The Democratic National Convention revolves around politics, but Denver intends to show off its cultural assets during the event.
“Our downtown is the envy of most big cities in the country,” Mayor John Hickenlooper said during a news conference Thursday. “We are a model for how to re-create a Western city.”
To that end, the city will sponsor a series of public events at the Denver Performing Arts Complex during the convention week, from art exhibits to an environmental fair to a series of 10 forums, called the Rocky Mountain Roundtable, announced Thursday.
Roundtable subjects will be pressing — education, transportation, and technology — and its participants will be notable: politicians, CEOs, public policy experts and media stars.
Among the big names: actor Ben Affleck, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, journalist Tom Brokaw, media mogul Ted Turner, and former senators Dick Gephardt and Tom Daschle.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will participate in the Unconventional Women program, a wide-ranging discussion about women and politics set for Aug. 25.
The environment is showcased at Green Frontier Fest, an outdoor fair celebrating green living and working on Aug. 24. At the Presidential Experience, from Aug. 22-29, people who buy tickets — most of these events are not free — can step into a replica of an Air Force One jet from the Kennedy era, examine JFK memorabilia and more.
Other city venues will also get into the act. Film is featured at Cinemocracy Rocks!, at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Aug. 25, where 10 movies exploring democracy will be shown.
And with Dialog: City Art Installations, neighborhoods across the metro area will host interactive art works. Among them are “political karaoke,” digital projections of veteran stories collected from a Humvee, and a “hip-hop opera” about global warming and Antarctica.
When asked about the specter of protesters disrupting convention events, Hickenlooper responded that “fear” is more of a worry than sign-waving radicals.
“There are very few people who are talking about anarchy,” he said. “You never know what you don’t know, but we are as prepared as we can be.”
Douglas Brown: 303-954-1395 or djbrown@denverpost.com
