This guide summarizes official announcements and is not a firsthand visit review. Character illustrations are GPT-generated.
- Dates
- Fri, Sep 11, 2026 ~ Sat, Oct 31
- Venue
- Yeoseomi Square·Yeomun Culture Street area124 Munsu-ro, Yeosu-si, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City (Yeoseomi Square) and surrounding area
- Organizer
- Yeosu-si
- Official
- Official notice (Korean) ↗
- Updated
- when we last re-checked the official notice
📅 Schedule at a glance
September 20261/2
October 20262/2
Event daysHighlightsTodayKorean public holidays
Korea Meteorological Administration · 10/15, 8 AM issued · forecasts can change · later days are added as forecasts come out
📌 What's on each day
- 9/11Fri★ Opening CeremonyToday
🔁 Daily · 50 gardens on display · Night garden lighting · Free Island Expo shuttle
🔁 9/12~10/31 every Fri·Sat·Sun · Busking·Market
🔁 9/12~10/31 every Wed·Sat · Youth Busking
2026 Namdo K-Garden Festival Schedule, Shuttle, Parking — Before Walking Yeosu Night Garden with Kids
Autumn gardens have appeared
in the old downtown alleys of Yeosu 🌿
The 2026 Namdo K-Garden Festival is
being held for 51 days from September 11 (Fri) to October 31 (Sat)
at Yeoseomi Square (여서미관광장) and Yeomun Culture Street (여문문화의거리).
I’ve summarized the press releases from Yeosu-si (September 10 and 22)
and Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City (September 11).
🔴 Happening Now
Including today, Thursday, October 8,
there are 24 days left until October 31.
The gardens are on permanent display throughout the festival.
Busking and the garden flea market
are held on weekends and public holidays.
Here’s how the remaining dates look:
| Remaining Dates | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Every day until 10/31 (Sat) | 50 gardens on display · Night garden lighting |
| 10/9 (Fri·Hangul Day) · 10/10 (Sat) · 10/11 (Sun) | Busking performances · Garden flea market |
| 10/17 (Sat) · 10/18 (Sun) | Busking performances · Garden flea market |
| 10/24 (Sat) · 10/25 (Sun) | Busking performances · Garden flea market |
| 10/31 (Sat) | Final Day · Busking performances · Garden flea market |
| Every Wed·Sat (10/10·14·17·21·24·28·31) | Yeomun Park Youth Busking |
The press releases do not specify
the start times for performances and the market.
🎪 What Kind of Event Is This?
This year’s theme is
’Yeosu Night Garden Embracing Islands’.
It tells the story of Yeosu’s islands, sea, nature, and city
through gardens.
From Yeomun Culture Street to Yeoseomi Square,
approximately 15,000㎡ has become a garden.
According to the special metropolitan city’s press release,
there are a total of 50 gardens.
| Garden Type | Number·Location |
|---|---|
| Main Garden | 1 · Hwang Ji-hae’s ‘Gasinamu Mongsang’ (Yeoseomi Square) |
| Artist Gardens | 10 · 10 artists selected nationwide (Yeomun Culture Street) |
| Citizen Participation Gardens | 8 · Created by citizens (Yeoseomi Square) |
| Storefront Gardens | 30 · Merchants’ small spaces in front of stores |
| Corporate Garden | 1 · Korea East-West Power Company |
Yeosu-si’s September 22 announcement
mentioned ‘about 40 gardens.’
🌳 What Kind of Gardens Can You See?
The main garden ‘Gasinamu Mongsang’
is by Hwang Ji-hae, who won a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in the UK.
It preserves the over 100-year-old hawthorn tree at Yeoseomi Square
and the original trees,
incorporating the red sun and a warm-temperate forest.
The 10 artist gardens,
listed in order of awards, are as follows:
| Award | Artist · Garden |
|---|---|
| Grand Prize | Lee Byung-cheol ‘Raging Waves, Connecting the Future’ |
| Excellence Award | Jo Ah-ra ‘Yeosu Landing_Want to Go There’ · Kim Seung-gyu ‘Island Garden 365’ |
| Merit Award | Choi Da-bin ‘Nursery for Baby Ducks’ · Lee Min-woo ‘Yeosu Dodam Garden’ · Kim Young-ok ‘Soaked’ |
| Encouragement Award | Park Jung-ah ‘Staying’ · Lee Ho-woo ‘Garden of Connected Things’ · Park Hyun-kyung ‘Garden Path Connecting Islands’ · Ahn Sung-yeon ‘Already Connected’ |
After sunset, lighting throughout the gardens
gently illuminates the plants and installations.
