The Shops at Skyview, the multi-level shopping destination in Flushing, Queens, has recently concluded its annual “K-Fun” Korean cultural series! 🎉 Spanning over six weeks, the event showcased Asian pop music, art, fashion, wellness, food, and traditional cultural experiences in a dazzling “Skyview High” fashion. The series, which commenced in June and wrapped up this month, is set to make a return in 2025 for more memorable moments! Wesley Sin, regional marketing manager for ShopCore Properties, the owner and manager of The Shops at Skyview, expresses, “The event series at The Shops at Skyview has been incredibly successful, driving a 61% increase in center traffic year over year.” Thirteen retailers and eateries, in collaboration with six community partners, crafted an experience that resonated with the local Asian community in Queens and beyond!
Sunday, June 16thDuring the first event in the series, the center featured acclaimed Korean pop star Jung Dae Hyun as its event ambassador; more than 800 fans attended the main event and booth areas for an exciting performance and meet-and-greet with the star. Jung Dae Hyun led six “classes” on stage, covering Korean-themed pop, art, fashion, wellness, food, and culture and featuring food, cosmetics and apparel from the center’s retailers and restaurants. Hundreds of K-Fun “students” created virtual student IDs that allowed them to enter the K-Pop event’s raffles, and dozens of guests rushed to meet a minimum same-day purchasing threshold entitling them to pre-register for VIP tickets. A surprise birthday celebration for the beloved performer was held as the finale to this popular event. “This event was my first U.S. appearance since my last concert tour in 2018, and it gave me the perfect venue to re-connect with my New York-based fans as I was introducing my newest project,” says K-pop star Jung Dae Hyun. “With just under a thousand people attending, the sizeable crowd and warm reception I received at the K-Pop Day event were inspiring and they provided me with a fantastic opportunity to gauge the growing popularity of my music in the American market.”
Thursday, June 27thShowcasing Korean artistic talent, K-Art Day featured a live painting exhibition with four Korean artists – Choi Jin Yong, Jason H. Lee, Jimin Yi Baek , and Park Mi Jeong – who reinterpreted the traditional painting “Ten Symbols of Longevity” with a modern twist. Each of the 10 symbols depicted in the artists’ work represented the desire for a long and happy life, a core value that stems from ancient cultures. Ten students from the Art & Design Program at the local Francis Lewis High School assisted in completing the work, fostering community engagement. The event’s guests were invited to join a mosaic paper coloring activity to help complete the masterpieces on site while emerging graphic design artists – including Noh Heewon, Yuwei Chi, and Erin Park – were on hand to create 80 personalized designs on sneakers and t-shirts purchased from retailers at The Shops at Skyview. “K-Art Day at The Shops at Skyview was a brilliant idea,” says Jocelyn Walker, manager of the center’s Converse store. “Not only did it showcase some very talented local artists, but it boosted sales for center retailers like Converse whose shoes and other products were purchased by shoppers so graphic design artists at the event could personalize them.”
Sunday, July 7thCelebrating Korean beauty and fashion, during the center’s K-Fashion Day, SKII revealed its brand ambassador as well as TWICE Mina’s top skin-care secrets; Sephora held a makeup demonstration with a Korean actress; Dear, Klairs held a skincare demonstration featuring its “basic but ultimate” and “mild but powerful” skincare products; and Sek Lab NYC demonstrated trending South Korean expert analyses of a client’s facial structure, image, skin tone, eye color and hair color to help match them with the best seasonal outfits. At event booths, attendees had the opportunity to visit a Korean school fashion photobooth and try a mini color analysis from Sek Lab NYC that helped them select the clothing and cosmetics that are best for their skin and hair. And an embroidery station offered complimentary customization with K-culture-inspired designs for more than 100 products purchased from the center’s retailers.
“During the times that the K-Fashion Day event was taking place, we saw a significant increase in traffic and sales in our store, equating to a piqued interest in the beauty products we offer as well as the skincare secrets Sephora shared during the event,” says Christopher Mora, manager of the Sephora retail location at The Shops at Skyview. “The color analyses performed during the K-Fashion Day event gave a significant number of shoppers the confidence to try new looks,” says Cheake Findlay, manager of the center’s Uniqlo store. “During this event, we saw many more shoppers coming into the store than normal for that time period, something we absolutely attribute to the success of this event.”
Thursday, July 18thTo shine a light on the importance of Korean wellness and martial arts, the center hosted a special Taekwondo performance by the masters and students from the Y.H. Park Taekwondo Academy as well as a K-“pop” posture correction demonstration by well-known Korean-American chiropractor and acupuncturist Dr. Ernest Kim who has been featured on CBS and Showtime and has collaborated with professional athletes from the Los Angeles Lakers and San Diego Padres. Off-stage, Dr. Kim also provided a Flexibility Fix Yoga Workshop for a select group of attendees. Wellness-related product demonstrations were also showcased during the event by GNC, Target, Everyday Beauty, and Coway, drawing attention from health-conscious attendees.
“The Shops at Skyview knows how to host an event,” says acclaimed posture expert Kim. “We knew there would be a crowd, and we were impressed with the number of people who came to our post-event workshop looking for flexibility tips. We were also pleasantly surprised that the connections we made during the center’s K-Wellness Day translated into so many additional post-event discussions with people about their overall health and wellness.”
Sunday, July 28thTo introduce the event’s attendees to the wonders of Korean food, on K-Food day, snack and beverage tastings were provided by aT Center America and a kimchi cookoff competition was held with three finalists competing live on stage in front of a panel of judges – including Korean American chef Chris Cho – to select the best kimchi recipe. There was also a Korean food and cocktail workshop held in collaboration with Milkis from the Lotte brand and Won Soju, the popular beverage founded by K-pop singer Jay Park, that featured ingredients and beverages available from retailers at The Shops at Skyview. “The center’s K-Food Day shined a spotlight on Korean brands, and it sparked people’s interest in trying some of these unique snacks and beverages after the event. Each of the products we showcased during the event are all available at the center through SkyFoods, a wonderful convenience for event-goers who wanted to try more,” says Lisa Li, CEO of Everyday Group, the USA distributor of the Lotte brand.
The end of the festivities catered to celebrating Korean culture was near. Thursday, August 8thDuring its K-Culture Day, to share Korean customs and culture with the event’s attendees, The Shops at Skyview hosted a traditional hanbok runway, folk dancing and music provided by the Korean Traditional Music and Dance Center (KTMDC); an immersive Korean hanbok wardrobe photobooth; and a variety of Korean-themed arts and crafts.
“Sharing the nuances of Korean culture through music and dance is our passion,” says Yusun Kang, president of the KTMDC. “And based on the reception we received during the K-Culture Day at The Shops at Skyview, it’s now the passion of hundreds more people throughout Queens as well.”
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