Must-visit summer festivals of 2016

For those adventure-seekers looking to combat the summer time humidity by basking in all its heat-sinking glory, look no further because the next few weeks will see some of the country’s most famed annual summer festivals.

Undoubtedly high on the charts as one of Korea’s most highly anticipated summer outdoor fests, the Boryeong Mud Festival kicked off its mud-flinging-fun festivities on Friday. Attracting the largest number of international visitors of all the country’s top festivals, tens of thousands of locals and foreigners alike flocked to the beachside of Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province this weekend to get down and dirty -- literally. 

Offering visitors a myriad of energetic and wild activities such as mud wrestling, mud sliding and even swimming in the mega mud tub, the annual Boryeong Mud Fest continues its reign as the country’s biggest beachside party and will continue its daily festivities until July 24. Every evening visitors can head to the beach for a lively outdoor party atmosphere with live music and fireworks.

Daegu Chicken and Beer Festival

For those looking for food to be the main component of their summer celebrations, there’s none better than the highly popular Daegu Chicken and Beer Festival.

With KFC (Korea fried chicken) becoming such an integral part of Korean culture, 2013 marked the inaugural launch of the annual Daegu Chicken and Beer Festival held at Duryu Park in Dalseo-gu, Daegu.

After its first launch three years ago, the “Chimac” (Korean shorthand for chicken and beer) festival continues to grow in scale and has now become one of Daegu’s largest festivals. The promise of fried chicken and ice-cold drafts was enough to attract roughly 1 million visitors last year, nearly double that of the previous year.

This year’s event will be held from July 27 to 31 and will feature a variety of programs including a laser lights show, movie screenings, a pool party and much more.  

Busan Sea Festival

Kicking off the month of August, the annual Busan Sea Festival returns for a weeklong of festivities starting Aug. 1.

The festival was launched 20 years ago in an effort to promote the port city of Busan as a harbor-side tourist destination and was Korea’s first generation ocean festival. The beloved event has now grown to be one of the city’s biggest festivals, offering visitors of all ages the opportunity to view and experience various cultural programs and live shows.

The festival will also feature a handful of star-studded concerts such as the Cass Summer Concert, Busan International Hip-hop Festival, the Busan International Rock Festival and the 7080 Family Love Concert.

Busan Sea Festival will be held on five beaches throughout the city: Haeundae, Gwangalli, Songdo, Dadaepo and Songjeong until Aug. 7.

Following its sea festival, the city will next play host to its annual Busan Fireworks Festival, which attracts more than 1 million national and international visitors every year.

Although in the past the fireworks festival has been held for two days, this year’s festivities is slated to be held for one night only on Oct. 22.

Summer Splash / Fantastic Summer Night festival

Everland is also paying tribute to the days of summer this year as the amusement park and resort play host to the Summer Splash and Fantastic Summer Night festival. The festival is jam-packed with various programs like splash parades, fireworks and a 3-D mapping show held every night.

During the day, guests can enjoy Jack’s Splash Parade, which sprays 84 tons of water from 40 water cannons and 6 floats, three times a day. Then later at night when the heat dies down, the park’s Rose Garden will be turned into a midsummer night’s dream paradise as the garden will be transformed into a festival of lights. The garden will also feature 20 screens projecting visuals of famous impressionist art from Monet to Van Gogh and Hesse. The Summer Splash and Fantastic Summer Night festival is being held daily until Aug. 28.

By Julie Jackson(juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)