Second annual event at Jamsil Neighborhood Park features resident performances, K-pop dance and guest singers
Recycling exchanges, eco activities and flea market highlight community spirit and resource circulation
Songpa-gu in Seoul will host the second annual Jamsil Bon-dong Eoureong Deoureong Festival at Jamsil Neighborhood Park on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Organized by the Jamsil Bon-dong Festival Organizing Committee, the community event invites residents to participate, enjoy themselves and strengthen neighborly bonds. Centered on a newly built permanent outdoor stage, the festival will offer a range of programs including performances, environmental activities, art exhibitions, a food market and a flea market.
This year's lineup opens with a harmonica performance, followed by showcase presentations from resident community center programs such as nanta drumming and singing classes. Children from the Songpa Kium Center will perform on kazoo, and families from the Jamsil Youth Center will take the stage for a handbell concert, with a K-pop dance performance by local youth also on the bill. Local singer Kwon Seul-gi and guest performer Kim Yang will round out the entertainment.
Programs focused on environmental protection and resource recycling are also a highlight. Ahead of the festival, a "Love the Environment" competition drew participants of all ages — from children to seniors — on themes including collecting waste vinyl and milk cartons, signing up for the eco-mileage program and submitting environmental ideas. Six top performers will receive awards at the festival.
At a mobile recycling exchange booth, residents who bring a qualifying amount of one recyclable — three cans, five plastic bottles, 1 kilogram of waste vinyl or 0.5 kilograms of paper cartons — can exchange it for a 10-liter standard garbage bag. Hands-on activities will also include making bottle-cap keyrings, decorating eco bags and learning about the eco-mileage program.
An exhibition will showcase residents' handiwork, with hanji crafts, calligraphy and watercolor paintings by community center students on display. Family-friendly activities will include tea coaster making organized by the Jamsil Social Welfare Center and sports experiences offered by the Jamsil Youth Center.
A food market, expanded from last year, will sell pork rice bowls, chicken skewers, kimchi pancakes, spicy squid salad and tteokbokki. On the deck of the Hahohoo Toy Library, a flea market will let residents sell items they have prepared themselves, with a portion of the proceeds going to charity.
"Just as the name 'Eoureong Deoureong' suggests togetherness, I hope this will be a time for residents to gather in one place, enjoy themselves, connect and share warmth with their neighbors," Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok said. "We will continue to develop this into a festival where residents can share the values of culture, the environment and community giving close to home."
"We have prepared a wide range of things to enjoy — performances on the new outdoor stage, plenty of food and much more — and we hope many residents will come out and join us," said Kim Geum-jo, chair of the festival organizing committee.
The festival will be held at Jamsil Neighborhood Park, 7 Baekjegobun-ro 15-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul.
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