Che Sehyun

While the neighborhood braces for some most unwanted visitors at Cal Anderson later this month, this coming weekend will bring a more soul nourishing event to the popular Capitol Hill park.

Seattle artist Che Sehyun is bringing a new The Future Ancient project to Capitol Hill Sunday for a day of community kimchi making, music, performances, foods, creative activities, and even massage and acupuncture. Make plans to be part of the first Kimchi Life Festival:

Kimchi Life honors, uplifts and shares ancient Indigenous Corean cultural technology, ceremony and consciousness to help support an indigenous future in which all people thrive with peace and dignity, in good relation to each other and the natural world. We feature international master artist and Indigenous Corean culture bearer Kim Bong Jun, local Corean artist Bird Over Mountain who will rap their Kimchi Song, Ancient African stories from Malian Jelli / Griot, Ibrahim Arsalan, local Hip Hop Artists Ascended Reality and Beatbox Panda and Michone’s Caribbean food and more!

The event is the latest in a run of The Future Ancient projects and events in Seattle as Sehyun has explored Korean heritage and history. The “C” form of Corean for Sehyun is a reference to the history of Japanese oppression.

The Sunday, August 24th event takes place from 1 to 5 PM. Last we checked, there were still a few kimchi making slots open for RSVP.

The arrival of the festival on Capitol Hill is timely. Korean-flavored food and drink projects are a growing presence in the neighborhood. The Gol Mok Korean Market Bar on E Pike is the latest food and drink venture to join the neighborhood. Yeobo Cafe and Bar and its Korean-American comfort food is another recent addition. Meanwhile, last fall, the Kpop Nara retail boutique made a classic Capitol Hill move from E Pine to E Pike.

Funded in part by city and county arts grants, the kimchi festival is also part of renewed efforts to bring more programming to Cal Anderson to help keep the park busy and active. Last weekend, a much longer running event returned as the Capitol Hill Garage Sale Day took place in the park.

Meanwhile, city leaders were touting an agreement to move a planned August 30th fundamentalist Christian rally from the park to Gas Works Park but the statements from City Hall come with a grain or two of salt. The Revive in 25 event organizers say they are still planning to gather in Cal Anderson earlier in the day for a “Jesus March” around the park and through Pike/Pine.

The Kimchi Life Festival is Sunday, August 24th from 1 to 5 PM in the Cal Anderson sunbowl just north of the playfield. You can learn more here.

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