Denver Zoo to Host First-Ever AAPI+ Festival with Edgewater’s FACC

Photo from the Denver Zoo (Photographer Chuck Springer)

In celebration of Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, Denver Zoo is proudly partnering with the Filipino-American Community of Colorado (FACC) to host the first-ever Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI+) Festival. The two-day festival (May 14-15) will celebrate the diversity of Colorado’s Asian community through multicultural dance, music, art, workshop and community engagement; and the Zoo’s unique connection to Asian cultures and countries through its animals and conservation programs.

“The Zoo has a long, rich history of working with Asian communities to help save wildlife abroad, and reflecting a variety of Asian cultures in many of the animals and experiences here on our campus,” said Erica Elvove, Senior Vice President for Conservation Engagement and Impact at Denver Zoo. “We’re grateful for the support of the Filipino-American Community of Colorado and the many other contributing organizations for their trust and partnership in putting this event together.”

The AAPI+ Festival will feature workshops where guests can learn to make jewelry, kites and origami from local experts and artisans, and enjoy musical and dance performances from groups like the Filipino American Community of Colorado, Korean Academy of Colorado, Spirit of Cambodia, Nguyen Thieu Buddhist Youth Association and Halau Na ‘Olapa Mamao E Malama Hula. The event is being co-hosted by the Filipino-American Community of Colorado (FACC), and supported by a number of other contributing local organizations.

“Denver Zoo is a perfect location to share the unique and rich tapestry of Asian culture with the community,” said Domingo Belen, public relations officer for the FACC and executive board member of the Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce. “The Zoo’s leadership has embraced the idea for this festival from the get-go, and its staff has worked with us every step of the way to turn this into what I think will be a very successful event.”

Denver Zoo has worked with partners in Mongolia for more than 20 years to secure nearly 300,000 protected acres for Mongolia’s most iconic endangered species, including argali sheep and cinereous vultures; and helped increase the population of the critically-endangered Tonkin snub-nosed monkey in Vietnam by nearly 40 percent since 2011. On its campus, the Zoo features Toyota Elephant Passage, which reflects different areas in tropical Asia, and is among the largest and most complex elephant habitats in North America, and cares for a wide range of Asian species, including, Asian elephants greater one-horned rhinos, Malayan tapirs, clouded leopards, fishing cats, small-clawed otters, cinereous vultures, Przewalski’s horses, and many more.

All AAPI+ Festival activities are included in regular daytime admission. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance at DenverZoo.org.

Joel Newton

Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.