Car-Free Street on Jungang-ro from 2 PM to Midnight Until the 17th
Parade, Cultural Performances, and Family Theme Park Significantly Enhanced
Daejeon City held the launch ceremony for the "Daejeon 0si Festival Volunteer Service" on the 24th at the City Hall auditorium, with participation from the volunteer centers of five autonomous districts, eight volunteer organizations, and volunteers. Photo by Daejeon City
The 'Daejeon Zero Hour Festival,' opening on August 9, will heat up Daejeon's original downtown until the 17th with significantly enhanced content compared to last year.
On the 24th, Daejeon City held the final report meeting for the event operation agency service for the '2024 Daejeon Zero Hour Festival' at the city hall's main conference room, attended by Mayor Lee Jangwoo and festival promotion committee members.
This year's Daejeon Zero Hour Festival will take place for nine days from August 9 to 17, along the 1km stretch from Daejeon Station to the old Chungnam Provincial Government building on Jungang-ro and in the surrounding original downtown commercial districts. The festival starts daily at 2 PM and runs until midnight (zero hour), with the event area operated as a car-free street.
With the festival period extended by two days, the organizers have greatly supplemented and improved last year's insufficient content, offering a wide variety of attractions and activities.
In line with the festival's theme of a time-travel journey through Daejeon's past, present, and future, the event area is divided into Past, Present, and Future Zones, each featuring representative content.
The Past Zone recreates the romantic era when one million refugees gathered in Daejeon during the Korean War. Visitors can experience the city's historical growth since the opening of Daejeon Station in 1905 through immersive, audience-participatory performances. Nostalgic memories will be evoked through train multi-shows, silent films, retro comedy shows, and trot music performances.
In the Present Zone, Daejeon's cultural artists will present various performances. Simultaneous performances by cultural artists and university students will take place in 25 spaces, including busking stages, small theaters, and galleries. There will also be a daily art market where visitors can view or purchase artworks by 90 young artists at reasonable prices. Other highlights include a K-POP concert, a large-scale street parade with nine themes on the 9th, international city experiences, and various events by local companies.
The Future Zone highlights Daejeon's identity as a science capital, featuring exhibitions and hands-on experiences with innovative science and technology, as well as a 100-meter-long Dream Seed Family Photo Zone. Visitors will encounter Daejeon's cutting-edge scientific achievements, such as the Nuriho rocket and robots, and enjoy fun science experiences utilizing AI, VR, 3D, and robotics technologies.
The old Chungnam Provincial Government building will be transformed into a family theme park, opening to visitors from August 3, one week before the festival. Attractions and experiences tailored to children, such as a character zone, media art, luminarium, and science activities, will be available. There will also be an exhibition where visitors can test drive rare supercars from Korea and abroad.
The festival will also feature participatory events for citizens. Designed for everyone to celebrate the unique spirit of Daejeon, the program allows visitors to fully enjoy the city's fun and charm. On August 11, over 150 university and senior models will participate in a large-scale fashion show parade, and on Liberation Day (August 15), 300 citizens will join a massive performance celebrating the joy of independence. On the 16th, 200 traditional folk performers will parade to showcase Daejeon's traditional culture. On the closing day, the 17th, a grand choir of 1,000 citizens and village choir members will sing 'Daejeon Blues,' marking the festival's grand finale.
The festival also boasts a wide range of sights and culinary delights. At 6 PM on opening day, August 9, the Republic of Korea Air Force's special flight team, the Black Eagles, will perform an air show to celebrate the festival's opening.
Additionally, there will be performances by citizen and cultural art delegations from seven sister and friendship cities, a talent contest for foreigners, a street karaoke event with famous YouTubers, and international city experiences, highlighting the festival's global character.
The food zone has expanded from four to six areas, with participating vendors increasing from 80 to 120. The food zones will feature popular restaurants from Daeheung-dong and Seonhwa-dong, as well as Hanbang-e-Mukbang offering herbal teas and foods, Jungang Market Food Festa, Zero Hour Pocha, and the Geonmaek Festa with dried snacks and beer.
Visitors can also purchase a variety of goods, including tourism souvenirs featuring the festival logo and Dreamdori, student-run flea markets, and open markets by local small business owners.
Mayor Lee Jangwoo said, "After achieving record-breaking popularity last year and heating up Korea's summer, the 'Daejeon Zero Hour Festival' is ready to welcome visitors with even more powerful fun and upgraded content this year. With a firm goal that the festival's success depends on safety, we will mobilize all administrative resources in the remaining period to ensure visitors can enjoy the festival safely."
Meanwhile, the 'Daejeon Zero Hour Festival' was recognized for its growth potential by being selected for the 'K-Culture Event Top 100' and 'Korea Night Night Gokgok Top 100' by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for 2023-2024.
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