"I Don't Want to Go Far"... 'Holiday Events' to Enjoy at Seoul Parks

Special Programs at 13 Parks During Chuseok Holiday
Hands-on Events for Families to Enjoy Together
Yongsan Family Park, Naksan Park, Boramae Park, and More
From Horticultural Activities to Insect Exploration and Ecological Tours

Family programs to celebrate Chuseok will be held at various parks throughout Seoul. A wide array of activities are scheduled, ranging from traditional folk games that capture the holiday spirit, to ecological observation, guided nature walks, and exhibitions that allow visitors to experience the natural beauty of the parks. Seoul City alone is preparing 42 different programs across 13 parks. At Boramae Park, the 2025 Seoul International Garden Expo is currently underway.

Namsan Park, Naksan Park, and Yongsan Family Park, all located in the heart of the city, have prepared traditional games that families can enjoy together during the Chuseok holiday.

Boramae Park in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, where the 2025 Seoul International Garden Expo is currently underway. Photo by Jo Yongjun

At the Namsan Park Outdoor Botanical Garden, the "Namsan Chuseok Jintto Baegi" event will be held from October 7 to 9, featuring activities such as making a "Sotdae" (a traditional wooden totem pole) to wish for peace and good fortune during Chuseok, as well as a variety of traditional games. On October 7, the Namsan Beekeeping Education Center will host "Mysterious Bee Class: The Sweet Life of Bees," where participants can observe bees and learn about their unique life cycles and the relationship between bees and a healthy urban ecosystem.

At Naksan Park, visitors can enjoy the festive Chuseok atmosphere through traditional games such as Jegichagi and Biseokchigi. From October 7 to 9, the "Enjoying Chuseok at Naksan" program will be held, which includes a tour along the Naksan Park fortress path-a backdrop in "K-Pop Demon Hunters"-and a wish-making event along the Hanyang City Wall.

At Yongsan Family Park’s Main Plaza, the "Park Folk Games" program will be available from October 6 to 9, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., allowing citizens to freely participate in traditional games such as Yutnori, Tuho, and Jegichagi.

At the Garden Culture Healing Center on the 4th floor of Namsan Seoul Tower, visitors can participate in "Making a Palm-sized Garden," where they create their own miniature autumn gardens, and "Namsan Bird Walk," a birdwatching stroll, both on October 11.

Naksan Park will also host the "Naksan Pungnyu" event on October 11 and 12, where participants can walk the city wall path with a guide, try on traditional hats and robes, enjoy a Gayageum performance, decorate fans, and paint traveling stones-all in one place.

Seoul Forest and Gildong Ecological Park are also planning a variety of ecological experiences. During the Chuseok holiday, both parks will offer traditional games such as Yutnori and Tuho, as well as horticultural programs for families visiting the parks.

At Seoul Forest, the "Traditional Games Yard" will be held at the Seven-leaf Tree Plaza near the Visitor Center on October 3 to 5 and October 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., where anyone can freely participate in folk games. The self-guided, contactless program "I Am a Seoul Forest Explorer" allows visitors to explore the park following a map and solve quizzes, and is available at the designated area in front of the Visitor Center.

At Gildong Ecological Park, programs include "Urban Forest, Meeting Birds," where participants observe woodpeckers and learn why they are disappearing from city forests; "Falling in Love with Gildong’s Nature," which explores the role of spiders in the forest; and "Stories of Trees in Masterpieces," where visitors first learn about trees featured in famous paintings indoors and then receive guided explanations about the trees in the park itself.

At Boramae Park, where the Seoul International Garden Expo is being held, a variety of garden culture experience programs are planned. These include hands-on activities such as "Boramae Abundant Joy Family Gardening," "Boramae Color Garden Tour," and a self-guided exploration program where participants follow a map and complete quiz missions throughout the park.

In the plaza in front of the east gate of Boramae Park, the "Exciting Chuseok Garden Playground" will be hosted by the group Nori Haneun Saramdeul, providing a space for families and relatives to enjoy together. The program will feature traditional folk games such as Jegi, Eight-stick Pickup, Feeding the Bride and Groom Rice Cakes, Gonggi, and more.

At World Cup Park, Boramae Park, and Gyeongui Line Forest Park, the "Chuseok, Meeting the Moon in the Garden" program will be held for citizens visiting during the holiday. This experiential program includes full moon observation, garden picture book reading, Chuseok cooking (Songpyeon) experiences, traditional crafts, ecological interpretation, and more, allowing visitors to fully enjoy the park.

There are also special exhibitions planned. At the Seoul Botanic Park, the special exhibition "Our Nature, Planetary Coexistence" and 11 different weekend tours and family programs will be offered. "Our Nature, Planetary Coexistence" is an exhibition that breaks down the boundaries between natural and artificial entities, encouraging visitors to imagine all living things as interconnected beings on a single planet. On October 4 and 8 during the Chuseok holiday, visitors can enjoy guided tours and explanations of the exhibition.

Additionally, at Bukseoul Dream Forest, a special nighttime Chuseok Moonlight Journey program will be offered. Children will have opportunities to learn about and enjoy traditional culture through scholar experiences and traditional folk games. At Jungnang Camping Forest Park, the "Family Insect Exploration Team" program will be held, while Gyeongchun Line Forest Park will offer "Train Journey at the Beginning of Autumn" and other customized healing and experiential programs for families.

For detailed program schedules during the holiday, please refer to the Garden City Seoul website. Applications can be made through Seoul's Public Service Reservation system.