Ansan Festa 2026: 7 Amazing Festivals in One at Hwarang Park Complete Guide

Seven festivals on one walking route — all free?! 🎨 Ansan Festa 2026 runs October 23–25 at Hwarang Park and Ansan Arts Center, combining the Kim Hongdo Festival, food culture fair, ssireum wrestling tournament, and four more events into a single connected route. Traditional performances, Joseon-era food stalls, and special museum exhibitions all at once — here’s the full guide. ✨

※ Check the official website for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

Ansan City has linked seven events into one navigable autumn festival route. 🍂 Traditional horseback riding, a Joseon-era food market, a live ssireum wrestling tournament, and three special museum exhibitions — you’ll have more trouble deciding which to prioritise than finding something to do.

Ansan Festa is Ansan City’s integrated autumn festival, held each fall at Hwarang Park and the Ansan Arts Center complex in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. This is the third edition.

Based on official announcements by Ansan City on October 2, 2026. All seven events are free to enter, and the city has designed a single walking route connecting every venue.

The official website is in Korean only. Your browser’s translate feature (e.g., Chrome → Translate) works well for checking dates and prices.

Official Ansan City Guide (Korean)

1. Ansan Festa 2026: 3 Things to Know About the 7 Events

Kim Hongdo Festival — Traditional Mask Drama, Folk Village, Hands-on Experiences

The centrepiece of Ansan Festa is the Kim Hongdo Festival, celebrating Kim Hongdo (단원 김홍도, 1745–1806), one of the most celebrated painters of the Joseon Dynasty (조선왕조), renowned for his vibrant genre paintings depicting everyday Korean life. The festival includes a traditional mask drama (madangguk), a reconstructed Joseon-era folk village (Kim Hongdo Folk Village), traditional performances, and local artist showcases. Hands-on experiences include horseback riding, a traditional tea ceremony, and hanbok (한복, traditional Korean dress) wearing. The Kim Hongdo sketching competition and a media installation reimagining his works in a contemporary format are also part of the programme. Three museum exhibitions run concurrently: Kim Hongdo Art Museum, the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, and the Ansan Industrial History Museum all host special exhibitions during Ansan Festa.

Food Culture Fair and Joseon-era Food Stalls

The Ansan Food Culture Fair brings together diverse food vendors and food-themed programming across the festival grounds. Inside the Kim Hongdo Folk Village, a Joseon-era food market (Joseon Joomak) serves traditional-style dishes reflecting the period depicted in Kim Hongdo’s paintings. A separate delivery zone also operates for festival visitors. A local commercial district receipt event runs alongside the outdoor festival, linking venue visits with nearby restaurants and cafés.

Ssireum Tournament, Urban Farming Fair, and Residents’ Autonomy Expo

The Ansan City Mayor’s Cup Kim Hongdo Ssireum (씨름, Korea’s traditional wrestling sport — similar in concept to sumo, with competitors gripping each other’s cloth belt) Tournament, the Urban Farming Harmony Fair, the Residents’ Autonomy With Community Partnership Expo, the Lifelong Learning Fair, and the Disability Welfare Expo all operate simultaneously at Hwarang Park and the Ansan Arts Center. Each event features its own exhibitions, experiences, and food stalls. Ansan City has designed the layout so visitors can move naturally from one event to the next without retracing steps. Booking.com lists accommodation options near Ansan for visitors planning an overnight stay.

💡 Agoda lists hotels in Ansan and nearby Suwon — compare early for the October 23–25 weekend, as autumn events across Gyeonggi-do drive strong demand.

Ansan’s proximity to Seoul makes this an easy day trip by Seoul Metro Line 4 to Hanyang University Station or Jungang Station, with onward bus connections. For those who want to take in all three days, Agoda and Booking.com list accommodation in Ansan, Siheung, and Suwon. Weekend parking around Hwarang Park is expected to be congested — public transport is recommended.

2. Dates, Venue & How to Get There

Hwarang Park — Kim Hongdo Festival, Ssireum Tournament, Urban Farming Fair

Hwarang Park is the main festival hub, hosting the Kim Hongdo Festival, ssireum tournament, and Urban Farming Harmony Fair. It is accessible from Seoul Metro Line 4 — alight at Hanyang University Station or Jungang Station and transfer to a local bus toward Hwarang Park. By car, use in-car navigation to “화랑유원지” (Hwarang Yuwonji). Parking congestion is expected on weekends; public transport is recommended by Ansan City. Confirm exact bus routes and local shuttle availability through Ansan City’s official channels.

Ansan Arts Center — Lifelong Learning Fair, Disability Welfare Expo, Residents’ Autonomy Expo

The Ansan Arts Center hosts the Lifelong Learning Fair, Disability Welfare Expo, and Residents’ Autonomy With Community Partnership Expo. The two main venue areas — Hwarang Park and the Ansan Arts Center — are connected by a single designed walking route, so visitors naturally flow between all seven events without separate transport.

