Theme: 'A path drawn by the sea, art made by the wind'
Siheung will host the 21st Siheung Gaetgol Festival for three days, from Sept. 18-20, across the Siheung Gaetgol Ecological Park.
Under the theme "A path drawn by the sea, art made by the wind," this year's festival will present the tidal creek's ecology and the history of its salt flats alongside people and art, positioning itself as South Korea's leading ecological festival.
The festival grounds are organized around eight themed paths — Gaetgol Boulevard, Ecology Road, Life Road, Salt Flat Road, Wind Road, Lawn Road, Gourmet Road and Homeward Road. Visitors can enjoy a total of 21 hands-on and performance programs, along with food and market stalls.
The festival's signature program, "Memory of Salt, Dance of Water," will be staged nightly in the salt flat zone. The salt-themed performance lights up the night at the tidal creek, offering one of the festival's most iconic sights.
Hands-on programs include the Gaetgol Stamp Rally, in which visitors tour the festival grounds and complete a picture postcard capturing the scenery. Also featured is the Gaetgol National Art Contest, open to anyone interested in the tidal creek's ecology. The Gaetgol Slow Post Office rounds out the lineup, delivering letters to participants a year later.
There is also a rich lineup of ecological programs for families. Local participatory offerings include reed craftmaking, natural dyeing and upcycling experiences, alongside an insect exhibit, a Gaetgol exploration team activity and a forest music festival. A nostalgic photo studio themed around the tidal creek will also be featured. In addition, the Fantasy Hot Air Balloon experience, which drew strong interest last year, will return, letting visitors take in the tidal creek's scenery from the sky.
Alongside these, the festival will offer programs for visitors of all ages, including a salt-flat experience and salt play, a barefoot walk along a salt path and a senior runway show. Other highlights include the 9th Siheung Salt Flat Festival and a Sea Pool party combining DJ sets with water play.
Nighttime performances will round out the festival. The flagship show, "Concert in Gaetgol," will feature the Kim Si-young Band, Shim Myung-ki, Trinity, Hanultari Acoustic Guitar Zoo, Jajeongeo Tan Punggyeong, Yeohaeng Sketch, Park Hye-kyung and Seo Young-eun. The lineup will deliver performances that capture the tidal creek's autumn scenery. The Street Art Festival, featuring lifestyle artists from Gyeonggi Province, will also liven up the festival atmosphere.
Food and other attractions will also be plentiful. Food trucks, dining zones, a farmers market, a sharing market and promotional booths will operate throughout the festival grounds, offering local food and specialty products.
The Siheung Gaetgol Festival will run as a "car-free festival." Traffic around the venue will be partially restricted during the event, and 44 eco-friendly hydrogen-electric shuttle buses will run from key hubs — including the main gate of Siheung City Hall, Oido Station via Baegot, Sincheon Station via Eungye, and the Mokgam district — for visitors' convenience.
Siheung Mayor Lim Byung-taek said, "We prepared the 21st Siheung Gaetgol Festival as a festival that brings together the tidal creek's nature, the history of the salt flats, and people and art as one." He added, "We will do our best to make it South Korea's leading ecological festival, one that both residents and tourists can enjoy together through diverse experiences and performances that showcase Siheung's unique ecological resources."
Further details on festival programs, shuttle buses, and traffic and parking information are available on the Siheung Gaetgol Festival website.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
