Festivals, sights across Korea

The Worasan Hydrangea Festival runs June 18 to 28 at Worasan in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province. The forest festival offers hands-on programs, exhibitions and performances, set against gardens of hydrangeas in full bloom. Visitors can join hydrangea-cutting and plant-potting sessions, with exhibition content tied to the 2026 Jinju Garden Expo. Other offerings include woodworking, forest interpretation walks, hydrangea healing programs and forest sports, giving visitors a chance to unwind in the woods. A weekend program on June 27 and 28 adds a stamp tour, eco-teering and hydrangea cutting. At night, lanterns and lighting create a different atmosphere, and the shaded forest offers families a cool retreat from the summer heat.

The Mureung Byeolyucheonji Lavender Festival runs from Saturday to June 21 in Donghae, Gangwon Province, at a former limestone mine reborn as a cultural space of emerald lakes and fragrant gardens. Visitors can stroll the sprawling lavender garden, which takes on a different mood at night under scenic lighting. Day and evening programs include lavender classes, personal color studios, singing bowl meditation and acoustic busking, alongside a lavender pop-up store and a nighttime laser and light show. Lavender-themed food and Donghae goods are also on sale. Admission is 6,000 won for adults, 3,000 won for ages 7 to 18, 2,000 won for children under 7, and 4,000 won for seniors 65 and older, people with disabilities and people of national merit. Gangwon residents get 50 percent off, and parking is free. Donghae residents enter for free on weekdays.

The Gangneung Marine Leisure & Pet Healing Festival runs this weekend around Anmok Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Set against the city's blue waters and pine groves, the festival invites visitors to enjoy marine sports alongside their dogs, with programs open to dog owners and general visitors alike. Main activities center on pets, including a treasure hunt along the pine-scented trail and dog-friendly sand digging. Supporting programs feature free yacht rides and a flyboard performance. Visitors can also join singing bowl yoga, a fishing contest and photo sessions on the sand with their dogs.

Everland's Rose Festival opened May 22 at the amusement park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, with 3 million roses across 720 varieties in bloom through June 21.

This year's theme reimagines the Rose Garden as a European-style hotel garden. Guests pass through a hotel gate at the entrance and follow a path that ends at the Rose Castle, decorated with vintage luggage and drawings by artist Daria Song.

A 3-meter chandelier anchors the central Purple Rose Zone, glowing alongside garden lighting after dark. At the Rose Lab, visitors can sample four scents from EverRose, the in-house variety Everland has been developing since 2013.

A four-piece jazz band performs daily near the Rose Castle. Italian restaurant Cucina Mario is serving rose-themed dishes for the run, including a beef pizza shaped like a blooming rose and an apple-slice rose ade.

The Car-Free Jamsu Bridge Festival will have its final day on Sunday, taking over the lower deck of the Banpo Bridge with food, music and walkable lanes where cars usually run.

Now in its fifth year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government event has attracted more than 5.3 million visitors since 2022. The bridge and the surrounding Banpo Hangang Park host six standing zones, including a moonlight playground with inflatable slides, a global food court, an artisan market and a gallery of LED photo spots.

The festival closes with a sunset yoga session led by an instructor from the Indian Embassy. Admission is free, though some programs carry a fee.