3. Ansan Festa Integrated Route vs. Individual Event Visit at a Glance

4. Booking Hands-on Experiences: 3 Steps for Foreign Visitors

Step 1: Check Your Visit Date and Priority Programmes

Ansan Festa runs October 23 (Friday) – 25 (Sunday). Identify your priority experiences from the Kim Hongdo Folk Village — horseback riding, tea ceremony, hanbok wearing — as well as the Food Culture Fair and ssireum tournament. Advance registration requirements for specific programmes vary; confirm through Ansan City’s official page. The Korea Tourism 1330 hotline (+82-2-1330) operates in English and can assist with pre-visit queries.

Step 2: Plan Your Walking Route in Advance

Ansan City has connected all seven events in a single walking route. Collect an on-site guide map at the entrance and plan your sequence — for example, Kim Hongdo Festival → Food Culture Fair → Ssireum Tournament → Lifelong Learning Fair is a natural flow. Popular hands-on experiences like horseback riding and hanbok may develop queues on Saturday — arriving in the morning is the most reliable strategy.

Step 3: Include the Museum Special Exhibitions

Kim Hongdo Art Museum, the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, and the Ansan Industrial History Museum all host special exhibitions during Ansan Festa. Visiting in the morning — before outdoor crowds build — and transitioning to outdoor events in the afternoon is the recommended sequence. Check each museum’s hours and any advance booking requirements through Ansan City’s official channels before your visit.

The official website is in Korean only. Your browser’s translate feature (e.g., Chrome → Translate) works well for checking dates and prices.

Official Ansan City Guide (Korean)

5. Where to Eat & Stay Nearby

Joseon Joomak and Food Culture Fair — On-site Dining

The Joseon Joomak inside the Kim Hongdo Folk Village serves traditional-style dishes inspired by the Joseon era depicted in Kim Hongdo’s paintings — think simple, hearty Korean food in a period-styled setting. The Ansan Food Culture Fair zone adds a wider variety of contemporary food vendors. A separate delivery zone operates for visitors who prefer ordering in. At lunchtime on Saturday, food stalls fill quickly — arriving early or eating before noon gives you more space.

Accommodation — Ansan, Siheung, and Suwon

Ansan’s public transit connections make it an easy day trip from Seoul, but for visitors attending multiple days, Agoda and Booking.com list accommodation in Ansan city centre, Siheung, and Suwon. All three are within reasonable transit distance of Hwarang Park via Line 4. Book in advance for the October 23–25 weekend.

6. 5 Tips for Foreign Visitors

Tip 1: Follow the On-site Route Signs

Ansan City has designed the seven-venue layout as a connected walking path, so simply following the on-site route signs from the entrance naturally takes you through every event. There is no need to plan a complex route in advance — the city’s layout does that work for you. Collect a guide map at the entrance for reference.

Tip 2: Do the Kim Hongdo Folk Village Experiences First Thing

Horseback riding, the tea ceremony, and hanbok experiences inside the Kim Hongdo Folk Village are the highest-demand hands-on activities at Ansan Festa, and queues develop on weekends. Arriving at opening and heading to the Folk Village first, then moving through outdoor events in the afternoon, is the most effective strategy. The Joseon Joomak food stall also fills around lunch — grab your seat early.

Tip 3: Don’t Miss the 3 Museum Special Exhibitions

Kim Hongdo Art Museum, the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, and the Ansan Industrial History Museum all run special exhibitions during Ansan Festa. Combining outdoor festival activities with indoor museum visits makes for a full half-day or more. Check each museum’s operating hours and advance booking requirements through Ansan City’s official channels before visiting.

Tip 4: Use the Local District Receipt Event

A local commercial district receipt event runs alongside Ansan Festa. Spending at participating nearby restaurants, cafés, or shops may qualify for event benefits — check participation methods through Ansan City’s official guidance on-site or through their website.

Tip 5: Take Public Transport

Weekend parking around Hwarang Park is expected to be congested. Seoul Metro Line 4 to Hanyang University Station (한대앞역 / Handaetap Station) or Jungang Station, then a short bus connection, is the standard approach from Seoul. Keep last-train times in mind if visiting on Saturday evening — public transport from Ansan back toward Seoul can be busy after the outdoor events wind down.

💡 Trip.com lists transit and hotel options across Gyeonggi-do — compare Ansan and Suwon accommodation for the October 23–25 weekend ahead of time.

Ansan’s strong Line 4 connections make it one of the more accessible Gyeonggi-do autumn events for visitors based in Seoul. Trip.com and Agoda cover both transit and accommodation. If attending all three days, booking one night in Ansan or Siheung removes the transit pressure entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

More to Explore

The Gwangmyeong Cave Light Festival — a 1,000-drone show — runs the previous weekend (October 16–17) in nearby Gyeonggi-do. If you’re building a Gyeonggi autumn itinerary across multiple weekends, the two events complement each other well. Trip.com and Agoda cover accommodation across the region.

For more Gyeonggi-do autumn events, also check out the Gwangmyeong Cave Light Festival 2026 — 1,000 drones and free DJ concerts the weekend before.

Heading to Ansan Festa by public transport? Check the timetable in advance — note that this page is in Korean, so your browser’s translate feature will help.

Sources: Ansan City official press release, Ansan City official website (October 2026).