Taste of Ethiopia brings African flavor to Denver area: "this is what Colorado is"
There was a celebration in northeast Denver Saturday celebrating Ethiopian food and culture.
The Taste of Ethiopia festival was held for the ninth time this weekend. It was well attended but that's no surprise to East Colfax Community Collective Co-Director Nebiyu Asfaw, who says the Ethiopian population in the Denver metro area is between 30,000 and 40,000 people.
"That makes it the second-largest foreign-born population in Colorado," said Asfaw.
He says the migration from Africa to the Rockies started in the 1970s and has only picked up because Colorado has welcomed Ethiopians with open arms.
"The people of Denver have completely embraced us. They've embraced our culture, the music, the food. And we're just happy to be part of the Denver festival scene," said Asfaw.
One of those people is Gov. Jared Polis.
"I love Ethiopian food, so does our family. It's great, great Ethiopian music, Ethiopian coffees," said Polis.
He says he sees firsthand how much the community helps the state.
"It's great the contributions they're making every day to our culture food, small business people, entrepreneurs. And this taste of Ethiopia is really just a celebration of that," said Polis.
This was a one-day event, but with a plethora or restaurants, coffee shops and small businesses in Denver and Aurora, Coloradans can celebrate Ethiopia and time they want.
"Experience the Ethiopian culture. It's a complete cultural immersion, and this is what Colorado is," said Asfaw.
