This guide summarizes official announcements and is not a firsthand visit review. Character illustrations are GPT-generated.
- Dates
- Thu, Oct 15, 2026 ~ Sun, Oct 18
- Hours
- 13:00–18:00
- Venue
- Yeongsan riverside, Geungnakgyo Bridge to Seochanggyo Nanumnuri Forest (영산강변 일원)Around 377 Seochangdun-gil, Seo-gu, Gwangju (Yeongsan River Bike Path Center) (전남광주통합특별시 서구 서창둑길 377 일대)
- Fee
- Free (some activities and food charge a fee)
- Organizer
- Seo-gu, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City
- Official
- Official notice (Korean) ↗
- Updated
- when we last re-checked the official notice
📅 Schedule at a glance
October 2026
Event daysHighlightsTodayKorean public holidays
Korea Meteorological Administration · 10/15, 2 AM issued · forecasts can change
📌 What's on each day
- 10/15Thu★ Opening · Trolley busToday
- 10/16FriTrolley busToday
- 10/17Sat★ Sunset run · Gugak show · Pony ridesToday
- 10/18Sun★ Rest King · Trolley bus · Pony rides · Wal Wal RUNToday
🔁 Daily · Silver grass path · SG Lounge · 1,000-won picnic 13:00–18:00 · Sunset Live 17:00 · Noeul 530 at 17:30
2026 Gwangju Seochang Silver Grass Festival Dates, Shuttle Bus & Activity Times – Before Walking the Yeongsan River Path with Kids
Silver grass along the Yeongsan River
is swaying silver right now 🌾
The 11th Gwangju Seochang Silver Grass Festival (광주서창억새축제)
runs October 15 (Thu) to 18 (Sun),
four days, daily 13:00–18:00,
along the Yeongsan riverside (Geungnakgyo to Seochanggyo Nanumnuri Forest).
I’ve summarized Seo-gu’s press releases and the festival website’s
timetable (updated October 8).
🎪 About the Festival
Yeongsan River — Yeongsan River flowing through grassland with mountains (Jun 2007) (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization Photo Gallery · 한국관광공사 김지호 · KOGL Type 1)
Yeongsan River — Yeongsan River reflecting the mountains and riverside grassland (Jun 2007) (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization Photo Gallery · 한국관광공사 김지호 · KOGL Type 1)
This year’s theme is
”An Autumn Stroll Brought by Silver Grass.”
It’s designed as a “strolling festival”
for walking, lingering and resting.
Admission is free,
while some activities and food charge a fee.
The roughly 400 m from the main stage entrance
to the small stage is a
Silver Grass Path with Melodies to walk with music.
Every day 13:00–18:00 there’s
the SG Silver Grass Lounge with LP music,
a Sound Walk Map that gives a souvenir
once you find 5 sound spots and fill in the map,
and four silver grass photo zones.
On the 15th, 16th and 18th, a sentimental trolley bus
loops festival site → Seochanggyo → Geungnakgyo
in 20 minutes.
✨ What’s On and When?
Here are the main stage events by date
from the festival website’s timetable.
| Date · Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 10/15 (Thu) 17:00 | Opening ceremony (main stage) |
| 10/16 (Fri) 16:30–17:30 | Seo-gu Residents’ Festa (main stage) |
| 10/17 (Sat) 13:00 | Bitgoeul Literary Writing Contest (main stage) |
| 10/17 (Sat) 14:00 | Family Healing Performance, fusion gugak (main stage) |
| 10/17 (Sat) 15:30–16:30 | Seo-gu Residents’ Festa (main stage) |
| 10/17 (Sat) 16:00 | Silver Grass Sunset Marathon start (Sangmu Citizens’ Park → festival site) |
| 10/18 (Sun) 13:00–14:30 | Wal Wal RUN walk with your dog |
| 10/18 (Sun) 15:30–17:00 | Find the Rest King (main stage) |
Every day 17:00–17:30 there’s
Sunset Live on the Seochang Gamseong Observatory,
and 17:30–18:00 is Noeul 530.
A professional photographer takes your photo
against the sunset for free and prints it, too.
Silver grass busking takes place
several times a day on the main and small stages.
Marathon registration
closed on September 28.
The September press release listed
Find the Rest King as 15:00–17:00.
