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

Gyeonggi-do has 8 festivals in September: Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening (1 May – 1 Nov 2026), Semiwon Water Lily Festival (1 Sep – 31 Oct 2026), Bulchwimugwi Night Market (5 Sep – 31 Oct 2026), Pocheon Hantangang Garden Festa (12 Sep – 1 Nov 2026), Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale (18 Sep – 1 Nov 2026), Icheon Pet Festival (expected Sep/Oct 2027), Namhansanseong Autumn Festa (expected Sep/Oct 2027), and Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival (expected Sep/Oct 2027). The Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening (화성행궁 야간개장) keeps the royal palace at the heart of Suwon's UNESCO-listed Hwaseong Fortress open after dark, lit with flower installations and hologram and laser media art under the 2026 theme 'Dalbit Hwadam'. Sometimes held in September, but not this time: DMZ OPEN Festival (12 Oct – 29 Nov 2026).

Typical September weather (average high/low): Suwon 26/17 °C (80/63 °F); Icheon 26/15 °C (79/59 °F). Source: KMA normals.

At a glance

Festival	Dates	Admission	Nearest station	Status
Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening화성행궁 야간개장	1 May – 1 Nov 2026	From ₩2,000	Suwon Station, Exit 4 (buses 11 and 13); Exit 7 (buses 60 and 7-2)	Happening now
Semiwon Water Lily Festival세미원 수련문화제	1 Sep – 31 Oct 2026	From ₩7,000	Yangsu Station, Exit 1	Happening now
Bulchwimugwi Night Market왕의 야시장 불취무귀	5 Sep – 31 Oct 2026	Free entry	Suwon Station, Exit 4 (Novotel bus stop)	Happening now
Pocheon Hantangang Garden Festa포천 한탄강 가든페스타	12 Sep – 1 Nov 2026	From ₩7,000	See festival page	Happening now
Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale경기도자비엔날레	18 Sep – 1 Nov 2026	From ₩11,000	Icheon Station	Happening now
DMZ OPEN FestivalDMZ OPEN 페스티벌	12 Oct – 29 Nov 2026	Free entry	Imjingang Station (most visitors change at Munsan Station)	Happening now
Icheon Pet Festival이천펫축제	Expected Sep/Oct 2027	Free entry	Sindundoyechon Station	Expected
Namhansanseong Autumn Festa숲속의 산성도시 - 남한산성 가을 페스타	Expected Sep/Oct 2027	Free entry	Sanseong Station, Exit 2	Expected
Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival수원화성문화제	Expected Sep/Oct 2027	Free + paid activities	Suwon Station, Exits 4, 7 or 9 (bus stops)	Expected

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 September

Festival town	Average high	Average low	Rain	Measured at
Suwon	26 °C 80 °F	17 °C 63 °F	134 mm	Suwon
Icheon	26 °C 79 °F	15 °C 59 °F	153 mm	Icheon

What to wear. Comfortable: light layers.

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

The festivals

All festivals in Gyeonggi-do

Hwaseong Haenggung Palace in Suwon by day; the night opening takes place here after dark

Happening now

May – Nov2026

1 –1

Fri–Sun

LightsSuwonEnds tomorrowAbout 1 h 15 min from Seoul

Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening

The Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening (화성행궁 야간개장) keeps the royal palace at the heart of Suwon's UNESCO-listed Hwaseong Fortress open after dark, lit with flower installations and hologram and laser media art under the 2026 theme 'Dalbit Hwadam'. The 2026 season runs 1 May–1 November on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, 18:00–21:30 (last entry 21:00), so the final nights are 23–25 October and 30 October–1 November.

Lotus flowers at Semiwon, the festival's venue

Happening now

Sep – Oct2026

1 –31

Tue–Sat

NatureYangpyeongEnds today

Semiwon Water Lily Festival

The Semiwon Water Lily Festival (세미원 수련문화제) is a two-month autumn festival at Semiwon, Gyeonggi-do's first designated local garden, on the Han River at Yangsu-ri in Yangpyeong, where Victoria, Australian and tropical water lilies take over from the summer lotuses. The 2026 edition runs 1 September to 31 October, 09:00–18:00 daily, with Saturday janggu-and-guitar performances, lotus-themed exhibitions and craft classes.

Paldalmun Gate of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress at night, next to the market

Happening now

Sep – Oct2026

5 –31

Sat–Sat

FoodSuwonFreeEnds todayAbout 1 h 10 min from Seoul

Bulchwimugwi Night Market

The Bulchwimugwi Night Market (왕의 야시장 불취무귀) is a free Saturday-evening night market in Suwon's Nammun Market district, beside Paldalmun, the south gate of Hwaseong Fortress, with food from market merchants and food trucks, a flea market, busking and a themed programme each night. First held in 2026, its second season runs 17:00–22:00 on four Saturdays, 10, 17, 24 and 31 October 2026; after 19 October the nights left are 24 October (Sundae Day) and 31 October (Joseon Ghost Day).

Basalt columns at Bidulginang Falls on the Hantan River in Pocheon, near the festival site

Happening now

Sep – Nov2026

12 –1

Sat–Sun

FamilyPocheonEnds tomorrow

Pocheon Hantangang Garden Festa

The Pocheon Hantangang Garden Festa is a seasonal garden festival on a lava plateau of about 260,000 m² above the Hantan River gorge in Gwanin-myeon, Pocheon, in northern Gyeonggi-do, beside Korea's longest Y-shaped suspension bridge (410 m). The 2026 autumn season runs 12 September–1 November, 09:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00).

