53rd Los Angeles Korean Festival: Opening Day

The Los Angeles Korean Festival turns 53 this year, and it opens on Thursday, October 1, 2026 at Seoul International Park in Koreatown. If you've been scanning the list of things to do in Los Angeles for something that isn't another ticketed night out, this is a good one to circle. The festival listing describes it as a free, four-day celebration, and it runs through Sunday, October 4.

Opening day is when the park fills up for the first time. Discover Los Angeles lists it from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., which gives you a full daytime window to wander before the weekend crowds show up. And they do show up. The listing says the festival draws hundreds of thousands of visitors over its run, so a weekday visit is the calmer way in.

What to expect

The listing names the pieces you'll find across the grounds: live music, traditional Korean performances, food, cultural exhibits, shopping, community booths and activities for families. That mix is the point. You can catch a drum or dance performance, then walk twenty feet and find a table of K-pop posters and Korean-language books.

Food is where most people spend their time. Expect grill smoke, long lines at the busiest stalls, and plenty of snacking while you walk. Bring cash as a backup, since vendor payment setups vary from booth to booth.

The community booths are worth slowing down for. Local Korean American organizations, cultural centers and neighborhood businesses set up at festivals like this one to meet people and share what they do.

Practical info

Seoul International Park sits at 3250 San Marino St in Koreatown, per the Discover Los Angeles event listing. The same listing says admission to the festival is free, so there's no ticket to buy ahead of time. Parking around Koreatown is tight on a normal day and worse during a festival, so Metro is the easier call: the Wilshire/Vermont and Wilshire/Normandie stations on the D Line are both within walking distance of the area.

Check the Discover Los Angeles events page before you head out for any schedule changes. If you're lining up LA events this weekend, the festival keeps going Friday through Sunday, so you've got three more chances if Thursday doesn't work.

More festivals are in our festivals category, and there's plenty more around the city on our Los Angeles neighborhood page. For Things Happening In Los Angeles this fall, a free festival that's been running for more than half a century is hard to beat.