The purpose of the study was to investigate how the Cheongwon Organic Life Festival, a rural festival, affects the farmers of the local farms in Cheongju. Based on grounded theory, this study analyzed the objective using a qualitative research program, the Nvivo11 program. The data was collected through in depth interviews from 13 farmers who participated in the Cheongwon Organic Life Festival, and were also residents of Chungcheungbuk-do.
The finding of results were as follows.
1. The roles of the local festival expected by farmers, were the sale of local agricultural products, local public relations, regional revitalization, a sense of pride as a farmer, exchange of business ideas for sales of agricultural products, and a line of direct communication between farmers and consumers.
2. The farmers who participated in the Cheongwon Organic Life Festival insisted that sales should rise. This would be achieved through local public promotion and post-direct sales, resulting in economic benefits for both the farmers and the local residents.
3. The results showed that the farmers who participated in the festival felt socially and psychologically stable while participating.
4. The programs at the Cheongwon Organic Life Festival include a concert, hands on involvement, and agricultural sales, which have a direct influence on both sales and attracting visitors during the local festival.
5. Farmers who participated in the Cheongwon Organic Life Festival asked for the improvement of the overall operation of the festival, including the problems with the admission tickets, parking, arrangement of facilities, festival venue, time, and etc.
6. The suggested improvements for the Cheongwon Organic Life Festival focused on the quality certification system of agricultural products, as well as the organic farming of products, thereby to gain trust from the consumers. The improvement of the festival environment and the proximity of the location were also key factors leading a successful festival. However, the interests and encouragement from the local government officials, authorities, and festival management officials are important for success.