A Fiery Celebration

The lion dancers moved through the parking lot of the Far East Center, surrounded by flags raised high overhead. The drummers pounded on their cymbals and fo gu as the crowd pushed together to be as close as possible to the action, announcing the start of the Year of the Fire Horse. As the fiery reds, yellows, silvers, and golds of costumes flared and dazzled against the bright sun and blue Colorado sky, the dancers weaved through the crowd and vendors. Clangs, booms, and cheers reverberated off the storefronts and food trucks, heralding the start of the Far East Center’s annual Lunar New Year celebration.

That late February morning, Mimi Luong had already been at the Far East Center for nearly eight hours by the time the dancers took their first steps. For Luong, the performance by the Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association dancers was more than just the beginning of the weekend festival: it was the embodiment of a family tradition. Long before the now-seasoned convener took over the Lunar New Year and other festivals at the Far East Center, she spent years learning the ins and outs — first by watching her parents plan the events, then by helping them, and most recently by leading the months of preparation herself.  

Her leadership reflects a broader shift unfolding across Denver, where institutions like Cleo Parker Robinson Dance in Five Points, Su Teatro in the Westside, and the Welton Street Cafe have been experiencing transitions. From moving into new buildings to embracing generational shifts in leadership, all are navigating the uncertainties of a rapidly changing Denver and the role they will play in helping us stay firmly and culturally rooted in our history. The question for the Far East Center and these other cultural mainstays isn’t whether change will come; it’s how do they move forward without losing the charm, the passion, the foundation that made them vital in the first place?  

Since 1988, the Far East Center has served as a cultural anchor for the area’s Vietnamese and broader Asian communities. Located at Federal and Alameda in Westwood, the family-run hub grew from a collection of businesses founded by Luong’s immediate and extended family – a family grocery store, a tax service, a gift emporium – into a gathering place where food, commerce, and cultural traditions meet. Over time, the center and the surrounding area that came to be known as Little Saigon grew and became a staple of Westwood and of Denver. 

For Luong, the path to running the Center wasn’t linear. When she was 22, she stepped away from the family business to run other gift shops across metro Denver. When she returned five years later, her work had been reshaped by both a deepened perspective, and a newfound appreciation for her family's own business. In recent years, as her parents have begun to step back, Luong has taken on a more central role in guiding how the Far East Center engages with its community.

Preserving legacy doesn’t mean standing still. Luong is among a group of community members and civic leaders advocating for Little Saigon to become an official cultural district. And, the Lunar New Year celebration is only one moment in a yearlong rhythm of community gatherings Luong leads. In addition to operating the Far East Center's Lunar New Year celebration and Mid Autumn Festival, she collaborates with other community organizations, such as Hecho en Westwood to plan the annual Saigon Azteca, an Asian-Latino fusion event that celebrates the cultural diversity and unity of the Westwood neighborhood. There’s also the Mile High Trunk or Treat event, hosted at Empower Field, in partnership with the Far East Center and a group of organizations from Sun Valley and Southwest Denver. 

“Carrying on my family’s legacy is deeply personal,” said Luong. “What my parents built was more than a business; it was a place of refuge, culture, and connection. Through celebrations like Lunar New Year, I’m honored to continue that legacy by creating space for our community to come together, celebrate our traditions, and share them with the next generation.”

As drums thundered and the lion dancers wound their way through the crowd, Luong stood by her mother, taking in the celebration. It was as clear as the blue sky that February morning that the path forward was visible all around. Whatever comes next for the Center and for Luong will continue to be shaped by an enduring love for preserving culture and sharing community.

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A group of children buzzing with joy, eagerly hold up their offerings as they gather before the lion during the Year of the Fire Horse celebrations at the Far East Center. The 35th Annual Lunar Year Celebration saw thousands of community members celebrate over two days in the Westwood neighborhood.

Lion dancers kick off the Year of the Fire Horse at the Far East Center's Lunar New Year celebration.

Left photo: A lion towers as it dances in the annual Lunar New Year celebration at the Far East Center in Westwood. This year's gathering featured  high-energy lion and dragon dances, traditional folk performances and numerous fireworks displays to blanket the audience in good luck.

Middle photo: Amid a packed Lunar New Year celebration at the Far East Center — two girls stand transfixed as the lions leap and swirl before them.

Right photo: Standing behind a booming drum as the rhythm pulses through the crowd, young drummer from the Colorado Asian Cultural Heritage Center performs at the Far East Center’s Lunar New Year celebration. Surrounded by cheering families and lion dancers, he plays with unwavering focus — each strike precise and powerful — radiating joy and energy while helping drive the heartbeat of the celebration forward.

Amid the bustling 2026 Lunar New Year celebration at the Far East Center, the lion dancer locks eyes with the camera and the crowd. The energy of performers and attendees converged, pulling everyone into the heart of the celebration.

A lion dancer from the Colorado Asian Cultural Heritage Center commands the crowd on Day Two of the Far East Center’s Lunar New Year celebration, as their vibrant costume ripples with each precise, animated movement. Over 20 different performances represented Denver’s diverse Asian community across the two-day gathering.

As lion dancers swirl and drums thunder through the plaza at the Far East Center's welcoming of the Year of the Fire Horse, a parent hoists their child for a moment brimming with wonder and delight.