Each summer, the dragons awaken at Sloan’s Lake Park in northwest Denver. The annual bash includes exciting dragon boat races, tons of food vendors and a packed lineup of entertainment, all of which celebrate the rich heritage of Colorado’s Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander…
Despite each country’s unique culture and differences, a commonly shared cornerstone of Hispanic and Latino cultures is the importance of family — and food. Everybody contributes and everybody eats. When Aurora resident Chef Lindita (and the owner of Lindita’s Salsa & Spice Company), was a child…
In 1972, Chicanos (Americans of Mexican ancestry) were required to take a remedial reading class in order to attend the University of Colorado Denver. Finding this requirement demeaning, university faculty member Rowena Rivera proposed something else entirely — she wanted to create an…
This city contains multitudes, to borrow from our old friend Walt Whitman. And Kalyn Rose Heffernan is an exemplar of that abundance. The front person for the hip-hop band Wheelchair Sports Camp, a one-time mayoral candidate, a playwright, an installation collaborator at Meow Wolf Denver, and an…
In Colorado's high country sits a relatively new memorial dedicated to the nearly 1,400 immigrants, predominantly Irish, who were buried in unmarked graves. It honors the hopes and dreams, struggles and sacrifices of those who settled on Leadville's east side, seeking a better life after silver was…
Go ahead, smile at the notion that the boundaries for Denver’s proposed Lavender Hill Cultural District are a wee bit fluid. After all, the ever-inclusive LGBTQ+ term is nothing if not expansive, so it's only fitting that the district spans several neighborhoods. While the perimeter of the nascent…
The Dragon Boat Film Festival aims to do more than entertain. Since 2016, the annual event—which will take place March 14–17, 2024, at Denver’s SieFilm Center—has fostered cultural exchange and connection through an immersive lineup of programs. Over the past eight years, the festival has grown from…
When the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC) was founded in 1978, its purpose was simple: to create a place where Latino/a/x and Hispanic artists could display their art freely. “We weren’t allowed in galleries, or they didn’t want our type of art,” said CHAC’s Executive Director Brenda…
Museo de las Americas has been a cornerstone of the Art District on Santa Fe since it opened its doors in 1991. It’s the only museum in the region devoted exclusively to Latino culture. “For over 30 years, we've been working in this beautiful space to tell a different story,” says Cristina Del Hoyo…
Bars and pubs are the usual go-to for social interaction, but there’s nothing quite like sitting down with a nice cup of coffee—or, perhaps, a hot chocolate—and nibbling down a tasty pastry while passing the hours with friends or getting some work done. And while the idea of a local bistro might…
