BUSAN — A retro-themed street festival will open on Myeongnyun 1st Street, aiming to carry the energy of Busan's Dongnae Fortress Festival into the surrounding alley shopping district. Local merchants are organizing the food stalls, hands-on programs and performances themselves, hoping to steer festival visitors into nearby shops and revive a sluggish commercial district.
The second edition of "Myeongnyun 1st Street Back to the Night" will run from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the 15th and 16th along the car-free street at Myeongnyun 1st Street, behind the rear gate of Dongnae Megamart, Dongnae District said on the 13th. The event recreates the nightclub culture of the 1980s and 1990s, combining nostalgic music with food, performances and hands-on programs. Organizers expect it to evoke nostalgia for middle-aged and older visitors while offering younger ones a taste of newtro culture, creating a space for exchange across generations.
The festival is tied to the Dongnae Fortress Festival, Dongnae's flagship history and culture event, with a focus on widening the path visitors take as they spend. The idea is to have people enjoy history and traditional culture at the fortress festival during the day, then move to Myeongnyun 1st Street in the evening for food and performances, turning festival turnout into sales for nearby stores.
During the festival, a street most people simply pass through will be transformed into an outdoor cultural space. At "Myeongnyun Pocha," where well-known local restaurants take part directly, visitors can order cold draft beer and a range of dishes to go with it. At "Samnyang Market," small business sellers will offer traditional liquor, handmade fruit syrups, crafts and pet supplies. Hands-on zones will include a retro arcade, dalgona candy making and tarot readings.
The lineup of attractions is varied. Performances begin at 4 p.m. on both days with busking and recreation programs, followed from 7 p.m. by sets from DJs and invited singers.
The event is being described as a win-win model that draws Dongnae Fortress Festival visitors naturally into the neighboring alley district and gives the local economy a real lift. It reflects merchants' own initiative to graft cultural content onto a district long centered on food, and in doing so to reshape how it operates.
"The merchants pooled their efforts to showcase what makes this street appealing and to give residents enjoyable memories," said Ra Eun-hee, head of the Myeongnyun 1st Street merchants' association. "I hope this event brings in more first-time visitors to Myeongnyun 1st Street and delivers real benefits to the restaurants and shops around it."