Yangcheon-gu said its third Yangcheon Family Street Festival, held Sunday along Sinwol-ro, drew about 88,000 visitors and concluded to an enthusiastic response from families and local residents.
For the day, a six-lane, roughly 900-meter stretch of road running from Sinjeong Intersection Station toward Seoul Southern District Court was closed to traffic and transformed into a sprawling outdoor festival ground. Under clear autumn skies, the streets filled with residents, and laughter and cheers rang out across the venue.
The festival opened with a large street parade featuring about 400 residents from 18 neighborhoods across the district. Participants turned out in distinctive costumes and performed as they marched, drawing loud applause and cheers from the crowd.
Throughout the venue, interactive programs centered on the themes of family, dreams, healing and recovery kept visitors of all ages entertained. An "Alice in Wonderland"-themed space drew a steady stream of children eager for photos, while the "Cloud Path" zone offered balloon releases and loom-weaving activities for families to share their wishes. The "Travel Path" zone proved equally popular, with oversized bowling, hoop rolling and ddakji — a traditional Korean paper-flipping game — evoking nostalgic childhood memories.
The "Wind Path" zone offered more offbeat experiences, including a "worry-shredding room" designed to help visitors blow off stress and a family motto calligraphy station. Performances and photo zones scattered throughout the grounds gave families additional reasons to linger and created lasting autumn memories.
An outdoor book festival, styled as an open-air library in the heart of the city, drew parents and children who sat side by side reading together. The event also included an awards ceremony honoring nine families recognized for their outstanding reading habits. District Mayor Lee Ki-jae congratulated the recipients, saying, "The dedication of parents who make regular trips to the library with their children and work to build a reading habit is truly remarkable. The district will spare no effort in creating an exemplary environment where children can grow alongside books."
The main stage drew its own share of excitement. Singers Na Tae-ju and Park Gun hosted a resident talent show, where locals showed off their hidden vocal talents. A traditional arts showcase featuring gugak performer Oh Jeong-hae and the National Dance Company of Korea drew sustained applause as performers brought the spirit and beauty of Korean traditional music and dance to the crowd.
As evening fell, a musical gala opened the finale, followed by popular singers An Ye-eun, Soyou, Baek Ji-young and Park Ji-hyun, who took the stage in succession to close out the festival in style. The crowd packed into the performance area responded with waves of applause and cheers, bringing the day's festivities to a rousing peak.
"A true community festival is not simply about watching performances that someone else has put together — it is something residents create together," District Mayor Lee said. "We will do our utmost to ensure the Yangcheon Family Street Festival continues to grow into a signature event where generations and neighbors come together to communicate and find common ground."
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