"Let's Taste Gijang Anchovies!" ... Gijang-gun Holds Gijang Anchovy Festival After 3 Years

Gijang Anchovy Festival Poster.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Busan Gijang-gun and the Gijang Anchovy Festival Promotion Committee will hold the "26th Gijang Anchovy Festival," which has not been held for two years due to COVID-19, for three days from the 20th to the 22nd at Daebyeon Port area in Gijang-eup.

Marking its 26th year this year, the Gijang Anchovy Festival, which began in 1997 as the nation's first seafood food festival, has grown into a nationally recognized festival representing Gijang and has been held annually, but was canceled for two consecutive years due to the impact of COVID-19.

In line with the government's full lifting of social distancing measures, the festival's revival after three years aims to comfort residents exhausted by COVID-19 and revitalize the local economy.

This year's festival is composed of various programs designed to let visitors simultaneously feel the vitality of seasonal spring anchovies and the freshness of the sea.

Main programs include a colorful street parade and fishing boat sea parade, hands-on activities for the whole family such as barehanded live fish catching, the Anchovy Guinness, and a surprise auction at the Anchovy Festival.

Starting at 7 p.m. on the 20th, the opening ceremony will feature a performance by KNN's "Youth Band," a "Silver Concert" with various trot singers, congratulatory performances by local singers, and the Anchovy Song Festival in which the general public can participate, among other diverse events.

A representative of the Gijang Anchovy Festival Promotion Committee said, "We are very pleased to hold the Gijang Anchovy Festival again after three years of not being able to hold it due to COVID-19. Since it is the first festival in three years, we will prepare thoroughly to make it a rich and abundant festival," adding, "As a large crowd is expected, we will do our best to ensure visitors can enjoy the festival safely by adhering to basic quarantine rules."

They also urged, "Since traffic congestion is expected around the Daebyeon Port area, please actively use public transportation such as the Donghae Nambu Line whenever possible."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.