The city recommends enjoying the gardens’ beauty during the day
and the enchanting atmosphere with lighting at night.
✨ What Else Can You Do Besides Gardens?
| Program | Details |
|---|---|
| Garden Interpretation | Guided explanations for a deeper look at the gardens |
| Stamp Tour | Complete missions at key gardens |
| Busking·Garden Flea Market | Weekends·holidays, Yeoseomi Square·Yeomun Culture Street |
| Garden Experience | Weekends·holidays (Special Metropolitan City press release) |
| Youth Busking | Every Wed·Sat, Yeomun Park |
🚌 Getting There & Parking
Among the 11 Island Expo shuttle bus routes,
Route ⑥ Yeomun District
passes by the festival venue.
| ⑥ Yeomun District Shuttle | Details |
|---|---|
| Route | Yeomun Parking Lot → Yeoseomi Square → Island Expo Main Venue |
| Weekday departures from Yeomun | 09:00~20:45 · 16 times a day |
| Weekday departures from Expo | 09:30~21:15 · 16 times a day |
| Fare | Free |
The weekday timetable was posted
by the organizing committee on October 6.
The press release mentions 30-minute intervals,
but there is no weekend timetable posted.
Parking: There are two public parking lots
close to the shuttle boarding area.
| Public Parking Lot | Spaces·Fee |
|---|---|
| Yeomun (near Baek Hospital) | 164 spaces |
| Yeomun Park (near Baek Hospital) | 241 spaces |
| Fee (9/5~11/4) | 600 won per hour (50% discount) · Max 5,000 won per day |
👨👩👧 If Visiting with Kids
The stamp tour involves completing missions
at key gardens.
It’s fun to find each one with your child
while looking at the garden name tags.
Yeosu-si also recommends
taking an evening stroll with family
to enjoy the autumn night.
Since the lighting comes on after sunset,
if you go in the evening,
bring an extra jacket for your child.
you can enjoy both the weekend busking·garden flea market
and Yeomun Park Youth Busking
The remaining Saturdays are 10/10·17·24·31
⏳ Still Awaiting Announcement
□ Admission fee (no mention of being free)
□ Time when garden lighting turns on
□ Busking·flea market·youth busking times
□ Garden interpretation times and how to apply
□ Stamp tour participation method·prizes
□ Operation in case of rain
These are not yet in the official information.
If you’re curious, contact Yeosu-si Forestry Division
at 061-659-4609.
👍 Recommended for These Families
✔ Families looking for an evening garden walk with kids
✔ Families wanting to explore the old downtown on Island Expo day
✔ Families who enjoy weekend busking·flea markets
For a summary of the Island Expo during the same period → 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo
Gardens during the day, lighting at night —
A garden festival walking through Yeosu’s old downtown until October 31.
This article is a summary based on official information before visiting in person. The character illustrations are GPT-generated.
🔄 Updates
- First write-up
📎 Sources
- 여수의 밤, 정원으로 물들다… '2026 남도 K-가든 페스티벌' 11일 개막 여수시(산림과) · 2026.9.10 · 관공서
- 여수 도심에서 만나는 가을 정원… 추석 연휴에도 'K-가든 페스티벌' 여수시(산림과) · 2026.9.22 · 관공서
- 여수 원도심 빛과 정원으로 물든다…'남도 K-가든 페스티벌' 개막 전남광주통합특별시 · 2026.9.11 · 관공서
- 셔틀버스 운영노선(⑥여문지구) 2026여수세계섬박람회조직위원회 · 주최
- 평일 셔틀버스 시간표 안내(⑥여문지구, 첨부 PDF) 2026여수세계섬박람회조직위원회 · 2026.10.6 · 주최
- 임시주차장·셔틀버스 승하차장 인근 공영주차장 2026여수세계섬박람회조직위원회 · 주최
- 여수시, 섬박람회 기간 공영주차장 15곳 주차요금 50% 감면 여수시(주차차량과) · 2026.9.2 · 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)