Enjoy Children's Day at 'Gangbuk Dream Land'... Gangbuk-gu Children's Day Festival on May 2
by Kim Minjin
Published 28 Apr.2026 08:12(KST)
All Performances, Rides, and Experiences Available with a 1,000-Won Unlimited Pass
Gangbuk-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Soonhee) will hold the 3rd Gangbuk-gu Children's Day Festival at Bukseoul Dream Forest on May 2, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to celebrate Children's Day.
This year's festival, themed "Children's Dreams Bloom in Gangbuk: Gangbuk Dream Land," will take place at the West Gate Plaza, Ball Plaza, Changpowon, and Cheongundapwon areas of Bukseoul Dream Forest.
The festival will kick off at 10:00 a.m. with a pre-ceremony performance on the main stage in Changpowon. Local children will showcase their talents in acts such as children's Nanta, dance, and jump rope demonstration teams. The opening ceremony will feature a unique event where guests and children together touch an LED screen to create waves of light.
This year, the festival offers even more attractions and hands-on programs than last year. The popular animation character "Shinbi Apartment" will host a sing-along show twice, and there will also be fan meetings and photo sessions with the cast. Busking performances such as musical puppet shows, mime shows, bubble shows, and magic shows will be held throughout the day.
Play facilities and experiential zones have been significantly expanded. In Ball Plaza's "Adventure Land," five amusement rides will be set up: Viking, Swing Ride, Bumper Cars, Space Fighter, and Battle King. West Gate Plaza's "Fairy Tale Land" will feature four types of air bounce inflatables, a photo booth, arcade machines, and hands-on experiences with related organizations such as police, fire safety, and military units. Gangbuk-gu mascots, clowns, and Transformer character mascots will roam the entire venue.
"Exploration Land," reflecting the changing times, also draws attention. Located in Cheongundapwon, Exploration Land will feature an AI Experience Center where future technologies such as AI image generation, drone racing, VR virtual reality experiences, 3D food printers, and robots can be explored. Inside tents themed around five concepts-hospital, jungle, space, camping, and pirates-children can enjoy hands-on Touch Theme Zones, a fun sports event, and a giant block experience zone. Seventeen partner organizations will participate, operating a total of 27 promotional and experiential booths.
At the entrance to the West Gate Plaza, eight food booths run by local traditional market vendors will be available. All rides, air bounce inflatables, and experiential programs can be accessed with a 1,000-won unlimited-use pass. Payment is accepted via card, cash, or bank transfer.
On the day of the event, the district will operate a comprehensive control center and deploy safety personnel to prevent accidents. Additional measures will be taken, including the setup of an emergency medical booth and ambulance, a fingerprint registration booth for preventing missing children, safety inspections of play equipment, traffic control, and the operation of temporary parking lots.
Mayor Lee Soonhee of Gangbuk-gu stated, "I hope the 3rd Gangbuk-gu Children's Day Festival will become a special day for children to nurture their dreams and hopes, and a cherished memory for all families. We will continue to create an environment where children can grow up healthy and happy, building Gangbuk-gu as a child-friendly city."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.