AR games, marching band performances and busking acts set for Sharosu-gil on Saturday
Stamp tour linked to 'Sharosu-gil app' offers discount coupons upon mission completion
Gwanak-gu will host "Cheongchun Orakshil Season 2," a game-themed street festival, on Saturday along Sharosu-gil, the district's signature commercial strip, welcoming youth, families, couples and visitors of all ages for a day of autumn festivities.
Returning after a successful first run, the festival bills itself as a "game-style street festival" that captures Sharosu-gil's youthful, energetic character. The lineup features an augmented reality game playable via smartphone app, 13 types of hands-on participatory games, a brass marching band parade, a musical number performance and a busking performance showcasing youth sensibility.
Performances will animate the street throughout the day. A marching band will wind through Sharosu-gil in a lively parade, while the main stage will host musical number and busking sets, offering cultural programming for visitors across generations.
A highlight of this year's festival is the full debut of an online-offline "stamp tour" built around the "Sharosu-gil app," developed in collaboration with companies based at the Gwanak S-Valley startup hub. Visitors can roam the street completing AR games and missions; those who collect a set number of stamps receive exclusive discount coupons redeemable at local businesses.
Last year's inaugural "Sharosu-gil Cheongchun Orakshil" drew more than 26,000 visitors, and sales in the commercial district rose more than 25 percent compared with the week before the festival. Building on that result, the district aims to sustain visitor engagement by pairing entertainment with tangible benefits while driving sales growth for local merchants.
Separately, a themed companion event called "Universe 5 Festa" will run five times from Sept. 19 through Oct. 17. The month-long program draws on the distinct character of each of Sharosu-gil's five zones to offer differentiated content, giving visitors a fresh way to explore the entire street over the course of a month.
Sharosu-gil was selected in 2024 for the Seoul Metropolitan Government's local brand development project, securing 3 billion won ($2.21 million) in funding over three years through 2026. The district is using the support — covering infrastructure expansion, project development and merchant capacity building — to cultivate Sharosu-gil into a leading Seoul commercial district where youth culture and local commerce converge.
Gwanak-gu District Mayor Park Jun-hee said the festival "combines the appeal of Sharosu-gil with games, performances and a digital app service into a participatory local festival." He added that the district would "help residents and visitors create fond memories throughout Sharosu-gil and, building on the self-sustaining foundation we have established, continue to develop Sharosu-gil into a sustainable, representative local brand commercial district in Seoul."
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