Denver City Hall will be illuminated in the colors of the Philippine flag for five nights beginning Oct. 23 as Filipino Americans across the region celebrate Filipino American History Month with cultural performances, food and community gatherings.
The National Federation of Filipino American Associations’ Region 5 is organizing the lighting observance for the third year in partnership with the city and county of Denver. A community gathering is planned for 7 p.m. Oct. 23 near City Hall, followed by a celebration at Coffee Sarap/Barkada Bar Denver, according to organizers.
The lighting is part of a series of October events recognizing Filipino American history and contributions, including a new Denver festival and community celebrations in Colorado and North Dakota.
First Kasama Fest brings food, performances and a marketplace
The inaugural Kasama Fest, hosted by Kasama Market, will take place Oct. 24-25 at Ace Eat Serve, 501 E. 17th Ave. The festival will feature live music, cultural performances, a Filipino marketplace and a kamayan dinner, a communal feast traditionally eaten by hand. Pricing varies by activity.
With the theme “Letters to Home,” the festival will showcase Filipino traditions and provide a marketplace for Filipino American entrepreneurs from the Denver area, according to organizers.
The festival adds a new event to the city’s Filipino American History Month calendar, bringing performances, food and small businesses together over one weekend.
Celebrations extend beyond Denver
Earlier this month, NaFFAA Colorado held its fourth annual Filipino American History Month celebration in collaboration with History Colorado. This year’s program highlighted “Bayani,” or heroes, through presentations by Filipino American associations in Colorado.
The partnership began with a celebration at the History Colorado Center on Oct. 22, 2023. That inaugural event included more than 40 vendors, food samples, dance performances, film screenings and presentations by Filipino American organizations.
In Bismarck, North Dakota, Fil-Am Outreach North Dakota and Sining Etniko organized an observance at the Bismarck Veterans Public Library. The program featured dance and musical performances by community members led by Sining Etniko Director Crista McCandless, according to organizers.
NaFFAA Region 5 serves Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota, connecting Filipino American communities across the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains states.
Why Filipino American History Month is observed in October
October commemorates the earliest documented Filipino presence in what is now the continental United States. On Oct. 18, 1587, Filipinos described in historical records as “Luzones Indios” arrived at Morro Bay, California, aboard the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Esperanza.
The Filipino American National Historical Society helped establish the observance as an opportunity to study and recognize Filipino American history. Congress first recognized October as Filipino American History Month in 2009.
The observance extends beyond cultural celebrations to recognize Filipino Americans’ roles in labor movements, military service, government and other fields. A bipartisan congressional resolution introduced this month again recognized those contributions.
For information about the Denver City Hall lighting, contact Shiela DeForest, NaFFAA Region 5 program director, at shiela.deforest@naffaa.org.
