The vibrant and rich tapestry of Korean culture will be on full display in Denver at the Feed Your Seoul Colorado Korean Culture Festival this weekend.
The festival that organizers say is the first festival of its kind in the city is set to take place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Auraria Campus Tivoli Quad and is free to attend.
Attendees can expect to immerse themselves in the beauty and diversity of Korean traditions, both past and present.
"I'm eager to let people see that all of the art and parts of the culture they've consumed has such incredible origins," said Cristine Alling, Executive Director of Colorado Korean Festival. "People seem to be gravitating towards Korean culture as far as K-Dramas, K-pop and K-Beauty. We wanted to take that spark of interest and allow it to blossom and let people see the traditional music and food as well."
Expect to see and hear traditional dancing and drumming by The Hansori Cultural Organization as well as Taekwondo demonstrations by Tiger Lee Taekwondo.
A traditional Korean wedding ceremony known as "Pyebaek" is also scheduled for 5 p.m. and yes, Alling said, "This is an actual wedding."
Organizers met the couple at a fundraising event earlier this year and after jokingly teasing the idea of hosting their ceremony at the festival, Alling said the couple was more than happy to publicly celebrate this momentous occasion in a ceremony that features ceremonial bowing, tea, gift-giving, Korean dates and chestnuts.
"I'm looking forward to people seeing just how much humor and levity is in the ceremony even though it is something that has been around for centuries," Alling said. "There's a lot of fun in the ceremony. It's not stoic. It's joyful, whimsical."
In an effort to celebrate and capture the moment that contemporary Korean culture is having around the world, festival organizers have also prepared to host a competitive K-pop Dance Battle featuring nine competitive dance groups offering cash prizes, a K-pop dance hour with DJ Innaseoul and a headlining performance by Los Angeles Pop and R&B artist Justin Park.
Park's music has received critical acclaim and has been featured on Billboard USA, Billboard Korea and Billboard Radio China as well as a social media plug by Jungkook, member of the international South Korean sensation BTS.
A vendors marketplace will also offer all sorts of K-Beauty products, K-Snacks, K-pop Merch and festival swag to commemorate the celebration.
More than 20 food and beverage vendors dishing out traditional favorites like Bulgogi, Kimbap and Hotteok as well as Galbi Beef Tacos and Nachos, Korean Fried Chicken and boba drinks.
Some notable food vendors include:
- 3456 Tea
- Baekga Korean Kitchen
- Coffee Sarap
- Croffle Haven
- CupBop
- Kona Ice
- Lomy Bakery
- Mai's Miracle Tea
- Momo Bing
- Roll it Up Sushi
- Yomie Rice & Yogurt
"Koreans are so proud of our heritage and culture," Alling said. "When Koreans do something they do it with such care and detail and I think people will see that."
Festival organizers are expecting more than 2,500 visitors on the Tivoli Quad and Tivoli Turnhalle this weekend. The Tivoli Garage is adjacent to the Quad, but organizers recommend taking Regional Transportation District services or biking to the event.
Click here for a festival map and a layout of Auraria Campus parking and bus stops.
