Gyeonggi-do in December Festivals, dates and what's on

Gyeonggi-do has one festival on record in December: Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm, expected Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar 2026–27, paid admission. The Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원 오색별빛정원전) fills a 100,000-pyeong private arboretum in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, about 65 km north-east of Seoul, with LED light displays every winter, lit from sunset (about 17:00) to 21:00 and to 23:00 on Saturdays. The 19th edition ran 5 December 2025–15 March 2026; 2026–27 dates are not announced, but recent editions opened on the first Friday of December and closed on a Sunday in mid-March. The lights are included in the garden's normal paid admission, recently about ₩7,000–11,000 depending on age. Take ITX-Cheongchun to Cheongpyeong Station, then a taxi of about 15 minutes.

Typical December weather in Gapyeong: average high 3 °C (37 °F), low −9 °C (16 °F), 18 mm of rain (Gapyeong station, about 15 km away, KMA 1993–2020 normals).

At a glance

FestivalDatesAdmissionNearest stationStatus
Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm아침고요수목원 오색별빛정원전Expected Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar 2026–27Paid admissionCheongpyeong Station, Exit 1Expected

Dates marked “expected” follow the organizer's usual pattern and are replaced when the official announcement comes. Each festival page lists the sources.

Weather in December

Festival townAverage highAverage lowRainMeasured at
Gapyeong3 °C 37 °F−9 °C 16 °F18 mmGapyeongabout 15 km away

What to wear. Well below freezing at night: a down coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers.

Monthly averages, not a forecast. Source: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020 (Gapyeong: 1993–2020), via the KMA-sourced climate tables for Gapyeong. Where a festival town has no station with published normals, the nearest one is used and its distance shown.

The festival

All festivals in Gyeonggi-do
The Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong seen from above on a spring day; the lighting festival is held here in winter Expected
Expected2026
Dec / Jan / Feb / Mar
usual window
LightsGapyeongAbout 1 h 5 min from Seoul

Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm

The Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원 오색별빛정원전) fills a 100,000-pyeong private arboretum in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, about 65 km north-east of Seoul, with LED light displays every winter, lit from sunset (about 17:00) to 21:00 and to 23:00 on Saturdays. The 19th edition ran 5 December 2025–15 March 2026; 2026–27 dates are not announced, but recent editions opened on the first Friday of December and closed on a Sunday in mid-March.

Listed · not checkedAlso listed, not checked yet3 more festivals listed by the Korea Tourism Organization

These come straight from the Korea Tourism Organization’s public festival database. We have not checked them against the organizer, so dates and details can be wrong or out of date. Confirm on the official page before you book.

All listed festivals →

December across Korea

All 17 festivals in December

December belongs to city lights. In Seoul, the Seoul Winter Festa groups the Lantern Festival along Cheonggyecheon and the Gwanghwamun Market, a free Christmas market with a carousel on Gwanghwamun Square (both from mid-December into January), the Seoul Light media-art shows on the curved façade of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, which run from the second half of December to a New Year's Eve countdown, and the New Year's Eve bell at Bosingak; children's theatre fills Daehak-ro for the ASSITEJ winter festival from the last Friday of the month. Outside Seoul, the Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong lights its gardens from the first Friday of December, and Busan has the Haeundae Light Festival and the Gwangbok-ro light trees; at Christmas Daegu lights Suseongmot Lake with residents' light art and drone shows, and Damyang holds a Santa parade. On New Year's Eve, crowds gather at Jeongdongjin and Homigot to wait for the first sunrise. Pyeongchang's trout festival and Chilgapsan's ice fountains can open in the last days of the month when it is cold enough.

Tip. Seoul's lantern route is free and outdoors; go after 18:00 when the installations are lit, and dress for −5 °C.

Questions travelers ask

Is there a festival in Gyeonggi-do in December?

Gyeonggi-do has one festival on record in December: Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm, expected Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar 2026–27, paid admission. The Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원 오색별빛정원전) fills a 100,000-pyeong private arboretum in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, about 65 km north-east of Seoul, with LED light displays every winter, lit from sunset (about 17:00) to 21:00 and to 23:00 on Saturdays. The 19th edition ran 5 December 2025–15 March 2026; 2026–27 dates are not announced, but recent editions opened on the first Friday of December and closed on a Sunday in mid-March. The lights are included in the garden's normal paid admission, recently about ₩7,000–11,000 depending on age. Take ITX-Cheongchun to Cheongpyeong Station, then a taxi of about 15 minutes.

When is Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm 2026?

Expected Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar 2026–27. Expected. Paid admission. Nearest station: Cheongpyeong Station, Exit 1. The organizer has not yet confirmed the dates; this page updates when they do.

What is the weather like in Gapyeong in December?

Average high 3 °C (37 °F), low −9 °C (16 °F), 18 mm of rain (Gapyeong station, about 15 km away, KMA 1993–2020 normals). Well below freezing at night: a down coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers.

How do I get to Gyeonggi-do?

Suwon by Line 1; Gapyeong by ITX-Cheongchun from Yongsan; Icheon by the Gyeonggang Line from Pangyo.

What else is on in Korea in December?

17 festivals across Korea fall in December, including ASSITEJ Korea Winter Festival, Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival, Damyang Santa Festival. Seoul's lantern route is free and outdoors; go after 18:00 when the installations are lit, and dress for −5 °C.