Ansan City Closes ‘Ansan Festa 2026’ After Three Days of Culture, Arts and Food

Seven festivals and events brought together to mark the 40th anniversary of Ansan’s elevation to city status... Event concludes without safety incidents
Mayor Lee Mingeun: “Thanks to residents’ participation and cooperation... We’ll create festivals everyone can enjoy together”

Ansan Festa 2026, the fall festival bringing together events across Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, concluded on the 25th after three days. A range of programs took place, from events marking the 40th anniversary of Ansan’s elevation to city status to celebratory performances by singers and fireworks.

Lee Min-geun, mayor of Ansan, delivers the closing remarks onstage at the closing ceremony of Ansan Festa 2026, held on the 25th at Hwarang Recreation Area. Photo provided by Ansan City.

Ansan City, led by Mayor Lee Min-geun, said on the 26th that it had wrapped up Ansan Festa, held from October 23 to 25 at Hwarang Recreation Park and around the Ansan Culture and Arts Center, without any safety incidents.

Now in its third year, Ansan Festa brings local festivals and events that were previously held separately together under a single brand. This year, seven events were held together: the 7th Kim Hong-do Festival, the Lifelong Learning Festival, the Ansan Food Culture Festival, the Ansan Mayor’s Cup Danwon Kim Hong-do Ssireum Competition, the Disability Welfare Expo, the Urban Agriculture Community Festival, and the Residents’ Autonomy with Village Community Expo.

The Kim Hong-do Festival, the centerpiece of the celebration, featured a courtyard play, a Kim Hong-do folk village, and a Joseon-era tavern. Visitors could experience aspects of daily life during the Joseon Dynasty through activities such as horseback riding, tea ceremonies, trying on hanbok, and taking a civil service examination. The festival also featured a Kim Hong-do drawing contest and a video exhibition that offered a modern reinterpretation of his works.

At the “Hongdo! Let’s Pull Garaetteok!” event, held to mark the 40th anniversary of Ansan’s elevation to city status, residents worked together to make garaetteok, or long cylindrical rice cakes, celebrating the city’s 40th birthday.

At the Ansan Culture and Arts Center, participants shared examples of local community activities through a cultural competition among resident自治 centers and village community programs. The Ansan Food Culture Festival, more than 70 small-scale market stalls, and a craft experience zone were also held.

Performances were also part of the festivities. The Ansan Municipal Traditional Music Orchestra, the band Ritmo Latin, and Oh Hye-bin, a singer from Ansan, performed at the opening ceremony of the Kim Hong-do Festival on the 24th. At the closing ceremony on the 25th, Saengdonggam Crew put on an LED performance, followed by celebratory performances by singers Kwak Young-gwang and Lee Chan-won. Fireworks then lit up the final night of the festival.

The city introduced reusable containers to reduce the use of disposable items. It also operated a crowd-management system in stages—“advance dispersal, on-site management, and dispersal upon departure”—focused on the main performance venue, where large crowds were expected. The city said it had coordinated pedestrian routes and crowded areas with relevant agencies, including the police and fire services, and concluded the event without any safety incidents.

Citizens watch the fireworks show at the closing ceremony of “Ansan Festa 2026,” held around Hwarang Recreation Park on the 25th. Photo courtesy of Ansan City.

Mayor Lee Min-geun said, “Thanks to the participation and cooperation of our residents, we were able to conclude the three-day Ansan Festa safely. I hope this festival gave residents a chance to come together and enjoy Ansan’s culture, arts, and many other attractions.”

He added, “We will continue to create festivals that residents can take part in and enjoy together, and to work toward operating them safely and comfortably.”

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