Merchants around Baekyang-ro and Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City have joined hands to revitalize the alley economy around Baegun Square and promote mutual development by creating a car-free zone in the Street Food Zone area every Saturday to hold a Saturday Night Market.
On the 2nd, Nam-gu announced, "Starting from the 4th, a non-profit private organization called 'Baegun Square Alley-type Shopping District,' composed of operators of 32 stores around Baekyang-ro, will host the Saturday Night Market project in the Street Food Zone area next to Baegun Square."
The operation of the Saturday Night Market and the car-free street is a project promoted by Nam-gu and Baekyang-ro merchants since February, ahead of the opening of the Pureungil Bridge.
Nam-gu proposed the project to Baekyang-ro merchants to revitalize the commercial district, and after a deliberation process, the merchants responded by registering the non-profit private organization on March 28.
The reason Nam-gu and the merchants prepared the Saturday Night Market is that Baekyang-ro has the geographical advantage of easy access to Pureungil Park and is close to Yangnim-dong Modern History and Culture Village, Gwangju’s top tourist spot, yet the commercial district has been continuously declining.
In particular, Nam-gu prepared the Saturday Night Market as a key content to serve as a bridge to discover a travel course as a local tourism product, connecting Baegun Square, Baekyang-ro, the Street Food Zone, the preserved section of the old Gyeongjeon Line rail, and Yangnim-dong, leveraging the opening of Pureungil Bridge.
Accordingly, the approximately 100-meter road section around the Baekyang-ro Street Food Zone, where the Saturday Night Market is held, will be operated as a car-free street every Saturday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Each week, the Saturday Night Market will feature different themes, including Asian and European food experiences, water play festivals, beer festivals, and family cooking experiences.
The Saturday Night Market will open on the 4th, and on the 5th, in celebration of Children’s Day, it will be extended for a day to provide children with diverse enjoyment and experiential opportunities.
On the 11th, DJ Chunja, who is loved for her spectacular performances and DJing, along with DJs active in Gwangju, will perform EDM shows to enliven the Saturday Night Market.
A Nam-gu official said, "The Saturday Night Market is expected not only to revitalize the commercial district around Baekyang-ro but also to act as a catalyst for the growth of the village through the combination of local tourism resources and the results of urban regeneration projects."
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