[Travel Bits] Upcoming festivals in Korea

Chicken and beer in Daegu

The 2016 Chimac Festival, featuring Korea’s beloved combination of crispy fried chicken and cold beer, returns to Daegu.

The local government has approved selling beer at this year’s festival and fried chicken and beer will be sold in large quantities at booths throughout the festival grounds. Musical performances by K-pop stars will accompany the food and drinks.

The festival will take place at Duryu Park in Daegu’s Seongdang-dong from July 27-31. For inquiries, call (053) 248-9998 or visit chimacfestival.com. 

Strawberry picking in Yangpyeong

The Yangpyeong Strawberry Festival will take place at Yangpyeong-gun Rural Village in central Korea. The scenic village is surrounded by mountains and the Bukhangang River and is known for its strawberries.

Participants will be able to learn about strawberries’ nutritional value and pick the red berries for themselves to eat on the spot and to take home. A cooking competition using strawberries as the main ingredient will be held. Other hands-on programs are also available.

The festival will take place at San 48-1 Hwajeon-ri, Yongmun-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun. Gyeonggi Province until May 29. The entrance fee is 20,000 won to 25,000 won per person. For more information, call (031) 774-5427, 5431. 

Light Festival at Starlight Village Photo Land

The Light Festival will take place at the Starlight Village Photo Land in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, until June 30.

During the festival, the entire village and its quaint houses will be decorated with LED lights. The village also features over 100 decorated photo zones where visitors can pose and capture themselves on camera. The festival will be open year-round from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. from Mondays through Thursdays and from 3 p.m. to midnight on weekends and holidays. Admission fees range from 3,000 won to 5,000 won

For more information, call (031) 484-5050 or visit www.star1723.co.kr.

Uiseong Sansuyu Festival

The Uiseong Sansuyu Festival will take place at Sansuyu Village in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, from March 26 to April 3.

Uiseong Sansuyu Village is gilded with the bright yellow of thousands of sansuyu, or Japanese Cornelian cherry flowers. The streetlights will be kept on throughout the night to allow visitors to enjoy the view of flowers in the dark. The festival will feature various events including the sansuyu flower photo contest as well as hands-on experiences like rice cake pounding and sansuyu tea tasting.

For more information, visit www.ussansuyu.kr or call (054) 830-6355 or (054) 834-1408. 

Gwangyang International Maehwa Festival

The Gwangyang International Maehwa (apricot blossoms) Festival will take place at Gwangyang Seomjin Village in South Jeolla Province on March 18-27. Seomjin village is known to have the largest number of apricot blossom trees in Korea. During the festival period, visitors will be able to stroll beneath the village’s blooming apricot blossoms as well as taste local organic apricot products. Musicians from three cities in the nearby gulf -- Gwangyang, Suncheon and Yeosu -- will hold street concerts during the festival to promote inter-city cultural exchange and add to the ambience. The festival will also feature various exhibitions and hands-on experiences featuring apricot blossoms.

For more information, visit www.gwangyang.go.kr or call (061) 797-3714.