"Come to Daejeon, the City of Bread" ... 120 Bakeries Gather for Biggest-Ever Bread Festival

[Financial News Daejeon = Kim Won-jun, reporter] The “2026 Daejeon Bread Festival,” where visitors can enjoy Daejeon’s diverse breads, culture and attractions all in one place, will take place over two days, on the 17th and 18th, across Expo Science Park.
 According to Daejeon City on the 15th, 120 local leading bakeries—more than last year—will take part in this year’s bread festival, presenting signature items that reflect their individual styles. Exhibitions and hands-on activities centered on bread, along with a diverse program of performances, are planned to give residents and tourists special autumn memories.
 The festival’s centerpiece, “Bread Station,” will operate across five zones (A–E) to help visitors easily find the bakeries they want to visit. Visitors can buy signature items from local bakeries they have had their eye on at prices at least 5% below the in-store price. A “Bread Gallery,” where visitors can see at a glance the participating bakeries’ brand stories and signature menu items, will also be set up and is expected to guide “bread pilgrimages” that lead to visits to the actual shops after the festival.
 The festival has also expanded its hands-on activities and attractions. The “Bakery Lab” will offer baking and pastry-making activities in partnership with local universities, while the “Special Class,” which highlights Daejeon’s character as a city of science, will feature unusual science-based programs such as making fresh-fruit cakes, excavating conglomerate cookies and a Starpresso extraction experiment.
 The “Bread Imagination Workshop” will also offer creative hands-on activities featuring Kkumssi Family, Daejeon’s signature characters, alongside the “Bread Jam Olympics,” a program for families to take part in.
 As the event is being held across Expo Science Park for the first time this year, Daejeon City is taking every measure to ensure visitor convenience and safety. It has secured a total of 3,600 parking spaces at eight locations near the venue and will operate shuttle buses connecting Government Complex Station (every 15 minutes) and Daejeon Station’s East Plaza (every hour).
 In addition to dining areas and rest areas, the festival will provide a rest area for families with infants and young children and older people, as well as an escort service with dedicated staff for visitor groups that may need extra assistance.
 Various related cultural events are also expected to take place nearby during the festival, creating synergy. They include the “2026 Daejeon Content Fair,” the “PUBG Mobile Pro Series Finals” and the “10th Safe Daejeon Safety Experience Festival.”
 Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jeong said, “Daejeon is home to bakeries with long histories and diverse appeal, and is a city where a rich array of cultural content comes together. I will do my utmost to ensure the event is run safely and that safety is well managed, so residents and visitors alike can enjoy the festival in comfort.”
 Meanwhile, the Daejeon Bread Festival has established itself as a successful local festival model that has significantly raised the city’s brand value by tapping into meme culture, particularly among young people. Daejeon City plans to use this festival to further strengthen a mutually beneficial ecosystem with local small businesses and develop it beyond a one-off food event into Daejeon’s own signature convergence festival, bringing together tourism, culture and science.

[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter