Logo of the Korean-American Society Kansas City, featuring a stylized building with a red and blue background circle, surrounded by text in English and Korean.
Logo of University of Missouri Kansas City, featuring the text 'UMKC' in blue with a stylized yellow and blue flame above, and the full name below.

About the Festival

The KC Arirang Festival is an annual, one-day celebration of Korean culture hosted at the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) Student Union. The festival is jointly organized by the Korean American Society of Greater Kansas City and the UMKC Applied Language Institute, reflecting a strong commitment to cultural exchange and global learning in the heart of the Midwest.

The KC Arirang Festival is dedicated to celebrating Korean heritage and promoting intercultural understanding across the Greater Kansas City region. It serves as a dynamic space where the broader public can experience the richness of Korean tradition, creativity, and modern identity.

The festival showcases Korea’s past, present, and future — from traditional music, folk dance, hanbok, and games to K-pop, language workshops, and spicy noodle challenges. With immersive activities for all ages, the festival attracts thousands of attendees, including families, students, educators, artists, and cultural enthusiasts.

Highlights include:

  • Main Stage Performances: Taekwondo demonstrations, traditional dance, Korean choral music, and high-energy K-pop showcases

  • K-Food Court: Classic and fusion dishes like bulgogi, tteokbokki, kimchi pancakes, Korean hot dogs, and more

  • Cultural Workshops: Korean language intro, bojagi (wrapping cloth) making, norigae crafts, and K-pop dance classes

  • Kid-Friendly Activities: Hanbok photo booths, traditional Korean games, and hands-on cultural experiences

  • K-pop Dance Contest: A youth-focused, audience-interactive competition with judges and prizes

  • Cultural & Business Booths: Featuring Korean beauty, wellness, stationery, community organizations, and more

What makes this festival unique is its local heart and global vision. As Korean pop culture continues to gain worldwide popularity, KC Arirang serves not only as a celebration of heritage but also as a platform for cultural education, community connection, and future-facing collaboration.

Together with UMKC, the festival aims to inspire curiosity, build bridges between generations and communities, and create lasting memories — one performance, one bite, and one smile at a time.

Three men in formal attire standing in front of a banner that reads 5th KoKarang Korea Culture Festival with autumn leaves graphic.
Group of women performing a traditional Korean dance on stage, dressed in colorful hanbok, holding large white lotus flowers, during a cultural event at 5th KC Arirang Korean Culture.
People in traditional Korean clothing posing for photos in an indoor setting
A young woman wearing a gray hijab and pink traditional Korean dress holding a smartphone with a beaded strap, standing in front of a blue background with 'UMKC' logos, and another woman wearing a brown hijab and beige blazer standing nearby.
Children dressed in traditional Korean hanbok standing on stage at the 5th Korean Culture Festival, with an audience watching.
Group of young martial artists performing a Taekwondo demonstration on stage during the 5th Arirang Festival, with an audience watching.
Audience watching a dance performance on stage at a large auditorium with presentation screens and flags.
People at a registration or check-in table at an event, with a woman in yellow pants and a white top using her phone, and other attendees filling out papers or talking to staff.
Young children performing a traditional dance in colorful Korean hanbok costumes at a cultural event.
Person serving food from a large tray of baked pasta with sauce at a buffet-style meal, with other food trays and people in the background.
Six women in traditional Korean dresses perform a fan dance on stage, holding colorful fans with pink feathers, in front of an audience at an indoor event. A sign in the background reads "Traditional Korean Dances."