KX Festival highlights Asian American culture

Located in the heart of Koreatown and drawing inspiration from the neighborhood’s vibrant scene, the KX Festival brought the community together in a celebration of Asian American culture. With live music, food, shopping and entertainment, the festival transformed MacArthur Park for two free days of fun.

The Levitt Pavilion stage hosted myriad performers, primarily of Asian American heritage, who brought everything from acoustic to K-pop to the stage throughout the day. Saturday was dedicated to hip-hop and the stage was commanded by up-and-coming local artists. The day’s headliner was Sammy Sam, a former member of the hip-hop group Public Enemy who publicly showcased his culture and support for the Korean community at the KX Festival.

Sunday marked a transition with more inclusive acts for audiences of all ages, such as acoustic acts, dance performances, traditional Korean drummers and fan dancers and YouTube musicians. USC alumnus Leo Xia made an appearance, joining the ranks of Fuzzzy Musik and Megan Lee. Headliner Clara C closed out the festival on Sunday evening with a tribute to her Korean heritage.

“We want to create a platform for Asian American artists because to perform as an Asian American you usually have to be big-name,” festival co-founder and event director Joe Park said. “Here, we wanted to create the same environment with food, being outdoors in a park and a stage.”

Aside from the music stage, visitors were able to enjoy a delectable lineup of food vendors and food trucks with roots in Koreatown: Seoul Sausage, Jogasaki Sushi Burrito, Very Very Rice Cake Studios, Boo’s Korean-style Philly Cheesesteaks and more. Vendors also had the opportunity to present their best dish to a panel of VIP judges  in the KX / LA Weekly Food Contest to be named “Best Eatery” and win a feature in the publication.

The festival also designated a tent area selling goods from local, Korean-owned clothing and cosmetics companies. HIN Events, an automotive events producer based in Southern California, hosted a car show with a pop-up model lounge, prizes, photo booths and exclusive premiums for automotive enthusiasts on Saturday.

KX Festival co-founder David Choi credits their many community partnerships — including those with Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and David Ryu, LA Weekly and YTN News — as catalysts to the event’s success. Through the joint efforts of the festival’s staff of volunteers and the generosity of performers who accepted less than their usual booking rates, the festival was free to the public and open to all ages.

This year marks the festival’s first time appearing as a festival with food and additional vendors, having previously only hosted indvidual concerts. In the future, Park hopes to return in the future and envisions the  KX Festival as an affordable, family-friendly alternative to existing cultural events in the Korean community  such as KCON, whose tickets can cost hundreds of dollars. .

Choi and Park started the KX Festival to create a space for younger generations to immerse themselves in modern Korean American culture, given that existing festivals are catered toward older generations. They also share a commitment to sparking the careers of Asian American artists who otherwise lack the resources and encouragement.

“KX stands for Kore-Angeleno, K-Town or Korean exchange,” Park said. “We wanted to exchange Korean and American cultures and create a diversity of American-born Asians.”