CHimaC Premium ZoNe AdvenTure

                                                

It is that time of the month again, when you get to let go of all your pent up hunger for chicken and beer.

                                                  

All thanks to Daegu metropolitan government, you can let go of this pent up hunger at the 2018 annual Chimac Festival from July, 18th (wed) to 22 (Sunday).

                                                   

There are several zones on this festival, however the premium zone is where to be, because it is all about feasting and fun with all the cute chicken and beer mascots all around.

                                                

Moving around the venue you will find all sort of shades operated by popular chicken and beer companies.

Like in the pictures, You can just walk up to them and get some chicken for about 5000 won and a chilled can of beer for 2500 or bottle of soft drink.  

     

              

Our first try was the above combo of 10000won (chicken and two cans of beer) pictured below.

Wanted more beer, so we went for the ones pictured below from cass.

It comes in the two sizes, large(pictured above) and small size plastic cups for 5000 and 2500won respectively.

Did I mention EDM dance floor? We can’t afford to forget that. Nothing beats feasting and dancing.

                                                   

There is a center stage for DJ and dance floor for dancing while being entertained, if you get tired, you can walk to one of the several shelters available and rest as much as you want to.

There definitely can’t be such a big festival without tight security and rest room right? Of course there are lots of security officers on ground,

                                                    

also a male and female restroom to ease yourself and continue your feasting. 

Note that there is a huge crowd of people feasting. incase if you are claustrophobic, you can detach from the ground and sit on the stadium prebuilt sit like steps or use a mat with loved ones on the grass.

Location: In other to get to the venue, the easiest and cheapest is by public bus transport and can easily be found by just typing “Duryu baseball” into kakaomap and it will show you all the available options.

                                         

                          

Don’t forget to dress lightly, drink a lot of water (and beer) and

                                                        

 adhere to the rules like no littering. Thank you for reading, until another adventure!!!

2018 Daegu CHIMAC Festival: Activities at ICE CAFÉ, FESTIVAL ROAD, Screen Concert Park & BEACH

  

2017 Daegu CHIMAC Festival at Duryu Park was my first ever Festival upon moving to Daegu. We loved it last year and couldn’t WAIT to attend this year. I am amazed how it as changed…for the better!   

There is STILL a Tourist Service Center that is a great haven to charge your phone, use the internet, or print a souvenir picture super imposing your head into either a hanbok or a k-pop star! No fee.

  

There is STILL Beer; the classics and guest breweries from out of town! I figure if we are nice to them, they will definitely want to move to Daegu!!

 

There is still chicken; Korean style (any and every sauce flavor) boneless nuggets, whole fried chickens, and even marinated skewer grilled chickens. I also saw hot dogs, tteokbokki, churro, binsu, hard cider, cold brew, and slushies in this food/drink area. Now that you have your BEER and your CHICKEN (or in my case SALAD and FRENCH FRIES and COLD BREW COFFEE)…where are you going to sit?!?

1. CHIMAC Ice Café

  

Last year, this dining area was a simple community seating area to eat chickens and drink beers while watching a series of variety shows and presentations. It had an Oktoberfest feel to it so we liked it just fine. This year there is still “dry” seating, but now there are two large inflatable dining areas where patrons remove their shoes and enter into shallow cool waters to be seated. Brilliant! It really does take the edge off the heat and is 100% chillaxing. Just get in line and let the host/hostess know how many are in your party. Food & Drink allowed. Kids allowed (no splash zone please!). No fee. First come, first served. No time limit.

2. Festival Road (CHIMAC Amusement Park)

   

Daegu really knows how to pack A LOT of activities in a small amount of space, so be encouraged that you CAN actually SEE everything there is to do (or eat/drink) if you walk around long enough. Just keep looking to your left and right – go ahead down that row of booths – then turn around and hit the next row you haven’t seen yet!

GAME ZONE: The first section after the Ice Café is “A Playing Road.” It will begin with a booth decorated with a bloody themed poster. Don’t be alarmed! This is part of the Daegu International Horror Festival also going on right now. Your bravery to continue down this row will be rewarded with a GAME ZONE for both older and younger adults/kids. There was even a badminton cage (yeah like a batting cage, but the machine spits out shuttlecocks instead). Fees vary.

