A series of highlights including the Marching Festival on the 23rd, night performances on the 24th, and the Island Food Festival & Fireworks Festival on the 31st
Island trips to Gaedo and Geumodo alongside various visitor events... A must-visit outing before the closing ceremony

The most beautiful season of the year, the most special island trip is waiting for you right now in Yeosu. A flower that blooms once in 100 years has blossomed, the islands of the world have gathered in one place, and as night falls, a festival of light unfolds over the sea. Only two weeks remain to experience all of these sights, leading up to the closing day on November 4.

■ A Global Island Tour Possible Only at the World's First Island Fair (Land Fair)

Meeting the world's islands in one place is impossible anywhere except at the Island Fair venue. No passport, no plane ticket needed. The moment you step into the fairgrounds, a global island tour begins.

The first step is the 'Tree of Life' at the entrance of the thematic island. Featuring robots arms harmonizing with a tree glowing with LED lights and screens, it embodies the meaning of embracing the difficulties and wounds of islands with today's technology. It shows that protecting islands is not just about remembering the past, but about building a new future together.

At the International Exchange Islands, a full-scale global island tour unfolds. Newly arranged on the 7th of this month with a second exhibition featuring 17 overseas local governments, these islands have traveled across the sea to Yeosu, each bringing their own stories: islands tackling climate change, islands restoring coral reefs, and islands living in harmony with their unique nature. Once the fair closes, it will not be easy to gather them all in one place again.

The story of the islands is by no means someone else's story. Islands are the first places to experience the climate crisis and also the first to find its solutions. Meeting the islands of the world is ultimately about confronting the sea and the future that we must protect.

■ Nowhere Else: The 100-Year Lucky Cycad Flower and Sunset Walking Trail

A flower so rare that it is hard to see even once in a lifetime is currently blooming at the fairgrounds. At Jobaldo Forest, the cycad flower—known through legend to "bloom once every 100 years"—has blossomed. As it is known as a rare flower that is difficult to encounter, a story goes that good fortune and blessings will come to those who see it. Perhaps because of this, a continuous stream of visitors gathers in front of the flower, clasping their hands to make a wish and taking photos to capture the luck. Visitors are essentially gaining an unexpected bonus of good luck on their autumn outing.

Walking along paths newly decorated with autumn flowers such as chrysanthemums, the coastal walking trail transforms into a sunset spot as evening approaches. The scenery of red sunset spreading between the sea and the islands is the very embodiment of the beauty that Yeosu's islands have embraced alongside the sea for ages.

■ This Night Exists Only at the Island Fair: A Night Flowing with Light, Wishes, and Fireworks

If you visited the fairgrounds only during the day, you've only seen half of it. As the sunset fades beyond the sea, lights turn on one by one throughout the fairgrounds, and a 360-degree media facade unfolds on the 20-meter-high thematic island. This scene, where the stories of islands and the sea come alive through light and video, can only be experienced on the nights of the Island Fair.

In the waterway of the Island Theme Zone, boats carrying visitors' handwritten wishes glow gently upon the calm water. The sight of each small boat holding a wish flowing along the ripples makes for a wonderful scene to walk alongside family and lovers, or to capture in photographs. At the evening Open Stage, 'Island Friends Day' features traditional dances and music from participating overseas regions, while every Saturday night, night EDM performances heat up the fairgrounds. After 5:00 PM, visitors can also drop in lightly with a night ticket to enjoy just the evening of the fair.

■ Unrepeatable Stages: Large-Scale Performances and Festivals Every Weekend

During the remaining weekends of October, the fairgrounds buzz with a different festival every week—stages that once passed cannot be seen again. On the 23rd and 24th, domestic and international marching bands parade through the fairgrounds with cheerful marches. On the 24th, the children's favorite EBS musical 'Evengers LIVE' takes the stage twice at 3:30 PM and 6:00 PM, welcoming family outing guests with an interactive performance where the audience sings and moves together. On Saturday the 25th, Top 6 from 'Nameless Legend' (Sungri, Haru, Jang Han-byeol, Hwang Yoon-seong, Jeong Yeon-ho, Lee Ru-ne) take the stage together, with Yoo Ji-woo joining as a guest.

On the evening of the 30th, the 'Island-Island Makgeolli Festa' will heat up the Open Stage, where visitors can taste Yeosu craft beer and island makgeolli from Gaedo, Nangdo, and Geumodo, while enjoying performances by Im Chang-jung, Diva, and Chunja, alongside an EDM party. A cup of makgeolli brewed on the islands contains the flavors and lives of the island people. On the 31st, the Yeosu Night Sea Fireworks Festival and Island Food Festival will embroider the autumn night.

■ Gifts Available Only at the Fairgrounds: Stamp and Certification Shot Events

Just enjoying the fairgrounds allows you to pick up gifts. From the 20th until the closing day on November 4, the 'Cashwalk Stamp Challenge' runs where visitors collect stamps while touring various spots across the fairgrounds, giving additional rewards to the first 1,000 people. With every step, memories of the island trip accumulate alongside the stamps.

If you love photography, don't miss the 'Awesome Pose Event.' Upload your certification shots—visiting exhibition halls during the day, or posing against the ocean sunset at night—and a draw will reward 100 people with autumn latte coupons. The event continues until the closing day on November 4.

■ A Path Open Only During the Fair Period: Real Islands Crossed by Boat

If you've grown fond of islands at the fairgrounds, it's time to cross over to a real island by boat. At the sub-venue Gaedo, programs combining nature and culture—such as marine leisure sports, art exhibitions, and island spot tours—are operated. In Geumodo, visitors can get closer to the island's scenery and history through the Birang-gil stamp tour, the Island-Island Yeosu Walking Tour Challenge, and the Geumodo-Ando historical exhibition.

During the fair period, out-of-town visitors are offered ferry fare subsidies and the 'Jeonnam-Gwangju Island Half-Price Travel' benefit, making now the absolute best time to set off for the islands. Visitors stepping foot on the islands brings new vitality to the daily lives of the island residents and connects to protecting the islands' tomorrow together.

Days meeting the islands of the world, nights dyed with light and performances. The only place where all of this can be enjoyed in a single day is right here this fall, at the Yeosu World Island Fair. And that time ends on November 4. Missing this autumn that will never return might leave you with this year's greatest regret. There is no time to hesitate. This weekend, let's set off for the Island Fair.

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