Sun Valley Night Market Honors Resilience Through Change

A Night of Culture and Community in Sun Valley

Under the Colfax Viaduct on Denver's west side, the sound of drums and the smell of food from around the world filled a neighborhood in the middle of one of the biggest transitions in its history Saturday night. The annual Viaduct Night Market returned, drawing residents and visitors to a neighborhood that has spent the last decade navigating demolition, redevelopment, and an uncertain future, all while trying to hold onto the culture that has long defined it.

Sun Valley is one of Denver's most diverse neighborhoods, home to residents who speak more than 30 languages from five continents. It is also one of Colorado's lowest-income neighborhoods, according to Nick Talarico, executive director of the Sun Valley Kitchen and Community Center.

"We have folks that are speaking 30 different languages across five different continents," Talarico said. "We have families that have been here for generations."

About a decade ago, the Denver Housing Authority tore down Sun Valley's original public housing to make way for redevelopment. The neighborhood's population and density are now set to triple, a scale of change Talarico said demands a deliberate approach.

"It's been really important that we are very intentional in rebuilding that community," Talarico said. "We are tripling the population and density here, so it has to be a really intentional building of this community that celebrates and brings in everyone."

Talarico added that new older-adult housing units have recently opened in the neighborhood, and that the goal is to ensure everyone has a place at the table in Sun Valley.

A Legacy of Resilience

For longtime resident Phu Nguyen, who moved to Sun Valley as a child from Vietnam, Saturday night's market brought back memories of the community he grew up in. He operated a food stand at the event, saying food has always been the way Sun Valley's many cultures connect.

"People cook different food, and whatever food you cook, you knock on the neighbor, you ask, 'You want to eat this? Try this?'" Nguyen said. "So that's how we communicate."

Nguyen recalled a more turbulent era in the neighborhood's past. "Back in '91, there's a lot of violence and a lot of things happening back then," he said. "But over time, Sun Valley got better."

Now, the neighborhood faces a new chapter of uncertainty. The Denver Broncos, Sun Valley's largest neighbor, are exploring a move to a new location — a development that could bring significant change to the area surrounding Empower Field. Residents say they hope whatever comes next benefits the community.

New Investments for the Future

Frankie Toan, founder of Rainbow Dome, is already investing in that future. The business recently purchased property on Federal Boulevard and is building a roller skating rink in Sun Valley — something Toan says the neighborhood has long wanted.

"So one thing Sun Valley has really wanted is recreation centers and activities — things for folks in this neighborhood to engage in and do," Toan said.

Toan described art and connectivity as the foundation of what Rainbow Dome hopes to bring. "You come, there is a beautiful environment, something to engage with, and then you put on roller skates, and you are no longer thinking about anything but trying to stay upright," Toan said. "I think it can be a way to communicate our passion and our excitement with other people."

A Celebration of Identity

For those who have watched Sun Valley change and those who are new to it, Saturday night offered a reminder of what has remained constant.

"These are people who love to celebrate," Talarico said.

"A place where the character and the culture continue to exist here," Toan added.

Nguyen put it simply: "We lost our other home, but we built a new home."