The Gimhae Welfare Foundation will kick off a series of events in October, starting with celebrations for Senior Citizens' Day, followed by a welfare expo, a volunteer sharing festival, and cultural activities for residents in areas affected by airport noise.
According to the Gimhae Welfare Foundation, the 30th Senior Citizens' Day celebration will take place on October 2 at the Gimhae Senior Comprehensive Welfare Center and the Eastern and Western Senior Comprehensive Welfare Centers. From October 3 to 4, the '2026 Gimhae Welfare Expo & Volunteer Sharing Festival' will welcome citizens at the Lotte Garden Park in Gimhae.
The cultural welfare project for residents in airport noise-affected areas, which began in April, will conclude with a small concert on October 15, marking the end of a seven-month schedule.
The Senior Citizens' Day events are expected to attract 2,400 participants, with 800 attendees from each welfare center. Each event has a budget of 1.5 million won, with additional sponsorships.
The Gimhae Senior Comprehensive Welfare Center will host a ceremony and singing contest starting at 9:30 a.m. on October 2, themed 'The Years We Walked Together, The Happiness We Create Together.' There will also be tarot and nail art experiences, promotional booths, and free meals served from 11 a.m.
The Eastern Senior Comprehensive Welfare Center will hold its event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the same day, themed 'The Time We Shared, A Happier Today.' Performances by the center's choir and members playing guitar and saxophone will be featured, along with AI, digital, and VR shooting experiences.
At the Western Senior Comprehensive Welfare Center, activities will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., including gemstone bracelet making, tea ceremonies, life counseling, and more. The afternoon will feature a singing contest and celebratory performances, with all three centers providing free meals during lunchtime.
The welfare expo and volunteer sharing festival will take place on October 3 and 4, organized by the city of Gimhae, the Gimhae Welfare Foundation, and the Gimhae Volunteer Center. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, with a total budget of 117.48 million won. The official opening ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. on the first day at the main stage of Lotte Garden Park.
The event space will feature a comprehensive welfare information area where citizens can explore various welfare services. The booths will be organized into eight themes, covering welfare for children, youth, and seniors, as well as services for people with disabilities and volunteer opportunities. Representatives from participating organizations will provide welfare consultations and experience programs on-site.
Performances on the first day will include children's trot music, youth club acts, magic balloon art, and electronic violin performances. Following the opening ceremony at 4 p.m., there will be a citizen participation welfare quiz show and guitar performances. On the second day, performances will include ocarina, ukulele, and saxophone acts, a fusion hanbok fashion show, and performances by the 5060 Raon Choir and youth bands and dancers.
The cultural welfare project for residents in airport noise-affected areas is also approaching its final program in October. The Gimhae Senior Comprehensive Welfare Center and the Eastern Senior Comprehensive Welfare Center have been running the project 'Singing the Years with the Airport: My Hometown, Gimhae' since April, funded by a community support grant from the Korea Airports Corporation.
Ninety participants, including vulnerable elderly individuals living alone and local youth artists from ten neighborhoods affected by airport noise, have taken part in the project. The project budget of 70 million won was provided by the Korea Airports Corporation's grant program.
Participants engaged in group healing activities using art and music, created original songs reflecting their stories, and practiced and recorded their songs. From September 9 to 11, they took a healing trip to Jeju, where they attended healing performances and visited healing forests and diverse sites.
The final session will be a small concert held on October 15 in the welfare center auditorium, where participants will share their activities and achievements, concluding the seven-month program that began in April.
Im Joo-taek, the CEO of the Gimhae Welfare Foundation, stated regarding the Senior Citizens' Day events, "We have prepared activities that reflect the unique characteristics of each welfare center so that seniors can communicate and enjoy their time together. We will continue to provide various welfare services and programs to ensure that seniors can lead healthy and vibrant lives."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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