Utah's Asian community will strut its stuff at the Salt Palace in the 20th annual Asian Pacific Festival Saturday.

The theme this year is "Preserving Our Legacy; Celebrating Our Future," which refers to the fact that Asians have been in Utah since the beginning and today are the fastest-growing minority group in the state.The Saturday event falls exactly 128 years after May 10, 1869, when the Golden Spike was driven at Promontory Point to complete the transcontinental railroad. About 12,000 Chinese workers labored on that railroad line without due recognition in the history books.

"We want to show the richness of culture and heritage of the Asian people," said James Jun, an organizer of the festival for the Asian Association of Utah.

Dancers, singers and artists from 16 Asian ethnic groups will perform at the daylong festival. There will also be an art exhibition by Chinese artists from Taipei.

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The festival to celebrate the Year of the Ox begins at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m.

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