K-PLAY! FEST is the first KPOP Festival by fans, for fans! Debuting their first event in 2022 at the Pomona Fairplex, they have since continued to unite fans for fun-filled weekends along the West Coast! August 2nd kicked off their first day at the Anaheim Convention Center with many exciting activities celebrating and sharing Hallyu culture.
Fans creating memories at the photobooth
K-PLAY! FEST offered an array of activities for passionate and casual fans alike. From K-PLAY!FEST photo opportunities with mascots in front of a backdrop to a stage area where people can dance away, attendees had a variety of activities to choose from. K-PLAY! FEST offered a Photo Card Trading and Deco Station and workshop for fans to gather, trade, and decorate – a perfect way to meet and connect with new people and friends. Local K-Pop fanclubs also hosted meet-ups, where fans could get crafty by personalizing bulletin boards of their favorite groups, answer trivia questions for prizes, and take home freebies. There was also a photobooth on site that allowed attendees to take photostrip pictures with friends, the perfect souvenir to collect and remember this unforgettable experience!
Fan Artist Capseoule
K-PLAY! FEST offered fans the opportunity to shop from both small vendors selling fan-made goods and larger businesses selling official merchandise. Fan-made merchandise varied from decorated photocard sleeves, charms, fanart prints, and lightstick covers, while some vendors sold official lightsticks, albums, photo cards, and much more! Many vendors teamed up for a stamp rally that encouraged fans to check out various vendors and collect stamps. Participants were guaranteed a raffle ticket for exclusive prizes and other participation freebies. There was definitely something for everyone to show support for their favorite K-Pop groups and biases.
Fans competing in the RPD Royale
For our dance enthusiasts, K-PLAY! FEST had a stage offering a different dance workshop each day of the convention. Angel Deocampo & David Walker taught Itzy’s “Cake” on Day 1 and Adrienne Caparaz taught The Boyz “Lipgloss” on Day 2. Fans gathered eagerly to learn these addictive dances. For our competitive dancers, K-Playfest also hosted the RPD Royale where people competed to see who knew the most dances. The winner even received a trophy for their achievement! K-PLAY! FEST also hosted multiple dance teams such as DIS:PLAY, Spade A Dance, All In, and many more who were able to perform in front of other fans!
At the end of the night, for those who wanted the Kpop festivities to continue, fans could pay to see R&B artist JUNNY, K-PLAY! FEST’s headliner. Check out our concert recap and photos from his performance!
K-PLAY! FEST definitely cultivated a fun, diverse space for fans to gather, meet, and make new friends. We can’t wait to see how much K-PLAY FEST! Will continue to grow! We look forward to the next K-PLAY FEST LA in January 2024!
Writing by Michelle Ortiz
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