COMMUNITY ZONE: This is a series of tented booths that are participation-based activities like surveys, raffles, CPR demo/training, beer drinking races, or social media engagements. Events and Times vary. Speaking Korean will be most useful in this zone. Fees unlikely. ATM and Money Exchange is HERE.

PHOTO ZONE: These backdrops are the best I have seen so far around Daegu! Pedestrian traffic gets heavy by 7pm, so recommend going between 5-7pm to fully participate in this activity. Festival VOLUNTEERS are on hand at EACH DISPLAY to take your picture for you with your camera. No fee.

MARKET ZONE: Local (and not local) Vendors display their wares for sale to you. Bring won cash and expect to find something special. My souvenir last year was a plush CHIMAC chicken. This year it is SOAP that looks like a fried chicken leg (1,500 won)! There is a booth selling those portable LED USB-charged FANS that are so popular lately. I also saw jewelry, essential oils, clothing, handcrafted summer hats, wood carved pens, pillows, knick-knacks, and more! Prices vary.

3. CHIMAC PARK, Screen Concert

        

I must confess…this is my favorite area to visit for CHIMAC Festival. I love the perfectly manicured grass, the open sky with Daegu Tower AND the Mountain overhead, the music (live or on screen), the spacious area for picnicking families, and the diverse beverage & food options on this side of the Park. In addition to BEER and CHICKEN, I saw: Tacos, Gyros, Shrimps, Dried Squid, corn on the cob, potato chip skewers, nuts, gelato, Turkish ice cream, slushies, ice coffee, coffee shakes, beer shakes, mixed drinks, and cocktails.

4. CHIMAC BEACH

 

If you go to reserve your (less than 10,000 won) ticket at wemakeprice.com, know that it is all in Hanguel. I just handed my Korean friend cash and she texted me the online payment confirmation! The next step is receiving your access wrist band at the TICKETS booth (across from the Ice Café). Just show them your text confirmation, and know the name of the friend that hooked you up! It might be possible to purchase a wristband at this booth, but priority will be given to online reservations.

Must be 18 or over in CHIMAC Beach. You will have unlimited access between 5-10 pm, and receive a voucher for 1 free BEER or SODA to be redeemed in the CHIMAC Beach area. No outside food or drink. There is patio table seating, showers, toilets, beverage & chicken sales, a rockin out DJ, a surf board challenge (similar to a mechanical bull ride), giant water floats (a swan, a flamingo, a pizza, some sunflowers, and a bunch of pineapples for use on the inflatable race slide into the pool). Pool is about 3 feet deep. I REALLY was cooled off and happy to have a break from the crowd that started to pour into the Festival after 8 pm. Bring your own towel. No swim cap required.

It is a completely different vibe when the sun goes down. So…if you CANNOT stand crowds, visit the Festival between the hours of 5-7pm. It WILL BE HOT, but there are plenty of places to beat the heat of Daefrica at the Ice Café or at CHIMAC Beach. If crowds energize you, then you are in for an excellent time! Because when the sun goes down, the temperature totally becomes bearable with the right beverage, fan, and attitude! Note: even Saturday & Sunday, the Festival begins at 5 pm.

If you make it this year, WONDERFUL! Just know that it will more than likely continue to evolve as Daegu decides the best way to celebrate CHICKEN and BEER with their community and many visitors. My advice would be never to decide NOT TO GO to something today thinking you will just catch the FUN next summer. Adult only fun at CHIMAC BEACH might evolve next year into a KIDZ SPLASH ZONE and doubling in price! Haha, I don’t know! All I know is when Daegu throws a party, they do a great job!

Happy CHIMAC!

www.chimacfestival.com

Best Entrance: Duryu Park, 560-2 Duryu 3(sam)-dong, Dalseo-gu, Daegu

Best transportation: Bus to Duryu Public Library, Duryu Subway Station (Green Line), or Taxi

Summer in Daegu with Daegu City Tour Nakdonggang Course

A couple of years ago my husband and I rode our bikes along Nakdong River from Gumi to Busan. One of the things we passed by was The ARC. I still remember how I got excited when I saw it changed colors at night especially how it looked like a strawberry when it turned red.

