Seoul's Jung District to host fall festivals across 3 traditional markets

Seoul's Jung District will roll out three consecutive street festivals from Sept. 17-19, spotlighting the food and character of its traditional markets and alleyway shopping districts as the weather cools.

The district said each of the three events — held at Inhyeon Market, Sinjungang Market and Yaksu Market alley shopping district — will highlight what makes that market distinct.

The festivities open Sept. 17, from 5 to 8 p.m., with the Inhyeon Market Festival at Inhyeon Market. Long-running shops will set up camping tables outside their storefronts in what the district calls the Inhyeon Old-Timers' Zone, serving their signature dishes alongside busking performances and free servings of makgeolli, a milky Korean rice-based alcohol.

On Sept. 18, from 2 to 9 p.m., Sinjungang Market — known locally as a hotspot for the MZ generation, Korea's term for Millennials and Gen Z — hosts the Hip:Dorak Festival.

The event pairs traditional market fare with dishes from younger merchants and opens outdoor night market stalls meant to boost evening foot traffic, with live music and beer coupon giveaways aimed at commuters and young residents.

The run closes Sept. 19, from 2 to 9 p.m., as the Yaksu Market alley shopping district turns into the Yaksu Night, Yaksu Rak Dinner Show.

The event features open-air food stalls, cashback promotions for shoppers, and a schedule of resident-participation quiz shows and stage performances throughout the evening.

The district said it had "thoroughly prepared" the festivals so residents could enjoy the "hidden tastes and charm" of its alley markets, and invited families and friends to visit nearby shopping districts to make memories this fall.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.