The snow has melted and warmer temperatures have arrived. In Colorado, that means it’s time for fun, festivities, and great festival poster designs. Here are our favorite Colorado event posters for spring and summer 2018.
Most visually engaging
Thoughts on the poster design
For several years the Salida Winefest has featured Jared Jacob’s elegant illustrations on their event posters. In the 2018 poster, the designer uses a stained glass motif to bring together wine, nature, and the Colorado flag. We usually aren’t fans of the ubiquitous Colorado “C” but this application works. The color palette is warm and earthy—fitting for a classy day-drinking event.
Experience promised
A sophisticated yet modern event with a touch of romance
Best handling of logos
Thoughts on the poster design
One of toughest challenges of designing a festival poster is the plethora of logos to handle. For the Belgian Brew Fest, designer Rachel Evans made a monochromatic texture out of the logos of all the participating breweries. This creates a sense of abundance. The logos are repeated in a single color at the bottom. The combination is a clever way to handle the tricky pile of required logos.
Experience promised
An abundance of Belgian goodness
Best title design
Thoughts on the poster design
This poster for Velorama is a great example of iconography. The collection of small, flat images highlights the fun mix of activities at the event—cycling meets music meets food. The color palette is vibrant and engaging and reminiscent of the Colorado flag. The title type is creative and energetic without compromising readability.
Experience promised
A cycling event with something for everyone
Most compelling graphic
Thoughts on the poster design
For the Dolores River Festival, the designer has created an striking symmetrical illustration supported by layers of texture. The mesh gradient on the goat glows against the desaturated teal background. The event details and band names are clear and readable. Overall, the design inspires curiosity, encouraging us to learn more about the event. Will there be an actual goat?
Experience promised
A quirky outdoor event and maybe a goat
Best styling
Thoughts on the poster design
This poster for the Denver Zine Fest has a strong focal point. The use of line and the pop of green draw the eye into the center of the poster and invite you into the experience. Though the title typography and event details are a little tough to read, the overall style seems in line with the the type of artwork that will be exhibited at the event.
Experience promised
A chance to see more stylistic art like this poster
Best use of humor
Thoughts on the poster design
The Geography & GIS club of the University of Northern Colorado demonstrates a nerdy sense of humor with this poster for their Bearfest in the West event, designed Harraz Mohd Reza. We can’t help but chuckle at the anonymous bear sporting censorship-style stripes across his eyes. The color blocks clearly show the event information and the poppy yellow catches the eye.
Experience promised
A family event with an educational touch
Most audience appropriate
Thoughts on the poster design
The poster design for the Bassnectar Freestyle Sessions Summer Gathering keeps its audience in mind. The exotic, dare we say psychedelic, color palette is visually engaging. The playful graphics of sea life being drawn to the reverberating geometric gathering place reflects the surreal atmosphere of this event. We love the title typography and the readability of the event details despite the wild imagery.
Experience promised
A high-volume collaborative event with lots of bass drops
Most eye-catching
Thoughts on the poster design
This poster for Sanitas Brewing’s Taco Fest features a retro, screen printed look. The title type would definitely stand out on a wall full of community event posters. We appreciate the wit of the Sanitas owl carrying off a taco and the luchador holding a beer can. The stacked condensed type works well and is easily readable. Overall, the communication is clear.
Experience promised
A festive time with beer, tacos, and costumed wrestlers
Best sense of movement
Thoughts on the poster design
In this poster for the Achieve with Us Colorado Film Festival, designer Tanya Jeffrey of Ginseng Creative cleverly integrates a graphic element from The Arc’s logo into the dancer’s gold ribbon. We love the sense of movement and freedom. The details are a little scrunched but readable. And we aren’t crazy about the handling of the additional sponsor logos; however, we’re betting the designer wasn’t given the best file formats.
Experience promised
An inspiring night for a cause
What do you think of our winners? Have you seen some great event posters this summer? Share your favorite festival poster designs with us in the comments!
Note: Kettle Fire Creative does not neccessarily promote or condone the activities taking place at these events. The evaluation is based solely on the quality of poster designs.
Check out more of my work for Bassnectar @ thexlusiv.com