Jungnang-gu to Host ‘2023 Seoul Rose Festival,’ the Most Beautiful Festival in Seoul from May 13 to 28
Featuring Korea’s Largest 5.45 km Rose Tunnel and Ten Million Roses in Jungnang Rose Park
Parades, Performances, Exhibitions, and Various Attractions Created Directly by Jungnang Residents
It is the season of roses, May. Jungnang Rose Park in Jungnang-gu is filled with the fragrant spring scent of ten million colorful roses in full bloom. The ‘2023 Seoul Rose Festival,’ known as the most beautiful festival in Seoul, will be held here from the 13th to the 28th.
This year’s theme for the Seoul Rose Festival is ‘Flower Again, Jungnang.’ It symbolizes the hope that many visitors will fully enjoy the spring after the festival’s resumption in Jungnang-gu following a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Korea’s representative rose festival, about 300,000 rose bushes of 200 varieties will bloom in Jungnang Rose Park (from Mukdonggyo Bridge to Jangpyeonggyo Bridge). Roses of various breeds from countries such as France, Germany, and Denmark, including Angela, Pink Perfume, Grande Classe, and Gold Facade, will convey the vitality of spring.
Visitors can enjoy ten million roses throughout the festival grounds, including Korea’s largest 5.45 km rose tunnel along the Jungnangcheon embankment and rose gardens set up in five other locations including Surimdae Park. Additionally, observation decks and photo zones overlooking Jungnangcheon, as well as nighttime LED lighting, will offer visitors a unique experience.
Especially this year, a new ‘Rose Exhibition Hall’ has been established to showcase various rose-related attractions. Visitors can explore the types and history of Korean roses, wild roses, roses from around the world, and floral artists’ rose works. A ‘Rose Market’ booth selling various rose-related products such as beverages, soaps, and accessories will also be available. The ‘Rose Popup Garden,’ designed and planned by Jungnang residents themselves, adds another meaningful attraction.
The main event, the ‘Grand Rose Festival,’ will take place over three days from May 19 to 21. Before and after the main event, the ‘Little Rose Festival’ and ‘Gyeomjae Rose Festival’ will be held consecutively, coloring the Jungnangcheon area with festive atmosphere.
* Little Rose (5.13~18, 5.22~26) / Grand Rose (5.19~21) / Gyeomjae Rose (5.28~29)
First, a spectacular ‘Rose Parade’ created directly by Jungnang-gu residents will form a long procession of about 1.5 km, marking a grand opening for the main festival event. Following this, on the Rose Music Garden stage, a variety of lively performances will take place, including ▲‘Rose Naming Ceremony’ where new rose varieties are given unique Jungnang-gu names ▲‘Rose Concert’ featuring popular musicians such as Jang Yoon-jeong performing with the audience ▲‘Rose & Music Party’ in collaboration with Woori Bank ▲‘Rose Song Festival’ showcasing the talents and skills of Jungnang residents, creating a vibrant festival atmosphere for all.
At the ‘Little Rose Festival,’ photo zones and various sculpture exhibitions will be set up to help visitors cherish festival memories, while the ‘Gyeomjae Rose Festival’ will offer diverse performances to delight the eyes and ears. Additionally, throughout the festival grounds, dessert cafes, traditional market food booths, small business sales and promotion booths, and the Rose Item Market will be operated.
This year’s festival highlights ‘residents’ and ‘local economic revitalization.’
First, residents become the owners of the Seoul Rose Festival, creating the festival together. The Jungnang-gu promotional models, composed of various age groups, became the faces of the festival posters. Various events such as the rose parade, popup garden creation, dessert cafe operation, traditional coming-of-age ceremony, flea market, and multicultural festival were planned with the hands of local residents.
Secondly, the Seoul Rose Festival is emerging as a festival that drives the local economy. This year, the Rose Flower Light Street, where many shops are concentrated, has been designated as the festival entrance. Flower decorations and lighting will be installed throughout the street to attract visitors to the local commercial district.
Moreover, during the festival period, businesses in Junghwa-dong, Muk-dong, and Myeonmok-dong will offer price discount incentives, and local companies participated in producing Seoul Rose Festival MD products, expanding the overall economic effect in the region.
Above all, the district office is making every effort to ensure visitor safety during the event, anticipating large crowds. Safety management personnel have been expanded to about 2,900 and deployed throughout the festival site to strengthen order maintenance. Crowded areas will be closely monitored, and a close cooperation system with related agencies such as the police and fire departments will be established to prevent accidents.
Before the festival, on April 13, the district mayor personally visited the site to thoroughly inspect parking, traffic, facility installation, and visitor movement routes. Additionally, on May 12, just before the festival, and on May 18, before the main event, on-site inspections are planned.
Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “The Seoul Rose Festival is a representative spring festival visited by more than two million people annually and boasts its status as the ‘most beautiful’ festival in Seoul. We are fully prepared to ensure that residents and visitors can enjoy the festival safely and happily. We hope everyone comes with their precious family, lovers, and friends to create happy memories and take in the bright spring energy.”
Yeongdeungpo-gu to Host Youth Festival ‘DeulRakNalRak’
May 15 to 20, Youth Festival Held at 9 Youth Facilities in the District
Rich Programs Including Competitions, Experiences, and Education Reflecting Each Facility’s Characteristics
Providing a Free Communication Space to Support Youth Dreams and Future
Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) will hold the 2023 Youth Week Festival ‘DeulRakNalRak’ at nine youth facilities in the district from May 15 to 20 in celebration of Youth Month.
