Banpo Hangang Park will stay brightly lit into the night this weekend with over 100 food trucks and arts and crafts vendors setting up shop.

Starting at 5 p.m. Friday, Seoul Hangang Moonlight Night Market will offer international food, street food and special beverages from some 40 different food trucks.

Around 60 arts and crafts vendors will be showcasing their unique products, from postcards and accessories to perfumes and pet supplies.

The colorful changing of lights at the Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain -- known as the world’s longest bridge fountain showcasing 380 water jets -- is another feature to enjoy while strolling around the market. Although schedules are subject to change depending on the weather, the multicolored fountain usually operates every half hour, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

Busking events and mini concerts will also be taking place during market hours.

This year, all food vendors are required to use biodegradable plastic bags and plates. Visitors who bring their own dinnerware can get discounts on their food purchases.

The Seoul Hangang Moonlight Night Market runs until Oct. 29, Fridays and Saturdays, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The market will be closed during the Chuseok holidays from Sept. 9 to 10.

Cozy English bookstore offers new, used books

Spend some time at a cozy English bookstore just around the corner from Gireum Station, Seongbuk-gu, northern Seoul, and you are sure to find something to take home with you.

About a 3- to 4-minute walk from Gireum Station Exit Nos. 7 or 8, in the same direction as Korea Soka Gakkai International, a black framed and floor-to-ceiling window signals the entrance to the bookstore with its sign which reads, “Sehwa’s English Bookstore.”

The bookshop is filled with old knickknacks such as an antique turntable, typewriter and CRT TV with VHS player. It also contains of course new and used books, ranging from children’s pop-up books to fantasy novels and essays, which will please booklovers of all ages.

Sehwa’s English Bookstore may look like a place for foreigners, but the visitors say that the store has become popular among Korean parents who wish to buy secondhand English books at a cheap price.

Indeed, all used books cost 3,000 won. But the bookstore’s owner, after whom the store is named, noted that used books that are in mint condition may cost a little more. Used magazines are also available.

If you are looking for a book which is not at the store, you can leave the title or the ISBN with the owner and receive a text message when the book arrives. The bookstore also buys used books.

You might want to check the bookstore’s Instagram before your visit, as the owner posts newly arrived used books on its account. All the books in the shop can also be checked online at the bookstore’s Instagram as well.

The bookstore has an old-fashioned neighborhood parlor vibe, with piano recitals and old movie screenings being held from time to time.

Sehwa’s English Bookstore is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is closed on Tuesdays.

Pick up hanbok for Chuseok at Hanbok Expo 2022

If you haven’t got an outfit for Chuseok next month, the Hanbok Expo could be a place to visit for hanbok shopping this weekend.

At the Hanbok Expo 2022, some 80 hanbok companies will showcase their hanbok lines. Ranging from traditional to modern hanbok as well as related accessories, the expo will be held at the D2 Hall in Coex, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, from Thursday to Sunday.

During the four-day exhibition, visitors can get hanbok at a 30 percent discount on average or up to 80 percent discounts on purchases.

The expo also hosts hands-on experience programs where participants can try out different hanbok pieces and learn how to wear Korean traditional attire properly. At some handicraft workshops, you can make traditional Korean accessories to go with your outfit, like sewing your own “dangui baeja,” a type of vest with no sleeves, “norigae,” a traditional pendant accessory, and “hyangnang,” an incense pouch.

Prior reservation is required to participate in each program, as dates and prices may vary. Check out the Expo’s Instagram for more details.

A special exhibition of the hanbok collection inspired by folk tales of Madam Suro of the Silla Dynasty is on display at Booth E1. Ten designers recreated the stories through hanbok pieces made in deep indigo blue.

Other booths showcase hanbok uniforms and office wear, and hanbok looks selected through the Hanbok Design Project contest.

Advance reservation is open until Sunday for free admission. Onsite admission costs 5,000 won, but if you come wearing hanbok, you will be admitted for free.

Visit the official website of the 2022 Hanbok Expo or its official Instagram for more information.

(hykim@heraldcorp.com)

(sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)

(hwangdh@heraldcorp.com)