Masks, Music & the Magic of Chuseok at the Smithsonian

*Lead image Credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution

There will be masks, music, movement, and plenty to eat, when the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art celebrates Chuseok, Korea’s beloved harvest festival, on September 19.

Often compared to Thanksgiving, Chuseok is one of Korea’s most important holidays, a time when families gather, give thanks for the harvest, and honor their ancestors. The museum’s annual celebration brings that tradition to life through art, performance, food, and hands-on experiences.

This year’s free festival puts the spotlight on Tal, traditional Korean masks, with mask-making, mask displays, and photo ops alongside Korean food, local vendors, and family-friendly activities.

The festival’s centerpiece is a performance by Insun Park & Generals, flying in from Seoul for the occasion. Park, a master of Korea’s Gangnyeong mask dance tradition, combines the rhythms and movements of traditional mask dance with contemporary rock. The cultural mix continues on the museum’s outdoor plaza, with K-pop DJ set from DJ EPX, traditional percussion, and gayageum performances.

Inside, visitors can see a recreation of a traditional Charye ancestral memorial table, along with Korean masks from the museum’s collection.

A marketplace curated by local organization SAMASAMA will bring together Korean food, kimchi, handmade jewelry, oracle readings, and other goods from local vendors.

And come hungry: the plaza will feature Korean food and a marketplace with kimchi, jewelry, art and more.

The result is more than a cultural festival. It is an invitation to experience Chuseok as a living tradition where history isn’t simply displayed behind glass; it dances, sings, tastes and takes shape in the hands of the people who come to celebrate it.

Chuseok Family Festival
Saturday, September 19, 11 am –4 ppm
National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C.
Free and open to the public.