[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Get soaked in fun at these summer festivals

If the day is sunny, the water will cool off the heat. If it rains, no worries since you would already be soaked. Welcoming all types of dynamics, from water gun fights to throwing tomatoes, here are the four summer festivals for you to enjoy.

The Boryeong Mud Festival in Boryeong, South Chungcheong [BAEK JONG-HYUN]

Skipping between the sunny and the rainy days, it feels like everyone is playing hopscotch with the weather. For those who love outdoor activities but have been refraining from the excitement due to the rain, there is a great way to dissolve your concerns and concede neither to the heat wave nor the monsoon: going to summer water festivals. If the day is sunny, the water will cool off the heat. If it rains, no worries since you would already be soaked. Welcoming all types of dynamics, from water gun fights to throwing tomatoes, here are the four summer festivals for you to enjoy, recommended by the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Boryeong Mud Festival

Visitors wave at the camera at the Boryeong Mud Festival in Boryeong, South Chungcheong. [BAEK JONG-HYUN]

The Boryeong Mud Festival in Boryeong, South Chungcheong, is one of Korea's most famous and dynamic summer festivals. Rolling in fresh mud and skidding down mud-covered slides summon the inner child's excitement out of everyone. It is proven that mud helps with anti-aging and skin care, which is one of the benefits the organizers stress. This year, around 300 tons of mud will be brought from the mudflat in Boryeong for the participants to roll in, throw and play games with. The venue consists of two zones, the Mud Plaza and the Family Zone, filled with various attractions and programs, including mud slides, mud runs and mud bombs.

The Family Zone this year newly introduces a space where dogs are allowed. Both the dog owners and their pets can now create muddy memories in mud pools and swimming pools together.

@boryeongfestival_officialDaechon Beach, Daehae-ro Boryeong City, South ChungcheongDuration: July 21, 2023 to Aug. 6, 2023 Operating hours: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Monday to Thursday), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., One hour break from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Friday to Sunday)Admission Fee: 10,000 won ($7.8) for adults (ages 20 to 63) visiting from Monday to Thursday, 14,000 won for adults visiting from Friday to Sunday (Regular Zone). For group visits and fee information on family zones, check the details on the website. Phone number: 041-930-0891, 041-930-0883Website: http://boryeongmudfestival.com/

Hwacheon Tomato Festival

The Hwacheon Tomato Festival participants in Hwacheon County, Gangwon, participate in "Find the Golden Ring!" the festival's main recreational program. [CHOI SEUNG-PYO]

Many would have seen footage of the famous Spanish tomato festival, La Tomatina. Held in the Valencian town of Bunol, Spain, it covers the entire town in red with masses of tomatoes thrown everywhere. If you are intrigued by the idea of swimming in tomatoes, you may want to eye the Hwacheon Tomato Festival, which runs from Aug. 3 to Aug. 6 this year in Hwacheon County, Gangwon.

A child plays in the tomato pool at the Hwacheon Tomato Festival in Hwacheon County, Gangwon. [CHOI SEUNG-PYO]

With a total of five zones, each for performances, events, activities, experiences, local food and exhibition, the festival runs different programs to satisfy the varying demands of the visitors. The main event is the recreational program "Find the Golden Ring!" held five times at the Event Zone, where 300 participants search for golden rings in a large tomato pool as wide as 900 square meters (9,687 square feet). Other fun activities to try out include tug of war, face painting and craft programs.

Munhwamaeul 1-gil Sanae-myeon, Hwacheon County, GangwonDuration: Aug. 3, 2023 to Aug. 6, 2023 Phone number: 033-440-2912Website: http://tomatofestival.co.kr/2023 Aqua Festival

Visitors at the Jeongnamjin Jangheung Water Festival in Jangheung County, South Jeolla, march in the water parade. [SON MIN-HO]

If you were disappointed after failing to get a spot in the Waterbomb Festival or PSY's Summer Swag, head to South Jeolla for an even more exciting experience. The 2023 Aqua Festival runs from July 29 until Aug. 6 this year in Jangheung County, South Jeolla. While the other major summer festivals may rely heavily on the celebrity lineup, this festival mingles entertainment, culture and local experience.

The festival runs multiple themed events, including water pool parties, a talk concert with music and celebrity performances around the Tamjin River and the Cypress Forest Woodland.

The festival starts with a large-scale water parade from the county hall, where a heated water gun fight takes place for an hour. Even those who sway away from the center of the water fight end up getting entirely soaked in water, so all participants are advised to bring clean clothes to change into later. The water is taken from the Tamjin River and the Jangheung Dam, free from water shortage concerns due to the heavy rain over the past few weeks.

There's no admission fee, but the program participation fee ranges from around 3,000 to 7,000 won. Those who participate in the programs each get 2,000 won's worth of local vouchers, which you can exchange for Jangheung specialties sold at the venue.

741-6 Geonsan-ri, Jangheung-eup, Jangheung County, South JeollaDuration: July 29, 2023 to Aug. 6, 2023Phone number: 061-860-5771, 061-863-7071Website: https://festival.jangheung.go.kr/festivalHadong Seomjin River Culture Marsh Clam Festival

Visitors at the Hadong Seomjin River Corbicula Festival in Hadong County, South Gyeongsang, participate in a clam harvesting event. [BAEK JONG-HYUN]

Green tea is not the only specialty in Hadong County, South Gyeongsang. Jaecheop, or corbicula (Asian clam), is produced in the clean waters of the Seomjin River and is a pride of Hadong County's aquaculture. Corbicula is rich in protein and helps overcome hangovers and fatigue, often served in soup, or jaecheopguk, meaning corbicula soup in Korean.

This summer, Hadong County is holding the seventh Hadong Seomjin River Culture Marsh Clam Festival from Aug. 4 to Aug. 6. The event takes place around the Seomjin River and Songnim Park. The festival promotes Hadong County's culture and local specialties by hosting diverse programs, such as performances, games and jaecheop harvesting.

Hand-wrapped corbicula harvesting in Hadong County and nearby Gwangyang County was registered on July 10 as a fishing heritage on the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage List, proving its recognition worldwide. If you are keen on participating in some real-life local experiences, head to Hadong County this summer. 2107-8 Seomjingang-daero Hadong-eup, Hadong County, South GyeongsangDuration: Aug. 4, 2023 to Aug. 6, 2023Phone number: 055-880-2450Website: https://www.hadong.go.kr/02641/02652/02812.web

BY BAEK JONG-HYUN, KIM DONG-EUN [kim.dongeun@joongang.co.kr]