Part 1: AAPI Culture Festival returns to Denver for a second year

May 9, 2025

Photo provided by Taemy Kim-Mander

This is part one of a two-part series on AAPI Culture Fest. Part 2 will introduce many of the organizations, vendors, performers and other groups that will be present and involved in the upcoming event.

The AAPI Culture Festival will be back in Denver for its second year on May 16, this time featuring new events and a Civic Center Night Market.

In partnership with the Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission, Civic Center Conservancy and Asian Roundtable, the free and family-friendly event will celebrate AAPI cultures through food, art and interactive activities from 5 to 10 p.m.

Taemy Kim-Mander, the festival’s community hubs committee chair, said this year’s festival will have more to offer than their inaugural event.

"I would say it's just more expansive and more robust this year. Last year, the Planning Committee was small, the budget was small and then this year now, in partnership with Civic Center Conservancy, it's really brought it to another level,” she said.

The event’s main feature is its community hubs, which Kim-Mander said there will be more of this year. Each hub features a nonprofit or local business meant to represent each culture highlighted.

Visitors will receive a passport booklet that allows them to track hub visits through stamps and can receive a small prize for visiting them all; Kim-Mander gave the example of possibly earning a sticker. A full list of all the hubs can be found on the Civic Center Night Market webpage.

Kim-Mander said the festival will take place alongside one of three Civic Center Night Markets happening this year.

According to the Civic Center Night Market webpage, these events are “inspired by the night markets of Southeast Asia." There are 26 local eateries listed as serving AAPI community cuisines at the event, and 34 retail vendors are listed as of the publishing date.

The night market webpage notes that these festival sections are located on Bannock Street and South Lawn as well as Central Promenade.

10 performances will take place at the festival, and the full performance list and schedule can be found on the Civic Center’s event page. Kim-Mander said everything from Hawaiian dance to J-Pop and Latin performances will take place at the Greek Amphitheatre.

There will be two DJs playing music throughout the festival, and Kim-Mander noted that Christina Joymon, the first Asian winner of “Mrs. Colorado American,” will be the event’s emcee.

The event will also feature a pop-up art auction in three sessions, taking place at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. in the McNichols Civic Center Building. According to the AAPI Culture Fest website, all of the artwork is made by local AAPI artists of varying ages and skill levels.

Kim-Mander emphasized that all of the money raised here will go to the artists, with the event’s website suggesting a 10% donation that will go toward the next AAPI Culture Fest.

“The artists will receive 100% of the proceeds, and that was our way of, you know, providing our support financially to Asian American artists," Kim-Mander said.

According to Civic Center Park’s event page, the festival will also have a family fun area, with games, face painting and more.

Kim-Mander acknowledged that partnerships are what make these events possible, emphasizing the efforts and impact of the Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission, which operates under Denver’s Department of Human Rights & Community Partnerships.

She said the commission puts a lot of work into creating an inclusive, accessible and community-oriented event. She noted that living in unprecedented times has been difficult for marginalized groups, and events like this can help these communities through hard periods.

“For us, representation is our resistance. That's how we show up. We throw events, we build community [and] we offer support, and that's how we show up for our elderly and for our young people is by building community,” she said.

More event details, including a map and parking information, can be found on Civic Center Park’s dedicated webpage. Those interested can find more information and announcements on the following social media pages:

Instagram- @civiccenterdenver @denveraapifest @bonfireeventco

Facebook- civiccenterconservancy, Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission-DAAPIC, Bonfire Event Co.