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Gilpost · Festival calendar · Changwon-si Masanhappo-gu

FestivalAutumn 2026

Masan Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival

마산가고파국화축제

This edition · Data as of · Published · Compiled by

A free festival along the harbour front in Masan, Changwon, on the south coast: dozens of themed chrysanthemum sculptures, flower tunnels and bonsai laid out in a seaside park, then lights, a drone show or fireworks and a waterside night market after dark. The 2026 festival (the 26th) runs 31 October – 8 November, free to enter. We read Korean blog posts from people who went in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Masan Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival
2026 마산가고파국화축제 (1).jpg2026 마산가고파국화축제 (2).jpg2026 마산가고파국화축제 (3).jpg2026 마산가고파국화축제 (4).jpg2026 마산가고파국화축제 (5).jpg2026 마산가고파국화축제 (6).jpg
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type3). Shown uncropped, as supplied.

What’s on

From the Korea Tourism Organization listing and press reports of the city's announcement (checked 11 October). We have not found a timed schedule yet.

3·15 Marine Park

Chrysanthemum displaysWalk-inFree
31 Oct – 8 Nov · All day
Tunnels, bonsai and sculptures.

Main site

Opening night and fireworksWalk-in
Date to be confirmed · —
Announced by the city.

On the water

Floating fire-lantern showWalk-in
Date to be confirmed · —
New this year.

Happo Waterside Park

Night food stalls and showsWalk-in
31 Oct – 8 Nov · Evenings
Food paid.

Masan Marine New Town

Food plaza, outdoor cinema, photo spotsWalk-in
31 Oct – 8 Nov · —
A new third site this year.

Sources: the Korea Tourism Organization listing and press reports (September–October 2026).

The essentials

Dates2026-10-31 – 2026-11-08
Where3·15 Marine Park, Happo Waterside Park and Masan Marine New Town, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon
CostFree entry · some activities and rides paid
OrganisersChangwon City and the Masan Chrysanthemum Festival committee (+82 55-225-2341)
Address경상남도 창원시 마산합포구 월남동1가
Contact055-225-2341 · www.changwon.go.kr
ProgrammeFlower displays, opening night and floating fire lanterns — see “What’s on” below.

Official poster

2026 마산가고파국화축제 포스터.jpg

The organisers’ own poster, in Korean. Source: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type3), shown unaltered. Tap to open full size.

What 29 visitors said

We searched Naver, the blog platform most Koreans use, for 30 posts around each year's festival, read every one to the end, kept only people who went (14, 20 and 9), and used 10, 10 and 9. Sponsored and official-supporter posts were dropped and no writer is counted twice. Every number counts the posts that mentioned something.

What people liked

Flowers by the sea9 of 29 posts

A seaside park and footbridge lined with themed flower works 23-15 23-26 23-30 24-12 24-18 24-24 25-18 25-23 25-24

Lights, fireworks and a night market11 of 29 posts

Evening lights, drone shows or fireworks, food stalls by the water 23-13 23-14 23-21 24-09 24-10 24-11 24-14 25-15 25-17 25-22 25-25

Free entry and free activities6 of 29 posts

Retro school uniforms, craft stalls 23-16 23-30 24-12 24-14 24-18 25-12

Cheap potted chrysanthemums3 of 29 posts

Bunches ₩5,000, small pots ₩3,000 (2023) 23-16 23-18 24-12

What people struggled with

Not fully in bloom early on13 of 29 posts

Buds in 2023 and 2024; full bloom in 2025 23-14 23-15 23-16 23-23 23-26 23-28 23-30 24-07 24-09 24-13 24-14 24-18 24-24

Parking is the big problem14 of 29 posts

Car parks full even on weekday mornings 23-14 23-15 23-18 23-21 23-26 23-28 24-07 24-12 24-13 24-14 24-18 24-24 25-23 25-24

Queues for the toilets4 of 29 posts

Few blocks; a 15-minute wait in 2023 23-13 23-14 23-18 24-18

Snacks felt pricey3 of 29 posts

Snack stalls and the night market 23-23 24-13 25-17

These are raw counts, not percentages. Someone who did not mention something is not someone who disagreed.

Who goes, and when

Mostly families with children and older couples, plus friends and couples. 20 of the 29 posts call it crowded — weekends of course, but weekday mornings too, with nursery-school outings and seniors. Weekday evenings were calmer. In 2023 and 2024 many found the flowers still in bud in the first days (13 posts); in 2025, starting on 1 November, several found them in full bloom.

Who they went with

With friends1 of 29 posts
With children9 of 29 posts
With parents or adult family1 of 29 posts
As a couple3 of 29 posts

15 of the 29 posts did not say.

Time of day

Evening6 of 29 posts
Day into night8 of 29 posts
Afternoon2 of 29 posts
Morning5 of 29 posts

8 of the 29 posts did not say.

Visiting from abroad

None of the posts mention foreign visitors and the information is in Korean only. Masan is about 45 minutes by train or bus from Busan; the site is a walk from Masan's fish market. It is free and easy without Korean: walk the harbour park by day, stay for the lights, and eat at the waterside night market (at the barbecue stalls you hand over ID to borrow a burner).

Weather and crowds

Hot in the sun by day, but cold and windy by the water after dark — several said it felt like midwinter. If you stay for the fireworks and night market, bring a warm coat.

