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
