Oct. 17, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. at Songpa-gu Women's Soccer Field — agility demonstrations, dog fitness and more
National agility team director Kim Min-seong to perform, with CPR education and junior trainer experiences also on offer
Songpa-gu in Seoul will host the "2026 Songpa-gu Pet Carnival," an autumn festival for pet-owning families and residents, at the Songpa-gu Women's Soccer Field on Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The district organized the festival to mark Seoul Animal Protection Day (Oct. 4), meet the growing cultural needs of pet-owning households, and promote responsible pet etiquette for harmonious coexistence between people and animals.
This year's event will take place on the field's wide, comfortable artificial turf and will feature a range of specialized programs across three zones: a main stage zone, a play zone and a permanent experience zone.
The play zone will offer some of the festival's most exciting attractions. At 1:30 p.m., national agility team director Kim Min-seong will deliver a high-level agility — obstacle course racing — demonstration sure to captivate the crowd.
At 2:30 p.m., children can become trainers themselves in a hands-on session alongside trained dogs. The "Dog Olympics" will then pit pets against one another in three events — stay, come and slalom — to show off their hidden talents. A leash-free dog playground will also operate in two time slots: medium and small dogs from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., and large dogs from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The main stage zone will host a series of audience-participation events. A pet etiquette quiz game kicks off at 12:30 p.m., followed by a first aid and CPR education session for dogs at 2 p.m., a breed showcase where visitors can meet a wide variety of dogs up close at 3 p.m., and a pet talent audition at 3:30 p.m. An opening ceremony and lucky-draw prize giveaways are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Twelve permanent experience booths set up around the venue will keep the whole family busy throughout the day. Free programs include a four-cut photo booth for dogs, aromatherapy wet-wipe making, tug-toy making, caricature drawing, face painting, dog fitness, pet grooming, one-on-one behavior correction consultations and pet tarot readings. A pet etiquette photo zone — featuring a character attached to a leash to promote proper leash length — and a rest area with camping tables and chairs will also be available.
Advance registration is required for three programs — the Dog Olympics, the pet talent audition and the junior trainer experience. Sign-ups are open on a first-come, first-served basis through Sunday via a QR code on the event poster, with on-site registration available on the day of the event while spots remain.
"On this beautiful autumn day, I hope you will run and play with your beloved pets on the green grass and create happy memories you will never forget," Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok said. "We will continue to roll out a range of policies to foster a mature pet culture and build Songpa into a leading city for pet culture — where people and animals thrive together."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
