Celebrate Cambodian New Years Eve in Des Moines

The Iowa Cambodian community is bringing its New Year's Eve celebration to Scottish Rite this weekend.

Why it matters: The party on Saturday is a way to celebrate and preserve Cambodian culture, and introduce traditions to newer generations, says Emily Frimml of the Angkor Wat Friendship Association, which is hosting the event.

How it works: Cambodian New Year falls later than other Asian new year holidays and is closer to Buddha's birthday and the end of the harvest season.

• The full observance typically spans three days and includes religious ceremonies.
• Saturday's event will be a celebration with live music, Khmer dancers, breakdancers, Cambodian food and a family zone, Frimml says.

Zoom in: The holiday also carries weight behind it — in the 1970s, the Khmer Rouge genocide started close to New Year's, and they deliberately targeted cultural artifacts like music, dance and art as part of its campaign of erasure.

• Frimml's own parents fled Cambodia and found refuge in Iowa in 1979.
• "A lot of the music is significant to our culture now because we're trying to still hold on to what our country celebrated so long ago," she says.

If you go: 5-11pm, Scottish Rite Consistory, adults $25, kids $5.