A Korea tour package in spring is never complete without a visit to one of the country’s fabulous festivals. This article will give a list of spring festivals in South Korea that you shouldn’t miss out on.
10 Spring Festivals To Visit on Your Trip to Korea
1. Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival
Duration: middle of March Venue: Jirisan Hot Springs area, Sandong-myeon, Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do This festival is an annual celebration of the spring flowers in the Jirisan Mountain area.
The Gurye Sansuyu Festival has a lot of attractions, including performances by the Nongak (the community band), the Making a Wish tree, and local hot springs. The festival also showcases local products made of sansuyu or Cornus fruit. The festival offers sansuyu chocolate-making classes, sansuyu flower tattooing booths, sansuyu tea tasting sessions, and more.
Admission to this festival is free, but some of the attractions may require payment.
2. Hwagae Cherry Blossoms Festival
Duration: late March Venue: Yeonghoham Hwahap Multipurpose Plaza, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do As the month of March ends, the white cherry blossoms in the Hwagae region begin to bloom. The festival doesn’t last long because when April comes around, the cherry blossom trees are bare once again.
During the festival, there will be a lot of food vendors selling potato chip swirls, hotdogs, and other snacks. There will also be attractions like the opening ceremony, fireworks shows, and talent contests. But the most popular attraction is Simri Road, also known as the Cherry Blossom Road or “the marriage road”. It’s said that any couple who walks down this road while holding hands will get married and live a happy life.
Admission to this festival is free, but some of the attractions may require payment.
3. Jinhae Gunhangje Festival
Duration: beginning of April Venue: Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do This festival is held around the area of the Jungwon Rotary and in the downtown area of Jinhae to celebrate the cherry blossoms in bloom.
During this festival, the areas of Jinhae that are usually off-limits are opened to the public. Tourists are allowed to enter the naval base to take photos along paths filled with cherry blossom petals. There are also performances by the military band and the guards. Additionally, the Jehwangsan Mountain Park nearby offers a gorgeous view of the spring scenery.
Admission to this festival is free, but some of the attractions may require payment.
4. Gyeongpo Cherry Blossom Festival
Duration: beginning of April Venue: Gyeongpodae area, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do This annual festival takes place at the Gyeongpodae Pavilion when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.
The area is already famous for its beaches, seafood delicacies, museums, old houses, and Gyeongpoho Lake. All of these are made more alluring by a backdrop of blooming cherry blossoms. During the festival, there will be even more attractions, like food stalls, shops, and cultural performances. Bicycles will also be available to rent.
Admission to this festival is free, but some of the attractions may require payment.
5. Nonsan Strawberry Festival
Duration: early April Venue: Nonsancheon Stream and Strawberry Field, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do Nonsan is a major producer of strawberries in South Korea. The festival is held annually to celebrate this and to promote the product further.
A majority of the attractions showcase the strawberries made in Nonsan, like strawberry picking, cake baking, jam making, and the selling of all sorts of strawberry products. Other attractions include musical performances, firework shows, and contests for artists.
Admission to this festival is free, but some of the attractions may require payment. Also, if you wish to participate in the strawberry picking program, it is highly recommended that you call ahead of time to reserve a slot. Only 1,000 people are permitted to join per day.
6. Gijisi Juldarigi Festival
Duration: middle of April Venue: Anteulmosi-gil, Dangjin-si, Chungcheongnam-do Juldarigi is a game of tug-of-war which was made to pray for peace and fortune for the new year. This festival celebrates just that.
The main attraction is a giant game of tug-of-war where participants are given a 40-ton, 200-meter long coil of rope. Other attractions include classes on straw-crafting and performances that showcase the history of Juldarigi.
Admission to this festival is free, but some of the attractions may require payment.
7. Daegu Yangnyeongsi Herb Medicine Culture Festival
Duration: early May Venue: Jung-gu, Yangnyeong-si, Daegu The herb medicine market of the area is an international market where herbal medicines from different parts of the world are sold. This festival showcases the medicinal herbs of Korea’s mountains.
Attractions include a tour of the area, performances of all kinds, and, of course, booths and stalls where visitors can try the herbal medicines. Some attractions even allow visitors to create the medicines themselves.
Admission to this festival is free, but some of the attractions may require payment.
8. Boseong Green Tea Festival
Duration: early May Venue: Korean Tea Cultural Park & Boseong tea fields, Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do This festival celebrates Boseong, the birthplace of the commercial tea industry and the largest producer of tea in Korea.
The Boseong Green Tea Festival invites visitors to pick their own tea leaves, brew the tea, and sample various green tea snacks. Other attractions include classes on making green tea candles, a tea art exhibit, and various performances. Visitors can also buy tea products on sale at the tea market.
Admission to this festival is free, but some of the attractions may require payment.
9. Jindo Mysterious Sea Route
Duration: middle of May Venue: Sinbiuibadat-gil, Jindo-gun, Jeollanam-do Jindo Island is famous for the emergence of a sea route close to it. The sea route is a dry road that mysteriously appears in the middle of the sea. This festival celebrates the strange phenomenon.
The attractions focus mostly around the folk culture of the area. The Mysterious Land drum parade, for example, calls for 300 participants to “open the sea route”. There will also be other folk culture performances such as dances, musical numbers, and a water screen multimedia show for the last evening
Admission to this festival is free, but some of the attractions may require payment.
10. Chuncheon International Mime Festival
Duration: late May to the beginning of June Venue: Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do The title of the festival says it all. It’s a celebration of mimes. In fact, the Chuncheon International Mime Festival is the third biggest in the world.
While it may seem like a niche festival, it’s still an interesting one to attend. Most of the attractions focus on teaching mimes the different genres of the craft, namely body, movement, and image. Here, you’ll see mimes, both aspiring and expert, practice their passion.
Admission to this festival is free, but some of the attractions may require payment.
And that’s ten spring festivals to enjoy for your Korea tour package. Attend them to enjoy the culture of South Korea.
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