Gangbuk-gu to Host 'Craft Culture Festival' at District Office Plaza on 8th-9th

Gangbuk Craft Department Store, Gangbaekine

Gangbuk-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) will hold the 2024 Gangbuk Craft Culture Festival, "Gangbuk Craft Department Store, Gangbaekine," at the district office plaza on December 8-9. This festival, held for the first time this year, is an event designed to support the creative activities of local artisans and share the value of crafts with residents.

The festival will run from 2 PM to 8 PM on both days. The craft market zone, consisting of a total of 27 booths, will exhibit and sell works made of textiles, woodworking, leather, rattan, clay, and more.

Seventeen hands-on programs such as making rattan mini baskets, Christmas keyrings preview, wood fancy and watercolor calligraphy will be available, allowing visitors to create crafts themselves. In the pop-up exhibition zone, visitors can appreciate high-quality craft artworks.

Additionally, a 'Character Photo Zone' will be installed at the center for visitors to create joyful memories. The 'Gangbuk Friends,' featuring a 3.5-meter-tall large balloon of Gangbuk-gu’s representative character Gangbaek and life-sized figures of other representative characters, will welcome the audience.

Throughout the festival, the stage will host various performances including jazz bands and fusion gugak by the Seoul Street Performance Group. The 'Gangbuk Singing Contest,' in which residents can participate, will also be held to enhance the festival’s excitement.

To promote the craft culture industry and revitalize the local economy, Gangbuk-gu enacted the "Ordinance on the Promotion and Support of the Craft Culture Industry in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul" in December last year and has been implementing projects to foster the craft culture industry, such as networking for craft artists and online marketing education, since early this year.

Mayor Lee Soon-hee stated, "This festival provides a platform for craft artists to open sales channels and an opportunity for residents to experience craft artworks. We will continue to actively promote the local craft culture industry to invigorate the regional economy."