Gwangju Seogu to Hold 'Seochang Silver Grass Festival' from October 16 to 19

Theme: "A Journey to Autumn Delivered by Silver Grass"

Seogu District in Gwangju will host the 10th Gwangju Seochang Silver Grass Festival for four days from October 16 to 19 along the Yeongsan River area (from Geukrakgyo Bridge to Seochanggyo Bridge, Nanumnuri Forest).

According to Seogu District on the 22nd, the Silver Grass Festival has established itself as Gwangju's only natural landscape festival and a healing event within the city. This year's theme is "A Journey to Autumn Delivered by Silver Grass," and a variety of programs are planned, including musical journeys, culinary journeys, photography journeys, and relaxation journeys.

Poster of the 10th Gwangju Seochang Silver Grass Festival. Provided by Seogu, Gwangju

This year, the festival will feature the "Sunset 530" stage, scheduled for 5:30 p.m., allowing visitors to enjoy the spectacular view of silver grass against the crimson sunset. Emotional busking performances by local artists will be held every day during the festival from 5:00 p.m. for 50 minutes at Nanumnuri Forest, where visitors can appreciate the beautiful sunset. Photographers will be stationed on site to help visitors capture memorable photos with the sunset as a backdrop.

Additionally, the "SG Dining" program offers a unique experience of enjoying coffee, tea, and traditional snacks amidst the autumn breeze in the silver grass field. This program operates on a reservation basis and promises to provide participants with the best customized service. The popular "Spacing Out Contest," which drew much attention last year, will be held again this year on October 19 from 3:00 p.m. for 90 minutes.

For the first time, the district will introduce "Soundscape" at this year's Silver Grass Festival. Soundscape, a combination of "sound" and "landscape," is an activity where participants experience the environment and ecology by listening to the sounds of nature. Equipped with headphones and recorders, participants can walk through the silver grass fields for an hour, focusing on the subtle sounds of nature that often go unnoticed.

In addition, the festival will offer an emotional bus and emotional bicycles connecting the main festival site and the sunset zone, an "LP Silver Grass Lounge" for enjoying analog music in nature, and an emotional picnic zone within the silver grass field, providing visitors with a healing experience through all five senses.

To boost local alley businesses, the district will also issue "healing currency." During the festival, participants who complete certain requirements in the Analog Healing Challenge, a stamp tour program, will receive festival-exclusive coupons that can be used at local alleyway stores.

Kim Ikang, head of Seogu District, stated, "This year's Silver Grass Festival will be a special autumn journey not only for Gwangju citizens but also for visitors from across the country. Marking the 10th anniversary, we aim to develop the festival into an urban ecological tourism resource that goes beyond a simple seasonal event."

Meanwhile, the district has continued to strengthen the continuity and identity of the festival by introducing themed concepts each year: "The Sincerity of Autumn Delivered by Silver Grass" in 2022, "The Promise of Autumn Delivered by Silver Grass" in 2023, "Invitation to Autumn Delivered by Silver Grass" in 2024, and this year's "Journey to Autumn."