Gwangju City Opens Daein Art Market Season 3

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Gwangju Metropolitan City is newly hosting the Namdo Dalbam Night Market Season 3 to welcome the autumn tourism season.

Season 3, which runs until November 5, held its first event on the 24th of last month, and special night markets are planned for October 8 (Multicultural & Disabled) and October 29 (Halloween Day).

The Daein Art Market, a representative cultural and artistic complex market in the Honam region since 2009, was recognized for its contribution to the development of Korean tourism in 2018 by being selected as a ‘Star of Korean Tourism,’ making it a prime example of an excellent market and a major local tourist attraction.

In Namdo Dalbam Night Market Season 3, to celebrate the gourmet season of autumn, popular food trucks from across the country, a multinational food market, collaborative exhibitions by disabled artists and resident artists, youth busking events, and last season’s popular smart tourism contents such as the ‘Metaverse AR Archer’ and the ‘Join Now Gamification App’ will be featured.

Additionally, visitors can enjoy various programs such as handcrafted hand-painting experiences, Halloween games with professional hosts, and makeup shows.

The main program, ‘Art Collection Shop Sujak,’ will showcase traditional experiences like pottery wheel workshops and hand-painting, along with live demonstrations of artwork creation by professional potters. The ‘Hanpyeong Gallery’ will host a joint exhibition titled ‘First: Beginning’ by resident artists of the Daein Art Market.

Notably, on October 8, a special invited exhibition by artist Jung Eun-hye, who gained attention from the drama ‘Our Blues,’ will be held.

Alongside this, ‘Byeolbyeol Tour Garden’ will be newly themed as a ‘Traditional Market Traveler’s Lounge’ for Season 3, expanding its existing sports pub functions to include resting areas for travelers, exhibition spaces, and game zones, attracting many tourists.

The highlight of this Namdo Dalbam Night Market Season 3 is the ‘Night Horror Night Market’ held on October 29, featuring numerous Halloween Day events rarely seen in traditional markets nationwide. These include recruiting makeup artists and zombie actors, installing Halloween sculptures, and hosting a national cosplay contest, creating an amusement park-level Halloween Day special rarely seen in the region.

Kim Yo-seong, Director of the City’s Culture and Sports Office, said, “As we leap forward to become a nationwide night market with Season 3, we hope people will pay attention to the changes in the Daein Art Market’s Namdo Dalbam Night Market,” adding, “We will develop it into a global festival that decorates autumn nights and restores joy to citizens.”

Meanwhile, this year’s second half ‘Namdo Dalbam Night Market’ event operates as Season 3 from September 24 to November 5, running from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Special incentives and program participation rights are granted to out-of-town tourists, preparing for growth as a tourism-oriented market.

Other permanent operations include exhibitions and sales of works by various participating artists at the exhibition space Sujak, and thematic exhibitions by resident artists starting from September can be viewed at Hanpyeong Gallery.