Hello, this is 속초어때 (Sokchoeottae). As of 8 PM on Sunday, September 27, the last day of the Chuseok holiday, Sokcho (속초) is at 21°C with a few clouds. However, the chance of rain has climbed to 92%, so you're likely to run into rain overnight. Six places, including 학사평 순두부촌 (Haksapyeong Sundubu Village), the gaetbae ferry at Abai Village (아바이마을), and the Seoraksan (설악산) Native Botanical Garden, are still 'very crowded,' Misiryeong-ro (미시령로) and Donghae-daero (동해대로) are congested, and Seoraksan-ro (설악산로) is slow-moving. Many of you are probably heading home after the holiday, and many residents are finally catching their breath. Today, we'll get you ready ahead of time for an event that starts in downtown Sokcho three days from now and runs for 40 days. It's the '2026 Sokcho Chrysanthemum Exhibition', announced by Sokcho City today.
September 30 to November 8, Fountain Plaza at Cheongchoho Lake Resort Area
On the 27th, Sokcho City announced that the '2026 Sokcho Chrysanthemum Exhibition' will be held from September 30 (Wed) to November 8 (Sun) around the Fountain Plaza at the Cheongchoho Lake (청초호) Resort Area. The exhibition runs for 40 days, so unlike the Chuseok holiday, you don't need to worry about fitting it into a tight schedule. If you're visiting Sokcho at any point in October, you'll almost certainly be able to stop by.
In total, there are about 120,000 plants.
- 110,000 small-flowered chrysanthemums: grown by Sokcho City at its own city-run flower nursery.
- 10,000 autumn flowers: garden mums, marigolds, poinsettias, and more
- Chrysanthemum displays on the theme of 'family' and several photo zones
Instead of setting up a few large chrysanthemum sculptures, the plaza is filled with 110,000 small chrysanthemum plants, so it's easy to get photos where the whole frame is covered in flowers. With 'family' as the theme, there are likely to be plenty of photo zones that work well for pictures with kids or parents.
Flowers by day, lights after sunset
This year's exhibition is designed to be enjoyed separately by day and by night. During the day you can see the chrysanthemums and autumn flower displays, and after sunset the landscape lighting comes on so you can enjoy it together with the Cheongchoho Lake night view. In late September, the sun sets in Sokcho at around 6:10 PM. If you arrive about 30 minutes before sunset, see the flowers first, and stay until the lights come on after dark, you can catch both scenes in a single visit.
However, it hasn't yet been announced until what time the lights will stay on each day. If you plan to go late at night, it's safer to check with Sokcho City Hall or a tourist information center first.
Lighting ceremony schedule on the 30th: in order from 4 PM
On the opening day, Wednesday, September 30, opening events continue throughout the afternoon. Here's the schedule by time.
- 4 PM Chrysanthemum tea tasting, forest experience program
- 6 PM Celebration performance by the Sokcho City Pungmul Troupe
- 6:30 PM Lighting ceremony on the main stage at the Fountain Plaza
- After 7 PM Poetry recitation by the poetry group 'Pulieum', a performance by violinist Lee Do-young, and a performance by singer Chanson J
- 7:20 PM Chrysanthemum giveaway
The lighting ceremony is at 6:30 PM because it's timed for just after sunset, when it starts getting dark. If you want to see the moment all the lights come on at once, it's best to be in front of the stage by around 6:20 PM. The chrysanthemum tea tasting starts at 4 PM, so if your schedule doesn't clash with the evening commute, you can take your time and start with the daytime program.
The giveaway: 600 stems, for up to 300 people only
The first thing to keep in mind on the lighting ceremony day is the chrysanthemum giveaway at 7:20 PM. 600 chrysanthemum stems sponsored by the Yangyang-Sokcho Forestry Cooperative will be handed out to 300 citizens on site, 2 stems per person, on a first-come, first-served basis.
300 people can go faster than you'd think. Most of the people who come to see the pungmul performance and the lighting ceremony will stay right where they are and then rush over all at once at 7:20. If you want to get some, here's a suggested approach.
- Once it's past 7, check where the giveaway spot is while you watch the performances.
- If you're there as a family, one person can watch the performance while another waits in the giveaway line.
