Sunday, October 5, 2008

Korean theme parks in the Fall

Now that the hot summer is over, the best season to visit Korea has arrived. The clear blue skies and the cool evening nights make the fall weather the best time to go. Another reason to go is three major theme parks in Seoul have begun their fall festivities.

Everland’s “Happy Halloween” [Sept.8 ~ Nov.5]










Everland, the land of festivals and adventures, is having a “Happy Halloween” festival from Sept. 8 (Fri) to Nov. 5 (Sun) for a total of 60 days.

For the second edition of its kind at Everland, a 2.5 meter high jack-o’-lantern installment is set up at the entrance along with various holiday related items displayed at 23 different locations around the entire park. Popular monsters and ghosts such as Dracula and Frankenstein await visitors. The highlight of this festival is the “Happy Halloween Party,” a parade featuring 4 floats, 6 air shot carts, 4 sugar carts, and more. The parade is 400m long, and lasts for 30 minutes. The streets are filled with 58 performers, and thousands of Halloween sponge balls flying into the air.















The floats feature pumpkin fairies, a pipe organ, Dracula’s castle, graveyards, and more. Also, magic shows and Halloween bands perform at the European Court everyday.



Lotte World’s “October Fest” [Sept. 8 ~ Oct.22]











The nation's biggest indoor amusement park Lotte World, in Chamsil, Seoul, is now holding its own version of the traditional German beer festival Oktoberfest, which originated from Munich, Germany. “Oktoberfest,” starting from Sept. 8 (Fri) to Oct. 22 (Sun) offers ethnic culinary Germany food, German folk music and German unlimited draft beer. The festival features parades and street performances that reenact the atmosphere of Munich, which visitors can get a taste of what German culture is like.





















Oktoberfest originated as a horse race, part of the celebration of the marriage of the crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, who later became King Louis I, to Princess Theresa von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. This wedding will be reenacted as an “October Parade” at Lotte World. Also featured are the musical puppet play “Hansel & Gretel”, a Germany’s folk music performance by German Band, the Accordion Ensemble, and more. Everywhere you turn, you will be able to immerse yourself in German culture.

Visitors can participate in competitions such as “The Fastest Beer Drinker,” or “The Fastest Sausage Eater” and “The Driving Nails in a Log” contests. You can also try your chance at winning a trip to Germany by participating in the “Rock, Scissors, Paper Contest”. Lotte World has prepared a rich variety of entertainment to make your time here the best possible. You can also enjoy a video show showing images from the actual Oktoberfest in Germany as well as watch a mini concert by a yodeling club, or look around a picture exhibition.



Seoul Land’s “Chrysanthemum Festival” & “Halloween Festival” [Sept.9 ~ Oct.29]










150 species of chrysanthemums decorate Seoul Land from the World Plaza and spreads out all over the theme park. The chrysanthemums bloom in various colors, shapes, and sizes, and the various sculptures made of chrysanthemums provide beautiful sceneries for you to walk amongst and enjoy.

Along with the Chrysanthemum Festival, Seoul Land is also preparing various performances and events to add to your fun. Comic clowns and jugglers put on a European Show every weekend at the Event Hall. And the finale ends with an exciting aerial acrobat performance.










Also at Seoul Land is a “Halloween Festival,” which provides scary fun for children during the month of October. The Halloween Street Performance offers surprise entrances of the world’s scariest horror characters near the main entrance and east entrance to give you a fun scare fit for the Halloween season. On a portable stage, various Halloween characters hold street performances. You can also take souvenir pictures with the characters to help you remember this fun autumn festival at Seoul Land.

Post from visitkorea.or.kr