Korus Festival moves to Fairfax Corners

The 2010 Korus Festival

After months of trying to pin down a location for the 2011 Korus Festival, the Annandale-based Korean American Association of the Washington Metropolitan Area has found a new venue: Fairfax Corners shopping center near the intersection of I-66 and Route 50 in Fairfax.

Mike Kim and other festival organizers had been holding out hopes that the festival could stay in Annandale, where it’s been for the past eight years. After all, Annandale is the center of the region’s Korean-American community. But this year, K-mart has refused to let the festival take place on its parking lot, where it’s been for the past half a dozen years or so, citing problems with noise and damage.

There had been negotiations about moving Korus to the Annandale campus of the Northern Virginia Community College but that didn’t work out. Other locations had been discussed, including Springfield Mall, George Mason University, and the Fairfax Government Center, but none of them were viable either.

“The Korus Festival has given up on Annandale,” Kim says. But he’s glad the event has found a home, and his group can start working on the logistics and lining up vendors and performers.

Fairfax Corners might be a little farther away for many festival-goers, but it does have some advantages, he says. Its parking lot is bigger than K-mart’s, and Kim expects there will be more booths—140 or 150—compared to 111 last year. The shopping center also has a small stage, which will be used for the entertainment.

Several internationally known K-pop and other acts from Korea are expected, as well as local musical and dance groups. Talent competitions, are planned, too, and many restaurants will be represented.

The Korean American Association is in search of volunteers to help work on the event, especially people with sales, fundraising, graphic design, and production experience. If you’re interested, please contact the association via email or phone, 703/354-3900.