Photos: Denver Zine Fest Brings Colorado Artists and Writers to Central Library
Denver Central Library filled with readers, artists and independent publishers on Sunday, Sept. 13, for the 2026 Denver Zine Fest. The six-hour event brought together more than 85 zine creators from across Colorado, drawing a large crowd to browse handmade publications and speak directly with vendors. Tables throughout the library offered zines, artwork, stickers, books and other printed work. Visitors flipped through hand-folded booklets covering subjects ranging from animals and poetry to sex, gender and monsters. The festival highlighted zines as a form of self-publishing that allows creators to circulate personal, political and artistic ideas outside traditional publishing channels. Denver Zine Fest is organized by the Denver Zine Library, a volunteer-run collection based at the Denver Public Library’s Bob Ragland branch. Longtime volunteer Vera Benschop previously described zines as an independent and accessible way for people to express themselves, stressing the value of using free speech. The 2026 gathering marked the second year that the festival was held at Central Library. The Denver Zine Library maintains roughly 20,000 donated zines, which are available for checkout on Saturdays when the library is open.
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