From San Francisco to Seoul: Learn About Korean Culture Through KCI’s Third Annual Bay Area Chuseok Festival
Ever wonder where the best place to learn about Korean Culture is? Get in the habit of binge watching YouTube videos on content revolving around Korea and Korean Culture lately? If the answer is yes, many people around the world are probably thinking and doing the exact same thing!
With the COVID-19 Pandemic restricting travel to South Korea for almost two years now, those longing to learn about Korean Culture in Korea has been on hold; However, one place that will be live streaming virtual events about all things Korean Culture is coming up soon! Do not miss the amazing opportunity to learn about Korean Culture through the Third Annual Bay Area Chuseok Festival hosted by the Korean Center Inc.
The Korean Center Inc:
Established in 1974, The Korean Center Inc. (KCI), assisted Korean Immigrants by providing training, English language courses, and social services to help them adapt to their new environment; And help Koreans reach their full potential with the new life they were creating for themselves and their families. Based out of San Francisco, California, KCI became a community-based non-profit organization with the mission to create a space for exploring and celebrating Korean Culture and heritage. KCI wants to help bridge communities and generations, to collaborate and address Korean-American community needs within the San Francisco Bay Area. KCI has evolved and now provides ways for the Bay Area community to learn about Korean Culture, through their Korean Language Program, (King Sejong Institute) in-person and virtual events, cultural programs, and educational programs.
And as of September 21, 2021, in honor of KCI’s contributions to the Korean-American community and county of San Francisco, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors recognized KCI’s Chuseok Festival, for the third year in a row, and declared a resolution celebrating “Korean Chuseok Day”.
What is Chuseok (추석)?
Don’t know much about Chuseok? Well, a great way to learn about Chuseok and Korean Culture is through the KCI Bay Area Chuseok Festival!
KCI’s Chuseok Festival Goes Virtual:
The Third Annual Bay Area Chuseok Festival was meant to take place in-person at the Presidio this year; However, due to the internal decision based on the best interest of public health, the festival switched to an online event. With the success of last year’s festival being held online and with the hard work of the KCI Team, KCI is ready to share this year’s festival with people from all over the world!
The Chuseok Festival will be held from October 20, 2021 to October 27, 2021. The festival will showcase and celebrate Korean Culture, traditions, and the Korean-American community. With virtual events being broadcasted live from the U.S. and Seoul, South Korea, this year’s festival will also include an online silent auction with exciting items and experiences that participants can bid on - the net proceeds will benefit KCI and their community programs. KCI will award the Stop AAPI Hate organization with the Community Champion Award - to honor their work in the fight against anti-Asian hate crimes. KCI will also award Eun-Hae Chung with the Community Spirit Award for being a longtime volunteer and for his latest contributions to KCI’s pandemic-related response efforts.
Some events from the U.S. include a live concert with award winning singer-songwriter, Jae Jin and a panel of food industry experts hosted by Bravo Top Chef Alum, Chef Tu David Phu. One event based out of Seoul, includes a panel of popular Korean chefs discussing the latest trends and hottest food scenes in Seoul. Another event includes a panel moderated by DKDKTV, with participants from Rakuten Viki and HanCinema - discussing the K-Drama’s and Korean Folklore that inspired them. While these are just a few of the events that will take place during the festival, KCI has a variety of other events with amazing hosts that are a must-watch event! With this, it’s safe to say that people can excitedly learn about a variety of things within Korean Culture through this festival.
Virtual Events All About Korean Culture:
Below is a list of all the virtual events that will be held for the seven-day festival! Feel free to click on the links provided down below to learn more about them and register for each event. The registration process is through Eventbrite and all virtual events are free to attend!
Since the virtual events are free, please consider making a donation to KCI; Whether it is a small or big donation, the money will go towards KCI to continuously provide quality programs for their community.
October 20, 2021: Kollaboration on Clubhouse: Chuseok Festival Edition
October 21, 2021: In Conversation: Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland
October 21, 2021: Faces of Resilience: How The Food Industry is Navigating The Pandemic
October 24, 2021: Paul Kim: The Comedian, The Entrepreneur & The Nonprofit Leader
October 25, 2021: Live From Seoul: Chefs Dish on The "Inssa" Food Scene
October 26, 2021: The Art of Bojagi Wrapping: Colors & Celebrations
October 26, 2021: Farm to Table: A Conversation with Korean Female Artisan Entrepreneurs
October 26, 2021: K-Folklore to K-Drama: Origin Stories Behind Your Favorite Dramas
October 27, 2021: Korean Storytime with "Book & Sook"
October 27, 2021: Makgeolli Mastery: The Making & The Mixing
Sharing Korean Culture with The World:
While KCI hoped to have an in-person festival this year, having a virtual festival is beneficial for the hosts of the events, the audience, and the organization. Overall, the one greatest outcome of the festival going virtual is the fact that anyone from around the world can attend all of the festival events! From being educated on traditions of Korean Culture, to bringing awareness of today’s struggles, solutions, and inclusion of communities coming together for a better future, these events are a “must not miss” occasion! And in the comfort of one’s home, where everyone is safe, learning about Korean Culture can be easy; Just sit back, relax, have a warm cup of tea, and turn on the live stream of events for KCI’s Third Annual Bay Area Chuseok Festival to learn more about Korean culture!
For more information on KCI or upcoming events for the Third Annual Bay Area Chuseok Festival, please visit KCI's website and KCI's Festival site. Also, a special shoutout to KCI, their Festival Manager and Program Manager, for allowing us to promote their upcoming festival!
Written by: Jenna Tokioka
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