As the heat of the summer winds down in August, it is the perfect time to take a vacation to an exotic location and enjoy the final month of the season. Before the children begin getting ready to go back to school, a Korean vacation is a great way to expose them to a culture in which history and tradition coexist with state-of-the-art technology and modernity.

Eager to make the most of the remainder of summer, many cities and provinces throughout Korea hold festivals in August to celebrate traditions old and new. Don't miss out on your opportunity to enjoy the last month of summer, because come September, it will be too late!

1) 12th Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Theatre Festival

When: August 15~24, 2008 Where: Suwon Open Air Music Hall Kyungki-do, Suwon-si, Paldang-gu, Ingye-dong 1128 (The Daegu Opera House, Daegu Bongsan Cultural Center, Daegu Suseong Artpia, Daegu Harmonia Art Hall), Daegu Website:http://theatre.shcf.or.kr Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Theatre Festival, which celebrates its 12th anniversary this year, will be held near the Hwaseong Fortress from the 15th to 24th of August. The festival merges different genres of theatre and revitalizes the exchange between national and international festivals and cultural organizations. With its role as a means of developing local culture and extensive international exchange, the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Theatre festival emerges as a performance festival that has its own distinctive, unique quality.

2) Seoul Fringe Festival

When: August 14~30, 2008 Where: On the streets in the vicinity of Hongik University, Seoul, and at over 30 small theatres, live clubs and alternatives art spaces. Website:http://www.seoulfringefestival.net Having started as an independent art festival in 1998 under the motto of "Experiment and Grope of Korean-style Fringe," the location of the Seoul Fringe Festival is centered around Hongik University, the center of the "indie" culture in Seoul. Though the principle of festival management may have changed, the core spirit of the festival has not. Without a selection process or artistic judgement, it allows artists total freedom of expression and enables them to experiment with new arts, against the mainstream.

3) 13th Busan Sea Festival

When: August 1~10, 2008 Where: Haeundae Beach and other main beaches in Busan Website: http://www.seafestival.co.kr The Busan Sea Festival is held at various locations in the city of Busan, including Haeundae Beach, Gwangalli Beach, Song-do Beach, and Songjeong Beach. It is Korea's largest seaside festival offering quality art performances and a variety of water sports programs. The festival is centered around Busan's most sought-after beach, Haeundae. All participating beaches offer windsurfing, beach volleyball tournaments, pin-swimming tournaments, and many other water sports events. Visitors can also take advantage of free lessons offered in ocean rafting, canoeing, kayaking, scuba diving, banana boat riding, and more. During the festival, street dance and hip hop performances can be seen at various locations surrounding Haeundae Beach, along with art exhibitions, and live jazz music which makes Dalmaji (Gazing at the Moon) Hill come alive.

4) 20th Keochang International Festival of Theatre

When: July 25~August 10, 2008 Where: #750-3 Hwangsan-ri, Wecheon-myun, Keochang-goon, Kyungnam, Korea 670-853 Website: http://kift.or.kr/english The Keochang International Festival of Theatre beatifies our lives by taking the human condition and sublimating it into art. During the festival, some 47 theater troupes from around the world will descend upon the small mountainous community of Keochang to perform more than 200 works. Among the overseas attendees will be groups from Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Sweden, Canada, and Japan. The festival, which has been going strong since 1989, is held in the great outdoors and examines the themes of man, nature, and drama. This festival has been evaluated as an exemplary event of the growth of local culture by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

5) Nangye Traditional Music Festival

When: August 22~26, 2008 Where: The whole area YeongDong-goon (Yondu Park, County Playground, Nelmoney Fruit Land Square)370-702 Choongbook, YeongDong-goon, YeongDong-eup, Gyesan-ri 210-1 Website: http://yd21.go.kr/english/festival/festival_01.html The Nangye Traditional Music Festival in Yeongdong has been held every year since 1967 to commemorate one of the three great masters of traditional Korean music, Nangye Park Yeon. Visitors jump at the chance to play and even make traditional Korean musical instruments under the guidance of members of the Nangye Korean Traditional Music Orchestra. The main events are the National Traditional Music Contest and concerts performed by the Nangye Traditional Music Troupe. Nangye Park Yeon made traditional Korean string, wind and percussion instruments, gave excellent performances using these and is considered a master of Korean music for evolving the basic notation of the 12-tones.

6) 2008 Hi-Seoul Festival (Han River Festival)

When: August 8~16, 2008 Where: Chuncheon Puppet Theater Kangwon-do, Chncheon-si, Simil-ro 327 Website:http://www.cocobau.com The Puppet Festival Chuncheon has become a well-known performance-oriented art festival offering new types of artistic experiences through puppetry as well as a variety of supplementary events, while being a worldwide festival that welcomes local and visiting puppeteers. The festival has established itself as a significant mecca in the world of puppetry, with the foundation of the Chuncheon Puppet Theater in 2001 and the Chuncheon Puppet Museum in 2005. The festival will present lots of good opportunities to enjoy culture and arts through the puppetry performances and a variety of fun events, offered by the world's best puppeteers.

7) Gangjin Celadon Porcelain Cultural Festival

When: August 9~17, 2008 Where: The whole area of Goryeo Celadon Porcelain Klins, Daeku-myun, Gangjin-kun Website: http://www.gangjinfes.or.kr Goryeo celadon is one of Korea's unique cultural assets that has gained much international acclaim. Its aesthetic patterns and mystic jade color, in particular, are admired for their sublime beauty. The Gangjin Celadon Cultural Festival will offer various events, providing visitors with fun cultural experiences. The program will include workshops, exhibitions, performances of traditional and contemporary music, dance, and other artistic genres, as well as "do-it-yourself" events. Visitors will have the chance to participate in the different stages of celadon production, including the clay-mixing process, the forming of celadon using a "mulrae", or foot-operated potter's wheel, and firing the clay, under the supervision of professional potters. The festival also features the ringing of 12 big celadon bells and the opportunity to experience life in the Goryeo kingdom by tasting Goryeo dishes and wearing costumes based on those of the old kingdom. Visitors can also attend various performances of Korea traditional culture, like "Jindo Dasiraegy" (yard play performance), "Namsadangpae" (troupe of circus players and art performers) of Anseong, "Sukcheong Saja Nori"(lion dance drama) and a "Hahoe Talchum" (mask dance) by the Andong International Talchum Troupe.