All-year-round List of Korean Festivals (Part 1)
Traveling to Korea in any season, you can participate in many festivals organized in different regions and at different times of the year. From culture, entertainment to nature-themed festivals – these festivals are meant to make you fall in love with this beautiful country!
Festivals in Korea are not only fun and entertaining but also a fascinating way to immerse yourself in the local culture. With many festivals organized all year round, here is a list of top festivals from January to June that you should check out for next time you come to Korea. For the list of festivals from July to December, check out Part 2!
1. JANUARY-FEBRUARY: Pyeongchang Trout Festival
Pyeongchang Trout Festival is held every February in Gangwondo Province. The organizers select the 40cm-thick ice surface and turn it into the venue of the festival. Fishing participants choose an appropriate location to sit down and fish. If you’re lucky enough to catch some fishes, you can bring them to a nearby restaurant and pay the restaurant to cook a delicious meal for the whole family!
Although fishing is not at all an easy game, this festival still attracts thousands of tourists every year. Besides the main activity, you can also ice-skate on the river, build a snowman, play ice hockey, etc. There is also a display of snow statues and many other entertainment events. Visitors can also try out grilled salmon or salmon salad, which are very delicious and nutritious.
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(Photo credit: english.visitkorea.or.kr)
2. MARCH: Jeju Fire Festival
Jeju Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival is a fun and monumental festival of farmers and fishermen on Jeju Island. Every year in March, they organize this festival with the wish to pray for a bumper crop and a year full of peace and luck. In the past, people used to light a fire in the field to chase insects that destroy crops. Today, the festival also reorganizes the fire ritual on the field, and many other attractive programs such as recreate a traditional Korean wedding …
Coming to this festival, visitors will have a chance to learn more about Jeju traditional culture as well as join in impressive dance performances by the flaming fire. You can also experience the traditional Korean life style and participate in farming as the real Jeju farmers!
(Photo credit: english.visitkorea.or.kr)
3. APRIL: Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival
The small island of Yeouido located on the romantic Han River is an ideal spot for watching cherry blossoms. Every year, the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival attracts a lot of tourists to come and participate in the festival with a lively and bustling atmosphere.
There are more than 1,600 cherry trees planted across the island – which turns it into a cherry blossoms paradise whenever spring comes. Visitors can also stroll around to enjoy the specialties at Yeouiseo-ro Walking Street. The shimmering lights at night harmonize with the color of flower petals creates such a romantic setting.
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4. APRIL-MAY: Daegu Lantern Festival
Have you ever watched the movie Tangled? Do you want to experience a real scenery as magical as the lantern’s scene in that movie? Then come to Daegu and participate in the Daegu Lantern Festival. Lantern Festivals organized in order to celebrate the Birth of Buddha is held in many provinces and cities in Korea during the end of April until the beginning of May, but the most famous and interesting is Dalgubeol Lantern Festival in Daegu.
The festival attracts thousands of Daegu residents as well as tourists every year. People will gather at the Duryu baseball field in the Duryu park complex to release the sky lanterns, carrying wishes of peace and happiness. The moment thousands of colorful sparkling lanterns soar into the night sky is definitely unforgettable for any visitor.
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(Photo credit: @halinhnt on Instagram)
5. MAY: Seoul Grand Park Rose Festival
Located in Gyeonggi Province, the famous Seoul Grand Park is the venue for the annual rose festival in May. Tourists come here not only to discover the unique colors that this flower festival brings about but also to learn more about the unique architecture of this large park.
More than 239 varieties of roses from all over the world are grown here, creating a beautiful, shimmering scenery that no one can resist. From traditional roses to white roses, pink roses, purple roses … are all presented for you to admire their beauty. Maria Callas Rose, which is considered the queen of roses, is also featured in this festival.
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(Photo credit: english.visitkorea.or.kr)
6. JUNE: Haeundae Sand Festival
haeundae Sand Festival is one of the most unique Korean cultural festivals, held every summer on the beautiful Haeundae beach in Busan city. During the festival time, the 1.5 km-long coastline of Haeundae Beach will become a showcase of beautiful, sophisticated sculptures made entirely of sand by the talented hands of artists from around the world. Besides sand sculptures, there are also many other interesting activities such as cooking competitions, sailing, windsurfing, folk dance, and music performances by Korea’s most famous singers.
(Photo credit: english.visitkorea.or.kr)
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That’s all we have for you today!
Stay tuned for the list of more Korean festivals from August to December in the upcoming blog!