CONTACT

Ji-eun Yun, (202) 587-6153, jey712@mofa.or.kr

Adam Wojciechowicz, (202) 587-6168, awoj@koreaembassy.org

2026 Chuseok Family Festival to attract thousands in Washington, D.C. to celebrate Korean culture

WHAT: Korean cultural festival, activities, and performances celebrating Chuseok

WHO: Various artists, vendors, and partners

WHEN: September 19, 2026, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

WHERE: The Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art (1050 Independence Ave. SW Washington, D.C.)

MORE: Details at http://washingtondc.korean-culture.org

Join the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) for the 2026 Chuseok Family Festival on Saturday, September 19 to celebrate Korea’s most important traditional holidays together!

Now in its fourth year since 2023, the festival has become a signature program for the KCCDC and the NMAA, drawing thousands of visitors for a full day of cultural experiences. This year is guided by the festival theme of Celebrate · Connect · Share, emphasizing the generous communal spirit of the traditional harvest.

Visitors can experience Chuseok with all their senses through live traditional and K-Pop performances, hands-on minhwa (민화) folk art and hanji (한지) traditional paper activities, food vendors, unique cultural heritage displays including a life-size charye (차례) ancestral rites table, and a special focus on traditional Korean Tal (탈) masks and the Talchum (탈춤) mask dance.

Celebrating Chuseok through Living Traditions: Discover Korea’s Traditional Masks and Talchum will spotlight the craftsmanship, symbolism, and storytelling behind Korean traditional masks and mask dance traditions. A special exhibition and hands-on experience area, presented with support from Korea’s Bongsan Talchum Preservation Association in the museum’s East Building, Sackler Gallery 27 (S1), will introduce the distinctive characteristics and cultural significance of Talchum traditions passed down in different regions of Korea. Please note: due to limited space, access to Gallery 27 may be limited.

Visitors can explore authentic Korean masks representing major characters from this traditional storytelling performance art, try on masks for themselves, and take photos in a recreation of a Talchum performance space. Combining dance, music, and theatrical elements, Talchum was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022.

In addition, NMAA will present special family activities, gallery tours and talks, performances, and a food and art market. For more information on activities and programs, see below or view the NMAA website announcement.

Chuseok (추석), also known as Hangawi (한가위) or more casually as Korean Thanksgiving, is one of Korea's most important and beloved holidays. For many Koreans it is a time to journey home, reconnect with family and loved ones, and to give thanks for life’s blessings. Chuseok traditionally falls on the day of the largest full moon according to the lunar calendar, signaling the end of the harvest season and a time to relax while thanking one’s ancestors for the season’s abundance. For more on Chuseok and its rich traditions, scroll down below.

Don’t miss this chance to immerse yourself in the exciting and heartwarming traditions of Korea’s beloved autumn holiday that’s all about family, fun, and connection: Chuseok!

This event is co-presented by the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. and the National Museum of Asian Art with support from the Bongsan Mask Dance-Drama Preservation Society. Generous support is provided by the National Museum of Korea.

Images (from past years’ events, full resolution available upon request)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Displays presented by the KCCDC
11 a.m.–4 p.m.

• ●Life-Size Charye Ancestral Rites Table
  West Building, North Corridor

• ●Traditional Mask Display, Try-On, and Photo Booth with support from the Bongsan Mask Dance-Drama Preservation Society
  East Building, Gallery 27

Crafts and Activities presented by the KCCDC
11 a.m.–4 p.m.

• ●Hanji Mask Decorating
  West Building, South Corridor

• ●Minhwa Fan-Making and Coloring
  West Building, South Corridor

Music and Performances copresented by the KCCDC

• ●K-pop DJ Set by DJ EPX
  11 a.m.–2 p.m.
  West Building, Plaza

• ●Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago (KPAC)
  Traditional Korean Percussion Performance (Samulnori, Daegeum Solo, and Pangut)
  11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
  West Building, Plaza

• ●Gumwoo Washington Gayageum Ensemble
  Traditional Korean String Performance (Arirang, Humoresque, Sounds of Night, Darha Nopigom, and more)
  12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
  West Building, Plaza

• ●Insun Park & Generals
  Korean Folk Rock Meets Mask Dance (Creative performance combining Gangnyeong Talchum with fusion rock)
  3 p.m.
  West Building, Plaza

Family Fun presented by the NMAA

11 a.m.–1 p.m.

• ●Korean Folk & Fairy Tales Story Time
  West Building, Courtyard

• ●Scavenger Hunt
  West Building, Galleries 12 (The Peacock Room) and 14

• ●Peacock Room Pattern Puzzles
  West Building, Gallery 12

• ●Fun with Objects from Our Hands-On Collection
  West Building, outside Galleries 14–16

Tours and Talks presented by the NMAA

• ●Conservation Cart Talk | Early Printing in Korea
  1–2 p.m.
  West Building, North Corridor

• ●Spotlight Talks
  2–3 p.m. and 3–4 p.m.
  West Building, Gallery 12 (The Peacock Room) and Gallery 14 (Rediscovering Korea's Past)  

Food and Art Market presented by the NMAA
11 a.m.–4 p.m.
West Building, Plaza

SAMASAMA Art and Vendor Market featuring:

• ●AJM Kimchi (Kimchi)

• ●Brian Oh (Photo Prints)

• ●Chaotic Neutral (Jewelry & Accessories)

• ●yoojiflows (Tarot/Korean Oracle Readings & Art)

Food available for purchase from:

• ●AmLux Cafe

• ●bit bakery

• ●Noonchi by Bun’d Up

Additional programs presented by the NMAA can be found on their website! 

The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea is dedicated to strengthening Korea-US ties through a broad variety of public programs, including art exhibitions, performances, educational outreach, institutional partnerships, networking, and support for local events in the Capital area. The center is located at 2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20008 and is currently open to visitors Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. – noon and 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. (no appointment necessary). To learn more and plan a visit, go to http://washingtondc.korean-culture.org.