GARDEN GROVE : Korean Festival Opens With Carnival

The eighth annual Korean Festival, which includes three days of parades, cultural displays, martial arts demonstrations and a health fair, opens today at noon in Garden Grove’s Koreatown.

Sponsored by the Korean Chamber of Commerce of Orange County, the event honors the city’s large Korean business community, located on Garden Grove Boulevard between Magnolia and Brookhurst streets.

The festival begins with a carnival at noon in KD Plaza, 9590 Garden Grove Blvd., where most of the events will be. At 6:30 p.m., Mayor Walter E. Donovan will speak at the opening ceremonies.

A health fair at 10 a.m. Saturday will be followed by a chess tournament at noon. A parade begins at 3 p.m. along Garden Grove Boulevard between Galway and Gilbert streets. Portions of Garden Grove Boulevard and nearby streets will be closed to traffic for the parade. At 6 p.m., a tae kwon do (martial arts) demonstration will be held.

Sunday’s events begin at 9 a.m. when a Korean folk play will be presented. A wrestling tournament will be held at 1 p.m. The festival’s finale will include a raffle and sing-along at 8 p.m.