This festival is linked with the rich Catholic cultural heritage and tourism of Chilgok-gun, Gyeongbuk, and is held at Waegwan Monastery, which is imbued with the history and spirit of Catholicism, with the concept of spending a holiday and enjoying fun in a Holy place. A church of light and a dreamlike forest have been created, and visitors can enjoy a variety of performances including a talk concert with MZ priest Lee Chang-min, Holy Concerts by Lyn and Ahn Ye-eun, busking performances, Gregorian chant performances, and pipe organ recitals. At Waegwan Monastery, which has an atmosphere like medieval Europe, a variety of unusual experience programs are prepared, such as Mass at the Sky Church, a monastery tour with monks, and retreat experiences.

Family-friendly festivals

Chilgok-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do23.7km

Walk ~6 hr 25 minBike ~1 hr 52 minDrive ~1 hr 14 min

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Oct 15 – Oct 18

Chilgok Nakdong River Peace Festival

The Chilgok Nakdong River Peace Festival is held to honor the historical significance of the Battle of the Nakdong River, the final line of defense during the Korean War, and to reflect on the spirit of patriotism. It operates a variety of programs to remember the values of the Republic of Korea that ordinary people risked their lives to defend in 1950, and to express gratitude to those who protected the country. At the 13th festival held in 2026, performances, participatory experiences, and food programs themed around peace are prepared, while programs are also planned under the slogan 'Nakdong River, Farewell; Boys Who Guarded the River,' to inform visitors about the presence of the young boy soldiers who were relatively overlooked behind the narrative of student soldiers highlighted as symbols of national defense, and to honor their spirits, further strengthening the festival's historical and peace-oriented message.

Family-friendly festivals

Chilgok-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do26.8km

Walk ~7 hr 15 minBike ~2 hr 6 minDrive ~1 hr 24 min

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Oct 17 – Oct 18

Gumi Food Festival

This is Gumi City’s food festival, which began in October 2022 with the intention of comforting citizens and small business owners who had painfully made it through the long, long tunnel called "COVID-19" while wearing masks, and of revitalizing the economy. Feeling the pleasantly blowing autumn breeze, many citizens gathered at Songjeong Matgil (Songjeong-dong Gwangpyeong Parking Lot) in the center of downtown Gumi, where, in a space full of excitement and romance, families, couples, and friends enjoyed delicious food and watched fun performances, filling the air with laughter. With more than 200 menu items, the largest selection, visitors can experience a wide range of Gumi (口味), and there are also diverse contents for children, making it one of Gumi City’s representative festivals that can be enjoyed by all age groups.

Family-friendly festivalsFood trip festivals

Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do38.5km

Walk ~10 hr 27 minBike ~3 hr 2 minDrive ~2 hr

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Oct 9 – Oct 11

Silla Cultural Festival

The Silla Cultural Festival marks its 53rd edition this year, having begun with its first event in 1962. It offers a wide range of content, including the Hwabaek Jejeon, which recreates the brilliant history of Silla against the backdrop of Woljeonggyo, a street arts festival featuring numerous artists and spectacular performances, and the Silk Road Festa. Hwarang Hip-hop Festa presents an unusual scene unique to Gyeongju, with performances by top-tier domestic hip-hop artists set against the backdrop of ancient tombs. Dalbit Nanjang, a romantic night market that adds to the enjoyment, is run with direct participation from local merchants in Gyeongju and showcases the taste of Gyeongju. At the Silla Cultural Festival, the representative festival of the millennium-old capital Gyeongju, special moments can be experienced where history and art come together as one.

Festivals for couples

Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do62.3km

Walk ~16 hr 53 minBike ~4 hr 54 minDrive ~3 hr 15 min

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Oct 16 – Oct 18

Gimhae National Heritage Night Walk

The Gimhae National Heritage Night Walk is a night-time stay-style cultural festival held on the stage of the Daeseong-dong Tombs, the Tomb of King Suro, and the Surungwon area, where the breath of Gaya is alive, and it is an event to enjoy "light and history" together through night scenery, performances, experiences, and food. In cultural heritage sites touched by the breath of Gaya, visitors can experience the pleasure of walking along familiar paths as well as nighttime walks that follow historical stories. Through the 8-night programs centered on the theme of "night" (night view, night road, night history, night painting, night talk, night food, night stay, and night market), visitors can encounter Gimhae's brilliant Gaya history and cultural heritage in a new way. Each program is composed of diverse content such as performances, exhibitions, experiences, food, and night scenery, offering a special time to naturally feel the meaning and value contained in the national heritage and directly experience Gimhae's unique historical and cultural identity.

Family-friendly festivalsFestivals for couples

Gyeongsangnam-do, Gimhae-si70.3km

Walk ~19 hr 4 minBike ~5 hr 32 minDrive ~3 hr 40 min

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Oct 15 – Oct 18

Yeongdong Nangye Korean Music Festival

*The food information at the festival site below reflects the festival contents from the previous year (2025), and the 2026 festival contents are currently being updated.* This culture and arts performance festival is held every year to honor the musical achievements of Nangye Park Yeon, with Korean traditional music, a cultural heritage and traditional art of Yeongdong-gun, as its theme, and to contribute to the promotion of traditional culture and arts. The 57th Yeongdong Nangye Korean Music Festival aims to inherit the achievements of the 2025 Yeongdong World Gugak Expo and promote Korean traditional music, a heritage of the Republic of Korea, to the world while contributing to a second Korean Wave cultural revival. As the only Korean traditional music festival in the Republic of Korea, it also works to modernize the inheritance of traditional culture and arts through various gugak performances and experience programs, and to make the festival a regional tourism resource with programs suited to local characteristics. It provides a place for improving the cultural level of local residents and for harmony among county residents through voluntary participation.

Family-friendly festivalsFestivals for couples

Yeongdong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do77.4km

Walk ~20 hr 59 minBike ~6 hr 5 minDrive ~4 hr 2 min