The Big Wonderful

A lovely place to be on a nice Saturday afternoon!
I brought an out-​of-​state friend along a few weeks ago and we had fun exploring the different vendors, food trucks, and fashion stands. The live music was great and kept us upbeat the entire day. The main bar in the center of the area boasts some awesome local brews; I personally enjoyed a hard apple cider from Stem Ciders. The picnic tables under the tent are a spacious place to sit and watch the band as you have some food and drinks. It’s even a good place to make some small talk with other people nearby. Denverites certainly know how to have a good time under the sun and are a friendly bunch!
My favorite part was getting to interact with local businesses and getting to know the stories behind their crafts; I was able to grab some gifts for friends along the way. Keep in mind that there is a suggested donation at the gate before you enter.
Sadly, the Big Wonderful is out for the season, but it’ll be a great outdoor event to go to this upcoming summer.

This place was fun all summer long! We attended the first day opening and then the last day. I loved the vendors and the live music. I hated that you had to buy drink tokens at certain tents to be able to get your drinks. They were a tad bit pricey as well. The boutique trucks were fun to go into, but also a bit pricey. I love the concept and LOVE that they have parking and bike racks. Its donation only when you walk in, which I never felt pressured to give money. Overall we had a great time!

Had an amazing evening here last Saturday. Perfect weather, beautiful sunset, great live music, enough people to make it feel alive but no crowds. Suggested $ 5 donation.
Highlights:
— Live music!
— Double decker bus with a great view of downtown
— A few cornhole sets and sand volleyball courts (also a sandbox area for the kids)
— Nice variety of food trucks and local brews represented
— Cute and interesting vendor booths
Hipster-​y paradise. Excited to bring visitors here for a very Denver-​y experience

Wonderful event! :) awesome food trucks and a beer tent to keep your taste buds happy. Normally have great live music and fun merchants to get your shopping on! A must for Saturday afternoons in Denver.

Imagine if hipsters woke up and found they were the only people left in the world, The Big Wonderful is the place they’d make. Hipster eden.
Despite that, it’s actually pretty cool. Food trucks, local vendors selling all manner of stuff, beer. Sadly they seem to have locked in with a single beer vendor, so my options are less now for grabbing a drink :(but oh well.
We’ve bought all kinds of home made stuff, had our knives sharpened by a local vendor, sat and enjoyed a meal and a beer.
It’s a neat little open air marketplace. A bit weedy, and dirty, with confusing ever changing layout, but a fun time still.

We have been here a few times now and while we would have loved to stay longer it has been just too dang hot! Each time we have gone it has not been packed — it has been around 2pm so I think we are hitting it at the right time.
This last time we were carded which didn’t happen previously and we were asked for a suggested donation of $ 5. While we knew about this there were several people in front of us who had no idea about this and were upset by it. It might be good for them to put this info on their website so folks aren’t surprised.
There is a plethora of food trucks serving something for everyone, booths with crafts, clothing, food and jewelry items for sale adorn the area as well. There are bands and a bar with a nice misting feature. We haven’t fully explored due to the heat so we look forward to returning to discover more.
This is in a residential area so the parking is all street.

I really needed to give this place a 3.5 rating… It’s a cute idea, big empty lot turned into a fair/​picnic/​family reunion like atmosphere for the day.
It keeps getting better, more food trucks, more vendors, more servers.
The beer is over priced and they switched from stuff we liked last year to stuff just not worth the dough this year.
It’s a fun place to spend about 30 minutes wandering and getting a snack, but too many people, too many children, the music is too loud (and yes, get off my lawn…) for a conversation to be help with ease…
The idea is great, food options are always nice, but it aint cheap!

Last year, I would have rated this a 3 star. This year, it gets a full 5 star for a number of significant improvements they have made. They have many more vendors, both food and otherwise, more spots to get adult beverages and they clearly did a better job advertising the event since it is always packed now. Also, they added a lot more shelter from the sun and rain. We love coming here, a nice stumbling distance from home in RiNo.