Ceramics on display at Icheon Cerapia, the biennale's main venue, in 2012

Happening now

Sep – Nov2026

18 –1

Fri–Sun

ArtsIcheonEnds tomorrowAbout 49 min from Seoul

Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale

The Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale (경기도자비엔날레) is Korea's international ceramic art biennale, held in three museums in Icheon, Gwangju and Yeoju, ceramics towns south-east of Seoul. The 13th edition, 'Earth Makes', runs 18 September–1 November 2026, 10:00–18:00 every day (last entry 17:00), with the main exhibition at Icheon Cerapia.

Pinwheels on the hill at Imjingak Peace Nuri Park in Paju, one of the festival's main sites

Happening now

Oct – Nov2026

12 –29

Mon–Sun

ArtsPajuFreeUntil 29 NovAbout 2 h from Seoul

DMZ OPEN Festival

The DMZ OPEN Festival (DMZ OPEN 페스티벌) is Gyeonggi Province's multi-week season of art, music and talks about the Demilitarized Zone, centred on Imjingak Peace Nuri in Paju and the former US Army base Camp Greaves across the Imjin River. The 2026 edition runs 12 October–29 November, with the exhibition "Staging" (26 works by 14 artists), the International Music Festival in Goyang on 23–25 October and a forum on 28 October.

A border collie leaping between agility hurdles at the 2024 Icheon Pet Festival, watched by a crowd

Expected

Expected2027

Sep / Oct

usual window

FamilyIcheonFree

Icheon Pet Festival

The Icheon Pet Festival is a free two-day festival for dogs and their owners at Icheon Ceramic Art Village (Yes Park), a potters' village in Sindun-myeon, Icheon, Gyeonggi-do. The 2026 edition runs 24–25 October, 10:00–17:00, opening at 14:00 on Saturday with a talk concert by veterinarian Kim Myung-cheol, and adds a dog sports day, walking, grooming and massage classes, a dog playground, food trucks and a flea market.

Namhansanseong fortress at night, the festival's venue

Expected

Expected2027

Sep / Oct

usual window

FamilyGwangju (Gyeonggi-do)Free

Namhansanseong Autumn Festa

The Namhansanseong Autumn Festa (숲속의 산성도시 - 남한산성 가을 페스타, "Fortress City in the Forest") is Gyeonggi Province's free autumn programme of hands-on heritage activities, guided tours and traditional performances at Namhansanseong, the UNESCO-listed mountain fortress in Gwangju, just southeast of Seoul. The 2026 run is 5 September–25 October, with walk-in programmes on weekends and public holidays, so the last chance is Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October; the next run is expected in September–October 2027.

Soldiers in red uniforms marching in the King Jeongjo royal procession reenactment held with the 2023 Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival

Expected

Expected2027

Sep / Oct

usual window

TraditionSuwonAbout 1 h 15 min from Seoul

Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival

The Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival (수원화성문화제) is Suwon's autumn festival inside the UNESCO-listed Hwaseong Fortress, south of Seoul on subway Line 1. The 63rd edition ran 4–11 October 2026, opening with the King Jeongjo royal procession reenactment on 4 October.

September across Korea

All 39 festivals in September

September starts in the mountains: Muju's firefly festival takes visitors on guided night walks to see fireflies in a protected habitat in the first half of the month, and Bongpyeong in Pyeongchang holds the Hyoseok Culture Festival among white buckwheat fields for ten days. Hanwha's Seoul International Fireworks Festival over the Han River falls on a Saturday between early September and mid-October. In odd-numbered years the Cheongju Craft Biennale opens in early September (2 September–31 October in 2027), and in even-numbered years Gyeonggi's ceramics biennale opens in Icheon, Gwangju and Yeoju. Namdang Port in Hongseong sells king prawns from late August or early September into October or November. The main autumn season starts late in the month: Andong's mask-dance festival, the Baekje cultural festival in Gongju and Buyeo, Cheonan's world dance festival, Geumsan's ginseng festival, the Jeongseon Arirang Festival and Suwon's Hwaseong fortress festival all open between the third week of September and the first week of October, and several overlap the Chuseok holiday.

Tip. Chuseok (the harvest holiday) moves each year; festivals that overlap it are busier, and intercity transport sells out.

Questions travelers ask

Is there a festival in Gyeonggi-do in September?

When is Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening 2026?

1 May – 1 Nov 2026. Happening now. From ₩2,000. Nearest station: Suwon Station, Exit 4 (buses 11 and 13); Exit 7 (buses 60 and 7-2). Dates are taken from the organizer's own notice.

When is Semiwon Water Lily Festival 2026?

1 Sep – 31 Oct 2026. Happening now. From ₩7,000. Nearest station: Yangsu Station, Exit 1. Dates are taken from the organizer's own notice.

When is Bulchwimugwi Night Market 2026?

5 Sep – 31 Oct 2026. Happening now. Free entry. Nearest station: Suwon Station, Exit 4 (Novotel bus stop). Dates are taken from the organizer's own notice.

What is the weather like in Gyeonggi-do in September?

Suwon: Average high 26 °C (80 °F), low 17 °C (63 °F), 134 mm of rain (Suwon station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Comfortable: light layers. Icheon: Average high 26 °C (79 °F), low 15 °C (59 °F), 153 mm of rain (Icheon station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Comfortable: light 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 September?

39 festivals across Korea fall in September, including Andong Maskdance Festival, Baekje Cultural Festival, Busan International Film Festival. Chuseok (the harvest holiday) moves each year; festivals that overlap it are busier, and intercity transport sells out.