Lawrenceville, August 19, 2025 — When Michelle Sandor Lee immigrated from South Korea to Georgia in 1985, she carried with her a deep love of culture and community. Four decades later, she has become the driving force behind one of the state’s largest cultural events — the annual Korean Festival, a two-day celebration of food, art, music and heritage that has grown into a cornerstone of metro Atlanta’s multicultural calendar.
This year’s festival, scheduled for Oct. 4–5, 2025 at Sugarloaf Mills in Lawrenceville, promises to be its most ambitious yet. Organizers expect to surpass last year’s record attendance of 70,000 visitors, building on a slate of performances, hands-on exhibits and culinary experiences that have made the festival a regional draw for families across Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee.
A festival with a mission
The Korean Festival Foundation, formally established in 2024, is the nonprofit force behind the event. Its mission reaches far beyond entertainment: promoting Korean culture to wider audiences, helping second-generation Korean Americans maintain a sense of identity, fostering dialogue across communities and contributing to local economic development.
“The mission of the Korean Festival is not just to celebrate our food and culture,” Lee said. “It’s about preserving our heritage while creating opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive.”
Lee, who serves as the Foundation’s founder and Secretary General, has spent decades in civic leadership. Her journey began when she volunteered during the 1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games, sparking a passion for service that continues to this day. She currently serves as Senior Vice President of the Korean American Association of Atlanta (KAAGA), Vice President of the Korean Unification Council, and Vice President of the Atlanta Korean Chamber of Commerce.
2025: New performers, bigger crowds
This fall, the festival will expand its offerings with 120 booths showcasing food, art, retail and cultural exhibitions. Highlights include:
– Big Ocean, the world’s first K-pop idol group composed of hearing-impaired members
– Kim Hye-yeon, the beloved trot singer widely known in Korea as the “Queen of Events”
– A Direct Trade Market spotlighting 10 Korean small and medium-sized businesses introducing new products to U.S. audiences
Admission is $20, with tickets available online at www.KoreanFestivalFoundation.com.
Powered by volunteers, sustained by vision
Behind the festival’s success is a small army of volunteers, many of them high school and college students. In recognition of their work, the Foundation awards scholarships to student volunteers, ensuring that future generations remain connected to their heritage.
The Foundation has also extended its reach beyond the annual event. In 2024, it donated to local schools and development organizations and has continued to collaborate with regional initiatives such as the WKBC. It also sponsors a year-round K-pop contest and promotes Uptown Atlanta through cultural partnerships. Looking outward, the Foundation is drafting a festival operations manual to help spread Korean festivals to other states in the Southeast.
A cultural bridge in Georgia
For Lee, the festival is as much about unity as it is about celebration. “Every year we see more families, more students, more neighbors coming together to share in Korean culture,” she said. “That tells me this is more than a festival. It’s a bridge.”
With October fast approaching, Duluth is preparing to welcome the return of an event that has outgrown its roots to become a centerpiece of Georgia’s cultural landscape — a testament to the determination of one community and the vision of a woman who has spent her life ensuring that culture endures.
