Weekend programs at Gwangnaru, Jamwon Han River parks
Over 7,500 books on hand; bounce castles and play zones also set up
Seoul to host book talks, films, reading quiz, Jenga tournament
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has put together a special autumn event for families at the Han River, bringing together more than 7,500 books, film screenings, jazz performances, a reading quiz competition and a Jenga tournament — all in one place for families to read, listen, play and explore together.
The city will hold the "2026 Han River Family Festival" from Saturday through Oct. 18 at Gwangnaru and Jamwon Han River parks, gathering books, music, play and hands-on activities for families of all tastes.
At Gwangnaru Han River Park, programs will run every Saturday and Sunday from Saturday through Oct. 18, for a total of six sessions. Jamwon Han River Park will host a separate performance program on Oct. 19, created together with local artists, youth and residents.
The festival grounds will feature a waterside reading zone where families can relax with books, a play zone for children to enjoy a range of activities, a craft-and-book experience zone, and a photo zone for families to capture special moments by the river.
The waterside reading zone will stock more than 7,500 books organized by genre. With 400 seats — bean bag chairs, picnic mats and shade canopies — visitors can drop in and enjoy a book without bringing anything of their own.
The play zone will offer a variety of active entertainment for children, including a large bounce castle, a ball pit, a roller coaster ride and tube rolling. Structured play programs such as ping-pong bingo, a cooperative wood-tower challenge, hoop rolling and a children's basketball hoop will also be available.
The experience zone will run craft programs that pair books with hands-on making. Children can create their own bookmarks, pop-up books and autumn-leaf art book lanterns, giving them a chance to engage with books through direct activity.
Gwangnaru Han River Park will be the main stage for highlights including magic and bubble shows, outdoor screenings of "How to Train Your Dragon" and "F1 The Movie" on a large screen, a reading quiz open to 100 students in grades three through six of elementary school, a Jenga tournament, and a jazz concert to close out the festival.
Jamwon Han River Park will host a special performance stage created by local artists, youth and residents. The lineup will span a wide range of genres — orchestra, vocal ensemble, Bongsan mask dance, fusion traditional Korean music and contemporary dance — all on a single stage.
Alongside this, a photo zone featuring Seoul's official character Haetae will be set up so families can preserve their special moments at the Han River.
The city has been running a series of cultural events at Han River parks this autumn. The first Seoul Rock Festival was held at Jamwon Han River Park on Sept. 7.
"The Han River Family Festival is designed to help families create special memories at the Han River — reading together, listening to music, playing and experiencing new things," said Park Jin-young, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Future Han River Bureau. "We hope families will come out to their nearest Han River park on a cool autumn day and enjoy a relaxed, fun time together."
ikson@heraldcorp.com
