The World Mission Society Church of God hosted its annual K-Food Festival on January 21, kicking off the year with a vibrant celebration. Located in New Windsor, the event brought together hundreds of people for a day filled with diverse activities.
Guests enjoyed a variety of savory authentic Korean dishes like galbi, gimbop, hotteok, tteokguk, and kimchi. Attendees also experienced traditional games like dakji and tuho. The festival even offered the chance to learn Hangul, the Korean alphabet.
As the day unfolded, a concert took center stage, featuring mesmerizing performances. Performances included buchaechum fan dance, ganggangsullae, an ancient Korean dance, and dynamic drumming styles like modeum buk, samulnori, and samgomu. The event took a modern turn with an octet singing the patriotic Korean song “A Beautiful Country,” followed by the Church of God Choir and Orchestra delivering a lively rendition of the Korean hymn “Mother Builds the Temple.”
Korean Cultural Exhibition
Adding an educational touch, a walk-through exhibition showcased the history of South Korea post-WWII. The same exhibit made it’s debut during 2022’s Korean Culture Experience event. The exhibit highlighted Korea’s rapid economic growth, global impact, and the surge in popularity of K-culture worldwide. Korea became a global leader in electronics and automobiles, and companies like Samsung, Hyundai, and LG arose. Heavy investment in education produced highly skilled and educated workers. South Korea’s journey from poverty to prosperity involved a special mindset of love for the country, unity, education, resilience, and hard work that is difficult to match. The exhibit concluded with insights into the history of Christianity in Korea, exploring the roots of the Church of God and its belief in Elohim—God the Father and God the Mother.
Moreover, same mindset that led Korea into prominence can be seen in Church of God members today. The beautiful cultural heritage, hardworking spirit, and unbreakable love and unity that shaped Korea have become an example and foundation for Church of God members worldwide.
Bringing the Community Together
As part of the global family, the Church of God yearned to make an effort to bring people together for an enjoyable and unforgettable experience. The day was filled with food and performances created by the members with love towards the community.
This year’s K-Food Festival marked a decade since its inception. It evolved from a humble kimchi-making gathering into a cherished celebration of Korean culture. The event exemplifies the growing interest in South Korea, offering a delightful blend of food, fun, music, and cultural exploration for all who attended.
To see more activities throughout New York, visit our Activities page!
Also, take a look at some of the Korean culture events hosted in years past:
16 Responses
It was a beautiful experience. The performances were incredible, food was delicious and everyone I met there was so incredibly nice and welcoming. The church is beautifully decorated and every part of the festival was nicely planned. I can’t wait to attend again.
It was an unparalleled experience! One that my friends and I will hold close to heart. The concert, food, and performances were all exquisite, and the exhibition about “Why Korea” was eye-opening. The Korean wave has become global and nations are looking towards this country not knowing why. The Church of God revealed the secret that is salvation; salvation clearly comes from the East. When we saw how mothers built the nation of Korea, we were wowed again to hear it all points to God the Mother testified in the Bible. What an amazing truth and what an event that was!
This is always such a beautiful event! Thank you for sharing Korean culture here in the U.S. Not everyone can travel to Korea but there is a way to experience the culture – at the Kimchi Festival! Congratulations on a successful event!
I thoroughly enjoyed attending the event; it was an awesome experience! The delicious food, captivating performances, and well-curated Korean History exhibition made it truly special. Discovering the simultaneous growth of both Korea and the Church of God is so interesting. The parallel development of the two is nothing short of a miracle! The Church of God truly stands out as an amazing Church!
Looks like a great turnout! I wish I were there to show my support. I hope everyone enjoyed the event and learned about the truth of salvation.
This is a great representation of how to bring the community together! With exciting performances, fun facts about Korea and seeing everyone enjoying themselves at the World Mission Society Church of God is comforting to see and read about.
I had a great time. Thank you for the invitation.
This was such an amazing event. I’m so glad I was able to attend and learn so much about Korea and how it is a prophesied land. It was remarkable from the performances, to the food, exhibit and even the seminar! I learned so much and was thankful to have been able to attend. Please keep having this event and many others to share wonderful smiles, laughter and love with everyone around you!
This event was really magnificent! I was moved to tears by the performances, and the food was out of this world! I felt like I went to a different planet when I went to this festival, the energy and vibe was a wonderful experience. Thank you for making such an amazing event for the community to experience!
What a great event. I was a part of the first Kimchi Festival and the 2022 Korean Cultural Experience, I was amazed at how much the event had grown. Looking at the photos of this years even and speaking with guest that attended, I was so moved by the continuous efforts of the Church of God to served the community.
Thankful I was able to participate & this event keeps growing exponentially every year that passes!
A great time to invite family and friends and always a heartwarming experience in Church of God!
Korean culture has exploded within the last couple years and this looks like such an amazing event to highlight that. I enjoyed reading and looking at the pictures and hope I can attend the next one.
I was thrilled to have attended this event; it was impeccably organized and beautifully executed. It provided me with insight into Korean culture that I hadn’t previously encountered.
I love learning about different cultures, this cultural experience is definitely one of my favorite ones!
Wow! Those pictures look amazing;
I was able to go last year, but I couldn’t make it this year! I really hope to go next year!!! I’m sure this one was just as enjoyable. I’ve learned a lot more about Korean culture since then, it’s really remarkable.
This event was very beautiful. I loved everything from learning the history of Korea, to playing the traditional Korean games and not to mention all of the delicious Korean food. 😋