The Seoseok Cosmos Festival in Hongcheon-gun opened Saturday and runs through Monday at Seoseok-myeon Sports Park and along the cosmos trail.
This year's theme is "Memories of Cosmos and the Golden Catfish." The catfish is a signature species of the Hongcheon River and a draw for both locals and visitors.
On Saturday, tourists took in a pink cosmos trail lined with photo zones, an outdoor poetry and photography exhibition, bare-handed golden catfish catching, traditional games, a singing contest open to residents and visitors alike, and an autumn music concert by local clubs.
Admission to the festival grounds and the cosmos trail is free, while the golden catfish catching activity costs 15,000 won ($11) per person.
Those who enjoyed Saturday's opening ceremony, the cosmos trail walk and the autumn concert can join traditional games, golden catfish catching and a coin karaoke singing contest on Sunday.
Monday's program closes out the festival with a community harmony event featuring participation from each village, performances by local singers, a singing contest and a closing ceremony.
Sunday's schedule ties the festival to the Seoseok five-day market, encouraging visitors to extend their stay beyond the festival grounds and browse the traditional market and local shops — with the aim of boosting consumption of regional food and agricultural specialties. A farmers' market centered on local producers and a traditional food booth will also operate within the festival grounds.
This year's Seoseok Cosmos Festival is the only small rural festival in Hongcheon-gun in 2026 to expand beyond a single village to the township level. Organized as a community festival, it brings together residents, local clubs, farmers, merchants, tourists and local government to inject vitality across the entire area.
Professional planning and consulting by the Hongcheon Rural Culture Terminal has made the lineup noticeably more varied and polished. The organizers worked to preserve the community's identity while systematically strengthening the program structure, promotional efforts, and hands-on and commercial content.
"We have kept the strengths that have made the Seoseok Cosmos Festival so beloved, and through professional consulting we have sharpened the program and visitor flow," a festival official said. "We aim to create a successful festival where visitors' footsteps naturally lead to the Seoseok five-day market, local businesses and purchases of regional agricultural products."
abc@heraldcorp.com
