[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Goesan Red Pepper Festival

The Goesan Red Pepper Festival will be held at Expo Square in Goesan, North Chungcheong Province, from Sept. 1 to 4.

The four-day event attempts to promote the excellence of Goesan-grown red peppers.

The festival welcomes visitors with various programs, including magic performance, busking by local artists, the non-verbal hit show “Pepper Nanta,” tug-of-war competitions and more.

Though most of the programs are offered for free, the hands-on “Find a Golden Pepper” program requires online reservation and costs 5,000 won.

The event welcomes visitors of all ages.

Updated information can be found at www.goesanfestival.com.

Gyeryong World Military Culture Expo

The Gyeryong World Military Culture Expo is scheduled to be held in the areas of Gyeryong Emergency Runway in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, Oct. 7 to 23.

Though the festival was initially held to celebrate Korea’s national military service members in 2007, the event expanded to celebrate the military culture of countries across the globe.

The expo seeks to promote peace and technical aspects of the military for future leaders.

Visitors can enjoy various military-themed programs and military band performances.

Tickets cost 9,000 won for adults, 3,000 won for teenagers and 2,000 won for children.

More information can be found at www.expo21.kr. 

Pocheon Herb Island’s Lavender Festival

The Lavender Festival started on June 18 and runs through Aug. 31 at Herb Island in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province.

Herb Island seeks to mesmerize its visitors, not only with the purple-hued fields but also with the aromatic scent of lavender.

Aside from flowery photo zones, the festival offers various programs, including natural soap and cosmetic-making, a herbal foot bath experience and more.

Tickets are 9,000 won, or discounted to 7,000 won for those under 16.

Updated information can be found at www.herbisland.co.kr

Muju Firefly Festival

The Muju Firefly Festival is scheduled to be held in the area around the Muju Deungnamu Stadium in North Jeolla Province, Aug. 27 - Sept. 4.

The event takes place every fall in the clean environment of Muju, which provides a natural habitat for fireflies and the marsh snails the fireflies feed on.

Visitors can also enjoy various programs, including firefly exploration, stargazing experience, concert, parade and more.

While most of the programs are offered for free, the firefly exploration costs 15,000 won per person. The exploration is limited to a maximum of 1,200 visitors.

The stargazing experience program costs 5,000 won per person and is being held only on Aug. 27 and Sept. 4.

An online reservation is required on the official website of Muju Firefly Festival, www.firefly.or.kr.

The Summer of the Year

The Summer of the Year is a summer festival at the Korean Folk Village in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

The event is set to run through Aug. 21 in various parts of the Korean Folk Village.

Various programs water gun fights, singing classes and meeting fortune tellers are set to entertain the visitors. More hands-on experiences like decorating straw hats, rubber shoes and making watermelon fans are offered as well.

Special performances are held every weekend at 4 p.m. on the special stage of the amusement village.

Tickets cost 32,000 won for adults and teenagers and 26,000 won for those under 13.

Visit www.koreanfolk.co.kr for more information in Korean and English.

By Lee Si-jin (sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)