The event at Salgoji Sports Park's inline skating rink on Saturday will feature a pet fashion show, a pet sports day and more — owners and their animals can walk the runway together, race across the field, and enjoy health and behavior consultations, toy-making workshops, AI robot dog experiences and four-cut photo booths
Seoul's Seongdong-gu will hold its 2026 pet festival, "Hamkkehagae in Seongdong," at the inline skating rink of Salgoji Sports Park on Saturday.
Now in its fourth year, the festival is designed to help pets and their owners bond and create lasting memories, while promoting a mature pet culture in which people and animals live together harmoniously.
A range of programs will be on offer for pet families to enjoy together. Main events include a pet fashion show, a pet sports day, a pet food fighter contest, a "wait" game and a pet etiquette OX quiz.
At the pet fashion show in particular, owners and their animals will take to the runway together to show off their individual personalities and charm.
Participatory events will have owners and pets working in sync: a pet sports day where animals run alongside their owners, a limbo game where owners carry their pets under a bar, and a pet food fighter contest where dogs race to finish prepared treats as quickly as possible.
Experience and consultation programs will also be available throughout the venue. These include pet health and behavior consultations; workshops to make pet toys such as keyrings, name tags and tug toys; caricature drawing and face painting; an AI robot dog experience; and a four-cut photo booth — all open to general visitors as well as pet-owning families.
This year the festival has expanded its roster of participating organizations compared to last year, offering a richer lineup of pet-culture programs. Seongdong-gu's Single-Person Household Support Center, the Department of Animal Health at Hanyang Women's University, the Department of Animal Health at Kyungbok University, and Konkuk University's veterinary club "Biophilia" will all take part, providing hands-on experiences and consultations that draw on each organization's expertise.
Rounding out the day are a lucky-draw raffle, a stamp tour, photo zones and food trucks, adding to the fun for all visitors.
"I hope this festival will be a time for pets and their families to enjoy themselves together and build happy memories," Seongdong-gu District Mayor Yoo Bo-hwa said. "We will continue to build Seongdong into a pet-culture city where people and animals respect each other and live happily together for life."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
