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| yna@yna.co.kr 2026-07-02 05:50:12
DAEGU, July 2 (Yonhap) -- Visitors flocked to the Daegu Chimac Festival on Wednesday evening after monsoon rain eased, bringing cool weather that created ideal conditions for the annual outdoor event.
At around 6 p.m., about an hour before the festival officially got under way at Duryu Park in the southeastern city, the rain had stopped and temperatures had cooled significantly.
Cooling fog systems installed to help visitors cope with the summer heat remained switched off.
Festival staff busily wiped rainwater from outdoor tables and chairs as they prepared to welcome visitors, while the aroma of freshly fried chicken soon filled the venue. Vendors stacked takeaway boxes in anticipation of large crowds.
Despite the overcast skies, music and colorful lighting quickly transformed the park into a lively festival atmosphere, with participating chicken vendors greeting visitors while frying chicken.
Ahn Dae-gyu, 34, who operates a booth for Daegu-based chicken brand Dakdonggari, said he has participated in the festival for five consecutive years.
"When I first joined the festival, I had no franchise stores and only operated a small tent," he said. "Since then, the number of franchise outlets has grown significantly."
"Sales are important, but I also continue participating out of gratitude to the festival," he added. "I hope many people visit and become familiar with our brand."
As the evening progressed, more visitors filled the venue.
"The cooler weather seems to have made people even more excited," one festival official said. In previous years, extreme heat often kept visitors away during the early evening hours, but pleasant temperatures encouraged a steady stream of festivalgoers.
"I came here for the first time with close friends, and I think it's better than other festivals because we can enjoy chicken, beer and live performances together," said visitor Park Ye-dam, 20.
Another visitor, Bae Ae-kyung, 33, said, "The chicken and beer are delicious, and the weather is perfect because it's not too hot."
Running through Sunday, this year's five-day festival is being held under the slogan "Chimac 26 (Takeoff)" across four venues within Duryu Park, including 2.28 Freedom Square, the parking lot of the 2.28 Memorial Tower, Duryu Park Road and the Kolon Open-Air Concert Hall.
The opening ceremony, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., features the unveiling of a giant globe-themed "chimac" installation symbolizing the festival's global ambitions, followed by a lighting ceremony and a celebratory toast.
The main venue at 2.28 Freedom Square has been transformed into "Daefrica Waterpia," a themed space combining Daegu's sweltering summer climate with water attractions, EDM performances and the city's signature chicken-and-beer culture.
Performances by popular artists, including FTISLAND, N.Flying and 10CM, will take place throughout the festival.
The parking lot at the 2.28 Memorial Tower has been converted into the "Chimac Singalong Club," featuring professional DJs, while the Kolon Open-Air Concert Hall will host returning attractions such as "EGG Island" and the "Indie Band EGG Concert," which ranked first in visitor satisfaction last year.
The concert hall's 1,000 free seats will be operated under a priority admission system linked to Ticketlink.
Duryu Park Road has been transformed into "K-Chimac Street," featuring a welcome road, a chicken-and-beer-themed amusement zone and a flea market.
Visitors can also take part in interactive events, including the "Golden EGG Adventure" stamp rally, the Chimac Pong Challenge, in which participants toss ping-pong balls into beer cups, and the Chimac Heading Challenge, where participants head soccer balls suspended from poles.
The festival also operates a dedicated Global Lounge for overseas visitors at the observation deck of 2.28 Freedom Square and provides multilingual festival information and real-time crowd updates through an artificial intelligence-powered festival management platform.
[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]