By Ruth SOWBY

It appeared that half of the community turned out for the Korean Harvest Festival, held 2 p.m. through 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14. The hot weather kept all 500 visitors inside the cooler cultural hall of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in La Crescenta.  

Steve Park, president of the Korean American Federation of North Los Angeles, greeted visitors as they entered the hall.  

“We strive to build lasting connections and share the richness of Korean culture,” Park said. To that end, festival admission and food were free. 

Booths ringed the perimeter of the hall. Korean cultural artifacts and descriptions of Korean and Korean American history were on display. The most colorful was Hanbok Booth that was full of traditional clothing from years past. Visitors enjoyed trying on the gowns and having their photos taken in the formal ware.  

A highlight of the afternoon was a small Korean band of four musicians playing percussive instruments and led by conductor Joon Kim.    

Clothing and music notwithstanding, food was the order of the day. Buffet tables of rice cakes, glass noodles, dumplings and kimchi sated guests. Many went back for more! One guest was spotted dumping dumplings in her own “takeout” bag.      

Members of the Korean American Federation of North Los Angeles, established in 2011, organizes the festival annually and appealed to a broad number of local residents. More non-Koreans visited the fest than Koreans, according to Park.