative other than that.”

Civic Center Park is a hub for good food and friends, keeping the experience unique. Steinbass reminds people, “It’s not going to corporate shareholders that are making millions and billions of dollars. This is supporting that woman with a new small baby.”

As the event continues, trucks will come and go, the weather will bring its challenges, and the park will continue to grow. But at its center, Civic Center EATS is about the act of sharing a meal to strengthen Denver’s community, celebrate its diversity and invest in its future.

“So that’s our thing,” Steinbass said. “You know, trying to support the local economy and community.”