KPOP and Food Festival brings Korean culture to Surrey
The Seoul Society Vancouver event featured music, food trucks, and a market
The KPOP and Food Festival highlighted Korean culture and music in late July. (Anna Barsukova)
Seoul Society Vancouver hosted its KPOP and Food Festival on July 26 at Surrey Civic Plaza as a way to share the joy of K-pop with people of all ages.
Although the organization usually hosts K-pop club parties for those aged 19 and up, Christy Kim, the founder of Seoul Society Vancouver, said it’s important to also attract other K-pop fans who are not club-goers.
The event was outdoors and provided attendees with the chance to listen to their K-pop tracks.
“This festival means a lot to me because it’s my first one that’s not a club event,” Kim said. “I’m planning on doing both parties and also a night market — and that one will be Korean themed.”
Kim said that unlike parties where guests pay for entry and often face additional costs for drinks and food, this festival is more accessible and allows people with different budgets to participate.
The event also featured food trucks, serving up food like Korean and Asian street eats, as well as a market selling K-beauty, art, and other handmade goods, such as resin jewelry kits where customers can create a keepsake piece in memory of their pet.
Gaya Karthik of alaKarte, a budding K-pop marketplace, was among the vendors at the event.
“It’s been nice to talk to other K-pop fans. It’s been nice to interact with so many different fans coming from different places with different fandoms,” Karthik said.
Karthik said that alaKarte aims to create a dedicated K-pop marketplace where fans can buy, sell, and trade merchandise and photo cards safely, addressing issues like scams, which she’s come across on multiple platforms.
She added that events like the KPOP and Food Festival are important because, even though K-pop is popular, it can still be hard for fans to find each other and connect in real life.
“One of the things I’ve learned personally in this journey is just go for it. Be curious and just go for it …. That would be with my advice,” Karthik said. “Try and find your community.”
For more information about Seoul Society Vancouver, visit its Instagram page @seoulsocietyvancouver.
