"The Season of Festivals"... Enjoy Spring Flowers and Revitalize Local Businesses with District Events

Bulamsan Azalea Festival in Nowon-gu Starts Today
Spring Night Classics in Seocho on 20-21
Itaewon Antique & Vintage Festival
Jungnang Seoul Rose Festival from Next Month 18-25

Seocho-gu will hold the "Spring Night Classical Festival" on the 20th and 21st. The photo shows last year's festival. (Photo by Seocho-gu Office)

With the arrival of spring, local festivals themed around flowers and music are in full swing across autonomous districts. Unique festivals also help revitalize the local economy. Especially this year, as the timing of festivals was delayed due to the general elections, many festivals are packed closely together.

Seocho-gu in Seoul will hold the ‘Spring Night Classical Festival’ on the 20th and 21st. This festival, held at Bangbae Dwitbeol Children's Park, features a classical concert on the opening day afternoon, followed by family-oriented events on the 21st.

On the first day, artists such as ‘Liberante,’ the winner team of Phantom Singer 4, musical actor and Burning Trotman ‘Enoch,’ soprano ‘Bok Ji-eun,’ who gained attention from appearing on Miss Trot 3, and the ‘CYK Pops Orchestra’ will perform in large numbers. On the second day, various performances will continue, including the award-winning ‘Family Play’ from the Chuncheon Mime Festival, Magic & Bubble Cinema Show, Korea Junior Big Band, Diva & Divo performances, and the Spring Fantasia Wind Orchestra Parade. There will also be rides like Viking and Space Shuttle, as well as experiences such as caricature drawing and wire craft.

In Itaewon Antique Furniture Street, Yongsan-gu, the ‘Antique & Vintage Spring Festival’ will be held. The event, taking place from the 25th to the 28th of this month, aims to promote the specialized antique furniture commercial district and establish tourism infrastructure to revive the neighborhood alleyway commercial area. It is held twice a year in spring and autumn, sponsored by Yongsan-gu and hosted by the Antique Furniture Street Association.

This year’s spring festival features participation from about 90 antique shops. It is organized with flea markets, antique auctions, street performances (busking), prize events, caricature drawing, commemorative photo sessions, and wine tasting. At the street performances, visitors can enjoy various music genres including pop, Latin, jazz, and classical.

Itaewon Antique Furniture Street began to form in the 1960s by U.S. military personnel. After some shops started selling European antique furniture in the 1990s, it gradually developed into the current specialized shopping district.

Azalea Hill panorama. (Photo by Nowon District Office)

In Nowon-gu, the ‘Bulamsan Azalea Festival’ will be held from the 16th to the 28th of this month. Started in 2022, the Bulamsan Azalea Festival is one of Nowon’s five major representative festivals. Every spring, it takes place at the district’s representative attraction, ‘Bulamsan Healing Town (Azalea Hill),’ where 100,000 deep scarlet azalea bushes create a spectacular view.

Bulamsan Healing Town is a representative healing space that includes not only Azalea Hill but also a butterfly garden, a greenhouse caf?, the Nowon Garden Support Center with a companion plant hospital, and a forest healing center. During the festival, food trucks and markets operate to enhance the festival’s charm and are expected to help revitalize the local economy.

Along the Jungnangcheon area, the ‘2004 Jungnang Seoul Rose Festival’ will be held from the 18th to the 25th of next month. The main event of the festival, the ‘Grand Rose Festival,’ will take place on the 18th and 19th, and on the 25th, the ‘Jungnang Artist Festival’ will be held around Gyeomjaegyo Bridge as a festival-related event.

Jungnang-gu has designated the festival period as ‘Jungnang Rose Week’ and hopes to attract more tourists and promote local economic revitalization by linking nearby commercial districts and cultural events with the festival.