The Mapo-gu district office plaza will be transformed for one day into a sprawling playground filled with children's dreams and imagination.
Seoul's Mapo-gu, led by District Mayor Park Kang-su, will host the "16th Mapo-gu Children's Festival — Red, Yellow, Blue: Let Your Dreams Bloom" on Saturday at the Mapo-gu district office plaza. The event is organized by the Mapo-gu Comprehensive Childcare Support Center.
Now in its 16th year, the Mapo-gu Children's Festival is a signature family event in the district, designed to give children space to run freely, enjoy a wide range of activities and create lasting memories with their families.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. across multiple venues, including the district office plaza, the second-floor grand auditorium, the Sunshine Plaza and the district council lobby.
At the second-floor grand auditorium, the Mallang Mallang Choir will open with a pre-ceremony performance at 10:20 a.m., followed by a Children's Day commemorative ceremony and an awards ceremony for the "I Want to Play Together in Ma-po" contest.
The family musical "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" will take the stage three times — at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. — delivering messages of dreams and hope to young audiences. A special performance by dance club Daedaero is also scheduled for 2:40 p.m. to add to the festival atmosphere.
At the Yeolin Gongyeonnaru open performance venue (Seoul Metropolitan Mapo Youth Center) next to the district office, a puppet show titled "Rustling Jungle" will be staged in partnership with the Childcare Center Safety Mutual Aid Association. The show focuses on sexual violence prevention education, using child-friendly stories and familiar characters to help children learn to value their bodies and respond to dangerous situations in an age-appropriate way.
The district office plaza and Sunshine Plaza will offer a lineup of hands-on programs where children can play freely — face painting, bounce houses, soccer, fishing games, block play and graffiti art experiences among them.
The district council lobby experience zone will feature rides and play equipment including cypress wood play, dinosaur play, a mini train and a sky spin. Photo zones and balloon events set up throughout the venue will add to the fun.
A food zone on the first below-ground floor of the district office building will offer a variety of food options, rounding out the festival experience for families with entertainment, activities and dining all in one place.
Mapo-gu will deploy safety personnel and operate a first-aid station and ambulance for the event, while coordinating with the Mapo Police Station, Mapo Fire Station and local public health center to establish a comprehensive safety management system.
In the event of bad weather, indoor performances will proceed as scheduled, while outdoor activity booths will be moved inside the building or adjusted as needed.
"We have prepared a wide range of programs so children can run freely and let their dreams and imagination soar," a Mapo-gu official said. "We hope it will be a meaningful time for the whole family to laugh and enjoy together, creating precious memories and helping children's dreams grow even bigger."
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