Mile High Asian Food Week Launches Apr 26

Mile High Asian Food Week starts Sunday, April 26, and runs through Sunday, May 3, stretching to eight days for the first time in the event’s fourth year. (visitdenver.com) The event is spread across participating businesses rather than one festival site, with restaurants, food trucks, pop-ups and beverage makers offering specials during their regular hours. Organizers say diners can expect discounts, secret menu items and specialty menus tied to the week. (milehighafw.com; visitdenver.com) Mile High Asian Food Week is powered by Asian Avenue Magazine, and the event says it is focused on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander-owned food and beverage businesses in Colorado. The official site says participating vendors must be AANHPI-owned and serve AANHPI foods or beverages, though other vendors can join through a collaboration with an AANHPI-owned business. (milehighafw.com; do303.com) This year’s footprint is larger than the usual Denver-only shorthand suggests. Edible Denver reported the 2026 lineup had grown to 73 businesses from Aurora to Colorado Springs as of April 17, with more still being added. (edibledenver.com) The week has also become a recurring spring platform for limited-run collaborations that do not stay on menus after the event ends. FOX31 reported chefs use the week to test dishes they have wanted to make, team up with other restaurants and roll out one-off menu items. (kdvr.com) Organizers trace the event to 2023, when community members launched it to spotlight Colorado’s growing AANHPI culinary scene. Do303 says Joanne Liu, co-founder of Asian Girls Ignite, created the food week, and that it now operates under the Colorado Asian Culture & Education Network, a nonprofit known as CACEN. (travelboulder.com; do303.com) CACEN says a portion of Mile High Asian Food Week funding supports its nonprofit work on cultural exchange, education and addressing inequities affecting AANHPI communities. That gives the event a role beyond restaurant promotion, tying ticketless dining traffic to a broader community network. (do303.com) For diners, the practical part is simple: check the live vendor list and schedule before heading out, because the offers vary by business and some pop-ups are tied to specific dates. The official event site and Visit Denver listings are updating the roster as opening day approaches. (milehighafw.com; visitdenver.com)