[Seoul District News] Jungnang-gu to Host 'Dream Tree Family Sports Day' at Yongma Waterfall Park from Sept 21-23 with 6,000 Participants Including Public, Private, and Home Daycare Centers... Jongno-gu to Hold '2022 Sonamugil Street Arts Festival' on 17th at Weekend Car-Free 'Daehakro Sonamugil'... Nowon-gu to Launch 1st Youth Festival 'Youth Walking with Art' from 16th... Gangseo-gu Magok Culture Street Becomes Hub of Youth and Art
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) will hold the ‘Dream Tree Family Sports Day,’ a three-day event from September 21 to 23 at Yongma Waterfall Park, involving children from local daycare centers, their parents, and childcare staff.
This Dream Tree Family Sports Day is being held for the first time in two years after being suspended due to COVID-19. It is designed as a family sports day to promote physical activity among children, who have been inactive due to restrictions on outdoor activities, and to foster family unity.
The district expects that the event at Yongma Waterfall Park, a local landmark, will provide an opportunity for the whole family to enjoy the autumn atmosphere, nurture children’s emotional development, and encourage interaction among neighbors, making it a meaningful autumn outing.
Over the three days, a total of about 6,000 participants including approximately 2,500 members of the Private Daycare Center Association on the 21st, about 1,000 members of the Home Daycare Center Association on the 22nd, and about 2,500 members of the National and Public Daycare Center Association on the 23rd, including infants, parents, and childcare workers, will take part.
The sports day will feature harmony games that all participants can enjoy together, age-specific games, and unique games where grandparents and parents participate as representatives, offering fun activities for not only children but the entire family.
Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “With clear skies and autumn breeze, children will be able to run freely and parents will have a joyful autumn sports day that brings back memories. We will continue to do our best to expand childcare services and create an environment where children are happy and parents can trust and leave their children in care.”
Jongno-gu (Mayor Jeong Moon-heon) will hold the ‘2022 Pine Tree Road Street Arts Festival’ on the 17th at 2 p.m. on ‘Daehak-ro Pine Tree Road,’ designated as a car-free weekend street.
The festival aims to show that outdoor spaces in Daehak-ro, the mecca of performing arts with many theaters, can also be stages for artistic activities and to provide diverse attractions to citizens tired from COVID-19.
Hosted by Jongno-gu and organized by the University Culture Network, this year’s festival is themed ‘F.R.E.E. (For Relaxing, Enjoying, Easy-to-see),’ allowing passersby to temporarily set aside daily stress and worries to relax, enjoy, and comfortably experience various street performances.
The event will start at 2 p.m. with an exciting parade by Sangmyung University’s pungmul troupe and continue with diverse performances including hip-hop, circus, acoustic music, and contemporary dance until 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.
Jongno-gu has held the Pine Tree Road Street Arts Festival since 2017 but paused it in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19. This year, after a three-year hiatus, the festival returns with active support from the Pine Tree Road Prosperity Association (Chairman Kang Ik-jin) for venue assistance to revitalize the local economy.
Mayor Jeong Moon-heon said, “I hope citizens visiting Daehak-ro enjoy the returning Pine Tree Road Street Arts Festival and create precious memories. We will firmly support the festival to establish it as a meaningful event representing Daehak-ro, the holy ground of performing arts.”
Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will hold the first youth festival ‘Youth, Walking with Art,’ planned and led by young people, from September 16 to 18 in celebration of Youth Day.
The festival, held for the first time this year, was created in response to young people’s demand for an opportunity to unite local youth. The district recruited a youth festival planning team to ensure the festival is youth-led and discussed the theme and operation methods together.
The planning team decided to hold the festival from September 16 to 18 along Gongridan-gil, the area most frequented by young people, organizing various booths and side events along an 800-meter section from the Youth Agit (Gongneung Happy Housing) to the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail Visitor Center.
First, at the Youth Agit (Gongneung Happy Housing), the festival’s main event, the Youth Art Fair, will take place. The art fair, which has recently become popular among young people, was incorporated into the festival, and the district recruited young artists to participate since June.
At the art fair, visitors can freely view about 100 works by young artists including paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures, and purchase works without any sales fees or commissions. The art fair offers a chance to encounter unique works by young artists and is expected to revitalize local culture and arts.
Next, on the lawn in front of the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail Visitor Center, various performances will be held from 4 p.m. on the 17th, Youth Day. Camping mats and other items will be placed on the grass to create a picnic atmosphere, allowing young people to enjoy performances in a comfortable and free environment.
