This guide summarizes official announcements and is not a firsthand visit review. Character illustrations are GPT-generated.
- Dates
- Wed, Oct 7, 2026 ~ Sun, Oct 11
- Hours
- 14:00~22:00
- Venue
- Geumnam-ro, Chungjang-ro, May 18 Democracy Square, Art Street area245 Geumnam-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Jeonil Building 245) and surrounding area
- Fee
- Free
- Organizer
- Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, Gwangju Culture and Tourism Foundation, Chungjang Festival Committee
- Official
- Official notice (Korean) ↗
- Updated
- when we last re-checked the official notice
📅 Schedule at a glance
October 2026
Event daysHighlightsTodayKorean public holidays
📌 What's on each day
- 10/8ThuDream Tree FestivalToday
- 10/9FriHangeul Day★ W Parade · Asia StreetToday
- 10/10Sat★ K·O Parade · Miro Gathering MarketToday
- 10/11Sun★ Golden Parade · Traditional WeddingToday
🔁 Daily · Memory Theme Street 13:00~22:00 · Busking World Cup · Food Trucks
2026 Gwangju Memories of Chungjang Festival Schedule, Parade Times, Parking — Before Going to Geumnam-ro with Kids
The autumn festival is in full swing on Geumnam-ro 🎺
Now in its 23rd year! The 23rd Gwangju Memories of Chungjang Festival is happening for 5 days from October 7 (Wed) to 11 (Sun) across Geumnam-ro, Chungjang-ro, May 18 Democracy Square, and Art Street.
Admission is free. Here’s a summary based on Dong-gu Office press releases and the official festival website.
🔴 Happening Now
The festival kicked off on the 7th and continues until the 11th (Sun). There will be four parades over three days starting from the 9th!
Here’s a collection of the remaining main stage (in front of Jeonil Building 245) and Geumnam-ro events.
| Date & Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 10/8 (Thu) 13:30~15:30 | Chungjang Dream Tree Festival — Kids’ Stage |
| 10/9 (Fri) 14:00~17:30 | Hanbok Show & K-Beauty Hair Show |
| 10/9 (Fri) 14:00~19:00 | Asia Culture Street — Geumnam-ro 2-ga |
| 10/9 (Fri) 18:30~19:30 | Asia Culture Show |
| 10/9 (Fri) 20:00~22:00 | Chungjang W Parade — 13 teams from 7 countries |
| 10/10 (Sat) 13:30~15:30 | Gwangju Rice Ball ‘Unite Namdo’ |
| 10/10 (Sat) 17:00~19:00 | Chungjang K Parade — National Competition |
| 10/10 (Sat) 19:00~22:00 | Chungjang O Parade — 13 neighborhoods of Dong-gu |
| 10/11 (Sun) 13:00~16:00 | National Finals of the Residents’ Autonomy Festival |
| 10/11 (Sun) 14:00~15:00 | Traditional Wedding at Chungjang-ro 4-ga |
| 10/11 (Sun) 18:00~20:00 | Chungjang Golden Parade |
On the 9th, at Asia Culture Street, immigrants and international students will showcase their hometown foods. Dishes like nasi goreng, Hokkien mee, and wagashi are on the menu.
🎪 What Kind of Festival Is It?
This is a downtown street festival with a ‘memories’ theme, starting from Chungjang-ro.
This year’s theme is ‘Songs of Memories.’ The festival is decorated to evoke the past through songs cherished by each generation.
It has been named an Honorary Culture and Tourism Festival by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for four consecutive years since 2024.
🎡 What’s Open Every Day?
| Daily Hours | What & Where |
|---|---|
| 13:00~22:00 | Memory Theme Street (Sinseoseok-ro) — LP Music Room, Arcade, Comic Book Room, Nostalgic Snack Bar |
| 14:00~22:00 | Healing Rest Area & Food Trucks (Geumnam-ro 3-ga) — Beanbag Lounge |
| 14:00~22:00 | Gwangju Busking World Cup (May 18 Democracy Square) |
On the 10th and 11th, from 13:00 to 19:00, the citizen clown troupe ‘Memory Wanderers’ will also be around.
🚇 Getting There & Parking
The section from Jeonil Building 245 to Geumnam-ro Park, where the main stage is located, will be operated as a car-free street until 06:00 on the 12th.