‘DeulRakNalRak’ means that youths enjoy the festival by moving around and participating in events held at various youth facilities. It breaks away from one-time events by operating programs reflecting each facility’s characteristics and providing opportunities for free communication among youths.
At Yeongdeungpo Youth Culture House, under the theme ‘Welcome~ Is This Your First Time at YeongCheongMun?’ the following programs will be operated during weekdays in cooperation with local schools: ▲‘4th Industrial Festival, Dreamland’ related to future jobs such as drones, autonomous vehicles, and robotics engineering ▲‘Yum Yum Baking’ making Levain cookies with plant-based ingredients ▲‘Upcycling’ where discarded ice packs are reborn as diffusers. On May 20, the ‘YeongCheongMun Race,’ a mobile KartRider survival game competition, will be held in individual and team categories.
Other activities include robot experiences, retro games, self-studio, parent education on career guidance using MBTI, and ‘Ask the Celebrity’ sessions.
Yeongdeungpo Youth Counseling Welfare Center and School Out-of-School Youth Support Center ‘Kkum Dream’ will run programs under the theme ‘Mental: 100,’ including ▲‘My Mental 100 Contest,’ creating Instagram reels about personal mental health management methods ▲‘SseuDamSseuDam (Writing My Heart While Collecting Trash),’ where participants write worries on trash after plogging and send proof photos.
Additionally, programs such as ▲‘HaengGuMa Secret Counseling Room’ using tarot cards and board games ▲‘I(WE) Rooftop Sunshine,’ enhancing relationships through recreation and cooking activities ▲‘Youth Group Counseling WITH PET,’ forming emotional stability with animals, will be available to engage youth interests.
Furthermore, Youth Autonomous Cultural Spaces 1 to 6 will hold rich programs under the theme ‘Our Secret Hangout,’ including mystery and escape games, barista experiences, and VR sports competitions.
For detailed information about the festival, visit the Yeongdeungpo-gu website’s news section or contact the Child and Youth Division or each youth facility.
Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “Youth facilities in the district have united to prepare rich and distinctive programs so that young people can enjoy and communicate freely. We hope this becomes an opportunity for youth to grow further, and we will strongly support their shining dreams and future.”
Nowon-gu to Host ‘2023 Nowon Street Arts Festival’
On May 13 and 14, Presenting the 2023 First Half Nowon Street Arts Festival
At 2 PM and 3 PM, Touring Various Local Spots to Expand Everyday Spaces into Art Spaces
Featuring International Performance Groups, Aerial Swing, Circus, Mime, and More
Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that the 2023 first half Nowon Street Arts Festival will be held on May 13 and 14 at various locations throughout the district.
The Nowon Street Arts Festival was created to provide opportunities to experience various genres of performances in everyday spaces, connecting residents’ lives and culture and enhancing cultural equity. Since its inception in 2020, Nowon-gu is the only basic local government to regularly hold a street arts festival, which has now become a representative cultural event of the district.
The 2023 first half street arts festival will showcase 12 street arts performances including mime, circus, and balloon shows on May 13 and 14. Performance venues were selected considering regional balance and resident accessibility, focusing on four parks with high resident contact points. To avoid crowding, performances will be held simultaneously at different locations.
On the first day, Saturday the 13th, at Galmal Neighborhood Park in Sanggye-dong from 2 PM to 4 PM, performances include a story circus show featuring a postman as the main character, a comic mime show by two goblins, and a crossover band performance blending marching brass and traditional Korean percussion.
On the same day from 3 PM to 4:40 PM at Yangji Neighborhood Park in Junggye-dong, visitors can enjoy a juggling show that humorously addresses societal absurdities and daily fatigue, a one-person mime show with unique ideas and witty ad-libs engaging the audience, and a thrilling aerial swing circus performance 5.2 meters above ground.
On the second day, May 14, at Galul Neighborhood Park in Sanggye-dong from 2 PM to 4 PM, there will be contemporary circus combining classical music and circus, a ventriloquism bubble show combining puppet theater and soap bubbles, and a balloon show loved by all ages.
Finally, at Golmaeul Neighborhood Park in Hagye-dong from 3 PM to 4:50 PM, audiences can see aerial swing circus, a modern reinterpretation of traditional Hwanghae Province mask dance in a performance play, and pole circus performances expressing the essence of life through various movements on a long vertical pole.
This year’s street arts festival focused on inviting new genre performance groups instead of repeating previously shown performances. Notably, the German aerial swing artist duo Liv & Tobi, active worldwide since 2014, will be invited to present a thrilling stunt circus titled ‘Acrophobia.’
Performance groups and programs are subject to change. For detailed schedules and inquiries, contact the Nowon Cultural Foundation Festival Planning Team by phone or check announcements on the website.
In addition to the street arts festival, the district continues to conduct outreach performance projects to broaden the connection between the community and cultural arts. On the last day of the holiday, May 7, the ‘Visiting Orchestra - Danghyeoncheon Water Music Concert’ featuring the Western Symphony Orchestra and musical actor Lim Tae-kyung was held, delivering moving experiences to residents.
Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “We prepared the street arts festival hoping residents will gain new inspiration and vitality by encountering various performances in everyday spaces. We will continue to plan diverse and high-quality cultural events that satisfy residents’ cultural aspirations.”
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