Juneteenth at Levitt Pavilion underscores a rising “Black Renaissance” in Denver

Juneteenth at Levitt Pavilion underscores a rising “Black Renaissance” in Denver

The lineup includes BossMan Dlow, Skilla Baby, Trim and local legends Trev Rich and TheyCallHimAP.

By Emily Ferguson June 16, 2026

Photo by Cameron Castro

Collin Draine, the co-owner of GNC Productions, believes that Denver’s Black artists are in the middle of a Renaissance, and thinks the city should take note.

GNC Productions has hosted a variety of events celebrating Black culture since forming in April 2018, and they’ve been major successes. Munchies and Mimosas, for example, fills every venue where it takes place, from Temple Nightclub to Summit to the Fillmore Auditorium. GNC even toured the event a couple of summers ago, hitting major cities. It also started a new First Friday series dubbed The Kick Back at Fifth Coffee House in Five Points.

Then there’s the overwhelming amount of talent in the local scene to pull from, too.

“Every weekend I look up,” Draine says, “there’s something dope in our community. And they’re not small productions: We’re going to Fillmore, and we’re doing 2,000 to 2,500 people; Vibes in the Park, they’ll do 1,000-plus every month. I think there’s a big movement, there’s a lot of dope things going on to shed light on.”

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