[NJ Korean School Children's Choir] Performing at the Korean Parade & Festival

NJ Korean School Children's Choir Brings the Beauty of Korea to the Streets of New York

On October 3, the New Jersey Korean School Children’s Choir (Director: Hyunju Hwang, Conductor: Hye Young Kang) took part in the Korean Parade & Festival held in Manhattan. Dressed in beautiful traditional hanbok, the choir members marched along the parade route aboard a vividly decorated float. Following the colorful procession, they delivered a charming performance of "Beautiful Country" (Ahreumdaun Nara) and "The Hunchbacked Grandmother" (Kkoburang Halmoni), winning warm applause from local residents and international visitors alike. The vibrant colors of their hanbok and the children's joyful voices added a wonderful festive energy to the event.

Organized by the Korean American Association of Greater New York, the celebration featured a grand parade along Manhattan’s 6th Avenue, followed by a street festival in Midtown's Koreatown on 32nd Street. In addition to the choir’s performance, the festival was packed with cultural attractions including Taekwondo demonstrations and a Hanbok fashion show attracting bustling crowds eager to experience K-Food and K-Culture.

The NJ Korean School Children’s Choir currently consists of about 40 second-generation Korean American children. Serving as cultural ambassadors, the members cultivate pride in their Korean American identity through music while sharing Korean culture with the broader community. The choir has a rich history of performing at prestigious venues such as the White House, the United Nations, Carnegie Hall, and the U.S. Congress, as well as actively participating in local community events and outreach performances for senior citizens. This year’s parade offered another meaningful opportunity for the children to introduce Korean culture through song and share the joy of music with a diverse audience.