Getting there and access

Parking is the biggest headache. The car parks by the site filled by 9–10am even on weekdays; people used the temporary lot on the reclaimed land (dusty), roadside spaces allowed during the festival, or the fish-market car park, and walked 10–15 minutes. Free shuttle buses ran, and many advise walking or public transport. Hotels nearby fill up during the festival.

Paths in the park are flat and pushchair-friendly; the info desk lent wheelchairs and pushchairs in 2024, and there were benches and shade. Toilets were few and queues long (15 minutes in 2023) — go before you start. The city says it is raising the number of temporary toilet blocks to nine in 2026.

Year by year

Autumn 2023

28 October – 6 November. A drone light show on opening day and a dragon-boat race; flowers were still opening the first weekend.

Autumn 2024

26 October – 3 November. A night market and small fairground rides at Happo waterside park; crowds packed the drone show.

Autumn 2025

1–9 November. Landmark-themed flower sculptures, igloos and a waterside night market; the flowers were at their best.

Tips from people who went

  • Go on a weekday, or before 9am at weekends
  • Park a little further out (the fish market) or take the shuttle
  • Use the toilets before you start
  • Buy flower pots in the morning — they sell out
  • Come in the afternoon and stay for the lights
  • Warm coat for the evening
  • The main site is the 3·15 Marine Park; the night market is at Happo waterside park

The 29 posts we read

  1. 23-13 · 2023-10-29 마산 가볼만한 곳 아이와 함께 국화축제
  2. 23-14 · 2023-10-29 경남 가을여행 ‘마산국화축제’ 28일 개화상황, 개막일 후기, 주차....
  3. 23-15 · 2023-10-29 2023 마산국화축제 다녀온 후기(주차 꿀팁있음)
  4. 23-16 · 2023-10-30 마산국화축제 3.15해양누리공원 실시간 후기 창원 근교 가볼만한곳
  5. 23-18 · 2023-10-30 마산 국화축제 : 국화 반 사람 반, 주차는 어디에? 다녀온 솔직후기
  6. 23-21 · 2023-10-30 2023년 10월 23~29일 | 모남희 미니프렌즈 3종 | 마산 국화축제
  7. 23-23 · 2023-10-31 마산 국화축제 주차장 먹거리 꼭 체크하고 가세요
  8. 23-26 · 2023-11-01 [ 창원 가을축제 ] 해양누리공원 제 23회 마산국화축제 방문 후기
  9. 23-28 · 2023-11-01 [경남 마산] 23회 마산국화축제 국화 꽃구경 가족나들이 _ 마산 315해....
  10. 23-30 · 2023-11-02 마산 국화축제 해양 공원 주차장 일정 불꽃 놀이
  11. 24-07 · 2024-10-27 2024 마산국화축제 | 국화축제에 놀이공원이? 6세 아이랑 국화축제 후....
  12. 24-09 · 2024-10-28 2024년 제24회 마산 가고파 국화축제 합포수변공원 실시간 국화 개화....
  13. 24-10 · 2024-10-28 국화축제 및 드론 라이트쇼
  14. 24-11 · 2024-10-28 24년 10월 넷째주 주간일기(부제:13번째 결기ㅊㅋㅊㅋ)
  15. 24-12 · 2024-10-29 경남 가을축제 마산 국화축제 평일 다녀와봄 : 먹거리 놀거리 주차....
  16. 24-13 · 2024-10-29 창원 가볼 만한 곳 // 마산가고파국화축제 일정 / 개화현황 / 장소 / ....
  17. 24-14 · 2024-10-29 창원 24회마산가고파국화축제 볼거리와 주차팁
  18. 24-18 · 2024-11-01 창원 가볼 만한 곳 마산 가고파 국화축제 바다와 국화가 만나는 곳
  19. 24-24 · 2024-11-08 마산 가고파국화축제 일정 먹거리 관람 기간연장 11월 가볼만한곳
  20. 24-27 · 2024-11-10 마산 여행 - 콰이강의 다리 , 로봇랜드, 로봇랜드 불꽃놀이, 마산 국....
  21. 25-12 · 2025-11-01 2025 마산 가고파 국화축제 후기 주차장, 불꽃놀이 시간
  22. 25-15 · 2025-11-02 마산~가을, 가고파 국화축제, 드론
  23. 25-17 · 2025-11-03 세모로 페스타, 마산 국화축제 후기(푸드트럭 메뉴 가격, 불꽃놀이)
  24. 25-18 · 2025-11-04 경남 가을 가볼 만한 곳ㅣ2025년 제 25회 마산가고파국화축제, 일정·....
  25. 25-21 · 2025-11-06 마산국화축제/진동우향밀면
  26. 25-22 · 2025-11-07 2025 마산 국화축제 야시장 : 아이와 가볼만한 곳 추천
  27. 25-23 · 2025-11-07 매년 열리는 마산의 대형 가을꽃 국화 축제
  28. 25-24 · 2025-11-08 2025 마산가고파국화축제 주차 기본정보 마산국화축제 경남꽃구경 ....
  29. 25-25 · 2025-11-08 창원 마산가고파국화축제X세모로페스타 낭만 가득한 항구

All posts are in Korean. We summarise them in our own words rather than quoting.