Car access will also be restricted according to the schedule around Geumnam-ro 4~5-ga, Art Street, and the National Asia Culture Center. Bus stops will have information on detour routes.
According to the festival website, there are 19 free/discount parking lots with 1,248 spaces for visitors.
| Free Parking Lot | Spaces & Availability |
|---|---|
| Dong-gu Office (1 Seonam-ro) | 98 spaces · All 5 days |
| Honam-dong Public (365 Cheonbyeon-u-ro) | 193 spaces · All 5 days, parking stamp required |
| Seoseok Church (232 Baekseo-ro) | 170 spaces · Only from the 8th to the 10th |
| Jungang Elementary School Field (167 Jebong-ro) | 100 spaces · 10/8 17:00~10/11 23:00, not available if it rains |
| Jungang Elementary School (167 Jebong-ro) | 68 spaces · Weekdays from 17:00, Sat/Sun from 07:00 (closes at 23:00) |
| I-PLEX (150 Donggyecheon-ro) | 68 spaces · Weekdays from 19:00 to next day 08:00, all day Sat/Sun |
| Behind Jeonnam Girls’ High Public (139 Jang-dong) | 42 spaces · Free only on the 9th and 11th |
Four parking lots near Geumnam-ro 4-ga Station and Art Street offer a 30% discount, and two near Wedding Street offer a 20% discount.
👨👩👧 If You’re Going with Kids
On the 10th (Sat) from 13:00 to 17:00, the Miro Gathering Market will be held at Miro Center 2F Miro Lounge — a kids’ family flea market where children can freely buy and sell items themselves.
On the 10th and 11th, the 2nd floor of Miro Center will also have a digital drawing experience and the Miro Garden, which serves as both a rest area and performance space (11:00~18:00).
On the 9th, the W Parade will feature the same performance across three sections of Geumnam-ro. There will be temporary audience seating in front of the Fountain of Light in section 3.
The rice ball making activity on the 10th was a pre-registered program for teams, with sign-ups closing on October 6.
⏳ Not Yet Announced
□ Operation of performances and parades in case of rain
□ Locations of nursing rooms and stroller rest areas
□ Food truck menus and prices
These details are not yet available in the official information. I’ll update this post when they are released.
If you have questions, contact the Chungjang Festival Office at 062-232-1008.
👍 Recommended for These Families
✔ Families who want to watch the night parades with their kids
✔ Families who want to enjoy Asian food and performances together
✔ Families looking for a market where kids can buy and sell themselves
The ACC ‘2026 Asia Culture Week’ (from October 8 to 11), which is linked with the Chungjang Festival, is summarized here → 2026 Asia Culture Week
During the day, enjoy the theme street and market; at night, the parades — a perfect festival for a day out on Geumnam-ro.
This post is a summary based on official information before visiting in person. The character illustrations are GPT-generated images.
🔄 Updates
- First write-up
📎 Sources
- 제23회 광주 추억의 충장축제 (축제 누리집 — 날짜별 프로그램) 충장축제사무국 · 주최
- 주차장 안내 충장축제사무국 · 주최
- 제23회 광주 추억의 충장축제, 7일 화려한 막 오른다 전남광주통합특별시 동구 · 2026.10.2 · 관공서
- "제23회 충장축제, 제대로 즐겨보자" 전남광주통합특별시 동구 · 2026.9.14 · 관공서
- 충장축제서 만나는 아시아의 맛과 멋 전남광주통합특별시 동구 · 2026.10.6 · 관공서
- 충장축제 넷째 날, 금남로 물들이는 화려한 행진 전남광주통합특별시 동구 · 2026.10.8 · 관공서
- 충장축제 마지막 날, '골든 퍼레이드'로 대미 장식 전남광주통합특별시 동구 · 2026.10.8 · 관공서
- 충장축제 기간 금남로 차량 통제…"우회하세요" 전남광주통합특별시 동구 · 2026.10.1 · 관공서
- "충장축제 기간 미로센터서 문화예술 체험 즐겨요" 전남광주통합특별시 동구 · 2026.10.1 · 관공서
- 광주 추억의 충장축제 문화체육관광부 지역축제 · 관공서
This is a guide based on official announcements, not a visit review. Schedules, programs and fees can change, so please re-check the official notice before you go.
AI-assisted translation. Numbers and article structure were checked against the Korean original on 2026-10-09. This is not a new verification of the event announcements. Original post (Korean)