- These are fresh flowers, so they wilt quickly if left in the car for long. If you're not heading straight home afterward, it helps to bring a small water bottle or a wet tissue.
A route for seeing it on the same day as the Seorak Cultural Festival
Sokcho City announced that this exhibition will be linked with the 61st Seorak Cultural Festival (설악문화제), held from October 2 to 4. Since both events take place within the Cheongchoho Lake Resort Area, you can walk between them. If you visit Sokcho during the Seorak Cultural Festival, you can see both events at once without setting aside a separate day.
Here's a recommended route.
- Afternoon: Seorak Cultural Festival hands-on booths and performances
- Around sunset: Move to the Fountain Plaza and look around the chrysanthemum displays and photo zones
- Evening: A walk around the illuminated Cheongchoho Lake, followed by dinner around 중앙시장 (Jungang Market) or Abai Village
From National Foundation Day on October 3 through the substitute holiday on the 5th, there's a three-day holiday, so the area around Cheongchoho Lake is likely to be as crowded as it was this Chuseok. Just as all three roads into Sokcho are jammed again this evening, traffic is the biggest variable in Sokcho during holidays. If you'd like to enjoy the flowers in peace, it's much easier to pick a weekday afternoon outside the holiday or a weekday after mid-October. The exhibition runs until November 8, so there's no need to hurry.
Check the weather for the 30th before you go
Tonight's chance of rain in Sokcho is 92%, and rain is forecast across many parts of the country this week. According to weather reports, rain is forecast for the Seoul metropolitan area and western Gangwon (Yeongseo) on the afternoon of the 30th. On the other hand, it's still hard to say for sure whether it will rain in the Yeongdong region on the east side, where Sokcho is. There's also a forecast that morning lows in the Gangwon region will drop to 7–19°C on the 30th, so even if you've been going around in short sleeves during the holiday, it's a good idea to bring a jacket for the lighting ceremony evening. Since it's by the lake, it will feel even colder when the wind blows.
If you go to the exhibition on a rainy day, keep these points in mind.
- Chrysanthemum petals droop in the rain, but on the morning after the rain stops, the colors actually come back vividly and make for great photos.
- The paving stones around the Fountain Plaza get slippery when wet, so low-heeled shoes are more comfortable.
- Since it's an outdoor event, the performance schedule may change in bad weather, so please check Sokcho City's announcements once more before you set out.
For residents: the 110,000 blooms were grown at Sokcho's flower nursery
A notable point about this exhibition is that the 110,000 small-flowered chrysanthemums were grown directly at Sokcho City's own city-run flower nursery. Flowers raised from spring through the summer will be on display in the middle of downtown for one autumn season. Sokcho Mayor Lee Byung-sun said he hopes the event will be "a time of healing for citizens and tourists tired of their busy daily lives, to take a short break and feel the mood of the season."
Many residents probably didn't get to rest at all during the Chuseok holiday, busy welcoming guests and running their businesses. Just walking a loop around Cheongchoho Lake on a weekday evening after the tourists have gone and seeing the illuminated chrysanthemums can be restful enough. 속초어때 will also keep monitoring crowd levels around Cheongchoho Lake throughout the exhibition and let you know the quieter times.
At a glance
- Event: 2026 Sokcho Chrysanthemum Exhibition
- Dates: September 30 (Wed) – November 8 (Sun)
- Location: Around the Fountain Plaza, Cheongchoho Lake Resort Area
- Scale: 110,000 small-flowered chrysanthemums + 10,000 autumn flowers, 'family'-themed displays and photo zones
- Lighting ceremony: September 30, 6:30 PM (program starts with the chrysanthemum tea tasting at 4 PM)
- Chrysanthemum giveaway: September 30, 7:20 PM, 2 stems per person for the first 300 people
- Linked event: 61st Seorak Cultural Festival, October 2–4
Today we looked at the lighting ceremony schedule for the '2026 Sokcho Chrysanthemum Exhibition', which fills Cheongchoho Lake with 120,000 chrysanthemums, tips for getting flowers at the giveaway, and a route for seeing it together with the Seorak Cultural Festival. Did you find it helpful? Rain is expected on the last night of the holiday, so please drive safely on your way home, and we'll be back next time with even more useful information.