What a fun thing to do on a Saturday afternoon! I went for the first time last weekend and enjoyed myself a lot!
The Big Wonderful is a little bit of everything all rolled into one. It’s free, but they ask for a $ 5 donation.
When we arrived around 2:30, the place had a good amount of people, but the lines for the food trucks weren’t too long yet so we opted for food first. There are many different options all around the event including BBQ, Peruvian, grilled cheese, and some vegetarian options. Prices range between $ 7-​$ 12 for food dishes. Next up, drinks! The line wasn’t too long at this point. They have homemade cocktails, craft beer, and a couple wine options. You can buy a cup for $ 15 and I recommend it. It keeps your drink cold longer and you get your drink free with it. If you come back, bring your cup and you will get a $ 1 off drinks.
There were various vendors all around including packaged food, plants, clothing, jewelry, and much more.
They have sand volleyball, corn hole, and a little dog area as well. Bring the fur baby along, there were lots of cute pups everywhere!

We came here today for an international food group event and international it was! We split offerings from the pasty truck — the chicken, broccoli and cream cheese pasty reminded both the hubs and I of mom dishes from childhood. It was really tasty.
Next on our little food tour was the mini donut shop that we had topped with strawberry cheesecake and s’mores flavorings. Tasty little gut bombs.
The grilled cheese sandwich truck was third on the tour. We split a three cheese grilled cheese and it was ok but not our favorite. Nothing spectacular. The cheese curds we shared with spicy aioli was much better but again I could have skipped it.
Cheese Perogies with caramelized onion and bacon hit our stomachs next. At this point I bowed out after a perogie and headed over to the South African food truck where I scored my favorite dish of the day. Braised short rib stew over a cornmeal like food with a side salad. A touch of ginger and perfectly tender beef took this dish over the top for me. I also snagged some bill tong to go which I have been wanting to try for a long time. It is essentially South African beef jerky but less salty and more tender. Very good.
The overall event was well done. Parking is free which is great in Denver and they had people directing cars which helped. The vendors were all nice and of course it was great to see all the food trucks!

Hooray for The Big Wonderful making a comeback on the Denver social scene for its second year! Having wanted to enjoy the splendor of local vendors showcasing their food, drink, or craft all last year — I shamefully never made it to a Big Wonderful event. Finally, one snowy Saturday in May, I made it to the collaborative, free, community event and couldn’t have been more pleased.
Entry is free; however, there is a suggested donation for the band, which I think most visitors are happy to oblige. Upon entering you’re naturally guided through their intuitive floor plan: food trucks comprise the circumference of the central tent boasting picnic tables, the main bar, and of course — the band. This particular Saturday, the Reggae band sounded awesome and provided such a sunny and positive vibe on an otherwise cold and windy day. The bar offers all solid local choices like Stem Ciders, Great Divide, and more. I even was introduced to new food trucks and am forever grateful for the encounter. Now — I’m aware there is a food truck that cooks teeny donut bites, and there’s no looking back. It’s going to be tough to not want those delicious fried pastries every Saturday now.
Some perks include and ATM on site, water stations, a dog park, and volleyball, too… duh! The Summer is going to be filled with a lot of Big Wonderful Saturdays!

Maybe it was the rain and the cold but the Friday night Bazaar was the «Small Underwhelming». There were about 10 artists/​vendors selling a variety of goods from jewlery and clothes to pies, a bar and a band for entertainment. But for a Friday night the place was nearly empty and after less than an hour my friends and I were ready to leave. Since the weather was bad, I would give it a second try.

Beautiful view of Denver. Great atmosphere to hang out, drink and eat. Problem is lines are RIDICULOUS. We waited 30 minutes for get some beer. We weren’t too impressed with the food either. Everything is $ 8-​$ 12, with long waits and mediocre quality and flavor. We spent $ 14 on a lobster roll… it was horrible! $ 2 to add a sprinkle of bacon — don’t do it! The mini fried donuts were the best thing we had… freshly fried, soft pillows of fluffy dough. So yummy. Had a decent venison brat. Not worth the wait or money though. I think it’s a great idea, just wish the trucks were better.

