"Naju Yeongsan River Festival Set to Get Bigger and More Spectacular... Debuting the 'Naju Governor's Parade'"

Held at Yeongsan River Garden from October 7 to 11
Expanded Family Activities, Improved Transportation, and Enhanced Natural Dyeing Content
520,000 Visitors Last Year... Emerging as a Leading Festival in Korea

The Naju Yeongsan River Festival, which established itself last year as Naju’s signature festival by attracting 520,000 visitors, is set to welcome guests this year with significantly enhanced historical and cultural content, expanded family experiences, and improved transportation convenience.

On July 28, Naju City announced that it had completed the appointment of the artistic director and created the official poster for the "2026 Naju Yeongsan River Festival," which will be held for five days from October 7 to October 11 in the Yeongsan River Garden area, signaling the official start of festival preparations.

This year’s festival, under the slogan "Hello Naju Festival, Feel the Heat Again!," aims to carry forward last year’s excitement created by citizens and visitors alike. At the same time, the city intends to boost the festival’s competitiveness by positioning it as a stay-type tourism event that encompasses history, ecology, gardens, culture, and the local economy.

Yoon Byungtae, mayor of Naju City, is explaining the vision of the Yeongsan River Renaissance era in his commemorative speech at the "2025 Naju Yeongsan River Festival." Provided by Naju City

The most notable change is the addition of a new historical and cultural feature, the "Naju Governor’s Parade." This program, which citizens can participate in, will reinterpret the history and traditions of Naju—once the administrative and cultural center of the Honam region during the Joseon Dynasty—in a contemporary format.

Experiential programs for families will also be expanded.

The KidZania job experience, which enjoyed a positive response last year, will be scaled up both in size and scope. The board game experience area will also be enlarged, creating a family-friendly festival space that can be enjoyed by both children and parents.

The festival will also further enhance content focused on Naju’s renowned cultural asset: natural dyeing. Specialized zones will be set up connecting exhibitions of natural dyeing works, hands-on experiences, and the sale of cultural products, with the goal of raising awareness of traditional culture and developing unique tourism content.

Naju City is also working to improve the transportation system to minimize inconvenience for festival visitors. In response to last year’s issues with traffic congestion and delayed shuttle bus service, the city plans to create a new festival entrance and widen existing roads. The city is also considering establishing a shuttle bus-only route using the new entrance.

Additionally, the movement paths of shuttle buses and regular vehicles will be separated, further increasing transportation efficiency and enhancing visitor safety.

Measures to boost the local economy will also be expanded. The city will increase the availability of "Happiness Spending Coupons" that can be used at the festival, encouraging visitors’ spending at local restaurants, traditional markets, and shops. This is intended to lengthen visitor stays and provide practical benefits to local businesses.

A wide range of ecological and gardening programs utilizing the natural environment around the Yeongsan River Garden will be offered. Moving beyond mere sightseeing, the festival will provide garden experiences and relaxation programs designed to broaden understanding of the ecological value of the Yeongsan River and the need to establish a national garden.

The artistic quality of the festival will also be elevated.

Artistic Director Hwang Ji-young will oversee the festival’s overall planning, spatial design, and all performance, exhibition, and experience programs. This will bring together the history and nature of the Yeongsan River and Naju’s cultural assets into a unified narrative.

The official poster features calligraphy by local artist Lee Soonhae, known as "Al-gok," encapsulating the region’s identity and the festival’s symbolism.

Yoon Byung-tae, mayor of Naju City, stated, "Building upon our citizens’ passion and participation last year, we are preparing a more diverse and sophisticated festival program this year. Just as our slogan, 'Hello Naju Festival, Feel the Heat Again!' suggests, we aim to create a festival that both citizens and visitors can enjoy together and remember for years to come as one of Korea's leading festivals."

He added, "Through the Naju Yeongsan River Festival, we are determined to make the '2026 Year of Visiting Naju' a success and to lay the foundation for an era of 10 million annual visitors, surpassing the milestone of 5 million tourists."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.