WABA Korea Expo & Festival

WABA Korea Expo and Festival is the Washington State Korean American Chamber of Commerce's flagship late-summer weekend that puts Korean heritage programming and bilateral commerce on Seattle's waterfront at the same time. KACCWA positions 2026 as its largest WABA yet, with vendor showcases across food, beauty, technology, and lifestyle plus B2B matchmaking that chamber copy frames as buyer introductions. If you sell into Korean-American retail, foodservice, beauty, or trade corridors, or you are a U.S. buyer looking for Korea-linked suppliers, this is the named Korean chamber room for the month.

KACCWA launched WABA in 2021 and has grown it into a recurring Korean-American business and cultural gathering in the Pacific Northwest. Vendor, sponsor, volunteer, and content-creator paths all run through the chamber. Applications are reviewed, about ten business days on the vendor form, rather than sold as a pure first-come booth. Product categories on the form include food and beverage, K-beauty, health, lifestyle, fashion, and art. Chamber copy frames WABA as a gateway for Korean businesses entering the U.S. market while strengthening Korean-American economic networks.

The public marketplace is consumer foot traffic. The B2B blocks are why operators should block the calendar: a pre-networking matchmaking session on Thursday, August 13, with one-on-one meetings between Korean companies and U.S. buyers, then a Sunday, August 16 business-promotion block listed 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM with networking zones, investor pitch sessions, and industry panels. Friday also lists a 10:00 AM opening ceremony before public hours. Saturday evening includes a K-pop special. Treat the stage and the buyer meetings as different jobs, and bring a capability one-pager for B2B hours.

This weekend is right if you are a Korean-American owner, importer or exporter, brand operator, or professional who wants chamber-density introductions with Korea-U.S. trade in the room. Non-Korean buyers and advisors who work that corridor belong too. The festival is a poor fit if you needed an accredited-investor pitch day at the Washington Athletic Club or a quiet members-only finance rooftop.

Friday through Sunday, August 14-16, 2026, at Pier 62 on the Seattle waterfront near Pike Place Market and the ferry terminal. Festival hours are Friday 12:00 to 8:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Sunday 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT. Use the KACCWA WABA page for vendor, sponsor, and visitor paths. Waterfront summer crowds and limited parking are real. KACCWA cites more than 10,000 daily visitors at the site in peak season. Plan transit or early arrival.