Taste Of Korea Chicago Festival Comes To Old Orchard In Skokie

SKOKIE, IL — There's a new festival in town kicking off Saturday in Skokie as the inaugural Taste of Korea Chicago Festival arrives at Old Orchard Shopping Center. Celebrating the rich fusion of Korean and American culture, the event promises a wide variety of on-stage performances, food and fun events to participate in. Lead organizer Lily Kim said the festival aims to engage second and third-generation Korean-Americans with Korean culture. At the same time, she hopes to take advantage of the increasing popularity of all things Korean.

"There just a step farther away from their homeland, most of them haven't gone back to their country. So we just want to make sure we preserve our Korean culture here in the States," Kim said. "And the Korean culture has just been so widespread. I'm so surprised these high school kids are so into K-pop [Korean pop music] and K-drama [Korean television series]" She said at the Korean language classes she attends, only two of the 15 students are of Korean descent.

So after three years of planning, Kim and more than a dozen fellow organizers are ready to roll out Chicago's first Taste of Korea, running until 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Skokie — or your community. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

“It’s incredible and an honor to see so many Americans embrace our lifestyle, and for us to showcase it all at the Taste of Korea Festival,” Kim said.

In terms of food, there will be four restaurants participating along with two food trucks offering a mix of traditional Korean specialties and Korean-American fusion (such as the Chicago Seoul Hot Dog or the Bulgogi Burger.)

For kids, there will be four (4!) bouncy houses, as well as educational robot kits.

For those of age, there will be Korean adult beverages available at a beer (and Soju) garden.

The festival will also highlight traditional and contemporary Korean stage performances, including Taekwondo, an ever-popular K-pop singing contest with pri, dancing and B-boy battle.

California-based K-Pop rappers Gemini and Apollo will perform Saturday night, followed by a meet-and-greet autograph and picture session with fans and an after-party with the popular performers.

A special tribute to honor our Korean War Veterans has been planned for Saturday at 4 p.m., as this year marks the 64th anniversary of the armistice of the war.

“It is very important to hold this ceremony and dedicate it to our servicemen who bravely fought to defend a small country so foreign to them,” said Kim. “Now that Korea is a booming economic country, these veterans are finally getting recognized for their service in the Korean War, also known as the ‘Forgotten War.’”

In addition to veterans, organizers said local elected officials and dignitaries will be recognized for their contributions and public standing in the community.

There is a suggested donation of $5 per person and $20 per family.

Taste of Korea Chicago Festival

Saturday, Aug. 5 and Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017
12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Old Orchard Mall Shopping Center
4999 Old Orchard, Skokie
http://bit.ly/TOKChicagoFest

Stage Performance Schedule:

Saturday:

• Noon: Welcome Emcees Peter Kim and Lily Kim, Eddie Lu Chinese Yo-Yo
• 12:20 p.m. Taekwondo Korea Center
• 12:55 p.m. Von Steuben Korean Club
• 1:15 p.m. Music Institute of New York
• 1:35 p.m. Melissa Rufus
• 1:55 p.m. Von Steuben Korean Club
• 2:15 p.m. K-pop Dance Competition
• 4 p.m. Opening Ceremony Dedication Honoring Korean War Veterans
• 5:40 p.m. Amy Maniak
• 6:15 p.m. Rod Rivera
• 6:35 p.m. B-Boy and B-Girl Battle Championship
• 8:15 p.m. K-pop Competition Finalist Performance
• 8:30 p.m. Main Event: Gemini & Apollo
• 9:00 p.m. Gemini & Apollo Meet & Greet, DJ VIRGIL7 B-Boy and B-Girl Freestyle. Gemini & Apollo After-party (Tickets)

Sunday:

• 12:00 p.m. DJ KraZy, WKPop
• 12:35 p.m. Koreo Party
• 1:10 p.m. Von Steuben Korean Club
• 1:30 p.m. Chicago K-pop Ladies
• 1:55 p.m. Von Steuben Korean Club
• 2:15 p.m. K-pop Interactive Dance and Korean Games
• 3:20 p.m. Little Ol Korea
• 3:40 p.m. DJ MiXX
• 4:15 p.m. Yelin Korean Traditional Drumming & Dancing Troupe
• 4:50 p.m. Global Pungmul Institute
• 5:40 p.m. Jang's Yong In Martial Arts
• 6:15 p.m. Elephant Rebellion
• 7:10 p.m. Fonzie Scheme
• 8:00 p.m. Singing Competition

_{Top image: Taste of Korea Chicago Festival logo | via TOK Chicago}