Sowing and harvesting at Everland’s autumn festival

Why is autumn so popular? Surely it must be two main things: the cooler weather and all the bright colors. Both remind of us the circle of life and are things best enjoyed and celebrated in the moment.

Everland celebrates autumn harvest time with its Happy Thanksgiving Festival.

One place to experience both and create some treasured autumn memories is Everland, which this year is holding an 80-day autumn festival from Sept. 1 to Nov. 19. During this period, visitors to the theme park will be able to enjoy spectacular fall flora as well as other fun activities and experiences.

Giving thanks for the season’s bounty

All around the world autumn is traditionally a time of festivals dedicated to the harvesting of crops. Grains, fruit and vegetables planted in the spring and early summer are harvested, leading to celebrations of thanksgiving for the bounty that nature provides.

This is why Everland has themed its autumn festival Happy Thanksgiving, in thanks for the harvest and harking back to the theme park’s origins as Yongin Farmland in 1976.

Seasonal vegetables and flowers are growing in the Four Seasons Garden.

This year, Lessy the lesser or red panda, one of Everland’s mascots, plays the role of “Plantrower” (from plant + grower), a wizard responsible for the growth of crops. It is Lessy who presides over the Happy Thanksgiving party.

Visit Lessy the wizard Plantrower in his lab where he helps crops grow.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a change of season without a new face on Four Seasons Garden. The 10,000-square-meter expanse between Magic Land and European Adventure is now transformed into a new autumnal profusion of bright hues: orange marigold and exotic fruit trees, as well as pampas grass waving in the breeze. Crops such as cabbage, sorghum, and millet have also been planted there in keeping with the harvest theme.

Four Seasons Garden filled with autumn flowers

Over on the Sky Plum Blossom Trail, Everland’s majestic hiking path, the kochia or burningbush trees will turn flame red mid-September, offering a striking view to walkers.

Enhanced performances

The new Happy Thanksgiving Party show will be held twice a day at the Four Seasons Garden. Lessy the Plantrower, together with autumn fairies, foil the evil plans of the “spookies” to achieve a rich harvest. After each show, audience members are invited to stick around and take commemorative photos with the performers.

The Happy Thanksgiving Party is performed twice a day in the Four Seasons Garden.

There are also some moving attractions, offering Everland visitors a ride while enjoying the scenery. These are the autumn festival concept Thanksgiving Train or the Night Safari Tram that allows people a close-up glimpse into the nocturnal activities of some of Everland Zoo’s nighttime predators.

Sowing the seeds of hope

Every night during the autumn festival, Everland together with Samsung Electronics presents the scary immersive experience called Blood City, a unique space built around a realistic depiction of a fantasy cyberpunk-style city of the near future.

After last year’s success with Blood City 6: 199 Express , created in collaboration with art director Chae Kyeong-sun, who won an Emmy Award for her work as production designer for Squid Game, Everland’s Blood City this year is called White Z: Seed of Hope.

Autumn is a fun and beautiful time at Everland.

The new thrill experience, especially designed for young people of Generation Z, tells the story of the battle between White Z and Dark X for control of the city. Dark X’s control and surveillance are expressed through large eyes, antennae, and CCTV cameras. Meanwhile, White Z’s messages of urban reconstruction are hidden throughout Blood City. There is also a secret hideout in a long-abandoned train.

With these harmonizing themes of sowing seeds of hope and giving thanks for the autumn harvest, the Happy Thanksgiving autumn festival at Everland looks to be a place where wonderful memories will be created. But before visiting, it is always a good idea to consult the official Everland website first.