ICHEON — The 25th Icheon Rice Culture Festival will run for five days from Oct. 14 to 18 at the Bokha Stream waterside park in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.
This year's festival is themed "Bountiful Harvest, Warm Hearts." The biggest change is the venue, which has moved from the Icheon Agricultural Theme Park to the Bokha Stream waterside park, a site with better access from the city center.
The festival opens with the "Royal Tribute Parade." At 1 p.m. on Oct. 14, the procession will depart from Seolbong Hot Springs and cover about 2.5 kilometers, passing Anheungji Pond, the Miranda Hotel and the Lotte Castle area before arriving at the culture plaza in the Bokha Stream waterside park.
About 220 people will take part in the parade. A 20-member traditional wind-and-percussion band will lead, followed by 100 marchers in traditional dress and 100 folk musicians. Banners, maps, the figure of an Icheon magistrate, tribute carts and ox-drawn wagons will follow, recreating the history of Icheon rice presented to the royal court during the Joseon Dynasty.
The festival grounds are divided into three areas with 11 themed zones. A traditional farming culture experience area, a new-harvest rice market, a performance stage and a food court are arranged along the visitor route. Electric cart buses and a mini train will operate inside the grounds to help children, older adults and people with disabilities move around.
Marquee programs are plentiful. In the "2,000 Servings for 2,000 Won" event, visitors can taste freshly harvested Icheon rice cooked in large iron cauldrons for 2,000 won each. Other programs include making a 600-meter "rainbow rice cake" with visitors taking part, and a cooking contest to find the best rice chef.
Traditional activities and modern attractions will run side by side. Visitors can try straw crafts, yut board games and tug-of-war, while the Icheon Advanced Drone Competition and a drone show will add to the festive mood.
A new program this year is the "Joseon Tavern Club," a participatory after-party that follows the daytime "Harvest Sports Day." Festival mascots Babali and Tori will appear for a DJ hand-sync performance and a dance party. The event closes with visitors joining a ganggangsullae circle dance.
A promotional booth for Vilac Sikhye, a sweet rice drink, will also operate. Through a "rice fortune-telling event," in which visitors draw grains of rice to read their fortune, the booth will hand out drink tasting coupons and prizes. Tasting coupons will also go to the winning team of the Harvest Sports Day and to top participants in a grasshopper tag game.
The city is also strengthening ties with local merchants. During the festival, Icheon will hold a "big sale linked to local commercial districts" with the city's association of small businesses and merchants, aiming to draw festival visitors into downtown shopping areas.
Traffic measures are in place as well. The city has secured temporary parking for 3,000 vehicles to handle large crowds. It will also add shuttle buses connecting Icheon Station with major points in the city to ease parking and traffic congestion.
"By moving to the Bokha Stream waterside park, we have improved access this year, and we have prepared a wide range of programs where visitors can experience the quality of Icheon rice," said Sung Soo-seok, chairman of the Icheon Rice Culture Festival organizing committee and mayor of Icheon. "We hope people will enjoy the abundance of autumn with family, partners and neighbors."