Each Korean summer brings with it plenty of heat and humidity. Families eagerly seek weekend and vacation activities that are both fun and cool enough to beat the heat. Last month we reported on Caribbean Bay’s Mega Wave Festival, so this month it is time to see what neighboring Everland has on offer.
Having begun June 17, Korea’s largest theme park is even now holding its own Sparkling Summer Festival that will last until August 28. This festival offers a multitude of ways to have fun both wet and dry, online and offline.
Water, water everywhere
In Everland’s famed Carnival Square, often the center of excitement and the finishing point for many parades, the Shooting Water Fun show can be enjoyed twice daily. This 30-minute performance ensures that spectators in all directions get drenched with cool water by cannons or giant blue seahorse-shaped statues that spray water left, right, up, and down.
At the end of each show performers and audience members alike come to the square to dance to exciting rock and electronic dance music while getting sprayed with more water.
In the middle of the nearby Rose Garden, a new Water Play Yard has been set up. Here, visitors can take pictures of themselves in the water photo zone relaxing under the water spray and just chilling out and taking advantage of restful amenities like mist parasols and beach chairs.
In addition, Every hour from 1 to 7 p.m., the Music Water BaMM show at the Rose Castle uses water cannons timed to exciting music to give a 10-minute wet musical experience.
In collaboration with global toy manufacturer Hasbro, the NERF Water Battle Zone is full of carnival games where people can play soccer, ball racing or just shoot water pistols provided free of charge. There’s also a NERF gun target challenge with prizes to win.
Staying cool on and off-line
Now that Everland’s metaverse edition has been launched, the theme park is always looking for ways to link excitement in the real world to virtual fun, so that people all over the world can enjoy it. Shooting Water Fun is now also available online, as are the rollercoaster T-Express and the always popular Rose Garden. These have all been created in the Roblox-based PlayDapp Land.
A dinosaur-themed escape-room game called Raptor Rangers has also been created in two stages, a prologue that can be played online and a main game that is available both online and offline. The escape game involves solving puzzles based on clues hidden throughout the site and is especially made for summer fun. It can be accessed through the Everland website or by a QR code at the park itself.
Tropical delights
Especially for summer, Everland’s 10,000 square meter Four Seasons Garden has been transformed into a tropical paradise.
Plants with large leaves that are usually only spotted overseas at resorts such as bananas, elephant’s ear (alocasia) and silver vases (aechmea) have been planted at the Four Seasons Garden, creating beautiful beach-themed photo spots and rest areas, as well as shady places to beat the heat and enjoy the scenery.
Summer-themed videos also play on rotation on the garden’s huge 24 by 11-meter LED screen.
In the evenings, when the heat of the day dissipates, the theme park is offering nighttime firefly experiences, DJ club parties and food and drink.
More information on Everland’s Summer Water Fun Festival can be found on the Everland website.
