Eight hands-on garden activities, bubble and magic shows, and an outdoor film screening — plus a stamp tour where the first 500 finishers take home a succulent kit
Dongdaemun-gu in Seoul will host the Baebongsan Garden Family Festival at the open plaza of Baebongsan Neighborhood Park and the Jisik Garden on Saturday, offering residents a distinctive autumn outing.
Themed "A special autumn deepened through nature, culture and gardens," the festival will feature a range of performances and hands-on garden programs across the two venues.
At Baebongsan Park, activities run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; at the Jisik Garden, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A highlight of the event is the "flower bus" shuttle and a stamp tour connecting the two sites, letting visitors move freely between them while taking in the full festival experience.
The flower bus operates from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and doubles as a nature-education space. Characters dressed as plant experts ride along and share stories about the gardens' signature plants — cosmos, zinnias, red spider lilies and liriope — in an accessible, entertaining way. Children can also join OX quiz games during the ride to spark curiosity about the natural world.
A stamp tour titled "Goodbye, Jisik Garden! Hello, Baebongsan Park!" takes visitors on a mission through both sites. At the Jisik Garden, participants leave a message on a wish tree; at Baebongsan Park, they tackle a history quiz at the forest waterfall and complete photo-zone missions. Visitors who collect all four stamps will receive a succulent-planting kit, on a first-come, first-served basis for the first 500 to finish.
Baebongsan Park will offer eight hands-on programs — a bottle garden capturing autumn colors, a grass-head planting activity, a colorful moss pot, an autumn-mood garden lamp, a grain hand warmer, and a miniature forest in a glass jar, among others. Spots are available through advance reservation or on-site sign-up, with participation fees ranging from 2,000 won to 6,000 won per item.
The Jisik Garden will host special programs marking the end of three years of blooming. Visitors can leave farewell messages on the wish tree and use photos taken against the garden backdrop to design their own postcards.
The "Goodbye, Jisik Garden" program lets participants harvest zinnia and cosmos seeds alongside community gardeners, carrying a piece of the garden's memory into their everyday lives. All Jisik Garden experience programs are free and run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A lineup of cultural performances adds to the festive atmosphere. Daytime shows include a bubble show, a Disney musical gala and a magic show suitable for children and families. In the evening, the Baebongsan Family Film Festival screens "Zootopia" under the autumn night sky.
The festival grounds will also feature photo zones for family snapshots, picnic and rest areas for a relaxed afternoon in nature, and food trucks offering meals and snacks throughout the day.
Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor Choi Dong-min said the festival would offer families a special occasion to enjoy the beauty of the gardens and share lasting memories with the Jisik Garden before it closes its chapter. "We will continue building Dongdaemun into a garden city where nature and culture are woven into everyday life," Choi said.
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