The 2024 Toronto Korean Festival, held from Friday the 23rd to Sunday the 25th, has come to a successful close. This festival has a special meaning in commemorating the close friendship between Korea and Canada beyond cultural exchanges. Despite the midsummer heat, numerous visitors who filled Mel Lastman Square enjoyed the festival’s colorful programs and cultural experiences encompassing both traditional and modern Korea.
Many key figures attended this event, adding to the meaning of the festival. Chae Hyun-joo, President of the Ontario Korean Business Association, expressed her pride, saying, “This festival was a good example of how Korean culture is loved in Ontario.” In addition, local politicians such as Federal Member of Parliament Ali Esasi, Ontario Minister of Tourism Stan Cho, and Toronto City Councillor Lily Cheng attended the event to emphasize the importance of the festival and celebrate the diversity and cooperation of the local community. Kim Jung-hee, President of the Toronto Korean Association, and Laura Burnham, Executive Director of the Young-North York BIA, expressed their hope that close cooperation and exchange between Korea and Canada will continue in the future.
This festival was not just a festival for Koreans. As befitting the multicultural city of Toronto, the festival grounds were filled with foreigners of various nationalities as well as Koreans. Foreigners who experienced Korean traditional food and popular culture such as K-pop were amazed, saying that they had no idea Korean culture was so attractive. In particular, the Toronto Korean Association lent out hanbok, so many people walked around the festival grounds wearing hanbok. This hanbok itself became a cultural symbol, further heightening the festival atmosphere. Foreigners wearing hanbok took pictures and said that the elegance and colors of hanbok were truly beautiful, creating a positive image of Korean culture.
The highlight of the 2024 Toronto Korean Festival was the various performances and programs. The festival, which began with a spectacular competition between dance teams, continued with a magnificent performance of Korean traditional dance and Samulnori. In particular, the unique music of the band Second Moon and the performance of the girl group Purple Kiss were the highlights of the festival, receiving great cheers from the young audience. Purple Kiss captivated the audience with their unique and powerful performance, and Second Moon’s music combined tradition and modernity presented a stage that all generations could relate to. In addition, the B-boy team’s splendid breakdance performance impressed many people regardless of age and gender and showed the diversity of Korean culture.
Even in the sweltering heat of late summer, the organizers’ meticulous consideration was well-received by many visitors. Tents set up all over the lawn to avoid the sunlight allowed visitors to rest comfortably even in the heat, which was especially beneficial for families who came to the festival. The sight of people resting in tents and enjoying the performances added to the leisurely atmosphere of the festival and contributed to the perfection of the festival itself.
Various food booths were set up within the festival to introduce visitors to a variety of Korean food. From traditional Korean food such as jeon, buchimgae, and bibimbap to modern food such as Korean hot dogs, chicken, and dak skewers, food was another pleasure of the festival. Although the prices were not cheap, visitors expressed satisfaction with the valuable opportunity to taste Korean food. In addition, the dedicated efforts of the volunteers made this festival shine even more. They did their best to ensure the smooth progress of the festival even in the hot weather, and their passion and hard work shone everywhere throughout the festival. They deserved their applause.
However, there were some areas of this festival that needed improvement. The festival was crowded with too many people, and at some moments it was extremely crowded. There were some dangerous situations where many people gathered during idol performances and safety accidents almost occurred. Fortunately, there were no major accidents, but in the future, crowd management and safety measures need to be more thorough. In addition, the organizers announced that they would introduce an online ordering system last year, but such a system was still not introduced at this event. This caused inconvenience to many visitors, and there are many voices hoping that this part will be improved in the future.
The 2024 Toronto Korean Festival was a meaningful event that celebrated the friendship between Korea and Canada, and it was able to successfully conclude thanks to various cultural programs and meticulous consideration. According to the organizers, the number of visitors to this festival was officially recorded at 95,000.