[iNews24 reporter Sohn Jin-seop] Danyang County in North Chungcheong Province has finalized this year’s lineup of signature local festivals and is gearing up for full-scale preparations.
On the 26th, officials announced the 42nd Sobaeksan Azalea Festival will run May 22–24, and the 28th Ondal Cultural Festival is set for Oct. 3–5.
Taking place on the riverside stage in Danyang-eup and across the downtown area, the Sobaeksan Azalea Festival is Danyang’s must-see spring celebration. Each late May, the azaleas paint the Sobaeksan ridgeline a soft pink, and the festival celebrates that bloom.
![Last year’s Sobaeksan Azalea Festival. [Photo=Danyang County]](https://contents-cdn.viewus.co.kr/image/2026/03/CP-2023-0087/image-201b5ac2-ae2f-4649-a158-e155a01ea8b4.jpeg)
Expect performances, hands-on workshops, pop-up exhibitions and street food along the riverside stage, turning the festival into a lively community celebration where visitors mingle with locals.
This year, branded the “Year to Visit Danyang,” the county is expanding stay-focused programs that connect the riverside stage with downtown Danyang-eup to give visitors more reasons to linger.
They’ll beef up hands-on experiences and shopping tied to local businesses to lengthen visitor stays and amplify the festival’s economic ripple effect throughout the region.
Come fall, the Ondal Cultural Festival — Danyang’s flagship history-and-culture event — will transform into an interactive celebration that blends historical reenactments, immersive workshops and live performances.
County officials plan to link programs more closely with attractions around the Ondal tourist site to encourage longer stays, and they’re adding more after-dark programming to create a seamless day-to-night visitor experience.
Yoo Hee-na, an administrative officer in Danyang County’s Culture and Arts Division, said, “By enhancing seasonal offerings around the spring azaleas and the fall Ondal Cultural Festival, we want to make Danyang a year-round destination people keep coming back to.”
