[Well-curated] Fall is for LP sounds, Halloween screams and fireworks

After an exhausting day, top star singer Lee Hyo-ri enters a cocktail bar. She orders two drinks: Basil Smash and Cigar in a Glass. While she enjoys her drink, the DJ plays vinyl record of 1980s singer Lee Eun-ha.

If you have been wondering about the bar that Lee visited in “Seoul Check-in,” or just want to enjoy some extra special drinks, a cool night vibe and good music as the cold wind starts to blow this weekend, the place for you is Hills & Europa in the Haebangchon neighborhood of Yongsan-gu, central Seoul.

What makes this place stand out from other bars is its music, which are played on LPs.

According to the Hills & Europa bartender, there is no rule on what songs are played. Any great song from different times and countries are welcome. Korean, Japanese and Western pop songs are curated by the DJ.

The lights in the bar are dim, which completes the distinctive night vibe along with its music.

Once you enjoy the mood of the bar, you can try the two drinks that Lee had on the show.

The gin-based cocktail Basil Smash is made with fresh basil, lemon and sugar. Cigar in a Glass is distinctive, as the glass is filled with smoke. The smoky drink can be had after the smoke disappears completely from the glass.

For the fall season, the bar is also offering a new drink called HeeJae, which is a dry and floral cocktail inspired by the Korean movie “The Scent of Love.”

The place is also known for its soft and sweet caramel pudding that is best paired with bitter drinks.

Hills & Europa also operates as a cafe from noon to 5 p.m. before turning into a bar during night from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. The bar is closed from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

‘Horror Halloween’ at Lotte World Adventure

If you are looking for a place to enjoy the Halloween season this year, Lotte World Adventure is showing “Horror Halloween: The Expansion” from Sept. 2 to Nov. 13, where you can enjoy the amusement park with a Halloween vibe featuring zombies and a “Trick or Treat” parade.

This year the zombies will take over both Magic Island, the outdoor area of the amusement park, and the indoor theme park at night. The zombies will show up at Magic Island at 6:30 p.m., 7:15 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. to thrill the people at the amusement park, and some of the zombies will invade the indoor space. The rides at Magic Island will be decorated with Halloween theme as well.

Zombie performances will take place at the indoor theme parks at 7:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

If you are not into zombie theme, there is another theme especially for families to enjoy the Halloween season. Every day at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., a Halloween parade will take place with the theme of “Trick or Treat” featuring Halloween pumpkins and candies as characters.

Enjoy nighttime excursion with traditional firework

Near Andong City in North Gyeongsang Province, a reenactment of “seonyu julbul nori,” a type of traditional fireworks, is scheduled to take place this Saturday.

About 2 kilometers away from the UNESCO-listed Hahoe Village, a unique scene of innumerable fire flames illuminating the sky over Nakdong river and Buyongdae cliff is sure to dazzle the visitors.

During the Joseon Dynasty, a group of aristocrats from Hahoe Village would enjoy a nighttime excursion to the river. The word “seonyu” means boat riding; “julbul” means string and fire; and “nori” means recreation.

Hundreds of paper pouches filled with charcoal powder, mulberry bark and salt are hung onto five long ropes stretched across the river from Buyongdae Cliff to Mansongjeong Pine Forest.

At sunset, the pouches are ignited one by one, creating a spectacle of countless small embers sparkling and falling into the river.

While the flames embroider the autumn night, lanterns made with empty eggshells will float gently along the river.

In a modern adaptation, a group of artists will dance, sing and recite poems on a boat amid a fireworks display for the audience at the riverbank.

Bringing the mood to a climax, when the audience shouts out “nak hwa ya,” which in Korean has a double meaning of “falling flowers” or “falling flames,” a bundle of dried pine branches will be lit and thrown down Buyongdae Cliff.

The fire is turned into a glaring fireball when the bundle is shattered against the rocks along the fall from a 64-meter cliff.

The remaining event is slated for 6 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 29 and Nov. 15.

Andong Hahoe Folk Village runs a shuttle bus from the riverbank to a village parking lot from 8:10 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The last bus will transport tourists to downtown Andong City.

For more information, visit Andong City’s official website.