Chilgok County Presents Participatory Festival Model with '205 Culture Street Festa'

The opening parade featured direct participation by residents
The audience becomes the main character of the stage
In "My First Runway in Life," seniors took the stage as models
The "Dream Dance Troupe" performance by teenagers showcased the expanding possibilities of local youth culture

The "205 Chilgok Culture Street Festa," hosted by the Gyeongbuk Chilgok Cultural Tourism Foundation, attracted approximately 40,000 visitors over two days from the 18th to the 19th. The event demonstrated the potential of a street-style cultural festival led and participated in directly by local residents.

The opening parade, which signaled the start of the festival, featured a procession with residents themselves filling the streets with music and vibrant colors, transforming the entire downtown area into a single stage.

In the subsequent opening performance, world-renowned magician Yoo Hojin took the stage and captivated the audience with a mesmerizing show.

At the 205 Chilgok Culture Street Festa, Chilgok County Governor Kim Jaewook gave a greeting, followed by various participatory performances by residents. Photo by Kim Ihwan

The most notable feature of this year's festa was its structure, in which "the audience becomes the main character of the stage."

During "My First Runway in Life," seniors walked the runway as models and received enthusiastic applause, while the "Dream Dance Troupe" performance, featuring local teenagers, showcased the expanding possibilities of youth culture in the region.

By moving beyond the traditional model of passive viewing, the festa highlighted the direction of a cultural city festival where citizens actively participate.

Throughout the streets, a variety of performances-including bubble shows, magic acts, circus performances, and taekwondo demonstrations-created a festive atmosphere that people of all ages could enjoy together.

The "205 Playground" featured a graffiti canvas where visitors could fill the street with chalk drawings, random play dance, a bubble playground, and game-based stages. The lineup changed throughout the day, encouraging visitors to stay longer and experience more.

The hands-on programs were also designed around everyday culture and personalized content.

In the Eco Zone, activities such as upcycling crafts using discarded banners and making environmentally friendly soap were offered. In the Humanities Village Zone, hands-on experiences like making wood-fired pizza, pounding rice cake, and sampling Sikhye (sweet rice drink) were combined, reflecting the everyday cultural identity of Chilgok as a cultural city.

By moving away from a spectator-oriented format and making residents, youth, and seniors all active participants, this year's festa was praised at the site for demonstrating that "the sustainability of a cultural city stems from proactive participation in everyday life."

Kim Jaewook, the governor of Chilgok County, stated, "This year's festa allowed residents to participate not as spectators, but as main actors on the stage, presenting a new model for Chilgok-style cultural festivals. We will continue to support various participatory platforms so that people can enjoy and create culture in their daily lives."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.