Uijeongbu Successfully Concludes 'Car-Free Street'... Pet Fashion Show Draws Biggest Enthusiasm

Uijeongbu City Energizes Downtown with "Walking Together in Winter" Car-Free Street Event

Uijeongbu City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Donggeun) announced on December 1 that the "Car-Free Street in Uijeongbu" event, held on November 29 in the area in front of City Hall to pilot the "Walkable Street" initiative and revitalize the local commercial district, concluded successfully with enthusiastic support from citizens.

Mayor Kim Donggeun is inspecting the site of the "Walkable Street" event held on November 29 in the road area in front of the city hall. Provided by Uijeongbu City

On that day, the city completely restricted vehicle access to the designated section from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and opened the downtown road to citizens from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., operating a variety of programs under the theme "Walking Together in Winter."

Pet Christmas Fashion Show Draws Attention from All Age Groups

The most popular program of the day was the "Pet Christmas Fashion Show."

Inspired by pet owners and their animals who frequently visit the lawn plaza in front of City Hall, this event attracted significant interest, with over 250 teams applying to participate.

To prevent safety accidents, the city conducted a preliminary screening via social media, and about 50 teams advanced to the final stage.

When pets dressed in Christmas costumes appeared on stage, the audience responded with laughter and cheers. The event was designed so that not only pet owners but also general citizens could enjoy it together, earning the highest level of engagement at the site.

Mayor Kim Donggeun is giving a greeting at the "Pet Christmas Fashion Show" during the "Walkable Street" event on November 29. Provided by Uijeongbu City

Snacks, Performances, Hands-on Activities, and Flea Market... A Winter Festival Created by All

The event also featured a variety of citizen participation programs. Under the theme of winter snacks, organizations such as Angel Shelter, the Gosan-dong Community Council, and the Heungseon-dong Youth Guidance Council sold tteokbokki, fish cakes, and bungeoppang, adding to the warm winter atmosphere. A flea market jointly operated by the Saemaeul Women's Association and local merchants also contributed to making the event a participatory festival created by both local businesses and citizens.

On one side of the stage, there were busking, rap performances, and acoustic guitar acts. Christmas candle, wreath, and gift bag making booths, operated by instructors from the Uijeongbu 2-dong, Nokyang-dong, Ganeung-dong, and Howon 2-dong Community Centers, as well as the social enterprise Shop for School and village enterprise Lumion Plus, saw a steady stream of family visitors participating.

In addition, welfare institutions such as Nokyang Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, Gosan Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, Jangam Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, Uijeongbu Disabled Welfare Center, and the Solbitteo Sheltered Workshop for the Disabled also operated booths, further enhancing the warm and friendly atmosphere at the venue.

Scenes from the "Walkable Street" event held on November 29 in front of City Hall. Provided by Uijeongbu City

Expansion with Seasonal Themes Planned... Regularization Under Review

On that day, Mayor Kim Donggeun visited the event site to inspect operations and communicate with citizens and merchants.

Mayor Kim Donggeun stated, "Starting with this winter-themed event, we will expand the 'Car-Free Street' initiative next year by applying a variety of seasonal themes," emphasizing his commitment to continuously fostering a walkable urban environment and revitalizing the local economy. He also added, "Encouraged by the strong interest from pet owners, we will actively consider additional events for them in the future."

Based on the results of this pilot operation, the city plans to comprehensively review citizen feedback, merchant association opinions, and future operational plans to establish measures for the regularization and themed management of the 'Car-Free Street' event.

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