Chicagoland Chapter Picnic

The KSEA Chicagoland chapter had an annual picnic on August 26^th with local university students and graduate students (Northwestern, UIC, UoC, and IIT). This exceptional year, KSEA Chicagoland supports the local K-festival event which commemorates the monumental 120th anniversary of Korean immigration to the United States, alongside the 70th Anniversary of the ROK-US alliance. The K-festival event was held at Maggie Daley Park at downtown Chicago which is located right next to Millenium Park. It was organized by KAAC (Korean American Association of Chicago) and the consulate general of the Republic of Korea at Chicago. The KSEA Chicagoland chapter played a key role in supporting the planning and organizing of the preparation meetings and flyers for a month. The festival was to create a platform for celebrating this special year and promoting the Korean cultural experience directly to the local Americans and the next generation of Korean-Americans. Delight in an array of captivating activities, from indulging in mouthwatering K-food to getting lost in the rhythm of the K-Pop contest and hanbok fashion show. Immerse yourself in the richness of K-culture, unveil the secrets of K-beauty, and Korean traditional games such as Je Gi Cha Gi (제기차기). This event was completely free to attend, many friends, and families were filled with cultural excitement and exploration of Korean traditions together. As part of the event, the Chicagoland chapter organized the Je Gi Cha Gi (제기차기) competition. It was a huge success that many Americans, and Korean-Americans were participated in it and the final round of the championship was held the last at 3:00 p.m. During the events, many people visited the booth we had, questioning about what we do for students and KSEA events. This year, we had over 100 people join the picnic, and 12 volunteers supported the festival.