K-pop dance group Amplify performs during Chuseok on Oct. 10 at Brazos Park. Attendees could enjoy a variety of performers.
The Korean Culture Association celebrated Chuseok, often called Korean Thanksgiving, on Saturday at Brazos Park.
Chuseok is a yearly celebration of the autumn harvest. Typically celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, the festival is used to celebrate the harvest and to be with family, according to Visit Korea.
The festival is one of three major traditional holidays observed in Korean culture and is celebrated with traditional performances and hands-on programs held across the country.
Mercedes Augustine, secretary and event coordinator for the Korean Culture Association, said holding events like Chuseok helps spread culture to those who may not have grown up with it in their houses.
“Everyone is welcome. It’s not like a certain holiday where we close off,” Augustine said. “Everyone can celebrate it.”
K-pop dance group Aeri performs on stage during Chuseok on Oct. 10 at Brazos Park. The group was founded in 2026.
Chuseok is also a time for traditional dances and games. Ganggangsullae is a traditional dance where participants link hands to dance and sing in a circle, according to Visit Korea.
Chuseok is also known for the popular dish songpyeon, a rice cake shaped like a half moon that is often filled with sweetened sesame seeds, soybeans or red beans, according to Visit Korea.
The event showcased dance performances and a history and culture presentation about Chuseok.
One performance was from the group Amplify, a Denton-based K-pop dance group.
Group founder Oracle Querisma said they were invited by the Korean Culture Association to join in the celebration of Korean culture.
Students play tug-of-war during Chuseok on Oct. 10 at Brazos Park. Attendees could buy a variety of items from vendors.
Group member Jocelyn Mercado said she was excited to share her love of dancing during her first performance with Amplify.
“I feel like music is such a great way to connect people from different cultures and different backgrounds,” Mercado said.
Urisha Ranjit, resource and energy engineering senior, said this was her first Korean Culture Association event. She said events like Chuseok helped to show UTA’s values and diversity.
“It also brings people together. You can learn about each other, about new cultures together,” Ranjit said.
Broadcasting senior Anthony Danh said seeing the performances and the culture represented at the mid-autumn festival drew him to the event.
“It’s important to see diversity on campus so that everyone feels included and involved, especially when sometimes there isn’t that representation out in the world,” Danh said.
@noah_logan_little