The 22nd annual Korean Festival is coming up. The family-friendly event is free to attend, and will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 8 at Kapiʻolani Park (3840 Paki Ave.).
Attendees can look forward to authentic Korean food, live entertainment — ranging from traditional performances to K-pop — and other fun activities.
The festival is an annual event run by the Korean Festival Foundation; its purpose is to share and promote Korean culture in the local community. Proceeds from the Korean Festival are used to fund ventures and service projects that benefit both, the Korean and larger communities of Hawaiʻi.
“We are thrilled to bring the festival back to Kapiʻolani Park,” says Korean Festival marketing director Toby Tamaye. “Not only is the location highly convenient — allowing many visitors to simply walk over from their Waikīkī hotels — but the expanded footprint gives festival goers plenty of room to spread out and enjoy authentic Korean cuisine, alongside non-stop stage entertainment.”
Highlights from this year’s festival will be a new bungeoppang (Korean snack) eating contest, a hanbok fashion show, and special live performances, according to Tamaye.
“There will be a high-energy K-pop dance party with DJ Moobek and Kang Woo-in,” he says. “If you are looking for a must-try food recommendation, make sure to grab the Korean shave ice from the Christ United Methodist Church booth.”
This year’s featured food vendors include ‘Aiea Grace Church, Christ United Methodist Church, Dirty Twist Soda Bar, Hangane, Hawaiʻi Christ Church, Hawaiian Honey Cones, Il Gelato, Island Fiyah, O’Kims Korean Kitchen, Pearl’s Korean BBQ, Sushi One, Teapresso, Thai Lao, Waba Snacks and Yomie Hawaiʻi.
Featured dishes include:
- Tteokbokki: Chewy rice cakes simmered in a rich, sweet and spicy Korean chili sauce
- Mandu: Steamed Korean dumplings filled with seasoned pork and vegetables
- Hotteok: Warm Korean pancakes filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts
- Sotteok sotteok: Grilled rice cakes and juicy sausages, glazed with a sweet and spicy Korean sauce and served on skewers
- Kimbap: Seaweed rolls filled with rice, fresh vegetables and egg
- Cup patbingsu: A refreshing Korean shave ice dessert topped with sweet red beans, fruit and chewy rice cakes
- Cucumber kimchi
- Kimchi pancakes
- LA galbi: Korean barbecue short ribs
- Kongguksu: Cold soybean noodle soup
- Bungeoppang: Korean fish-shaped pastry traditionally filled with a sweet red bean paste
Attendees can also look forward to live performances, including a senior taekwondo demonstration, hula performance, Korean line dance, K-pop dance performance and more. There will also be performances by special guests like Youngwoong Lim, Park Jung Sik, Lee Jung Ok and more.
For more information, visit the Korean Festival Hawai‘i’s website.
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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