The first part features stages by Nowon-based young artists including performances by ‘Aaron Company,’ ‘Koreana Classica Orchestra,’ and ‘Leon.’ The second part will feature rappers and indie bands such as ‘Astral Swag,’ ‘Goya,’ and ‘Park So-eun,’ raising the festival’s energy.
Additionally, the district has prepared large sculptures, photo zones, and various booths. Participants include Nowon Youth Stores, Gongneung-dong Dokkaebi Market, Seoul Women’s Craft Center ‘The Arrium,’ and youth facility ‘Orang.’
Seven one-day experience classes including leather and rattan crafts, an eco-friendly reusable container promotion event, and various food booths will provide diverse experiences and fun for participating youth and local residents.
The district is establishing the ‘Nowon Youth Job Center’ at the Nowon Station intersection, where many young people gather. Since the center is in the same building as Nowon Orang, a hub for youth gatherings in the northeastern area, it is expected to play a central role in Nowon-style youth policies and support.
Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Although 28% of Nowon-gu’s population is youth, there have been few opportunities to unite them. Starting with this festival, we will carefully reflect the diverse concerns and needs of young people in district administration.”
Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo District (right), took the stage himself at a busking event held on the 8th at Magok Culture Street and told the audience that he would make Gangseo "richer than Gangnam."
“Let me earn some money~ Let me live with a smile~ Tomorrow will be better~~♬♪”
On the 8th, an impromptu song echoed at the busking performance venue on Magok Culture Street.
The skilled indie band ‘Bunrisugeo Band,’ performing that day, created an original song on the spot reflecting the wishes of the audience.
Without any majors in music, Bunrisugeo Band started playing music on the streets, meeting audiences and turning their stories into impromptu songs, becoming famous on Hongdae Street. They are a representative band that grew through busking.
The protagonist of the story was Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo-gu. Mayor Kim took the stage and declared his commitment to invigorate the local economy through culture and arts to make ‘Gangseo richer than Gangnam,’ receiving applause from the audience.
Since August 25, the district has been holding busking events every Thursday at 7 p.m. on Magok Culture Street under the theme ‘Unleash Your Charm.’
The goal is to make Magok Culture Street a youthful and artistic area comparable to Hongdae, allowing residents to enjoy cultural life locally without going far.
The performances are diverse, featuring indie bands, folk singer-songwriters, acoustic bands, and more. All performances are live-streamed on the official Gangseo-gu YouTube channel iGangseoTV for everyone to enjoy.
This project is the first step toward ‘Gangseo full of culture and arts,’ one of Mayor Kim’s five key pledges, reflecting his strong will to revitalize the local economy through various cultural events and create a vibrant Gangseo-gu.
As the youngest mayor among the 8th-term district heads in his 40s, Mayor Kim has a special passion for culture and arts, personally overseeing everything from performance planning to casting.
He also visits the busking sites weekly to gauge residents’ reactions, brainstorm ideas for better performances, and listen to local merchants’ voices.
Mayor Kim said, “I understand better than anyone the difficulties residents face due to inflation and economic downturn. Through various cultural events, we will provide entertainment for residents and revive the local economy.”
He added, “Interacting with residents and hearing their voices on-site gave me confidence about what residents want and how to run district administration. We will make Magok Culture Street a youthful and artistic area comparable to Hongdae, creating a city where all residents can enjoy cultural life in their daily lives.”
The district plans to gradually expand busking as residents’ responses grow stronger with each event. On the 15th, singer ‘Oneul Malgeum’ and acoustic singer-songwriter Choi Woo-in continued the busking performances.
Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) is operating ‘Our Neighborhood Gallery’ in the lounge on the first floor of Ilwon Lifelong Learning Center and is holding an exhibition of works by artist Han Im-su until October 13.
‘Our Neighborhood Gallery’ is the first gallery-style lifelong learning space created by Ilwon Lifelong Learning Center through a business agreement with gallery company Art Muse Co., Ltd. Anyone can freely appreciate works by famous domestic artists and attend special lectures to meet the artists during the exhibition period.
This fifth planned exhibition at ‘Our Neighborhood Gallery’ features works by Han Im-su, a Western-style painter actively exhibiting domestically and internationally at venues such as the Seoul Arts Center, Geumboseong Art Center, and Asia International Art Festival. The artist presents works themed on the intense landscapes of red mudflats.
On the 14th, a special lecture by Han Im-su was held, including an explanation of the works and a conversation with the artist. About 40 attendees who applied in advance through the Gangnam Lifelong Learning website participated.
Since April, Our Neighborhood Gallery has been exhibiting works by famous domestic artists such as Lee Sang-yeol, Yoo Chang-sook, Kang Tae-woong, and Shin Sang-woo monthly. Information on new exhibitions and special lecture applications for October will be available later on the website.
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