Chuncheon Makguksu & Dakgalbi Festival to Open in October, Expanding to Five Days

【Financial News Chuncheon=Reporter Kim Ki-seop】The Chuncheon Makguksu & Dakgalbi Festival, which drew 300,000 visitors over four days last year, will expand this year into a longer-stay festival connecting various parts of the city, with its duration extended by one day.
According to Chuncheon on the 25th, the 2026 Chuncheon Makguksu & Dakgalbi Festival will be held from Oct. 14 to 18 along the Gongjicheon Stream waterfront promenade. After moving the festival site to Gongjicheon last year and increasing the number of participating signature restaurants, the event won a positive response. This year, the city plans to develop it further from a festival where people eat and leave into one where they stay, experience more, and spend money across the city.
The festival will run for five days, up from four. The number of participating businesses has also grown to 20, including 12 dakgalbi restaurants and eight makguksu restaurants, compared with 10 dakgalbi and five makguksu businesses last year. To encourage longer visits, a large roof structure will be installed over the sales area, while picnic- and camping-style dining spaces and rest areas will be expanded. Along the waterfront, the main stage, seating, and a large LED screen will be linked together, and convenience facilities such as an information center, medical services, and childcare space will also be strengthened.
Hands-on activities for families will also be expanded. New programs will include a free horseback riding experience in partnership with KRA and an eco-friendly wooden playground. Visitors will also be able to try AR experiences themed around makguksu and dakgalbi, an "food MBTI" activity, and a wooden dakgalbi-flipping game. Performances will be presented under the theme "Setting the Table for Chuncheon Culture," with a different stage lineup each day for five days.
The festival's energy will extend beyond Gongjicheon to Myeong-dong and Soyang Art Circle. In the old downtown area, mime, puppet shows, and dance performances will be staged, while visitors can receive discounts by showing receipts from Myeong-dong shops, drawing more people into the city center. Programs aimed at foreign tourists will also be expanded, including a larger international pavilion with foreign chefs and festival-tourism packages offered through overseas online travel platforms such as Klook, KKday, and Trip.com.
Yuk Dong-han, mayor of Chuncheon, said, "We have expanded the festival route across the entire city so that the afterglow of the gourmet experience at Gongjicheon can continue into the commercial and cultural districts of Myeong-dong." He added, "By expanding the international pavilion and overseas travel packages, we will attract foreign tourists as well and grow Chuncheon into a stage for Korea's leading K-food gourmet festival."



[email protected] Kim Ki-seop Reporter