The ARC at night (2016)

Since then, The ARC often comes to my mind whenever I think of Nakdonggang River. I think it was one of the best things I saw along the Nakdonggang River Bike Trail.

Last week I had another chance to visit The ARC. I booked the Daegu City Tour Nakdonggang River Course and one of the highlights of the trip was The ARC.

Though it was a rainy day, The ARC still looked good. So, I snapped some photos and captured one with my fellow visitors and their colorful umbrellas. ^ ^

The ARC on a rainy day

After visiting The ARC we headed to Samunjin Naru (사문진 나루, Samunjin Ferry). We took the Samunjin Cruise Ship and enjoyed the scenic views along the river. The cloudy skies made the trees look greener and the fog made the scenery look magical.

Samunjin Dock

The scenery along the river

After the cruise, we headed to the Jumakchon (주막촌). Jumakchon is a recreation of jumak or a Korean tavern where food, beverage, and even liquor are sold.

Surprisingly, the Jumakchon was packed even on a rainy day!

Jumakchon

Thinking that it might take awhile to be served, I ordered my lunch right away. I read the menu and ordered in Korean and I smiled when the boy at the counter replied to me in English. Haha! (So, if you find yourself at Jumakchon and you can not speak Korean, don’t worry.)

The menu on the wall

I found an empty seat right next to the fountain! So, while waiting for my food I spent my time enjoying the beautiful view.

Had lunch with this view.

I had beef stew for my lunch! I enjoyed the delicious food and the nice view.

Sogogi gukbap (beef stew and rice)

After lunch, I walked around the Jumakchon. Butterflies and colorful flowers were everywhere. Roses, hollyhocks, trumpet vines and many more! There were totems and a “love tree” next to the straw-thatched huts.

Love Tree (사랑의 나무)

Butterfly and flowers

Near the dock, there a huge piano. Apparently, the first piano that ever reached Korea arrived at Samunjin Dock in 1900 and the village called it a “Ghost Box.”

Piano Photo Zone

Cosmos flowers blooming early

From Samunjin Dock, we headed to Mabijeong Mural Village. Tucked n a hillside in the middle of a forest, Mabijeong is a quiet yet charming village. Attractive murals depicting the daily lives of the villagers in a funny way are all over the place.

Mabijeong Mural Village

My favorite was this “photo zone” for couples. Isn’t it cute? Make sure to take your special someone when you come here. ^ ^

The reality TV show, Running Man, filmed an episode here. And I found some of their props!

Running Man props

You will surely have a great time looking at the murals. However, be aware that Mabijeong is a functioning village meaning people actually live here. So, show respect by minimizing your voice.

Our last destination for that day was Inheung Hanok Village. Inheung Hanok Village was established by Moon Gyeong-ho, a descendant of the man who first brought cottonseeds to Korea from China named Moon Ik-jeom.

Just like Mabijeong, Inheung Hanok Village is a functioning village. While visitors are allowed to walk around, they are not allowed to go inside the houses. The scenery around is enough to make you enjoy your time though.

This time of the year, myrtle creeps and trumpet vines are blooming at the village adding vibrant colors to the aged village wall and roofs.

Pink Myrtle Creep in bloom

Trumpet Vines

Not only that, water lilies and lotus flowers are also blooming at the Inheungwon which is located right at the village entrance.  Make sure to check them out too.

Lotus flowers at Inheungwon Garden

After seeing all the places included in the Daegu City Tour Nakdonggang River Course, I would say it is one of the best courses for summer season.  The places included are truly worth visiting! In addition, it is cost effective and convenient.

Tourist Information

Destination: The ARC

Address: 57, Gangjeongbon-gil, Dasa-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu

Admission Fee: Free

Samunjin Naru

Address: 40-12 Samunjin-ro 1-gil, Dalseong-gun, Daegu, South Korea

River Cruise: 10,000 won (5,000 won if you are with the City Tour)

Destination: Mabijeong

Address: Mabijeong, Bonli2-ri, Hwawon-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu

Admission Fee: Free

Destination: Inheung Hanok Village

Address: 401-2, Bonli-ri, Hwawon-eup, Dalseong-gu, Daegu

Admission Fee: Free