🧒 Activities for Kids
Here are activities worth trying with kids.
| Activity | Time · Details |
|---|---|
| Ttubeok Ttubeok Silver Grass Explorers | 14:00 · 15:00 · 16:00, 20 per session, 40-minute mission walk |
| Silver Grass Soundscape | 13:30 · 15:30 · 17:00, 10 per session (5,000 won if you choose a sound card) |
| 1,000-won Picnic | 13:00–18:00 at Chakhan Seogu Zone, bring ID |
| Sea Glass Upcycling | 15th, 17th, 18th, coaster making, free |
| Forest Education | 15th, 16th, for families with toddlers and children |
| Kids’ pony riding | 17th–18th, on-site registration (Seo-gu press release) |
On the 18th, the timetable shows the Explorers
only twice, at 15:00 and 16:00.
The 1,000-won picnic comes as a lounging set
(mat, air bed, tent), an outdoor play set
like bubble guns and badminton, and a “Fabre” set
with a digital microscope and insect kit.
Resident-run craft booths (ocarina, pottery wheel,
silver grass wreath making and more)
and an F&B flea market selling food and farm produce
are near the main stage.
🚌 Getting There & Parking
To ease traffic and parking congestion,
Seo-gu runs a shuttle bus.
| Shuttle Bus | Details |
|---|---|
| Route | Kimdaejung Convention Exit 4 (김대중컨벤션 4번 출구) → Gwangju Outlet → festival site |
| Service | All four festival days 12:30–18:30, every 20 minutes |
| Extra on the 17th (Sat) | 19:00–20:30 |
On the 17th, 15:00–19:00, the festival-site stop
may move from near the Geungnak Riverside Park parking lot
to the Jahyewon herbal pharmacy side.
City buses listed on the festival website:
| Bus Stop | Routes |
|---|---|
| Seochang Entrance (서창입구) | Songjeong19 · Ilgok38 · Songjeong73 · Cheomdan20 · Sangmu62 · Express Seat 02 · Rural 500 · Metro 160 |
| Seochang Intersection (서창사거리) | Unrim50 · Jiwon25 · Daechon69 · Daechon270 · Sangmu64 · Jinwol75 |
Staff will guide traffic at the parking lots,
but the number of spaces and fees aren’t in the official information.
👨👩👧 If You’re Going with Kids
The festival opens at 13:00.
If you arrive after lunch,
you can go 14:00 Explorers → 1,000-won picnic →
17:30 Noeul 530.
Show a receipt of 30,000 won or more
from a Seo-gu alley shopping district (from October 5)
with your ID at the festival verification booth
to get 10,000 won in Onnuri gift certificates.
It’s first come, first served, 500 people a day.
It covers the Explorers, Soundscape,
Rest King and Wal Wal RUN
After that, it's on-site, first come, first served
⏳ Not Yet Announced
□ Parking locations, spaces and fees
□ Kids’ pony riding times and fees
□ Trolley bus timetable
□ Fees for each craft booth
□ Rain plan
These aren’t in the official information yet.
I’ll update this post when they come out.
For questions, call the number on the festival website:
062-350-4792.
👍 Recommended for These Families
✔ Kids who’d enjoy a mission walk on the silver grass path
✔ Families who want to spread a mat and take it slow
✔ Families who want a sunset photo
Silver grass activities by day,
sunset stages at dusk:
a strolling festival for walking and resting.
This article is based on official information, organized before visiting in person. Photos marked ‘Photo Gallery’ are from the Korea Tourism Organization under KOGL Type 1 (shooting dates noted). The character illustrations are GPT-generated.
📷 The festival in photos 7
Swipe to see more
🔄 Updates
- First write-up
📎 Sources
- 한국관광공사 관광사진 갤러리 — 영산강변 사진(공공누리 제1유형) 한국관광공사 · 관공서
- 제11회 광주서창억새축제 (축제 누리집 — 프로그램·관람객 편의·찾아오시는 길) 전남광주통합특별시 서구 억새축제 누리집 · 주최
- 축제 일정표 전남광주통합특별시 서구 억새축제 누리집 · 2026.10.8 · 주최
- 서구, 은빛 억새 따라 '가을로의 산책' 떠나요 전남광주통합특별시 서구 · 2026.9.7 · 관공서
- 서구, "즐기고 체험하는 서창억새축제 사전 신청하세요" 전남광주통합특별시 서구 · 2026.9.28 · 관공서
- 서구, 해 질 녘 '억새노을마라톤' 첫 선 전남광주통합특별시 서구 · 2026.9.16 · 관공서
- 서구, 축제 열기 골목으로…'1만원 페이백' 전남광주통합특별시 서구 · 2026.10.8 · 관공서
- 광주서창억새축제 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 2026-10-10. This is not a new verification of the event announcements. Original post (Korean)