Summer Festivals

By Deirdre Madden

Summer’s here, and the time is right for heading off to the beaches or mountain streams to chill out and escape the heat of the city.  Here’s a lineup of some of Korea’s upcoming (or ongoing) summer festivals you might want to check out. A full list is available at the Korean Tourism site, but here are some highlights for the end of June.

June 11-23, 5-11pm – The Centum Beer Festival (site is Korean only) is currently taking place in front of Shinsegae Department Store in Busan’s Centum City neighbourhood. Live music and film screenings accompany the beer sampling. 8,000 won entry fee, and it’s limited to over 19’s. On subway line 2, jump off at Centum City and use exit 6. Click here for more info.

June 15 – July 7 – The Goseong Lavendar Festival (site is Korean only) is a family friendly event, celebrating the delicately scented purple flower. You can even harvest the flower and make your own perfume. The Korean Tourism site gives more info. Goseong is near Ganseong, in Gangwan Province.

June 15 – July 8 – Daegu International Musical Festival (English site). If you’re a fan of musical theater, this festival is worth checking out. Check out the official site, linked above, to see the program of musicals being performed. This link also has more details on what the festival offers, such as Backstage Tours and Acting Contests.

June 21-23 – Gwangju Toechon Tomato Festival (Korean site only). Have you ever wanted to go swimming in a pool of tomatoes? Well, now is your chance to fulfil this dream, at the festival in Toechon. There will also be a range of tomato-based foods available, and tomato seeds for purchase. Details on getting there can be found on the Tourism site.