Seoul's autumn garden festival brings 51 new displays to Maeheon Citizens' Forest
A garden selected as one of Maeheon Citizens' Forest's 51 autumn gardens / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Seoul’s international garden festival is moving deeper into the city this fall, bringing 51 new gardens, outdoor performances and wellness programs to Maeheon Citizens' Forest in southern Seoul.
The 2026 Seoul International Garden Festival, which began at Seoul Forest in May, will expand to Maeheon Citizens' Forest in Seocho District from Thursday through Oct. 27, while the Seoul Forest exhibition continues.
The festival marks the 40th anniversary of Maeheon Citizens' Forest with gardens created by 367 local gardeners, along with competition entries and gardens sponsored by companies and institutions.
The 51 gardens include 14 competition gardens — four by professional designers, five by local citizens and five by students — as well as 31 gardens involving local hobby gardeners and six company gardens.
An opening ceremony will be held Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Forest Stage, with performances and awards for garden competition participants.
Visitors can join docent-led tours three times daily, with gardeners sharing stories behind their designs.
The festival will also offer 128 activity sessions including health walks, guided interpretation, herbal therapy and forest-related activities designed for different groups, including young people.
An open-air market will feature gardening and lifestyle products for visitors to explore, experience and purchase, while rest areas with benches, beanbags and picnic spaces will encourage longer stays.
Programs during the opening week include an autumn garden concert and “Forest Theater,” with evening film screenings scheduled from Friday through Monday and additional screenings on selected weekends.
Seven linear gardens covering 3,580 square meters have also been created along major pedestrian routes connecting the festival site with nearby neighborhoods, including Yeoucheon, Yangjaecheon, Gangnam-daero and Maeheon-ro.
Oh Se-hoon, mayor of Seoul, said the festival’s move from Seoul Forest to Maeheon Citizens' Forest will give more people an opportunity to experience gardens they help create and care for.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.