[DiaryPoint=Reporter Choi Seung-jin] The Cheongsong Apple Festival and Hampyeong Korea Chrysanthemum Festival close Sunday, Nov. 8. The Cheongsong festival is held along Yongjeoncheon Stream near Hyeonbiam Rock in Cheongsong-eup, with hours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The 20th annual event is hosted and organized by Cheongsong County and its festival committee.
The Cheongsong Apple Festival runs for five days, from Nov. 4, and admission is free. It features apple-themed activities, local farm-product vendors, performances and cultural events. Some hands-on activities have a fee. Festival programs include “Honey Jam: Apple Nanta,” in which participants pound apples to make jam; “Challenge: Apple-Sorting Lotto,” a game based on sorting apples; and “Find the Golden Apple.”
Apple Nanta and the Apple Olympics are among the activities scheduled for the festival’s final weekend, Nov. 7–8. Sign-up for the Apple Olympics, which takes place at the festival grounds’ small performance stage, is in person on a first-come, first-served basis. It is scheduled for 11 a.m. Nov. 7 and 4 p.m. Nov. 8. Apple Nanta is set for noon Nov. 7 and 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Nov. 8. The Apple Olympics includes challenges such as peeling an apple in one long strip and guessing its sweetness.
The Hampyeong Chrysanthemum Festival runs Oct. 23 through Nov. 8 at Hampyeong Expo Park. The event features chrysanthemum displays and activities, along with local farm-product sales. Hampyeong County lists Nov. 8 as the closing date. This year’s theme is “Chrysanthemum Garden of Myth,” with large-scale floral displays, chrysanthemum bonsai, cultural events, performances and hands-on programming. Hampyeong County is the host, and the Hampyeong Festival and Tourism Foundation is the organizer.
Admission to the Hampyeong festival is paid. According to the foundation’s advance ticket information, on-site admission costs 7,000 won for adults, 5,000 won for teenagers and military personnel, and 3,000 won for children and seniors. Adult tickets include a 2,000-won coupon, while tickets for teenagers and military personnel include a 1,000-won coupon. Hampyeong Expo Park’s admission and ticketing hours are listed as 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Before heading to either festival, check its official website for that day’s schedule and whether activities are still accepting sign-ups. For the Cheongsong Apple Festival, call 054-873-3686. Hampyeong event information is available through the Hampyeong Festival and Tourism Foundation and the county’s culture and tourism website. The Chrysanthemum Festival’s phone number is 061-320-2247.