Spring has taken root and blossomed at Everland this March as the largest annual tulip festival in Korea opens its doors from March 16 – April 29. Celebrating its 26th anniversary the festival first began in 1992 when Everland was called “Farm Land”. Since its first opening, the festival has hosted 35 million visitors making it one of the most popular spring flower festivals on the peninsula. This year’s festival is 40% larger than last year and will showcase 1.2 million flowers in 110 varieties.

The festival was designed to give Everland’s guests a taste of spring a little earlier than usual. Since most flowers in Korea bloom in April, and many of the country’s flower festivals are concentrated in the southern regions of the peninsula, the park saw an opportunity to bring their visitors a little spring cheer.

Although tulips typically blossom in warmer April weather, Everland has developed expertise in cultivating the flowers allowing them to blossom in mid-March. With a variety of intense colors, and a period of blooming typically longer than domestic flowers, like cherry blossoms, they are the perfect flower for the seasonal festival.

 Prepping the Festival

While many associate tulips with Dutch culture, the flowers origins are rooted in Turkey.
The flowers were cultivated in Turkey during the 11th century and even derive their name from the Turkish word Tülbent, meaning ‘turban’.

While many associate tulips with Dutch culture, the flowers origins are rooted in Turkey. The flowers were cultivated in Turkey during the 11th century and even derive their name from the Turkish word Tülbent, meaning ‘turban’.

Tulips are autumn bulbs, meaning that to bloom in the spring, they must be planted during the fall. Only if the bulbs are exposed to the winter chill will they blossom in spring. After importing all the festival tulips from the Netherlands, Everland plants about 40% of its supply in November so that they naturally bloom in the park during April.

The remaining bulbs are distributed to 24 different temperature-controlled greenhouses near the park. Each greenhouse exposes the flowers to low temperatures for different lengths of time to artificially delay their blooming throughout March and into mid-April for the festival.

A Magic Garden

The Four Seasons Garden sets the main stage for the festival as it is transformed into a fairytale town called the Magical Tulip Garden where Everland’s mascot, Lara, lives. The magic garden is divided into six theme zones including Lara’s flower house, a Café, a Zoo, a Garden, and other story-themed zones.

  
Throughout the Magical Tulip Garden, guests will see a variety of sculptures including a 5-meter tall hot-air balloon, a 3-meter tall flower, and a purple teapot. The sculptures make for perfect backdrops to photos, so visitors can save their memorable moments at the park. Photographers will definitely want to keep their cameras handy in the Magical Tulip Garden as the area is home to an oversized Nikon D5600 DSLR.

The festival will also showcase the Marche aux Fleurs Garden, a European themed flower market located near the front gate. Visitors will find plenty of photo opportunities here in the designated photo zones that feature flower trains, flowerpot fairies and more. On weekends only, visitors can buy tulip flowerpots right from the flower boutique.

This year also sees an increase in outdoor activities during the festival. In the Four Seasons Garden there will be a new performance called “Photo Wonderland”, which will feature 20 character actors in spring-themed costumes such as flowers, bees, and cute bugs, that will pose with guests 3-5 times a day during the duration of the festival.

Lenny’s Fantasy World, a multi-media firework show, is also getting an update for the spring season with entirely new stories, videos, music, and special effects. Guests will have a chance to celebrate global cultures at the Carnival Fantasy Parade that will feature influences from some of the world’s largest carnivals in Brazil, Italy, and the Caribbean. Other outdoor events include a panda musical show called Panda Le Bao’s Adventure, and a nighttime Moonlight Parade.

The Tulip Festival runs every day from March 16 – April 29. For more information about hours of operation and how to visit Everland, visit www.everland.com.

Everland holds the fun and exciting winter season event, 'Snow Festival' for 63 days from January 1 to March 4.

Outdoor sled riding?

Indoor trampolining? 

Everland introduces a new winter playground where visitors can enjoy the Alpine style sledding, trampoline and many other joyful activities inside and outside. 

Everland's the most popular playground during  winter season, 'Snow Buster’ welcomes everyone with three different sledge courses such as Münch Kid's Sledge, Jungfrau Sledge and Eiger Sledge which is the most thrilling course available from 30th.

The 'Snow Buster' is particularly popular for people of all ages since riders do not need to move the sleds on their own but using the tube lift. This year, the tube lift upgraded for all courses will bring about even more convenient and joyful riding experiences.

In particular, the best part of this year's Snow Buster is four-seater sleds that Everland introduces for the first time in Korea!

The four seater sledges will be available for two lanes of the Eiger course, becoming a perfect solution for families who want to make special winter memories while riding a sledge all together face to face. 'Snow Buster' is open for all Everland visitors for free.

Also, Everland runs indoor trampolines for kids, 'Popping Jumping', from January 1 to March 4. In addition to sledding in the open air, kids can play around in the 660㎡ 'Popping Jumping' amusement facility located inside the Alpine restaurant.

Kids can jump and run on various-sized elastic fabrics stretched over a steel frame using coiled springs. Trampoline is a great exercise device with a dual effect for kids to stimulate growth plate and improve agility, speed, sense of balance and other physical abilities as a whole while releasing stress.

'Popping Jumping' is only available for kids with the height of 100~150cm and costs KRW 4,000 per kid including nonslip socks and beverage. For the children who are under 120cm, baby trampoline zones and ball pools are available.   

Let's go to the Winter Land

with pandas, tigers and brown bears

Everland's Zootopia, a place where pandas, tigers, brown bears and many other popular animals live is turned in to a snowy and icy winter kingdom since January 1.

Visitors can witness animals walking around snowfield at a close distance.

The Panda World is the only one place in Korea where people can see pandas in person. For curious pandas who love snow, a 'snowy playground' is built up so visitors can see a pair of playful pandas moving around the snow-covered outdoor playground and a warm house, having fun with snowmen, snow tunnels and other toys. 

Visitors can look at close distance tigers walking around the snowy mountains and ice walls as well as brown bears enjoying food like apples and sweet potato near an ice cave from inside of a safari bus.  

A home of monkeys, Monkey Valley shows a lovely scene for visitors like Japanese monkeys taking baths in steaming hot springs surrounded by ice walls.