Such a great summertime use of a huge empty lot!
The reason for 3 stars and not 4 or 5? The amount of people.
If you go just to wander and shop a little at local booths for food and fashion trucks for clothes, then you’re in good shape! You’ll have to battle the crowd a little to get a sample of IPA lemon poppy jelly or local pickles but that’s not too bad. NOW if you want to get a beer or a drink, be prepared to waiting at least 15 minutes in line. ALSO if you want to eat at a food truck… the wait will be almost an hour. And if you’re as lucky as me, they’ll run out of what you order but that’s a different review.
Overall The Big Wonderful is a ton of fun! Just expect the usual Denver hip place huge crowd.
Bring your dog if they’re friendly and not afraid of people. There’s a little dog park area!

What a «Wonderful» place to spend an afternoon or evening. The big wonderful is an outdoor market of sorts and there is literally something for everyone! It’s basically a large lot with food trucks, an outdoor bar, lawn games (corn hole, volleyball, etc) and vendors. There is also a little area for dogs to roam around, so you can be sure to bring your pooch out for some fun. There’s also a stage with live music. I definitely plan on coming back as soon as the weather warms up a little bit! It’s a great, low-​key place to bring friends.

Are you a small business owner looking for a fun way to introduce your product to a large group of 20 – 30 year olds? Or are you someone who likes good food and fun music? Then you’ve found your place!
Pick up a new outfit, eat a delicious meal, drink a PBR (or a craft beer), listen to a fun band jam on, play with a dog, make a new friend. All in the same place.

Great concept, great people, great location, great vibe.

Great place to spend an afternoon chilling outside while enjoying DJed music, local food trucks and craft drinks.
The trucks rotate regularly so you’ll always be able to try something new. The drinks are pricey but you can’t turn down a cold beer on a hot day. They also have lots of games to play, like volleyball or horseshoe. I happened to be there on a day where you could win music festival tickets for hula hooping.
Basically there is always something different going on so it’s worth returning a few times during the season. I hope it grows in popularity so that it truly becomes the «big» wonderful.

The Big Wonderful is the perfect environment for day drinking with friends on a warm, summer day (or even a cool, fall day). Sadly, it was slightly chilly and rainy when I was here, but I can still see it’s potential!
The Big Wonderful is an outdoor bar surrounded by food trucks. I’ve only been to The Big Wonderful once, but I would assume that there’s some variation in the food trucks each weekend. Which reminds me, The Big Wonderful is only open every Saturday (until dusk) and the final Friday evening of every month.
The space consists of a BIG, open outdoor space (with parking), several tents to hover under in case it rains, an outdoor bar, several outdoor tables with hay bales as seats, an off-​lease dog area, corn hole, horseshoes, volleyball, and a stage and outdoor dancing area. At least when I was there, there was a DJ playing music. I think the area is also intended to function as a flea market, but there was hardly anyone selling flea market-​type merchandise. The atmosphere of the space is sort of hipster meets land-​locked beach bar, if that makes any sense? Regardless, it’s a cool experience.
We’ll definitely be back to try out some more food trucks and enjoy what’s left of our summer days!

Unilocalers need to give The Big Wonderful some online love. They’ve taken over a formerly abandoned area and turned it into a great place to socialize with friends, try new foods, and check out local artisans.
Upon walking in you’re typically greeted by a gentleman asking if you’ve been here before. If you haven’t, he’ll tell you about morning yoga immediately to the left, where the food trucks, and that there’s a dog park over there, bocce ball there, sand volleyball left behind the bar. There’s a lot going on.
They sometimes feature DJs and bands. If you attended, you would have tried La Chiva before their official grand opening, and RiNO glass students’ artwork. Go.