Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, events offering firsthand experience of Korean traditional culture are being held across the country. Programs range from traditional performances and folk games to hands-on crafts, with a variety of offerings families can enjoy together.
The National Museum of Korea, in partnership with the Traditional Performing Arts Foundation, will host "The Art Spot Series: National Museum of Korea Edition" at the museum's Open Plaza in Seoul's Yongsan District on the 24th and from the 26th to the 27th. Performances will run for 50 minutes each at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily over the three days, and admission is free with no reservation required.
On the opening day, the 24th, the Korean traditional orchestra Gyeol and the samul troupe Samulgwangdae will take the stage. Gyeol will present folk songs and samulnori accompanied by orchestral arrangements, while Samulgwangdae will convey the energy of traditional samulnori, moving from the processional gilnori to the culminating pangut.
On the 26th, the Korean chamber ensemble Sorion will perform music blending traditional instruments — including the jangsaenap, a modified version of the taepyeongso reed horn — with Western classical instruments. Yeonhui Company Yuhui will stage a distinctive performance featuring newly created yeonhui and vocal samulnori.
On the final day, the 27th, the performance group Cheorat, pansori singer Kim Jun-soo and the ethnic fusion band Second Moon will appear before audiences in turn.
Yoo Hong-june, director general of the National Museum of Korea, described the significance of the event as "a new venue for communication where intangible heritage in the form of traditional performance meets contemporary audiences, set against the backdrop of the museum's tangible heritage."
At the National Folk Museum of Korea, the Chuseok seasonal event "Hangawi Together for All" (Hangawi, another name for Chuseok) will be held on the 26th and 27th. Hands-on activities and performances offering a taste of traditional daily life will take place throughout the museum in Seoul's Jongno District.
In front of the Ochon House outdoor exhibit at the main building, an autumn harvest program titled "Fruits of a Year's Farming! Autumn Harvest Experience" will be held. Visitors can examine traditional threshing machines and winnowing fans up close and take part in crafts using rice ears and straw bundles.
In the front yard, the museum will offer a "Hangawi Ssireum Experience Class" and the "Hangawi Cup Ssireum Tournament" in cooperation with the Korea Ssireum Association. At the Children's Museum play area, visitors can join the "Family Hangawi Folk Game Relay: Round of 16" and "Ganggangsullae Hand in Hand."
Indoor programs are also plentiful. Participants can make mood lamps and songpyeon-shaped soap, as well as bookmarks, keycap key rings, hand mirrors and pinwheels.
Traditional performances will continue as well. On the 26th, the Busan intangible heritage performance "Suyeong Nongcheong Nori" will be staged at noon, followed by the children's gugak musical "Bariya Bariya" at 3 p.m. On the 27th, the "Hangawi Traditional Yeonhui Festival" will be held at noon, followed by the Gangwon State intangible heritage performance "Wonju Maeji Nongak" at 2 p.m.
Travelers can also encounter traditional culture at the airport during the Chuseok season.
The Korea Heritage Promotion Institute, together with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Incheon International Airport Corporation, will host "2026 National Heritage Holiday Connection — Following the Moonlight, Hangawi Festival" at the Node Garden in Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the 23rd and 24th.
The program includes making lucky pouches from royal court wrapping cloth, traditional game activities, a K-Heritage souvenir giveaway tied to the games, traditional art performances and a parade titled "A Walk of the New Royal Family."
In addition, a special Chuseok exhibition, "Hangawi, a Gift of Good Fortune," will run from the 14th to the 27th at four Korean Traditional Culture Centers in Terminals 1 and 2 of Incheon International Airport. The exhibition will feature items reflecting traditional aesthetics, including limited-edition songpyeon-shaped key rings, colorful striped gonggi jacks and twelve-zodiac knotted bracelets, with some products sold at a 10% discount.
